Anyone used budget PA power amps for AV duties?

sastusbulbas · 08-11-2009, 11:16 PM

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone has used cheaper pro audio type power amps for the main channels within home theater systems and if so how did you find their performance?

I know some have had success with Behringer EP series amps for subs, but its the main and surround channels I am interested in, and at a budget.

Cheers
Steve

Tone-uk · 09-11-2009, 8:33 PM

I use a Behringer A500 power amp via the preouts on my Yamaha 861 av amp to power my fronts. It was very cheap (£150) and has some great reviews, from magazines and users alike (see below).
My home cinema experience has been vastly improved by its addition with better control and more power to each speaker - especially with hd audio and it's dynamics.
It is also significantly better than the 861 whilst listening to music and there are those who say the A500 can match other stereo amps costing hundreds of pounds more. It certainly doesn't do anything wrong so I will not disagree.
On the negative side, I find it ugly and it's a Behringer! Not exactly the most sort after name!
Give one a go is my advice.

http://theaudiocritic.com/plog/index...Id=22&blogId=1

Behringer A500 Amplifier: Objective Test Results - Audioholics Home Theater Forums

Behringer A500 amp - Equipment Reviews and Tests - All things HiFI and AV - HiFi WigWam - HiFi Forum

Behringer a500 power amp

dazsti · 21-11-2009, 6:05 PM

just noticed this on youtube-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWj5CUl7rio

Tone-uk · 23-11-2009, 1:01 AM

I remember seeing that video when I was deciding whether or not buying one. I then realised when connected to an av amplifier/receiver, the gain controls are set and the volume is controlled via the av amp instead - therefore not a problem.
Of course the chap in the video may have simply been unlucky with his A500'S and there was a bad batch? Certainly not unheard of i'd imagine (for example the unlucky fella who has been through 4 Marantz receivers each within a few weaks of each other!).
Mine is running very nicely

. Others are also enjoying their A500's too and are impressed with its capabilities. Check out the thread below - being used with some 2 grand speakers and performing well in his opinion.

Martin Logan Scenarios - 'stat hybrids chez-Jerry - Equipment Reviews and Tests - All things HiFI and AV - HiFi WigWam - HiFi Forum

Tone-uk · 26-11-2009, 1:59 AM

Thought I'd post this. It's not entirely about the A500 but, an experiment in which one is used along with some other cheap equipment (total cost around $700) in a double blind test against some more expensive ($12000) equipment.
Same speakers (bout £1000 rrp) and speaker cable used for both set-ups.

Hmmm, I wonder which system the trained listeners decided was best??

Matrix HiFi --> Blind testing high end full equipments

TESLACOIL · 01-12-2009, 4:22 PM

a PA amp will do just fine

i had a couple of 12 inch cabs , they worked well with an ole PA head and also with a big ancient pioneer amp (i used to whack guitars and bass thru that set up too lol)

sound quality will suck a bit ! compared to any budget Hi Fi amp

load + listenable to though + way better than any built in tv speakers

Tone-uk · 01-12-2009, 5:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TESLACOIL

a PA amp will do just fine

i had a couple of 12 inch cabs , they worked well with an ole PA head and also with a big ancient pioneer amp (i used to whack guitars and bass thru that set up too lol)

sound quality will suck a bit ! compared to any budget Hi Fi amp

load + listenable to though + way better than any built in tv speakers

I regret mentioning the Behringer A500 in this thread now - it was a bit of a mistake!

TESLACOIL is right some PA amps will be a bit poor in terms of SQ.

But, not the Behringer A500.

It's as cheap as a PA amp but, more than a match for any budget Hifi amp. And then some. Especially in terms of power. IMAMOO.

Lewis123 · 06-12-2009, 1:13 PM

I recently got a Behringer A500 myself and I think it's well worth a try.

analogueaddict · 08-12-2009, 11:33 PM

Hi,

I've heard the A500 and used one with some £2K+ speakers in my system just to see what it could do. Now don't get me wrong, the A500 is not going to send the likes of Mark Levinson or Bryston running for the hills, but plug this into an entry level or midrange AV amp and it is going to give you a substantial lift in sound quality for very reasonable money. The problem with most of these cheaper AV amps is that they are built down to a price, and along with the casework one of the first things to get cut are the power supplies, both is power and quality, by adding the A500 you are removing all that load from the AV receiver, and putting it on an amp which is designed to just amplify, a job which it does rather well.

Regards,

Dave

Tone-uk · 09-12-2009, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by analogueaddict

Hi,

I've heard the A500 and used one with some £2K+ speakers in my system just to see what it could do. Now don't get me wrong, the A500 is not going to send the likes of Mark Levinson or Bryston running for the hills, but plug this into an entry level or midrange AV amp and it is going to give you a substantial lift in sound quality for very reasonable money. The problem with most of these cheaper AV amps is that they are built down to a price, and along with the casework one of the first things to get cut are the power supplies, both is power and quality, by adding the A500 you are removing all that load from the AV receiver, and putting it on an amp which is designed to just amplify, a job which it does rather well.

Regards,

Dave

Have to agree with you in regard to the A500 being used alongside a budget/midrange av receiver with pre-outs. The extra power and cheapness of this thing can certainly improve the home cinema experience considerably. It would be interested to see how a Yamaha RX-V765 (£350) plus an A500 (£160) would compare to a Yamaha Z7 (£1500)!

Anyway, although not relevant to the OP, I was just wondering if you think the A500 is also the equal to budget/midrange power amplifiers (up to £1000) ? I'm of the opinion that it is but, seeing as you have a couple of Bryston's and the 3b is similar in spec to the A500, your feedback on the differences would be valuable.
Cheers Tone-uk

analogueaddict · 10-12-2009, 12:48 AM

Hello,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tone-uk

Anyway, although not relevant to the OP, I was just wondering if you think the A500 is also the equal to budget/midrange power amplifiers (up to £1000) ? I'm of the opinion that it is but, seeing as you have a couple of Bryston's and the 3b is similar in spec to the A500, your feedback on the differences would be valuable.
Cheers Tone-uk

I think it really depends on which midrange power amp you're looking at. The new Audiolab power amps are really excellent and to my ears are sonically superior to the A500, and if you shop around they are around 2X the price of the A500, but truly excellent power amps sub £1K are not exactly thick on the ground. I have heard great things about the new Roksan Kandy III series power amp, and based on it's predecessor I would think that would be a substantial improvement over the A500, but I have not yet heard it. This is the problem and why the Behringer is such a great product, and why it's a shame the magazines haven't taken it more seriously, as a means of upgrading a lower price (<£500) AV amp / receiver there really are very few options, and precious few which deliver the price/performance ratio of the A500.

Whilst the A500 is undeniably an awful lot of amp for the money, the Bryston 3B-SST is around 10X the price, and whilst even I would not claim it to be 10X as good, it really is a much better power amp (ironically it is derived from a pro amp, though not a PA amp, but a studio monitor amp).

It really is an all round improvement, the bass sound more extended, faster and more accurate, there is simply no bass overhang whatsoever regardless of depth or volume level, there is more texturing to the bass notes, the instrument beign used to play the notes is readily apparent. The midrange is more transparent, there is the sense that the amp is getting out of the way, imparting very little colour to the sound you hear whilst offering superb clarity and resolution, whilst the treble seems to keep going up into the ultrasonic area, it is so extended, yet it's not harsh or forward, whilst the whole presentation is very cohesive with no undue emphasis anywhere in the frequency range. It sounds more dynamic, with macro and micro dynamic shifts being tracked more accurately and precisely by the Bryston, and the Bryston's imaging is superior, with images offering a cohesive spread from wall to wall with my Vantage speakers, and offering the kind of depth which simply removes walls in your listening room. They really are superb amps, they will drive pretty much anything available in the speaker marketplace, have a 20 yr transferable warranty and my amps sound as good today as when I first installed them 5 years ago.

Make no mistake, I have great respect for the A500 and I don't want to sound like am suggesting the A500 is a por amplifier, but the Bryston is one of the finest solid state amps I've heard, bettered only by some very highly priced exotica from Mark Levinson, Cello and Jeff Rowland.

I hope this helps, if you have any questions then please don't hesitate to ask.

Best wishes,

Dave

Tone-uk · 10-12-2009, 1:26 PM

Hi Dave,

Thanks for taking the time to write that.

I must admit it was cheeky of me to compare the A500 to the Bryston but, looking purely at the spec sheet the Behringer is more powerful (600va torroidal) and ticks all the other boxes so thought it might even things up! Obviously in your opinion this is not the case.
The Audio Critic review does say it is not up to the measured performance of Brystons etc but, that doesn't mean it will actually sound any worse. Guess its down to the listeners preferences as usual.

Did you try just the one? I have been reading that other users have bridged the A500 to give 500w to each speaker (have to be 8ohm though - 4ohm speakers a bit risky) and bought a couple or many (home cinema). Maybe this would have given the extra dynamics etc to match your Bryston's in your opinion? It's a shame reviews didn't bridge the A500 really - might have brought even better results.

Cheers,