# BEHRINGER A500



## rf5000 (Mar 13, 2010)

Hello All,

I have a question concerning the Behringer A500. It says in its specifications that when driving 8 ohm speakers it produces 125 watts per channel. It seems to me that this is very low. So an Onkyo receiver that specifies 135 watts per seven channels at 8 ohms, actually puts out more wattage then these Behringer A500 amps. So buying four of these amps to run a 7.1 system would just be a waste and would be better off running them with an Onkyo 7.1 receiver? Please help.


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## rf5000 (Mar 13, 2010)

Also, I am looking for the cheapest amplifiers that produce audiophile or reference sound at roughly 200 to 300 watts per channel at 8 ohms. Any ideas?


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## Moonfly (Aug 1, 2008)

Dont just look at watt rating when looking at amps. The power rating doesnt necessarily mean any amp is good bad or ugly. There are many other numbers and figures that are much more important than just watts, like THD figures, and how they are derived, and some amps quote max peak outputs with only one channel driven (typical with AVR's) while others quote steady output across all channels. There are also valve amps that are rated at only 35 watts per channel that will drive large speakers with much more authority than any 200watt rated AVR ever could.

If your after reference quality, then an AVR isnt that way to go, but you should be aware that the words reference and cheapest seldom go together in the same sentence. On the other hand, value for money and best quality for a given budget is another matter.

I'm unsure what your aim is here though, are you building 2 channel music system, a home theatre setup, or are you trying to put together a system that will do a bit of both.


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## mdrake (Jan 31, 2008)

rf5000 said:


> Also, I am looking for the cheapest amplifiers that produce audiophile or reference sound at roughly 200 to 300 watts per channel at 8 ohms. Any ideas?


Not sure these live up to "reference sound" but by all the reports and reviews they seem to have great sound at a great price. What is your budget?
http://emotiva.com/xpa3.shtm




> If your after reference quality, then an AVR isnt that way to go, but you should be aware that the words reference and cheapest seldom go together in the same sentence. On the other hand, value for money and best quality for a given budget is another matter.


Ditto


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## rf5000 (Mar 13, 2010)

A 7.1 system that will be entirely used for home theater. I was et on the A500 amps because it seems they have very good reviews and are really low priced. The only negative comments that I have ever ran across were in refernce to them have some higher distortion numbers at about 60-70% volume. In these situations, the problem was easily corrected with leaving the volume turned up all the way and the just adjusting volume levels from the preamp, which is what I intended to do. I guess with considered, are the power ouputs of the A500 amplifiers accurate? Would you say that 125 watts at 8 ohms from an A500 has substantially more clean power then 135 watts at 8 ohms from the Onkyo receiver? I was planning on running (4) A500 amps for a 7.1 system. The speakers I want to use are rated at 50 watts to 350 watts at 8 ohms each. They are not biample.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Receivers in general dont have a large enough power supply to drive all channels at the full rated power output. Most drop to about half and some even less. Onkyo is an exception to this rule and their receivers from the 8xx series and up can actually drive all channels with less than a 15% drop, Very exceptional. 
For a dedicated two channel amp Samson makes some very solid reliable amps for around $200 the Servo 300 has 150watts x2 @8ohms and uses on demand variable speed fans to cool and uses a high quality toroidal power supply.


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## rf5000 (Mar 13, 2010)

Would you say these are better amps then the Behringer A500s?


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

My personal opinion is yes mostly due to the use of the toroidal power supply, Much better power.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
Here is an interesting test of the A500 done in the UK in a Professional Studio: 



In all honestly, many in the Pro Audio World are not big fans of Behringer. They are quite popular in the DJ and PA segments however.

The A500 definitely offers a good value, but if you ask me if there are better Amplifiers available, I would absolutely say yes.
Cheers,
JJ


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## rf5000 (Mar 13, 2010)

So what do you think of the Samson SX1200 Stereo Power Amplifier? It pushes 300 watts per side on a 8 ohm load. It is a class AB amplifier though. Is that bad?


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

A class ab amp is the most common type of amp and draws the least amount of power in standby with the exception of digital amps.
The SX1200 is a great amp but it does not have unballanced inputs and this can cause issues when using a home theater receiver not outputting enough voltage to the amps balanced input.


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## rf5000 (Mar 13, 2010)

So how would I know if a reciever has balanced output? Also what is the difference between balanced and unbalanced? What is better?


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
I am a huge fan of Class A/B and Class A Amplifiers. In fact, every amplifier I own or have owned are this Design. While I have never auditioned the Samson, I have only heard wonderful things about their Amplifiers. Tony, whose opinion and experience I value greatly, owns a Samson and is quite pleased with it.
Cheers,
JJ


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Thanks Jack, 

Have a look at this post here it exsplains the difference between unbalanced and ballanced signals. Your receiver will only have unballanced outputs (rca) connectors.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

rf5000 said:


> So how would I know if a reciever has balanced output? Also what is the difference between balanced and unbalanced? What is better?


Hello,
I do not know of any AVR's that have Balanced Connections. SSP's do. However, if using a Balanced Amplifier, there are boxes which convert the signal and there are Cables which do the same.

Balanced or XLR's are primarily used in Pro Audio applications. The major advantage to XLR's are with extremely long cable runs where Balanced Cables are practically immune to interference. This is not a common issue with HT.
Cheers,
JJ


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## lsiberian (Mar 24, 2009)

I use the Behringer A500 and it's fantastic. It's more powerful than many consumer level amps. I drive a sub with one. I'm sure your lil speakers would be nothing for it. Pro amps tend to provide more power at lower prices due the their higher manufacturing volume.


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## JoeESP9 (Jun 29, 2009)

You might want to look at a Crown XLS402D. [email protected] Ohms [email protected] Ohms cost $200


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## rf5000 (Mar 13, 2010)

That crown amp is made ofr DJs and PA systems. Is the A500 a bit more refined or are neither of these amps very good. Just cheap for the output? How would a A500 stack up against an Emotiva or say a Parasound?


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

tonyvdb said:


> The SX1200 is a great amp but it does not have unballanced inputs.


Pg. 6 of the manual sez it'll accept 1/4" TS plugs... :hide:

Regards,
Wayne


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## jackfish (Dec 27, 2006)

rf5000 said:


> Also, I am looking for the cheapest amplifiers that produce audiophile or reference sound at roughly 200 to 300 watts per channel at 8 ohms. Any ideas?


*Emotiva*


The Behringer A500 is rated for 125 wpc both channels driven into 8 Ohms at 1kHz and 1% THD. The Samson Servo 300 is rated for 100 wpc both channels driven into 8 Ohms at 1kHz and 0.1% THD. This is not any better than many budget AV receivers. If you are looking for the economy and power of a pro audio amplifier (which the A500 essentially is) you should look to better rated offerings from Crown, QSC, Mackie, Tapco, Samson, etc. Ideally, look for companies which provide power ratings at full bandwidth (20Hz-20kHz) both channels driven and THD below 1% (preferably below 0.1%). But in the end, even with some FTC regulation, the power ratings between amp producers are not consistent, and you will get what you pay for.

http://www.rocketroberts.com/techart/powerart_a.htm

http://www.meyersound.com/support/papers/amp_power.htm

http://web3.soundandvisionmag.com/tips/2250/the-amplifier-power-ratings-game.html

http://sound.westhost.com/power.htm


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

rf5000 said:


> That crown amp is made ofr DJs and PA systems. Is the A500 a bit more refined or are neither of these amps very good. Just cheap for the output? How would a A500 stack up against an Emotiva or say a Parasound?


The crown wold be a better choice than the A500, Emotiva or Parasound are also great amps and are designed for home use.


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## JoeESP9 (Jun 29, 2009)

rf5000 said:


> That crown amp is made ofr DJs and PA systems. Is the A500 a bit more refined or are neither of these amps very good. Just cheap for the output? How would a A500 stack up against an Emotiva or say a Parasound?


Behringer products are very popular with the DJ crowd. The A500 is made for and aimed at the same group. I heard about the Crown XLS series from someone who uses a couple of them to drive some Apogee ribbons. Apogee ribbons are possibly the worst load in the history of audio. The load goes below 2 Ohms. The Crown's have no problem driving them to very loud levels. 
The person using the Crown's is able to buy or use almost anything on the market. He is a high end dealer. On his recommendation I have ordered a Crown XLS202D ([email protected] Ohms). It's the least powerful of the XLS series. For $200 it's really a no brainer.


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## mdrake (Jan 31, 2008)

JoeESP9 said:


> Behringer products are very popular with the DJ crowd. The A500 is made for and aimed at the same group. I heard about the Crown XLS series from someone who uses a couple of them to drive some Apogee ribbons. Apogee ribbons are possibly the worst load in the history of audio. The load goes below 2 Ohms. The Crown's have no problem driving them to very loud levels.
> The person using the Crown's is able to buy or use almost anything on the market. He is a high end dealer. On his recommendation I have ordered a Crown XLS202D ([email protected] Ohms). It's the least powerful of the XLS series. For $200 it's really a no brainer.


My buddy and I did some testing with the Crown XLS on his towers and they were impressive. I think the sound quality was right there with my Class A 4 channel. 

Matt


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## lsiberian (Mar 24, 2009)

JoeESP9 said:


> Behringer products are very popular with the DJ crowd. The A500 is made for and aimed at the same group. I heard about the Crown XLS series from someone who uses a couple of them to drive some Apogee ribbons. Apogee ribbons are possibly the worst load in the history of audio. The load goes below 2 Ohms. The Crown's have no problem driving them to very loud levels.
> The person using the Crown's is able to buy or use almost anything on the market. He is a high end dealer. On his recommendation I have ordered a Crown XLS202D ([email protected] Ohms). It's the least powerful of the XLS series. For $200 it's really a no brainer.


That's a nice deal for the Crown amp. I think either amp would be fine and offer similar actual performance, but I'd go with the Crown if you can swing it.


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## Seaxe (Sep 13, 2008)

From personal experience, I find it difficult to give any recomendation for the A 500. Almost muted ,one might say. I purchased mine to drive a single 12" sub ( Re 6.8) . It could not do so; the display always showing overload and shutting down despite miserable audio output. I then tried driving my LR mains with it, and again it showed overload and shut down consistantly, all the while sounding dreadful. I forgot about it, till, of course, the warranty expired! Thereupon, I popped the cover to explore. What did I find? Principly, that on the RH channel, NOT ONE of the output transistors was making full or ANY contact with the heatsink! Nor could they as the heatsink was warped! I have not checked the LH channel, but expect similar findings. This smacks of truely lousy QC. I am modding the amp to perform, but progress is slow. I am sure there are adequately performing units out there, but I can only report my experience.
This is my amplifier. There are many like it. Mine is broken.


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## lsiberian (Mar 24, 2009)

Seaxe said:


> From personal experience, I find it difficult to give any recomendation for the A 500. Almost muted ,one might say. I purchased mine to drive a single 12" sub ( Re 6.8) . It could not do so; the display always showing overload and shutting down despite miserable audio output. I then tried driving my LR mains with it, and again it showed overload and shut down consistantly, all the while sounding dreadful. I forgot about it, till, of course, the warranty expired! Thereupon, I popped the cover to explore. What did I find? Principly, that on the RH channel, NOT ONE of the output transistors was making full or ANY contact with the heatsink! Nor could they as the heatsink was warped! I have not checked the LH channel, but expect similar findings. This smacks of truely lousy QC. I am modding the amp to perform, but progress is slow. I am sure there are adequately performing units out there, but I can only report my experience.
> This is my amplifier. There are many like it. Mine is broken.


That sounds strange and is the first time I've heard this claim. I'm surprised you didn't try to get the warranty claim. Mine can drive a TC Sounds sub. Of course you are in Australia so maybe you got a bad batch down there.


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## Seaxe (Sep 13, 2008)

G,day Iseberian, due to more pressing matters at the time, I allowed the warranty to lapse. Still, very poor QC on Behr. part. However I have the opportunity to "hot rod" the unit somewhat, though I am only doing the RH ch. for now, in order to compare to the stock LH ch. I feel the unit is under-ventillated, so have drilled a series of generous holes thru the bottom plate under the amp module. The gain pot has been replaced with an fixed 20kR 1/2 watt resistor at the circ. board. The two bias trimpots replaced with sealed 25 turn cermet types. The warped heatsink has been ground flat. Oh, and the filter caps (3300uF) removed from the board and replaced with 20,0000uF caps mounted on the base plate and suitably bypassed. Not much more to do, then reassemble,tune and test. If all is well, I shall attack the LH ch. Cheers, Mike.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
3300uF Capacitors are pretty surprising given the rated power of the A500. I suppose it makes sense considering how amazingly inexpensive the A500 is. Upgrading to 20,000 uF Caps definitely sounds like a good call to me. Sorry to read that your A500 has some QC issues.

I am a huge believer in having high levels of Capacitance in Amplifiers. I realize they are not truly necessary for meeting rated power, but having the reserves really is nice when the event calls for it.
Cheers,
JJ


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## Mika75 (Feb 5, 2009)

*Behringer A500 Amplifier: Objective Test Results @Audioholics/Forums*

*The Audio Critic | Behringer A500*

*Behringer A500 vs High the End - Blind Tested @ Matrix Hi-Fi*

I have owned one for nearly 2 years, driving 4 Ohm loudspeakers at high levels it will run hot (although it has never shut down)
Bridged to 500 watts driving a single 15" 8 Ohm sub at high levels it ran surprisingly cool. 

It will come down to how loud u like to play, maybe use the A500 for rears and the Behringer EP4000 silent fan modded for ur Fronts/Subs.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
I have not really read anyone here say that the A500 is going to sound better or worse than a "High End" Amplifier when level matched. Rather, a question of QC and low impedance/high capacitive phase angle Speaker compatibility for me.
Cheers,
JJ


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## Mika75 (Feb 5, 2009)

The links are posted for anyone interested in another opinion other than what has been discussed here.

The Audio Critic did a full analysis of the amplifier which should answer your query on _"low impedance/high capacitive phase angle Speaker compatibility"_

-Mika


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
Not disputing the value which is clear. Do question build quality and long term reliability. I suppose time will tell. There is a great deal of enthusiasm here for Behringer's offerings. In the end, all that matters is that people are enjoying the gear.
Cheers,
JJ


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