Behringer A500 Amplifier: Objective Test Results

[don maico]

Oh! I'm glad to hear that. I'm in the Philippines and here Behringer products is relatively cheaper than Carvin and Crown USA because it is assembled in China. For home user products, we have Pioneer, Kenwood, Denon, Harman Kardon, Sony and many more of Asian origin.

As regards capacitor ratings in the power supply side I may add that even the computer geeks on most reviews are very particular on the capacitor ratings in the motherboard which can be readily seen and examined when you want to buy one.For the amps it is not on the specs so there is no way to browse upon unless you want to peek inside the chassis.

so there is no way of finding out then

 

[beppe61]

.... Well, that's true it's the high current that matters, that's why technically minded buyers/enthusiasts are very particular on the rating of capacitors being used in the power supply.
Carvin is also claiming that their PAs can constantly supply peak current demands even on a heavy duty cycle situations such as successive bass drum kicks for example ....

Dear Sir,
I am very interested in this issue of high current amps.
As the peak current available from an amp is almost never mentioned in the specifications, I have a method to establish it that I want to discuss.
If an amp can deliver continuously let's say 400W on a 4 ohm load (from 20 to 20.000 Hz) it implies that it can deliver surely 10A RMS that become about 14A peak.
Is it a correct assumption ?
I think that the ability of an amp to source good amount of clean current is fundamental for a satisfying performance.
By the way do you have a direct experience of the A500 of other very interesting PA power amps ?
I thnk that their quality is somewaht underestimated.

Thank you very much and kind regards,
beppe

 

[PENG]

Dear Sir,
If an amp can deliver continuously let's say 400W on a 4 ohm load (from 20 to 20.000 Hz) it implies that it can deliver surely 10A RMS that become about 14A peak.
Is it a correct assumption ?
beppe

I would like to answer this part of your question and I hope you don't mind. Firstly, your example of 10A rms, at 400W into 4 ohms is true, but only if the 4 ohm load is purely resistive. If it is a 4 ohm impedance of highly inductive nature the current would be much higher.

Secondly, when manufacturers such as HK who provides a high peak current of +/- 75A they are most likely not talking about the same peak (=1.414XRMS) that you were talking about. I believe they are still talking about RMS values but the amplifier could deliver that kind of high current (again, still RMS) for a short duration. Too bad, even HK who seems to enjoy bragging about their high instantaneous current capability do not specify the maximum duration. It could simply be for a microsecond, just for argument sake.

In summary, the 14A peak vs. 10A RMS you referred to is simply a mathematical relationship between RMS and Peak values for a pure sine wave, whereas the peak of very high values that some manufacturers like to talk about are really instantaneous RMS values. In your example, if the amplifier can deliver 10A RMS continuously, then it must deliever 14.14A Peak continuously if the current waveform is sinuisoidal. It is mathematical, you cannot have one without the other.

 

[beppe61]

I would like to answer this part of your question and I hope you don't mind. Firstly, your example of 10A rms, at 400W into 4 ohms is true, but only if the 4 ohm load is purely resistive.
If it is a 4 ohm impedance of highly inductive nature the current would be much higher....

Thank you Sir. The issue is more understandable for me now.
Kind regards,

beppe

 

[DHart]

What should I look for as a nice warm sounding, but economical pre-amp to work well with the A500? Especially with regard to the output impedence of the preamp, since the A500 has a low input impedence?

 

[jeffsg4mac]

You don't want a "warm" sounding preamp. What is that anyway? You wan't a neutral sounding preamp, a preamp that adds no sound of it's own. Best bang for the buck are just about any of the new batch of HT receivers. Denon, Yamaha, HK, etc. I use a Yammie RXV-2600.

 

[DHart]

Don't I need a preamp with a low impedence output to match the low impedence input on the A500's?

Neutral is fine.... but I want at least basic EQ controls so I can tailor the highs and low end to my liking. Does it make sense to buy an entire 7.1 receiver when all I want is a 2 channel preamp/pro?

By warm... I like the sound my old Carver HR 752 and TannoySystem 800 studio monitors gives me - in comparison to other gear, it sounds "warm" to me... for lack of a better description.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

Neutral is ok.... but I want at least basic EQ controls so I can tailor the highs and low end to my liking. Does it make sense to buy an entire 7.1 receiver when all I want is a 2 channel preamp/pro?

Depends on how much you want to spend. Try finding a 2 channel preamp with the EQ controls of a Yamaha, or Denon receiver. I don't think they exist. My yammie has both parametric or graphic eq controls for every channel except the sub and you can use auto setup or manual overrides. Your are going to spend a lot more on a two channel setup with the power and flexiability of an HT receiver, unless you just get a very basic preamp. With that you only have a preamp and nothing more.

 

[DHart]

Thanks Jeff... I understand you get a ton of processing features in those receivers... I'd like to spend as little as possible and still get a good impedence match to the power amps and some eq control. No need for a tuner or much power in the power section of a receiver. The A500s have a low impedence input of 10kohm, I believe.... so what do I need to look for in the pre-out impedence of the receiver/preamp?

 

[jeffsg4mac]

Thanks Jeff... I understand you get a ton of processing features in those receivers... I'd like to spend as little as possible and still get a good impedence match to the power amps and some eq control. No need for a tuner or much power in the power section of a receiver. The A500s have a low impedence input of 10kohm, I believe.... so what do I need to look for in the pre-out impedence of the receiver/preamp?

I would not worry about it much. You should be able to drive those amps with just about anything out there. My yammie drives mine to beyond ear spltting levels. Not really an issue at all.

 

[mike c]

for those who want to automatically turn on their A500's using a 12v trigger/switched outlets.
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27958

 

[wire]

Don't I need a preamp with a low impedence output to match the low impedence input on the A500's?

Neutral is fine.... but I want at least basic EQ controls so I can tailor the highs and low end to my liking. Does it make sense to buy an entire 7.1 receiver when all I want is a 2 channel preamp/pro?

By warm... I like the sound my old Carver HR 752 and TannoySystem 800 studio monitors gives me - in comparison to other gear, it sounds "warm" to me... for lack of a better description.

If you like the sound of the Carver , go get a C 1 pre or CT 7 pre ( both 2 channel ) from Carver are built for music , both are 2 channel and deliver a much different sound than the newer ht pre's from Carver will give a sharper sound , they are built for movies and music .
The CT-7 has treble , midrange and bass controls on it ( that is enough control and you should keep it on flat anyhow ) .
Your can use your HR 752 as a pre also , just add a external beheranger or Carver to it if you want more power ( im sure you HR752 has the same pre as a CT-7 ) .
I agree with the warmer sound , most ppl. here have not heard Sunfire or Carver ( or any tube ) gear on this forum . I find a difference in the comparison to my CT-7 and CT-17 ( made for 5.1 ) , the CT-7 is warmer than the CT-17 . I also have a tube amp , i can listin to that for 12 hours ( or more ) with out my ears getting sick of it .

 

[selkec]

A couple of quick questions. I am thinking about getting the behringer and wanted to know. 1.What does it put out at 8 ohms? 2. Could I just plug it into the switched outlet on my reciever to power it on and off? 3.And if that, would it hurt anything like loud pops or sounds. ....The manual says to always turn the volume knobs all the way down and and to turn them off either first or last I cant remember. Anyway, that sounds like alot of trouble. I just want to turn on my reciever and everything come on. The reason Im thinking about getting it is because there is a site that sells the b-stock behringer for 99. It seems like too good of a deal to pass up. Can someone please help me with these questions before they are out of these? thanks guys

 

[wire]

A couple of quick questions. I am thinking about getting the behringer and wanted to know. 1.What does it put out at 8 ohms? 2. Could I just plug it into the switched outlet on my reciever to power it on and off? 3.And if that, would it hurt anything like loud pops or sounds. ....The manual says to always turn the volume knobs all the way down and and to turn them off either first or last I cant remember. Anyway, that sounds like alot of trouble. I just want to turn on my reciever and everything come on. The reason Im thinking about getting it is because there is a site that sells the b-stock behringer for 99. It seems like too good of a deal to pass up. Can someone please help me with these questions before they are out of these? thanks guys

Its a good idea not to use the outlet on you receiver , its only good for DVD player and CD players . Amps need to much power .
Look it up , on the power rating on the amp . .

 

[selkec]

Is it ok to leave it on all the time? I looked and can not find the ratings for 8 ohms stereo. does anyone know. Can anyone who uses these help me out? I am thinking I want 3 of these for my 5.1 setup. Just dont feel like turning the volume down on all three and turning all three off everytime. For 99 a piece, it is such a good deal to pass up.

 

[wire]

Is it ok to leave it on all the time? I looked and can not find the ratings for 8 ohms stereo. does anyone know. Can anyone who uses these help me out? I am thinking I want 3 of these for my 5.1 setup. Just dont feel like turning the volume down on all three and turning all three off everytime. For 99 a piece, it is such a good deal to pass up.

I dont own one , but its 160w per channel at 8 ohms . You can leave them on all time ( it will use some power ) . Just turn down the Volume on your receiver .
I just downloaded the manual off the site . You should look at it also if your interested in buying it .

 

[selkec]

Thanks. I did look at the manual. I just didnt scroll down far enough to see the power ratings before. my mistake. I have read on here about people running more higher amp circuits. If I am running 3 of these. Will I have to get an electrician to run more power? I was hopeing I could just plug all 3 into a surge protector like the monster hts 5100 MKII power center. Three of these for 346.70 shipped is a great deal. As long as I dont have to pay an electrician to run more lines.

 

[wire]

Thanks. I did look at the manual. I just didnt scroll down far enough to see the power ratings before. my mistake. I have read on here about people running more higher amp circuits. If I am running 3 of these. Will I have to get an electrician to run more power? I was hopeing I could just plug all 3 into a surge protector like the monster hts 5100 MKII power center. Three of these for 346.70 shipped is a great deal. As long as I dont have to pay an electrician to run more lines.

Sounds good to me , you shouldnt need a electrician . Sounds like you have a pretty good plan and your gonna have alot of power . Welcome to power / pre 's and your getting a hell of deal on the amps . Good luck and enjoy and have fun .
wire

 

[selkec]

thank you very much. I have always loved sound systems, But this site has made me totally addicted. I drive myself nuts thinking about all the possibilities. I need to hit the lottery now.

 

[wire]

thank you very much. I have always loved sound systems, But this site has made me totally addicted. I drive myself nuts thinking about all the possibilities. I need to hit the lottery now.

Hehe
I know what you mean , but i have my limits and dont really like some of the newer stuff in my price range . I would like to upgrade my SS stuff to Sunfire equiment , but for now i have to stick with what ive got ( im not complaining with my equiment ) .