Behringer EQs

jkowtko

Well-Known Member
I'm looking to pick up a couple more DBX231s, but with virtually no budget it's hard to find these under $150 used. Meanwhile the Behringer units (GEQ3102 and FBQ3102) seem to be readily available for under $100. The Behringers also have lit faders which make adjustments easier in the dark.

Does anyone have a strong opinion on the Behringer EQs? I'm tempted to pick up a couple of them unless there are specific reasons why I shouldn't. I know the Behringer reputation is cheap quality and unreliable, but do we know that their EQs break, sound noisy or horrible, or otherwise have issues that the DBX does not?

Thanks. John
 
John, please don't.
I guarantee you will be kicking yourself in the head if you ever intend on selling them.
Resale value on low end gear is horrible.

A wise man once said:
"Living in a Behringer world isn't worth anyone's time."
 
Right now AudioLines has B-stock GEQ3201s for $79.99 ... which to me is pretty cheap. I wouldn't pay $150 for a new one, but $80 for a new one? Sounds like a deal you can't pass up provided the EQ actually works and sounds decent. Does it?

If it works properly, I would probably have no need to buy replacement equipment -- this would just be "standard" equipment for the theater. And if we ever do get the budget for replacement equipment (say we decide to buy some driveracks next year), I probably wouldn't balk at losing $40/unit on these EQs if I sold them. In fact, I would probably just commandeer them into my personal equipment collection to use at the local high schools.

So the main issue to me is, will these EQs work and not break within a year, and will they sound as good as the DBX EQs?

What do you think?
 
They will not sound as good as the DBX's.
 
I know everybody says to stay away from behringer like the plague, but if you treat the stuff right it works beautifully for the price you pay. They wont sound as good as the DBX, but they wont sound like absolute crap either. They will get the job done, for lower price, but also must be treated well. ( no dropping off the back of the truck)
 
We do not need to encourage the next generation of impulse gear buyers.

"Buy once, cry once"
 
I have the FBQ EQ. Trust me, it's not worth the effort, even as just a fill-in. The bleedin' thing is noisy, there's a pseudo ribbon cable that I seem to have to reseat before every show, and while the LED's can be good as a poor man's RTA, they get distracting during the show. I haven't measured the filters, but I find them to not be very good for monitor duty (which is what mine is used for). Plus, one of my 6/12dB buttons has gone south permanantly, it's stuck in 12dB mode, I want it on 6 ('specially with teeny faders), but nothing I say or do will convince it to oblige.

I implore you to wait and try and raise sufficient funds for the dbx. The Behringer isn't worth it in my opinion, and I'm a user.
 

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