Behringer EP2500

I bought this amp used, but in good shape. It problably was manufactured in 2007. It has two channel outputs each push 450W into 8-ohms, I use one channel to drive a 4X10 cabinet and the other channel to drive a 1X15 cabinet. Each channel can be configued for a 50Hz or 30Hz f3. The amp can be configued for bi-amp, seperate channel inputs, and a few others, but I don't use these features. It is very heavy, so it is mounted into a 2 rack box an kept on the floor. There is no headphone output. I use this amp for places that don't provide a sound system.

I have used a Ibenz and a Fender Jazz basses fed through an Ampeg SVTII-P to play classic rock and blues. The Behringer power amp is quite enough for low volume, at high volume there is a slight hum but not enough to be heard while playing. I had this amp put on a spectrum analyzer from 40Hz to 5KHz and it pretty much puts out what it recieves. I have never had the volume knobs above 60%, there could be distortion at the upper levels.

I don't play every night, just on weekends and have never had a problem. I keep the air filter pads clean and a have it open to air on both ends.

Never been serviced.

I have been playing for 10 years with an Eden 200W combo amp and use the Behringer EP 2500 when I need the extra volume. At the price several could be purchased as backups. This Behringer uses Toshiba/Fairchild power transistors and has a fairly thick circuit board with good solder joints. I felt that a power amp just has to boost the signal and this amp does.

This is a two channel power amp that gives 750 watts per channel at 4 ohms and 2,400 watts when channels are bridged. While I know it is technically not a bass amp, I write this to share what for me is a revelation. One problem this bass player has long suffered is under-powered rigs relative to guitarists and other musicians. I read somewhere that, because of the special characteristics of bass frequencies, bass players need ten time the wattage of guitarists. While guitarists play with distortion, bass players usually struggle for clarity. One thing that will provide clarity better than anything is having plenty of headroom in your amp. If you use the EP2500 you will need a preamp. I am using an Alesis Multimix 8 microphone mixer as my preamp because it is natural sounding, clean and cheap. The Alesis is already well reviewed under effects, but for $430 for an EP2500 and the Alesis combined I am pushing 750 super-clean watts times two. Pretty amazing.

I use a Pedulla Rapture J2 bass which has a wonderful sound that I prefer to not mess up. The EP2500 is very transparent. It does not color your sound but rather reproduces it accurately. I play mostly classic rock and prefer clean bass that thumps rather than booms, not so many highs that the bass sounds like a guitar and not so many lows that it goes to mush. This amp has returned me to my purest roots. I piled all my pedals up in the closet. It is the cleanest sounding amp I have ever owned. Who needs effects? I think I would blow my speakers before I could make it distort but on a volume scale of one to ten, two is darn loud and crystal clear.

Well, I never go to a gig without a backup. I haven't played the EP2500 long but our band has used two of them in the PA for quite some time and they just keep working without a hitch. It is solid state and the usual nature of solid state is that if it works in the first week of service it will probably continue to work. It seems to be built like a tank. I would recommend a rack case.

I have never had it repaired. I have dealt with Behringer before and they have always been helpful. I think it has a year warranty. From what I have read you probably won't need service on this unit. I have confidence in it.

Well, here is where you learn that I am an old fart. I have been playing since the mid-sixties. Other gear I own is the Pedulla Rapture bass, a Fender Jazz bass, a couple of Behringer heads (which don't even compare to the EP2500), a few Avatar cabinets, a bunch of pedals, etc. If it were lost I would replace it. Again what I love about this unit is its transparency, clarity and volume (i.e. headroom). This unit compares well with top-of-the-line bass amps like Eden and Ampeg. They sell for about $1 to $1.50 per watt. The EP2500 sells for fourteen cents a watt. If you are a bass player building a rig, strongly consider this amplifier but make sure your speakers can handle it. They'll hear you ten blocks down the street.