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Behringer B2031A Truth Active Monitors
Ultra-linear frequency response. Ultra high-resolution ferrofluid-cooled tweeter. Active crossover network.
"Had these for 7 years now"
Sound:
I'll start off this review by noting I've been using these monitors now for 7 years, so I'm not some excited newbie I'm actually a guy that's been recording for about 17 years now and have had this product for 7 years. I'll start by noting how flat these are. They are perfect in that whatever I play on them that sounds bad sounds bad on all other systems. Whatever sounds good translates to sounding good on other sources. Being I've had mine so long I have to rate the quality very high as I've had ZERO problems with mine - no joke... not one problem, though I've read some horror stories from some owners. That being said I'd like to note I've read some slight speculation on the net that the older models, such as mine, are far better in quality than the more current models... again though that is purely specualtion from 1-2 people. I've tried upgrading, cause we all want the supposed "best" no? I've tried Dynaudio BM15A's, Mackie HR824's (MK1 & MK2) and I keep coming back to these and returning the others. I will say, the new Mackies are awesome but the bass is just way too much for a "half-space" setup, meaning a setup where there's a wall right behind your speakers. The room acoustics need serious treating due to the Mackies low end response and that costs thousand in serious bass trap to fix the problem. I don't have this problem with the Behringers, yet I still have great tight punchy low end, just not as low as other brands go. In all honesty though most consumer listening sources don't have a good accurate sub 50hz response anyway. I don't know what else to say about them. I mean, they're flat, they're super accurate, they're super inexpensive, and I've had mine for 7 years and they're still going strong. Your mileage may vary of course so you're on your own. But after all this time I thought, "Why didn't I ever write a review? After all this time I think I have something valuable to contribute".
I'll start off this review by noting I've been using these monitors now for 7 years, so I'm not some excited newbie I'm actually a guy that's been recording for about 17 years now and have had this product for 7 years. I'll start by noting how flat these are. They are perfect in that whatever I play on them that sounds bad sounds bad on all other systems. Whatever sounds good translates to sounding good on other sources. Being I've had mine so long I have to rate the quality very high as I've had ZERO problems with mine - no joke... not one problem, though I've read some horror stories from some owners. That being said I'd like to note I've read some slight speculation on the net that the older models, such as mine, are far better in quality than the more current models... again though that is purely specualtion from 1-2 people. I've tried upgrading, cause we all want the supposed "best" no? I've tried Dynaudio BM15A's, Mackie HR824's (MK1 & MK2) and I keep coming back to these and returning the others. I will say, the new Mackies are awesome but the bass is just way too much for a "half-space" setup, meaning a setup where there's a wall right behind your speakers. The room acoustics need serious treating due to the Mackies low end response and that costs thousand in serious bass trap to fix the problem. I don't have this problem with the Behringers, yet I still have great tight punchy low end, just not as low as other brands go. In all honesty though most consumer listening sources don't have a good accurate sub 50hz response anyway. I don't know what else to say about them. I mean, they're flat, they're super accurate, they're super inexpensive, and I've had mine for 7 years and they're still going strong. Your mileage may vary of course so you're on your own. But after all this time I thought, "Why didn't I ever write a review? After all this time I think I have something valuable to contribute".
"90% of the quality at 40% of the price."
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:Unbeatable for the price. Power-save feature's threshold is a little too high for casual listening sometimes, but for studio work it's never a problem.
Quality:
They've survived a move from my parents house into my own house without any problems, and have endured a lot of careless power surges during power-up and power-down. The one was attacked by my cat, and the foam around the woofer got slightly sliced, but after I carefully repositioned the tiny V-shaped slices, it hasn't effected the sound at all.
Value:
Yeah, you can't beat the price. If they were twice as much, I'd consider other brands. I've been unimpressed by some of Behringers' other products, but these speakers can't be beat for the price. Most people won't be able to notice much difference when comparing to much more expensive speakers.
Desirability:
The design is beautiful. They mean business. My friends are lined up to buy them when/if I eventually move on.
Sound:
They work amazingly for my setup. If I were going to upgrade my speakers, I'd have to upgrade my room first! I've had them for about 4 years now and have used them heavily. They've been solid.
Ease of Use:
If you can't get these working, you probably have no chance with music. Plug, and play.
Overall:
I just bought the matching subwoofer unit for these. If something were to happen to them, I would replace them with the same item.
Behringer B2031A Monitors Customer Review
Feature:
Same as the Mackie 824
Quality:
I have owned them for 5 years with no problems what-so-ever. Behringer is an amazing company that churns out amazing products at amazing prices.
Value:
considering that you can get a pair of Behringers for half the price of 1 of the Mackie 824s I would say it's outstanding.
Sound:
These are basically Behringer's knock-off of the Mackie 824 active monitors. The Mackie 824 is an incredible sounding monitor with a true 3D stereo depth that words cannot quite describe. This is why the go for $630.00 each!! When I was looking for monitors I compared the Mackie 824s to the Behringers quite closly, switching back and forth between them for many days, listening to a number of different tracks. I kid you not when I say days. Although the Mackies are marginally better and I emphesize the word "magrinally", I went with the Behringers. These monitors are basically the exact same sound you will get from the Mackie 824. Only on a select number of tracks did the Mackies outshine the Behringers and only for a few seconds. The price difference is not justified considering that you can get a pair of Behringers for half the price of 1 of the Mackies. I have owned them for 5 years with no problems what-so-ever. Behringer is an amazing company that churns out amazing products at amazing prices.
Overall:
They are still kickin ass after 5 years. Even if they were to blow out today I consider it a good use of my money
Same as the Mackie 824
Quality:
I have owned them for 5 years with no problems what-so-ever. Behringer is an amazing company that churns out amazing products at amazing prices.
Value:
considering that you can get a pair of Behringers for half the price of 1 of the Mackie 824s I would say it's outstanding.
Sound:
These are basically Behringer's knock-off of the Mackie 824 active monitors. The Mackie 824 is an incredible sounding monitor with a true 3D stereo depth that words cannot quite describe. This is why the go for $630.00 each!! When I was looking for monitors I compared the Mackie 824s to the Behringers quite closly, switching back and forth between them for many days, listening to a number of different tracks. I kid you not when I say days. Although the Mackies are marginally better and I emphesize the word "magrinally", I went with the Behringers. These monitors are basically the exact same sound you will get from the Mackie 824. Only on a select number of tracks did the Mackies outshine the Behringers and only for a few seconds. The price difference is not justified considering that you can get a pair of Behringers for half the price of 1 of the Mackies. I have owned them for 5 years with no problems what-so-ever. Behringer is an amazing company that churns out amazing products at amazing prices.
Overall:
They are still kickin ass after 5 years. Even if they were to blow out today I consider it a good use of my money
"The Truths don't Lie!!! Best monitors in their price range, bar none."
Feature:
Features??? C'mon... it's a powered monitor. It has balanced inputs, 1/4" and XLR, which makes them versitile. Our drummer uses them to power his sound onstage when he uses his electronic kit in a small room gig. Makes his V-Drum kit sound great.
Quality:
Built like a tank. I still handle them with care though... no rough housing here. The only stress test I give them is sometimes we rehearse in my studio and we all plug into the board and the Truths are the only sound re-inforcement we use. We do a rough mix and play through them. A cool way to practice. These babies will certainly fill up a small room. Loud enough to get the wife complaining about the volume.
Value:
Best deal on the market... you have to dump $800 to get anything comparable. Although Alesis has come out with a powered monitor in this price range, I'm curious to how it stands up against the Truths.
Desirability:
They are the heart and soul of my studio... BACK OFF!!! You can't have 'em.
Sound:
I couldn't be happier with the sound. Everyone here seems to notice that these puppies stand out in the crowd of studio monitors. As with all monitors the secret to getting good mixes is getting used to the monitors, the way they sound. These monitors are very easy to get used to. The first thing I had to learn was leave the bass alone. If it punches through on these monitors it will sound fine on anything. They might even be a little bass rich... but there is an adjustment switch to control that on the back panel. I just left it in the normal spot... because like I said, it is very easy to get used to.
Ease of Use:
Plug 'em in and go.
Support:
Don't need any.
Overall:
I can't imagine looking for a replacement for these. I love the sound, I'm used to how they sound. I'm getting great mixes the first time now, instead of going back to the mixing board over, and over, and so on. What I love about them, is I can turn the volume very low to hear how everything is sitting in the mix and then I crank them up to check the bass and the mix is perfect, everything balanced and being heard when the bass starts saturating the room. That's how you know you have good monitors. If you can't get the mix right with the volume real low... chuck 'em out the window. If you are losing too much mid's with the volume down or highs or whatever then you can't get a good mix. The Truths don't lie to you. Excellent pair of speakers.
Features??? C'mon... it's a powered monitor. It has balanced inputs, 1/4" and XLR, which makes them versitile. Our drummer uses them to power his sound onstage when he uses his electronic kit in a small room gig. Makes his V-Drum kit sound great.
Quality:
Built like a tank. I still handle them with care though... no rough housing here. The only stress test I give them is sometimes we rehearse in my studio and we all plug into the board and the Truths are the only sound re-inforcement we use. We do a rough mix and play through them. A cool way to practice. These babies will certainly fill up a small room. Loud enough to get the wife complaining about the volume.
Value:
Best deal on the market... you have to dump $800 to get anything comparable. Although Alesis has come out with a powered monitor in this price range, I'm curious to how it stands up against the Truths.
Desirability:
They are the heart and soul of my studio... BACK OFF!!! You can't have 'em.
Sound:
I couldn't be happier with the sound. Everyone here seems to notice that these puppies stand out in the crowd of studio monitors. As with all monitors the secret to getting good mixes is getting used to the monitors, the way they sound. These monitors are very easy to get used to. The first thing I had to learn was leave the bass alone. If it punches through on these monitors it will sound fine on anything. They might even be a little bass rich... but there is an adjustment switch to control that on the back panel. I just left it in the normal spot... because like I said, it is very easy to get used to.
Ease of Use:
Plug 'em in and go.
Support:
Don't need any.
Overall:
I can't imagine looking for a replacement for these. I love the sound, I'm used to how they sound. I'm getting great mixes the first time now, instead of going back to the mixing board over, and over, and so on. What I love about them, is I can turn the volume very low to hear how everything is sitting in the mix and then I crank them up to check the bass and the mix is perfect, everything balanced and being heard when the bass starts saturating the room. That's how you know you have good monitors. If you can't get the mix right with the volume real low... chuck 'em out the window. If you are losing too much mid's with the volume down or highs or whatever then you can't get a good mix. The Truths don't lie to you. Excellent pair of speakers.
"Impressive... Don't let the low price scare you."
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:The back of the monitors have switches to adjust to the room. I've left them to the default setting (flat). So not a lot of bells and whistles but one should look for accuracy in a studio monitor- not features.
Quality:
Very impressive... These are accurate speakers. Yeah, I'm certain if one spends a lot more you'll get good stuff. But man... for the price it's not possible to beat these things.
Value:
I haven't tried everything but I have compared these to a pair of monitors that cost over twice as much (monitors I own). These monitors have saved me an extensive amount of time- and that equals money.
Sound:
I bought a pair of Roland DS-90's about four years ago and have been using them up until recently. They were medium priced at the time (about $800 a pair). I always had a difficult time getting the bass mixed right with those monitors. Strange, but true, I'd have to go listen in my car on my stock, cheap stereo to assert the mix. On a whim I decided to try these monitors. ...I'm very impressed. What took me 20-something mixes in the past is taking 3 or 4 now. These are very accurate studio monitors. All you need to do is listen to a reference track and then mix! DONT let the price fool you. I know there are more "accurate" monitors out there. However, for the price, it's impossible to go wrong buying these things. What can I say... I always said I'd never go 'on the cheap' but these things are such a pleasant surprise to me I have to say who cares!!
Support:
No idea.
Overall:
I'll use the word "impressive" again. I can't give them a 10 because I know there are better studio monitors out there. However, if I rated these on a price/performance ratio they would be a "10"
Behringer B2031A Monitors Customer Review
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:lots more than most will ever know what to do with
Quality:
this company needs better quality control. some stuff is just junk, while other stuff you can't break. my speaks are fine after 3 years even with the "buttons" pushed in by the one year old
Value:
sound better than anything else close to the price. will get mackies or adams when i can, but for now, it beats the headphones.
Desirability:
just for price
Sound:
good for price
Ease of Use:
plug and play
Overall:
the radio/interference problems went away when i lifted the ground.
"Best Monitor Value available."
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:The monitors have some adjustments for room acoustics in the back which is fine with me. I don't think automatic room acoustic adjustments are really necessary.
Quality:
I have used these monitors for over two years with no trouble or detectable degradation of sound.
Value:
From my experience, there is no other monitor available which is such a great value. I believe it is worth significantly more when compared to the competition.
Desirability:
I own a pair of these and have no thought about buying another brand. Since they have been in regular use for two years, if one of them fails, I would by another of the same if available.
Sound:
I would imagine there are more accurate monitors available at many times the price but accuracy can really only be measured using rather elaborate equipment to compare a sample input vs. output. I am not going to buy such equipment to tell mean what the variance from accuracy is detectable. However, I can tell how good a monitor produces sound that is satisfactory to my human ears and I must say these monotors sound very good to me. They sound as good to me as many of the very expensive monitors.
Ease of Use:
A breeze, plug them in and turn them on.
Support:
I have never needed any support so I can not rate it.
Overall:
I can safely say these are great monitors at a great price. I suspect there are others available at a much greater price, but why spend more money if you are satisfied the what you have.
"Hmmm...title?"
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:VERY customizable. The switches on back let you tweak it to your studio environment.
Quality:
At 33lbs each...these things are BEASTS! They feel pretty solid, just like their sound.
Value:
At $339 you can't beat them! Excellent for the small studio. If you are doing electronica...these will deliever!
Desirability:
These things scream "I'M GONNA RIP OUT YOUR EARS" sitting on my desk. Obey and love the Truths!
Sound:
Great sound! Really clear, phat basses, nice hi range. very dynamic. Sometimes more bass than what you figure....Low EQ graciously!
Ease of Use:
Plug-and-play...what more can you ask for?
Support:
Never had to use their customer support...shouldn't have to if they are good :)
Overall:
I am very pleased with these monitors. Rich, clean sound, very accurate. Sexy looks. Great!
"great * great * great *"
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Quality:they are built like tanks, just recently survived a fire, covered in black soot and a 1000% humidity, cleaned them up and they work perfectly
Value:
for the dollar you just cant get a better monitor, you have to spend more than twice the price, just to get a LITTLE better sound
Desirability:
they look great
Sound:
I own two pair, so I have the same ears at both studios I play in. You can get great mixes that sound good everywhere
Ease of Use:
you listen, how hard can that be. It takes a little time to get your ears used to them, but just listen to your favorite cd's for a little while.
Support:
never needed them
Overall:
like I said before, I own 2 pair. with the money I got from insurance, I could have bought almost any monitors, but I still chose to get another pair, and donated my old ones to a friends studio
"Truths is in the Truths"
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:being able to adjust for room accoustics is a big plus.
Quality:
very durable! I have them on seaker stands so there is no problem with the monitors being wobbled or moved or something.
Value:
for the price I paid these are more then worth it! the SOund sounds lush and full great mids and highs, maybe have to adjust the base but hey it's there if you have to. They have a great wide stereo image.
Desirability:
they look very sexy tilted towards me and in back of my desk here...yes very sexy monitors!
Sound:
The mids the highs sound great, maybe there is to much bass, but you can ajust that on the Monitors themselves. The stereo image on these beasts is kick ass! I would say these sound as good as 1000 dollar Monitors!
Support:
I like Behringer's products and I have delt with there support once they were great!
Overall:
I really think that I will be using these Monitors for a long time. there durable, sexy, and sound great with a wide and full stereo image. They look great on my set up.
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