ProAudio Review - August 2008 - (Page 41)

LIVE | REVIEW by Karl Bader Behringer Eurolive B412DSP and B415DSP Active Loudspeakers The economically priced B412DSP and B415DSP offer interesting features, good performance, and considerable ‘bang for the buck.’ Powered speakers are not new to this industry by any means. They are an effort by the manufacturers to present the bestmatched amplifier, processing, and speaker to the consumer with the marketing approach and consumer benefit of taking up less room in transit and on the floor at the gig as well as faster setup and strike times. Behringer — the well known, German-headquartered international pro audio firm — took another stab at powered speakers with the release of the B412DSP and B415DSP, both of which are manufactured in China. FEATURES The B412DSP and B415DSP are very similar in features. Both speakers’ back panels include two line/mic inputs on XLR connectors with a -40 dB to +10 dBu input sensitivity and 27k ohm impedance. The line out is a balanced 120 ohm XLR connector. After the mixing function is a simple two-band parametric EQ with +/- 15 dB at 100 Hz and 12 kHz, a sweepable high-pass filter that can be set from 40-160 Hz and a variable noise gate that can be set from off to -30 dB < -45 dBr. Both models offer a 460-watt peak (at 8 ohm) Class B amplifier on the low-end driver. The B412DSP contains a 12-inch driver crossed over at 1.7 kHz; the B415DSP contains a 15-inch low driver crossed over at 1.5kHz. Both models contain a 1.75-inch titanium diaphragm compression driver mounted on a 90 x 45 degree horn and powered by a 140-watt peak amplifier. Behringer claims that these speakers are capable of putting out 128 dB at 1 meter and have a frequency response from 40 Hz to 20 kHz. These B412DSP and B415DSP offer a lot of features to be packed into such small price tags ($589 and $739 list, respectively). Also, they are user-serviceable in the event an unfortunate breakdown does occur. IN USE As I unpacked the boxes, I was immediately taken with the grille over the woofer. This grille said a lot. Its unique design was ‘un-dentable.’ By that I mean this: I put all of my weight into it, and it wouldn’t move. I took this as a challenge and then got out my trusty rubber mallet. After several hits I still couldn’t tell where I hit it. The boxes’ plastic casing also holds up well to a general use beating. Upon moving from show to show and around the shop, only a few minor scuffmarks and scratches occurred. The scratches that did occur were only noticeable upon close inspection. The advantage of plastic is it is the same color all the way through, and it doesn’t show scratches and scuff like wood and paint. I do have one major “issue” with the speakers’ physical attributes: the handles. Good handle placement and design is important when you are moving these speakers on a daily basis from venue to venue, and I first thought the boxes were designed to carry briefcase-style. I found the handles small for my hands and awkward to use in lifting and carrying the boxes; the smaller B412DSP weighs 65 lbs, so this wasn’t treating my body, or knuckles, well. The most comfortable way to carry these was to hold the box high on your chest, a hand in each handle. It made BEHRINGER continues on page 42 ® APPLICATIONS: Live mains, monitor, or fill speaker; solo artist/instrument PA. KEY FEATURES: 2-channel mixer; gate; timed turnoff; 2-band parametric EQ; music and vocal EQ contour; balanced XLR loop through; 600 watts of power PRICE: $589 and $739 list, respectively CONTACT: Behringer | ¤ 425-672-0816 | · www.behringer.com PRODUCTPOINTS + Economically priced to not break the bank + A lot of features for the buck + Multi-use as monitors or mains - Handle placement - Heavy SCORE These boxes are a great solution and very economically priced. www.proaudioreview.com August 2008 | ProAudio Review | 41 http://www.behringer.com http://www.proaudioreview.com

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ProAudio Review - August 2008 Contents Publisher's Page Broadcast News and New Products Yamaha Pocketrak 2G Olympus LS-10 Linear PCM Recorder Bench Test Marantz PMD620 Flash Recorder TASCAM DR-1 Portable Digital Recorder Tips From The Pros: Location/Production Audio Prosumer Portables in a Pro World Studio News and New Products Apogee Ensemble Solid State Logic Duende Mini FireWire DSP Live News and New Products Avril Lavigne's The Best Damn Thing World Tour Behringer Eurolive B412DSP and B415DSP Active Loudspeakers Gear for FOH Engineers — A PAR Contributors’ Wish List Contracting News and New Products Buyer's Guide Single Slice

ProAudio Review - August 2008

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