Behringer gear, a love story gone sour…
Behringer gear has great functionality, but Behringer drives you insane when your gear needs repairs! Defective behringer gear quickly turns into an expensive pile of junk! In my opinion, the lack of repair center support makes Behringer gear a disaster waiting to happen.
For many years, I have been a big fan of Behringer gear. Some of the benefits that drew me in to using Behringer gear for live performances are as follows:
- Behringer equipment is generally affordable and offers good value for money. This is critical for small touring bands with limited gear budgets and a desire to get the most out of their investment.
- Behringer is a manufacturer of audio equipment such as mixers, amplifiers, and speakers. This means that small bands can easily find the gear they need to put together a fully functional live sound setup.
- Because Behringer equipment is lightweight and compact, it is easy to transport and set up in a variety of locations. This is especially important for small touring bands that require their equipment to be moved quickly and efficiently.
- Many Behringer products have simple, user-friendly controls that make it easy to adjust levels and settings during a live performance. This is especially true for small bands that may lack the technical knowledge or experience required to operate complex equipment.
- Behringer gear is generally reliable and long-lasting, which is important for small touring bands that rely heavily on their equipment. (That is what I thought, until now…)
- Behringer gear is built to withstand the rigors of live performances while also delivering consistent, dependable sound.
My most recent gear purchases have been primarily Behringer, and I’ve advised and assisted several bands and churches in purchasing and implementing Behringer… BUT, I’ve had a number of serious issues with Behringer that have changed my opinion of them completely.
In this article, I’ll discuss some of my recent frustrations with Behringer, but first, a disclaimer…
DISCLAIMER: The opinions/comments I am sharing are my own. This is how I see Behringer as a company and the quality of its products and services. My experiences may not be representative of those of other Behringer gear users/owners. I sincerely hope that my experiences are an exceptional case, but I have the impression (as you will see in my subsequent comments) that these are not isolated incidents.
Behringer X32 series plus Digital Snake S16
For several years, I’ve been using Behringer X32 series mixers, Behringer Digital Snake S16, and other related equipment. We purchased an S16 when we had to decide whether to replace our cable snake with a longer one or to go digital (around a year before COVID struck). We were extremely pleased with the solution of connecting the digital snake (stage box) to the X32 via a CAT5/CAT6 UTP cable. We had two or three performances after the worst peaks of COVID were behind us (and government also declared it safe to restart events)… and then our Behringer Digital Snake S16 died on us. So, we’re talking about around 15 performances with the S16 before the power supply in the unit broke down.
I’ve worked in electronics/information technology/audio for over 50 years, and I know that every time you turn on a device, there’s a chance something will go wrong. When something goes wrong, you go to the nearest service center, and this is where my positive experiences with Behringer gradually turned into a nightmare!
All of the listed Behringer Repair Centers had stopped supporting Behringer years ago due to lack of spare parts, and Behringer doesn’t take them off the list!
I went to every Behringer Service Point that Behringer claims to have in the Netherlands and Belgium. I even called repair centers in Germany (the home country of Behringer.) All of these Service Points are telling me the same thing… They can’t get spare parts from Behringer, or it takes forever! The Service Points in the Netherlands added another interesting detail: they stopped being a Behringer Service Point several years ago because they were constantly receiving unhappy Behringer customers seeking service, and they couldn’t help them because Behringer wasn’t delivering parts. They have requested that Behringer remove them from the website and other lists… but Behringer does not appear to keep the list up to date.
I went back to the shop where we bought the equipment… but they can’t help either and point to the service points. The Service Points are blaming Behringer for not sending parts. So I approached Behringer, who directed me back to the Service Points that (to my knowledge) no longer exist.
Behringer is required by Dutch law to service equipment for a period of five years, but they are failing to do so. They point to the Service Points and claim that this is how they provide sufficient support… However, it appears that these Service Points are no longer providing assistance.
My S16 was starting to look like an expensive piece of junk!
When gear breaks down, you discover the true value of the manufacturer! Here I was feeling abandoned and helpless, and nothing I could do about it! I was prepared to ship the defective snake to Behringer in Germany if I thought I would get support… but Behringer wants everything to go through their service points… (that no longer support Behringer gear!!). So that is the problem I am referring to as a “disaster waiting to happen,” because anything can break down, and with no way to fix it, you end up with an expensive pile of junk!
I’m not the only one facing these challenges. Talking to other engineers, I quickly learned that I’m not alone… It’s a common issue!
I found a repair center that was willing to try to order parts. We knew it would be a long road to get this working again (if we ever get parts), but with all other options exhausted, it’s the only way to go.
7 months later…
Out of the blue, I got a call 7 months later that Behringer had sent a new power unit to the repair center, and the S16 works! The repair center felt so embarrassed about the time it took to get parts, that they only charged me for the cost of the parts (not for the labor).
BUT… this experience has changed my opinion about Behringer for good! (And my shopping list has shifted to brands that are supported by this specific repair center.)
My love for Behringer has gone... and I’m not the only one!
What hurts is that I have lost complete confidence in Behringer and feel that I have wasted precious funds. Behringer may be creating nice gear, but I believe that the trouble starts when Behringer gear breaks.
I believe that Behringer is not interested in providing quality services, their focus seems to be on selling gear. In my opinion, no matter how low you price this gear, once it breaks it needs to be replaced because getting it repaired seems to be almost impossible.
No valid Business Case for purchasing Behringer gear in my opinion.
Given this, the total cost of owning Behringer gear rises to the point where midrange gear (non-Behringer) becomes a more appealing and cost-effective alternative. If I have to include the cost of extra spares and/or gear rental when Behringer gear breaks, there is no valid Business Case for purchasing Behringer gear in my opinion (unless you have other alternatives available or can afford to do without it for a very long time).
Unless and until Behringer significantly improves the current repair situation, I will not recommend Behringer gear again, and I have actively started to replace all Behringer gear used in the bands and churches that I support. The existing gear will be kept as a backup system in case we need an extra set somewhere, or in the unlikely event that the midrange gear fails.
