Just got a new Behringer EP2500..help!!

[Johnny Canuck]

Hey guys..and gals.. I took Buckeye and others' advice and picked up a Behringer EP2500 today. $500 Canadian. 1200W, 450 in 8ohm x 2. This thing is going to rock. I hope. I have a few questions and am looking to the experts here for some advice and tips. Thank you in advance. As you can see from my signature I now have Polk RTI12's, Csi5 centre, Polk RTI6 in the back. A NAD 2200 is running my drivers on the towers with a Denon 3805 running the highs and centre and rears. I have a Hsu STF3 sub.

1) I picked up a Mogami 1/4" to RCA cable. 10 feet was as short as they had. Said it was a well shielded cable and the length would be ok. From what I read there is no difference between using the 1/4" or the XLR connectors as it is an "unfiltered" signal or something like that. Is that true?

2) What are the switches on the back for? Filters etc. Where should they be set? Do I want to filter low or high frequencies on this with my Polk RTI12's?

3)Should I use my NAD 2200 to run my centre channel? Will it match well with the Behringer? Will it make my rears really quiet? Do I just make the distance longer on the rears with my Denon receiver to make them louder? I notice my NAD has a switch for bridging but I can't switch it. Is there something else involved, like a screw or something?

4)The Behringer has a fan that's quite loud in my living room. I just plugged it in to warm it up and to hear the fan. The guy at the store said he could not tell me to disconnect the fan for warranty reasons, but said for my application, it would "be OK " wink wink. Opinions? I remember seeing a link somewhere to show how to do this. i will wait until i hear the thing before unhooking fans obviously. I am not experienced taking gear apart.

5) I heard this Behringer has QSC guts. Is that true?

6) how much hydro does this thing use? Kidding, but really...is an amp supposed to be left on all the time?

I appreciate all the help as usual. Thanks.

JC

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

It looks like on pg. 7 in the manual, it shows you how to set your clip limiters. I would turn off the low cut filter personally, but they recommend you leave it on. That would cut the frequencies under 30Hz to your towers. Try it both ways. I just can't imagine that your input signal would be that high coming from a home source. Distortion ratings are already below audible levels.

That's a really nice amp - 450 watts per channel at full bandwidth into 8 ohms. Leave the straps on the RTi12's, and run that amp like you were the NAD. I bet the bass sounds a bit different. If you have a high pass filter, try it. It may kill your highs though.

You can turn that amp off when you're done using it. No reason to let the fan run all the time. I've read where you can simply disconnect that fan with home audio use, as long as youre not powering a neighborhood block party. Just check the temperature of the unit now and then. Most home A/V amps don't even have cooling fans.

You may not even need to power the center now with the NAD. You'll have plenty of reserves from the Denon to drive it.

 

[maytagman]

I used to run some proaudio in a swanky tiny NYC jazz bar, and unfortunately their sound rack was within the listening area (and operated by the owner himself!). I was using crown amplification back in those days, and I used to just take the usually cheap fan the throw in there and replace it with a 'premium' PC case fan. They make fans with a pot prewired inline so you can tweak the rpm to however intense youre gonna be running it. Also the silent design case fans sometimes have oddly shaped blades or other features to cut noise to a very acceptable minimum. Best of all they will wire right in place of the old fan which is almost certainly 12 or 5 vdc. Id rather have a slow quiet fan than just unplug altogether.

best regards

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Check out this amature review of your amp - pretty amazing the voltage that amp pulls.

http://home.mn.rr.com/hometheater/Beh2500.htm

Here's how one guy modified his EP2500 fan. Instead of swapping out the fan, he put a resistor on it to lower the rpm's. Pretty slick.

http://www.cwitt.com/epfanmodification/index1.html

 

[WmAx]

Check out this amature review of your amp - pretty amazing the voltage that amp pulls.

http://home.mn.rr.com/hometheater/Beh2500.htm

Here's how one guy modified his EP2500 fan. Instead of swapping out the fan, he put a resistor on it to lower the rpm's. Pretty slick.

http://www.cwitt.com/epfanmodification/index1.html

Huh. It is nice to see some measurements, and it is nice to see that Behringer was able to provide this kind of performance for what seems like an impossible low price. I might have to get one for the heck of it...

-Chris

 

[WorldLeader]

Here is one way you can deal with the noise, with pictures!

Link


The 2500 was made to run in hot, high volume applications (live performances) so the fans have to be able to keep it cool, and noise isn't an issue. If you are using this for home use you might be able to get away with passive cooling, but a nice PC fan for $5 might be the best option.

PC fans can be found anywhere, but try Newegg.com, TigerDirect, or ZipZoomFly.com I have bought stuff from all three and they do a good job.

 

[Soundbroker]

The Behringer fan is NOT 12 or 5 volt. It is actually 24 volt. I know, I am a dealer and spent over a month coming up with a source for a quiet 24 volt ball bearing fan. It works. The amp is MUCH quieter with it inline. Do NOT run without one, the amp will go into furnace mode.

 

[WmAx]

Check out this amature review of your amp - pretty amazing the voltage that amp pulls.

http://home.mn.rr.com/hometheater/Beh2500.htm

For one reason or another, I thought about the test methodology used, and I believe it to be invalid. Conductors increase R as you raise temperature. The loads here were visibly glowing, according to the tester. He used the DCR measurement as the control in his calculations. However, the real R was much higher, thus the current output(and actual power) lower than specified. The real power output of the EP2500 remains unknown.

-Chris