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Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Ultra-Linear Studio Power Amplifier - 230W per Side at 4 Ohms
The Behringer A500 is an inexpensive professional reference power amplifier, targeted primarily toward recording studio applications, but viable as an installation solution as well. The unit features bar-graph level metering, independent thermal overload protection for each channel, 230 Watts of power output per side at 4 Ohms, and fan-free convection cooling for minimal operating noise.
- 2-channel ultra-linear rackmount power amplifier for studio and installation applications with 230W output per side at 4 Ohms
- Servo-controlled design, fan-free convection cooling for quiet operation
- Bar graph level metering with clip and protection indicators
- High-power Toshiba/Fairchild transistors, high-current, low-noise toroidal transformer
- Independent thermal overload protection for each channel for automatic speaker and amplifier protection
- Full complement of input connectors with balanced XLR, 1/4", unbalanced RCA
| Power Rating |
Stereo @ 8 Ohms: 160 Watts Stereo @ 4 Ohms: 230 Watts Bridged Mono @ 8 Ohms: 500 Watts |
| Damping Factor | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| Input Sensitivity | 1.3V (+4.5dBu, VRMS @ 4 Ohms) |
| Input Impedance |
10 kOhms, Unbalanced 10 kOhms, Balanced |
| Gain | 28 dB |
| Frequency Response | 10 Hz - 25 kHz, +0/-1dB |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio | -100dB, unweighted, 20Hz - 20kHz |
| Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) | <0.01% |
| Input Connections |
2 x 3-pin XLR, Balanced 2 x 1/4" TRS Phone, Balanced 2 x RCA Phono, Unbalanced |
| Output Connectors |
2 x 1/4" TS Phone(Output 1,2) 1 x 1/4" TS Phone(Bridged Mono) 4 x Touch-Proof Binding Posts |
| Controls Front Panel |
2 x Rotary Volume Controls 1 x Power Switch |
| Controls (Rear) | 1 x Stereo/Bridge Mono Switch |
| Indicators |
1 x Yellow Protection LED 1 x Red Clip LED 1 x White Power on LED |
| Cooling | Convection-cooled |
| Power Consumption |
6.5A (120VAC, 60 Hz) 3.6A(230VAC, 50Hz) |
| Dimensions | 19 x 10.8 x 4" (482.6 x 257.5 x 101.6mm) |
| Weight | 18.5 lb (8.4 g) |
| Specialties |
Convection-cooled LED Bar Metering |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 12 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
100%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Good power output (6)
- Good audio (5)
- Easy to use (3)
Cons
Best Uses
- Outdoor events / games (3)
- Performances (3)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Experienced (5)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (3)
Most Liked Positive Review
Great Amplifier - Minor Quirk
I use this product to push two Polk Audio DB 10s in 8 ohm bridge mode with the crossover (Not Included) set at 80 hertz. Beautiful sound with plenty of headroom. The amplifier ...Read complete review
I use this product to push two Polk Audio DB 10s in 8 ohm bridge mode with the crossover (Not Included) set at 80 hertz. Beautiful sound with plenty of headroom. The amplifier is built well with no noticable weaknesses. Plenty of hook-ups. The only real quirk is that there is no turn on delay, so you have to turn the gain all the way down when turning the amp on to not damage the speakers from a "thump". This can be inconveinent as there is no remote. I guess that is acceptable for the great price. Would definitly buy another.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
One major flaw but otherwise flawless
The bad: The gain stage introduces severe distortion. When listening to solo instruments with the volume set ~50%-80%, you will clearly hear a "buzz" distortion. It is most apparent with ...Read complete review
The bad: The gain stage introduces severe distortion. When listening to solo instruments with the volume set ~50%-80%, you will clearly hear a "buzz" distortion. It is most apparent with percussive sine sounds like pianos, bells, etc. I returned my first one, and the replacement had the same issue. It turns out that all of them have the problem. Do a search for "a500 Behringer distortion" and watch the forums and videos before buying this. You can get around the issue by simply leaving both volume controls all the way up. This is effectively a power amp, and has very little noise at full output.
The good: CLEAN sound (at 100% volume), great power, solid build.... it's very pretty. It is an amazing value for its price. I would give it five stars if not for the volume control issue.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 12 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-12
Pros
- Cheap
- Cool
- Quiet
Cons
- Distorts Below Full Gain
Best Uses
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
Key thing: keep the gain knobs at 100%. Somebody else said you get the nasty distortion only in the 50-80% range, I think that's optimistic. At full gain, it's clean, though there's a slight amount of hiss. Can't expect perfection in a power amp this cheap, I guess.
But other than that major flaw, it's great - lots of power, input options, no fan noise, runs cool. Had a couple of these for years now, no major problems yet (LEDs on one of them don't always stay on but I don't care.)
Pros
Cons
- Very bright front lights
Best Uses
- Multi-speaker system
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
I have been using the A500 for years both in my Home Theater installation business and for my personal use. These amps provide great performance, are an excellent value, and are next to impossible to damage. I had one driving several sets of in room ceiling speakers that the customer said started getting hot on one channel. When I arrived, out could have roasted meat on the amp! When I checked the cabling, the right channel showed 0.2 ohms. After tracing the wire I found that the home owner had driven a nail through the cable while doing some work in the attic. Once the nail was removed and the cable patched, the system powered up and is still working great! And that is after driving a near 'short' for several days.I currents have 3 of the A500s driving a 3-way electronic crossover speaker system and the performance rivals mega-buck speakers only seen at the shows and conventions.The amp provides for both balanced and unbalanced inputs - a big plus.Only negatives are that you cannot use banana speaker plugs, and the bright power on indicator (I cover it with a velco 'dot' for installs).I have seen this identical amplifier offered by 'high end' speaker manufacturers at a much higher price than offered by B&H.Definitely a BEST BUY.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Good Stability
Cons
Best Uses
- Monitor Amp
- Studio Amp Quiet
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
Using this amp in a recording studio,[@], for a guitar power amp from a line 6 pedal and it works well. Also as a backup for running monitors for live sound applications. Versatile unit !
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Awesome when bridged
- Great in a pinch
Cons
Best Uses
- Amaze your friends
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
Pricing was what sold me on this amp. Period. I was flat broke trying to replace a downed citation 7.1 used for reference in an Avid studio. You know the story.
Why this amp among the old "bargain" amps? Because it s*cked the least- "Decent enough to get by until I can replace them", is what I tell my self.
And that's what it was, noting to write home about. Same tinny highs and flat midrange that you would expect from an amp made from this circuit, right. That is, until I got trapped in the house one day and I got to experimenting.
I Bridged two of them(running stereo) just for laughs, and pow! The midrange opened up quite a bit, and the highs attained lots of clarity.
What's best, is that music seemed much smoother at high sustained volumes.
Will they ever make me forget I owned a Citation? Well, um, no, to be honest. But you can certainly expect them to perform really, really well if you bridge them.
Sources:
Sony vertical transport, optically connected
Sunfire TG1 processor
Military spec innerconnects
Tannoy MX1 speakers
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Excellent value
- Great sound
- Powerful
- Solid build
Cons
- Volume control distortion
Best Uses
- Home stereo theater
- Studio power amp
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
The bad: The gain stage introduces severe distortion. When listening to solo instruments with the volume set ~50%-80%, you will clearly hear a "buzz" distortion. It is most apparent with percussive sine sounds like pianos, bells, etc. I returned my first one, and the replacement had the same issue. It turns out that all of them have the problem. Do a search for "a500 Behringer distortion" and watch the forums and videos before buying this. You can get around the issue by simply leaving both volume controls all the way up. This is effectively a power amp, and has very little noise at full output.
The good: CLEAN sound (at 100% volume), great power, solid build.... it's very pretty. It is an amazing value for its price. I would give it five stars if not for the volume control issue.
Pros
- Attaches Firmly
- Good Stability
- Rack mount
Cons
Best Uses
- Home
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
Use to power my outdoor speaker array and it is great!
Pros
- Clear Sound
- Easy To Use
- Powerful
- Versatile
Cons
- No Built-in Crossover
- No Turn On Delay
Best Uses
- Home Audio Subwoofer
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
I use this product to push two Polk Audio DB 10s in 8 ohm bridge mode with the crossover (Not Included) set at 80 hertz. Beautiful sound with plenty of headroom. The amplifier is built well with no noticable weaknesses. Plenty of hook-ups. The only real quirk is that there is no turn on delay, so you have to turn the gain all the way down when turning the amp on to not damage the speakers from a "thump". This can be inconveinent as there is no remote. I guess that is acceptable for the great price. Would definitly buy another.
Pros
- Clear Sound
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Events
- Performances
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
I am very impressed with the quality of this amp. I was looking for a inexpensive amp to drive 2 underwater speakers ( electro voice 30 ) in a swimming pool.
So I feel kinda bad using such a high quality beautifull amp to entertain my friends while swimming, but its nice to have refrence quality no matter where you listen
Pros
- Clear Sound
- Easy To Use
- Powerful
- Professional Functions
Cons
- A little weird looking
Best Uses
- Home Stereo
- Neighbor stereo wars
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
I've been looking for a replacement stereo amp for my old Carver ever since one channel started distorting . Seemed like there were only 7.1 channel 100 watt amps for surround sound, I already have two of those, but I still love the sound of my my old school JBLs. Got this amp and am hearing subtle background riffs I haven't heard in a long time. Fantastic amp and really affordable, I'll be getting at least another one for my Design studio, maybe one for the deck...
Pros
- Clear Sound
- Powerful
- Professional Functions
Cons
Best Uses
- Events
- Performances
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
This amplifier does exactly what I need it to do with no noise. It runs very cool as well.
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Powerful
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Events
- Performances
- Soundtracks
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
I used this amp for a portable sound system for my youth group at church. It is good light weight amp that handles both our main speakers and monitor speakers.
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
If you need a powerful little amp for the extra channels foryour home theater, or you are one of the vanishing numbers(like myself) who need an amp for a passive subwoofer, thisis the obvious choice. You could pay 3 or 4 times as muchand still not get as much clean power. Completely blew awayall the others I tried -- all of the others I tried clippedhorribly with my very power hungry sub. The Behringer hasnever even broken a sweat even when pushed to extremelevels. Very happy with this amp.
Expertise: Expert home theater reviewer
Previous Equivalent Item Owned: Parasound, AudioSource
Displaying reviews 1-12
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 12 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
100%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Good power output (6)
- Good audio (5)
- Easy to use (3)
Cons
Best Uses
- Outdoor events / games (3)
- Performances (3)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Experienced (5)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (3)
Most Liked Positive Review
Great Amplifier - Minor Quirk
I use this product to push two Polk Audio DB 10s in 8 ohm bridge mode with the crossover (Not Included) set at 80 hertz. Beautiful sound with plenty of headroom. The amplifier ...Read complete review
I use this product to push two Polk Audio DB 10s in 8 ohm bridge mode with the crossover (Not Included) set at 80 hertz. Beautiful sound with plenty of headroom. The amplifier is built well with no noticable weaknesses. Plenty of hook-ups. The only real quirk is that there is no turn on delay, so you have to turn the gain all the way down when turning the amp on to not damage the speakers from a "thump". This can be inconveinent as there is no remote. I guess that is acceptable for the great price. Would definitly buy another.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
One major flaw but otherwise flawless
The bad: The gain stage introduces severe distortion. When listening to solo instruments with the volume set ~50%-80%, you will clearly hear a "buzz" distortion. It is most apparent with ...Read complete review
The bad: The gain stage introduces severe distortion. When listening to solo instruments with the volume set ~50%-80%, you will clearly hear a "buzz" distortion. It is most apparent with percussive sine sounds like pianos, bells, etc. I returned my first one, and the replacement had the same issue. It turns out that all of them have the problem. Do a search for "a500 Behringer distortion" and watch the forums and videos before buying this. You can get around the issue by simply leaving both volume controls all the way up. This is effectively a power amp, and has very little noise at full output.
The good: CLEAN sound (at 100% volume), great power, solid build.... it's very pretty. It is an amazing value for its price. I would give it five stars if not for the volume control issue.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 12 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-12
Pros
- Cheap
- Cool
- Quiet
Cons
- Distorts Below Full Gain
Best Uses
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
Key thing: keep the gain knobs at 100%. Somebody else said you get the nasty distortion only in the 50-80% range, I think that's optimistic. At full gain, it's clean, though there's a slight amount of hiss. Can't expect perfection in a power amp this cheap, I guess.
But other than that major flaw, it's great - lots of power, input options, no fan noise, runs cool. Had a couple of these for years now, no major problems yet (LEDs on one of them don't always stay on but I don't care.)
Pros
Cons
- Very bright front lights
Best Uses
- Multi-speaker system
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
I have been using the A500 for years both in my Home Theater installation business and for my personal use. These amps provide great performance, are an excellent value, and are next to impossible to damage. I had one driving several sets of in room ceiling speakers that the customer said started getting hot on one channel. When I arrived, out could have roasted meat on the amp! When I checked the cabling, the right channel showed 0.2 ohms. After tracing the wire I found that the home owner had driven a nail through the cable while doing some work in the attic. Once the nail was removed and the cable patched, the system powered up and is still working great! And that is after driving a near 'short' for several days.I currents have 3 of the A500s driving a 3-way electronic crossover speaker system and the performance rivals mega-buck speakers only seen at the shows and conventions.The amp provides for both balanced and unbalanced inputs - a big plus.Only negatives are that you cannot use banana speaker plugs, and the bright power on indicator (I cover it with a velco 'dot' for installs).I have seen this identical amplifier offered by 'high end' speaker manufacturers at a much higher price than offered by B&H.Definitely a BEST BUY.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Good Stability
Cons
Best Uses
- Monitor Amp
- Studio Amp Quiet
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
Using this amp in a recording studio,[@], for a guitar power amp from a line 6 pedal and it works well. Also as a backup for running monitors for live sound applications. Versatile unit !
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Awesome when bridged
- Great in a pinch
Cons
Best Uses
- Amaze your friends
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
Pricing was what sold me on this amp. Period. I was flat broke trying to replace a downed citation 7.1 used for reference in an Avid studio. You know the story.
Why this amp among the old "bargain" amps? Because it s*cked the least- "Decent enough to get by until I can replace them", is what I tell my self.
And that's what it was, noting to write home about. Same tinny highs and flat midrange that you would expect from an amp made from this circuit, right. That is, until I got trapped in the house one day and I got to experimenting.
I Bridged two of them(running stereo) just for laughs, and pow! The midrange opened up quite a bit, and the highs attained lots of clarity.
What's best, is that music seemed much smoother at high sustained volumes.
Will they ever make me forget I owned a Citation? Well, um, no, to be honest. But you can certainly expect them to perform really, really well if you bridge them.
Sources:
Sony vertical transport, optically connected
Sunfire TG1 processor
Military spec innerconnects
Tannoy MX1 speakers
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Excellent value
- Great sound
- Powerful
- Solid build
Cons
- Volume control distortion
Best Uses
- Home stereo theater
- Studio power amp
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
The bad: The gain stage introduces severe distortion. When listening to solo instruments with the volume set ~50%-80%, you will clearly hear a "buzz" distortion. It is most apparent with percussive sine sounds like pianos, bells, etc. I returned my first one, and the replacement had the same issue. It turns out that all of them have the problem. Do a search for "a500 Behringer distortion" and watch the forums and videos before buying this. You can get around the issue by simply leaving both volume controls all the way up. This is effectively a power amp, and has very little noise at full output.
The good: CLEAN sound (at 100% volume), great power, solid build.... it's very pretty. It is an amazing value for its price. I would give it five stars if not for the volume control issue.
Pros
- Attaches Firmly
- Good Stability
- Rack mount
Cons
Best Uses
- Home
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
Use to power my outdoor speaker array and it is great!
Pros
- Clear Sound
- Easy To Use
- Powerful
- Versatile
Cons
- No Built-in Crossover
- No Turn On Delay
Best Uses
- Home Audio Subwoofer
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
I use this product to push two Polk Audio DB 10s in 8 ohm bridge mode with the crossover (Not Included) set at 80 hertz. Beautiful sound with plenty of headroom. The amplifier is built well with no noticable weaknesses. Plenty of hook-ups. The only real quirk is that there is no turn on delay, so you have to turn the gain all the way down when turning the amp on to not damage the speakers from a "thump". This can be inconveinent as there is no remote. I guess that is acceptable for the great price. Would definitly buy another.
Pros
- Clear Sound
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Events
- Performances
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
I am very impressed with the quality of this amp. I was looking for a inexpensive amp to drive 2 underwater speakers ( electro voice 30 ) in a swimming pool.
So I feel kinda bad using such a high quality beautifull amp to entertain my friends while swimming, but its nice to have refrence quality no matter where you listen
Pros
- Clear Sound
- Easy To Use
- Powerful
- Professional Functions
Cons
- A little weird looking
Best Uses
- Home Stereo
- Neighbor stereo wars
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
I've been looking for a replacement stereo amp for my old Carver ever since one channel started distorting . Seemed like there were only 7.1 channel 100 watt amps for surround sound, I already have two of those, but I still love the sound of my my old school JBLs. Got this amp and am hearing subtle background riffs I haven't heard in a long time. Fantastic amp and really affordable, I'll be getting at least another one for my Design studio, maybe one for the deck...
Pros
- Clear Sound
- Powerful
- Professional Functions
Cons
Best Uses
- Events
- Performances
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
This amplifier does exactly what I need it to do with no noise. It runs very cool as well.
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Powerful
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Events
- Performances
- Soundtracks
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
I used this amp for a portable sound system for my youth group at church. It is good light weight amp that handles both our main speakers and monitor speakers.
Comments about Behringer A500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Studio Power Amplifier:
If you need a powerful little amp for the extra channels foryour home theater, or you are one of the vanishing numbers(like myself) who need an amp for a passive subwoofer, thisis the obvious choice. You could pay 3 or 4 times as muchand still not get as much clean power. Completely blew awayall the others I tried -- all of the others I tried clippedhorribly with my very power hungry sub. The Behringer hasnever even broken a sweat even when pushed to extremelevels. Very happy with this amp.
Expertise: Expert home theater reviewer
Previous Equivalent Item Owned: Parasound, AudioSource
Displaying reviews 1-12
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