Behringer K1800FX

I wrote the first review of this amp and of the K3000FX. This is my third K1800FX (more about that later), made in August of 2008.
4 very convenient stereo channels (XLR input on channel 1) with effect sends, a satisfying effects master section, sub out, headphone out with level control, stereo capability with two of these, decent lighted EQ section with feedback indicators for each frequency, shape switch, 1/4 inch and xlr stereo line outs, stated 180 watts (more like a third of that at 60 solid state watts). In a pinch, can be used as an all in one PA / guitar / keyboard combo. Compact in size, but heavey at around 40 or so pounds. Very versatile for the price though.

I play all types of music and use a Roland VG-99, Sonic Cell and a Boss ME-70. Therefore, I need a clean amp with a horn to reproduce the quality sound of my effects and synth. The K1800FX does the trick. Channel 1 is still hissy when turned up (maybe due to the high gain XLR on that channel).

The amp is built like a tank. It feels solid. Knobs, EQ sliders, and switches are okay. HOWEVER:
As I explained in my first reviews of this amp and the K3000FX, the tweeter is the weakest component. You WILL blow it out. Just a mater of time. Because the amp is not 180 watts but more like 40 to 60 watts, you will turn up the inputs and master around 3/4 or more of the way trying to hear yourself with a band. Over time, that will stress the amp. The woofer is substantial and will survive the worst you can throw at it. The tweeter is rated at 40 watts and is underpowered. More on that below

I will not call them anymore. I did when my first K1800FX's tweeter went and got a standard response of "A certain percentage of amps in production may be defective, but we stand behind our products...."
Not an acceptable response with every product shows it was inspected by....

I have information below to share for users of this unit. See below.

Been playing for over 30 years and I originally wrote a review on this amp as it is perfect for a guitarist using a modeling pedal, guitar synth, a good low volume bass amp, and of course a keyboard.
The amp has proven to be a versatile addtion to my amp collection and after going through 3 of them, it is still the best value for the money. As I have said before, test the unit you are buying before you leave the store.

When the tweeter blows (and it will), you have two choices:
1. Order the replacement tweeter from a Behringer service center, and wait at least a week for them to get it from behringer and then send to you. Once you get the tweeter, you will need to unscrew the defective one from the horn. Problem is, the horn is glued on so you may break the horn trying to unscrew it.

2. Take the tweeter out of the amp, unscrew the 4 bolts on the driver and remove and replace the diaphram only. No need to replace the whole dirver. I found one source for the diaphram and they ship the same or next day: Orange County Speaker. Located in the U.S. in Orange County, California. Since I live in the area, I had my tweeter working in an hour instead of being told I would have to wait a week or more.

Lots of features covered previously. 4 channels 1 of which is a mik pre-amp...

I'm posting this review to add one bit of info I think is crucial. This amp perform far far better if you boost the signal before it hits the amp. You can decide whether that's a fault, but it's good to know in any case. I use a ART Tube MP Studio V3 for vocals and a Boss GE7 or GEB7 for instruments. This makes the amp far more usable. Agree with folks that say it's not typical output for 180 (or even 90) watts. With that I'd say this is pretty successful. I've used it as a Jazz vocal PA, a bass amp and even a PA for a small funk/blues combo. It will distort at the upper range of it's volume, but what doesn't?

Fully reliable so far. As stated, I've used in different situations.

(have't need them)

I've been playing for many years and am a gear hound. It's not a tube amp, but for what it is it's pretty nice. Two hooked together would probably make a nice small PA. Just make sure to boost the signal going in :)

4 Channels with separate volume control for each channel, XLR input on channel one for a mic, 100 preset FX, stereo ins and outs, RCA inputs to hook up an mp3 player, and very portable for the sound it produces. On features it has to get a 10. The only thing missing is separate high and low equalizer for each channel. However, this is offset by the low price.

I must agree there's no way this thing produces 180 wats of power. Having said that, I find the amount of power it does produce to be sufficient. I use the amp for piano from a Korg Karma. I play Latin music (salsa). I just used it this past weekend in the middle of 3 percussions, 3 horns (2 trumpets and one trumvone) and a bass player with his own amp and an upright bass, and it held it's own without maxing the volume. Maxing the volume would've been too loud. It does not distort even at high volumes, but the tweeter did seem to cut off while I was playing a sequence containing a high pitch percussive sound called guira. It came back though. Given the price, if you need more volume, you can always buy another one, and you're still paying less than you would for the Roland. I wouldn't call the sound impressive, but it sounds good and does the job at an affordable price.

I'm giving this a 7 because I am amazed they didn't put a retractable lid of some sort to protect the knobs. The amp is built like a tank, but the knobs on the top rear are long and thin. I can see them flying off in transport to a git. So, I wil create a lid to put on them. Otherwise, it seems as reliable as most Behringer gear. I don't use a backup, but know I can always connect my keyboard to the main amplification system if need be.

Never used it, but it seems as good as any.

I don't think any other amp can beat this amp in value. I used a Peavey KB300 for a long time. The peavey is a good amp, but it's much bigger, that moddle did not have the 7-band equalizer this one has, and at high volumes it would pump like if it had a compressor. It did have separate high, low and mids for each channel, but the equalizer overall on the k1800 is a better option. It's well built, small to carry, and extremely affordable. Great value!

Bought this amp a month ago, made nov 2006. Returned it last week.
On paper, this amp had everything I wanted for pennies on the dollar.
Stereo ins, stereo out, effects, subwoofer output.
Nice and compact.
Took it to some gigs, it worked fine.But good thing I had my other keyboard amp, a Behringer KX1200, else no one would have been able to hear me on stage.
As another reviewer said...there is no way this thing puts out 180 watts. And he was absolutely right.
This is a great amp for smaller situations, and would be a great amp just for acoustic guitar and a mike.

I hooked up my Behringer KX1200 side by side with this and the older model,which is 120 watts and a three-way speaker setup, and the KX1200 blows this K1800fx away, hands down. Both in sound quality and volume.

I have been gigging pretty steady over the past few years with Behringer stuff and have not had any problems.
At these prices, you can afford the luxury of owning a backup.

I had one occassion years ago that required warranty service.
They had me send the amp to NYC to get serviced.
I was not impressed with the process. I can't fail them for this adventure, and haven't needed help from other manufacturers that give me any way to compare their service.

I wrote this review in hopes to help fellow musicians make an informed decision.
This amp has some very strong features that would make it ideal for keyboard or acoustic guitar players, if stage volume isn't an important concern. Perhaps the next bigger model would be the better choice as it advertises a 15" speaker and 300 watts....which is probably really about 75 watts. Having used the Behringer model with the three-way speaker setup,I was disappointed in the sound quality. To be fair, (because their equipment really isn't that bad, especially for the money!!)I don't really think any of these woofer /horn combinations are going to sound as good as having that midrange.

AMENDED REVIEW: I own two K1800FXs, manufactured in April & July, '06, respectively. I also own 3 Behringer KX1200s, and a K3000FX. I play jazz & contemporary piano, including split-keyboard upright bass (left hand) working contrapuntally with acoustic piano improv (right hand). My needs are very demanding, both in terms of keyboards I use (two Yamaha P120s) and sound reinforcement. I am a stickler for quality sound. I am interested in as honest and accurate a rendering of acoustic piano, and upright bass, as possible. I have no interest in altering these basic sounds by way of effects. The K1800FXs meet these overall needs quite well.

Rating amps, it is easy to be seduced by the "bells and whistles." However, to use an ice cream analogy, if the qulaity is not in the vanilla, you won't find it in any of the flavors, either. The "basic vanilla" of the KX1800 FX is good. By way of contrast, the KX1200s are very smooth from top to bottom (lacking a bit in the treble range, but gaining from the 15" woofer in the lows). TheK3000FX, by comparison is truly outstanding throughout, and is the standard by which all other amps should be measured. Given these examples, the K1800FX gives a good account of itself. For a relatively compact assembly, it is quite smooth throug the mids, and very crisp in the highs. The lows are quite good, though not outstanding. This would not be important for anyone who does not use the full extension of the lower keyboard (which I do). For anyone who is a "full" keyboard player, the performance of the K1800 FX is good, though one is aware of the trade-off involved in using a unit of this size. Having said that, in my regular gig (average audience 150 people or so), I regularly use a pair of K1800FXs in stereo, and receive many compliments on the quality of the sound. I boost the bass settings a bit on the EQ, and they do a OK job.
The "Shape" button on both the K1800FX and the K3000FX really puts each of these amps on steroids, creating a LOT of presence that really jumps out at you -- a GREAT option to use. I only wish that Behringer had made THIS feature pedal-switchable. It would be terrific to have the option to move to this setting during a performance.Once the units are off-warranty, I may hack into them and install such a switching feature myself. In summary, I have used pair of KX1200s in stereo -- very nice combination with the 15" woofers (a bit light on the treble, however). I have used my K1800FX's in stereo many times -- fine combination, AND, not a a back-breaker to move around. Best combination of all would be a pari of K3000FX's in stereo, and I may as yet go there, though at present I'm thinking the two K1800FXs for right and left channel, feeding the K3000FX as a centered sub-woofer may be sufficient. It's fun to play with such good sound options. I have found that the better my sound, the more it motivates me to play well.

First K1800FX had a tweeter buzz and then the power supply fweeped. Unit was quickly replaced by dealer, and has been flawless since. I bought a second K1800FX several months later, and these two have been my standing performance rig for a number of months now. They are good. I ALWAYS, with Behringer, 1) try the unit in the store before purchasing to make sure it's "whole" when I'm heading out the door and 2) buy the extended, third-party replacement warranty. Behringer stuff, when it works, is great. Electonically the designs are good. Quality control, however, varies. When you've got a good one, you've as fine a specimen as any amp on the market. When you get a lemon, you want to be protected. It seems necessary to be more alert to this fact of life with Behringer than with some other manufacturers. Nevertheless, taking these cautions into account, the K1800FX and the K3000FX are terrific units, and clearly set a new standard in price/performance ratio. There's much to like about them.

Customer inquiries have been met, however I have noticed that personnel who answer such inquiries do not exhibit any particular pride in their brand. Behringer seems to design quite elegant products, on paper, but one gets the feeling that the company is not all that vertically integrated in terms of their quality assurance, and customer support functions. I would not buy a major Behringer product if I had to rely ONLY on the Behringer warranty.
Less expensive products should be seen as "disposable" if they break. More expensive products should be covered under third-party supplied warrantees.

I have been playing piano and keyboards for 52 years. I am a discriminating keyboard player and related equipment consumer. The strange thing about these products (K1800FX and K3000FX -- and the KX1200 which has its own merits) is that they sound at least as good, and I think probably better, than any other keyboard amps out there. A lot of thought was given to the electrical design of these units. For me, the obvious high level of performance of these units makes Behringer worth taking a risk on (given my earlier caveats). I would replace them if they were lost or stolen with identical Behringer units. There are more reliable amps out there, but none that I have heard (except for a very old Crate KX80 --which I also own : )) that sounds anywhere near as good. I hope that these comments are helpful to prospective keyboard amp buyers who value -- and need, in order to be able to create well -- excellent sound as highly as I do.

I own two K1800FXs, manufactured in April & July, '06, respectively. I also own 3 Behringer KX1200s, and a K3000FX. I play jazz & contemporary piano, including split-keyboard upright bass (left hand) working contrapuntally with acoustic piano improv (right hand). My needs are very demanding, both in terms of keyboards I use (Yamaha P120s) and sound reinforcement. I am a stickler for quality sound. I am interested in as honest and accurate a rendering of acoustic piano, and upright bass, as possible. I have no interest in altering these basic sounds by way of effects. The K1800 Fxs meet these overall needs quite well.

Rating amps, it is easy to be seduced by the "bells and whistles." However, to use an ice cream analogy, if the qulaity is not in the vanilla, you won't find it in any of the flavors, either. The "basic vanilla" of the KX1800 FX is good. By way of contrast, the KX1200s are very smooth from top to bottom (lacking a bit in the treble range, but gaining form the 15" woofer in the lows). TheK3000FX, by comparison is truly outstanding throughout, and is the standard by which all other amps should be measured. Given these examples, the K1800FX gives a good account of itself. For a relatively compact assembly, it is quite smooth throug the mids, and very crisp in the highs. The lows are very good, though not outstanding. This would not be important for anyone who does not use the full extension of the lower keyboard (which I do). For anyone who is a "full" keyboard player, the performance of the K1800 FX is good, though one is aware of the trade-off involved in using a unit of this size. Having said that, in my regular gig (average audience 150 people or so), I regularly use a pair of K1800FXs in stereo, and receive many compliments on the quality of the sound. I boost the bass settings a bit on the EQ, and they do a OK job.
The "Shape" button on both the K1800FX and the K3000FX really puts each of these amps on steroids, creating a LOT of presence that really jumps out at you -- a GREAT option to use. I only wish that Behringer had made THIS feature pedal-switchable. It would be terrific to have the option to move to this setting during a performance.Once the units are off-warranty, I may hack into them and install such a switching feature myself. In summary, I have used pair of KX1200s in stereo -- very nice combination with the 15" woofers (a bit light on the treble, however). I have used my K1800FX's in stereo many times -- fine combination, AND, not a a back-breaker to move around. Best combination of all would be a pari of K3000FX's in stereo, and I may as yet go there, though at present I'm thinking the two K1800FXs for right and left channel, feeding the K3000FX as a centered sub-woofer may be sufficient. It's fun to play with such good sound options. I have found that the better my sound, the more it motivates me to play well.

First K1800FX had a tweeter buzz and then the power supply fweeped. Unit was quickly replaced by dealer, and has been flawless since. I bought a second K1800FX several months later, and these two have been my standing performance rig for a number of months now. They are good. I ALWAYS, with Behringer, 1) try the unit in the store before purchasing to make sure it's "whole" when I'm heading out the door and 2) buy the extended, third-party replacement warranty. Behringer stuff, when it works, is great. Electonically the designs are good. Quality control, however, varies. When you've got a good one, you've as fine a specimen as any amp on the market. When you get a lemon, you want to be protected. It seems necessary to be more alert to this fact of life with Behringer than with some other manufacturers. Nevertheless, taking these cautions into account, the K1800FX and the K3000FX a terrific unit, and clearly set a new standard in price/performance ratio. There's much to like about them.

Customer inquiries have been met, however I have noticed that personnel who answer such inquiries do not exhibit any particular pride in their brand. Behringer seems to design quite elegant products, on paper, but one gets the feeling that the company is not all that vertically integrated in terms of their quality assurance, and customer support functions. I would not buy a major Behringer product if I had to rely ONLY on the Behringer warranty.
Less expensive products should be seen as "disposable" if they break. More expensive products should be covered under third-party supplies warrantees.

I have been playing piano and keyboards for 52 years. I am a discriminating keyboard player and related equipment consumer. The strange thing about these products (K1800FX and K3000FX -- and the KX1200 which has its own merits) is that they sound at least as good, and I think probably better, than any other keyboard amps out there. A lot of thought was given to the electrical design of these units. For me, the obvious high level of performance of these units makes Behringer worth taking a risk on (given my earlier caveats). I would replace them if they were lost or stolen with identical Behringer units. There are more reliable amps out there, but none that I have heard (except for a very old Crate KX80 --which I also own : )) that sounds anywhere near as good. I hope that these comments are helpful to prospective keyboard amp buyers who value -- and need, in order to be able to create well -- excellent sound as highly as I do.

This is an update on my previous post.
My amp was made in March 2006.
It is versatile in that it is a clean sounding amp which is great to use with my Digitech GNX-1. Perfect to use a keyboard amp with an emulating pedal.

Controls easy to reach and operate. Even in low light. The EQ sliders each have an LED indicator that turns off when you activate the feedback detection switch. When feedback occurs, the offending frequecy will light up on the corresponding EQ slider. Kinda cool.

4 channels could use a trim adjustment, but that would add to the price. At least there are individual level controls. I use a Strat into my GNX-1 into channel 1, and a Roland GR-20 synth into channel 2. The synth's output is much lower than the GNX-1, so I have the guitar input level halfway and I need to have the synth input level 3/4 of the way turned up so they both match in volume. Before anyone asks, yes the output level is turned all the way up on the Roland synth.

As I said before, plenty of inputs and outputs. Versatile in that regard.

IT IS NOT 180 WATTS!!

Very clean with a 12" and a 1" tweeter / horn. I like to have a very brite guitar sound. I use a Strat primarily, This amp does the trick for a bright chunky Strat sound. Unfortuanately, each EQ control is not full in range. Long throw sliders, but little variation in sound control except for the lows. You get a decent bass response for a 12".

The amp has written on the top and the backside it is 180 watts. I don't think so!!! Played a two nighter gig and the first night I could not hear myself without turning up the master volume to 3/4 high and driving the preamps high as well. The amp was clean, but if it is really 180 watts, I should have overpowered everyone. No, the band was not playing loud. It was a small club and 180 watts should have gotten me kicked off the stage at almost full power. The damn amp simply could not keep up in volume. Lucky for me, there are stereo direct outs (XLR and 1/4") to go into a mains. Let me say this again: THE K1800FX IS NOT 180 WATTS!! More like 50 watts compared to Roland, Crate, Peavey, Fender, etc.

I play mostly Rock, Classic Rock, R & B, Country and Jazz in that order. Using a modeling pedal, the amp is clean enough for the pedal to do the talking in the different styles I play.

Noisy? Yes, the amp is really hissy. Turn up the Master (and you will to keep up with the rest of the band) and you swear there is an air leak somewhere on stage.

So far after 2 gigs, 4 rehearsals, it has held up. I am still concerned about reliability though. Made in China, it has that look and feel of a low cost item that it is.

Behringer says they stand up for their products. Time will tell...
The only reason I give it a 5 here is because they claim they quality control their products, but at the same time I tested a couple of their amps that had bad tweeters out of the box.

IT IS NOT 180 WATTS!!

No dealings with Behringer customer support yet.

IT IS NOT 180 WATTS!!

Over 30 years as a guitarist. Play a WIDE variety of sounds.
Lost or stolen, I would by another because of the price, clean sound, and conectivity.

Anything you wish it had? - Yeah, more power. IT IS NOT 180 WATTS!!

Do not buy the K450FX (45 watts) or the K900FX (90 Watts) to use on a gig. The K1800FX barely get by. Better yet, get the K3000FX (300 watts 15" Woofer) and you will just cut through the mix.

Other than the power, it is very versatile with ins and outs.

Not sure when this amp came out as there have been delays shipping to the U.S. This is the latest of the KFX series. Tired of wating, I bought the 300 watt K3000FX (see my review on that one) which is fine and the best choice if you want to save money and buy a high wattage inexpensive keyboard amp. Just be prepared for 62 pounds of mass. I have been waiting for the K1800FX which is smaller, about 20 pounds lighter and has 180 watts. It's still heavy at about 40 pounds for it's size. Also wattage is very misleading with Behringer. More on that later.

I am a Midi Guitarist (all styles) who needs a very clean amp combo. I wanted a keyboard amp with a closed back, good bass response and clear highs, but did not want to spend a lot. Therefore, I went Behringer.

4 channels (XLR input on ch 1), 24-bit digital FX processor with 100 presets. 7 band EQ, Feedback detection, headphone jack, Sub out, stereo direct out, cd in, Shape control (just a mid boost really), master volume, 12" BUGERA woofer and a 1" tweeter, various in / out connections on the back.

Enough power for small clubs, etc.

Pretty verstile to connect into and out of. More than enough features for the mixing section. You can connect two amps together to get true stereo.

Not much variety in the tone of the amp. It is clean and either very booming or flat. You MUST use a modeling pedal with this.

The amp is billed as a PA / Keyboard amp. Don't know about the PA part, but I guess in a very small coffee house it will do.

This amp will distort ugly at high volumes (speaker buzz, cabinet buzz). There is a clip indicator on the amp. It is a two step led (1 green and 1 red). That is the problem with this amp. Lot's of features, and great ideas, but they stop short of what they could be. Truly you get what you pay for.

Behringer makes the K3000FX (300 watts), the K1800FX (180 watts), the K900Fx (90 watts), and the K450FX (45 watts).
While the amps sound good, the power is not there. I don't know what measure Behringer uses, but the K1800FX is NOT 180 watts. Even their spec pages simply says "power output 180 watts". 180 watts at what ohm? at what K-hertz? at what frequency range? Since the speakers are wired for 4 ohms, I suspect the power output to be about 90 watts or less.

The EQ is subtractive and the moment you lower a EQ slider, you are taking away from the amps output.

Sound quality is standard for anything with a 12" woofer and 1" tweeter. And what the heck is a Bugera speaker? Nothing on the net about this "brand?" Just like the power output specs, Behringer seems to think people will be wowed about "Bugera" and high output specs.

I got this amp for the mixer section and the clear sound of a 2 way speaker system. Because of my midi setup and modeling pedal, I need to have 4 inputs and using one amp makes it convenient. Typically play a Strat, 335, or Telecaster through the amp. It sounds fine. Just cannot turn it up. The stereo DI in the back work fine to connect to a large PA. The amp has a bad hiss if the master volume is turned up. You can't turn the preamp past halfway as the clip indicator comes on, so if you need high volume, you have to live with the hiss or go direct into a board.

The effects section is again just there. 100 presets? They are limited. But I guess if someone does not have an effects unit, at least there is something.

For a 2 way system, it gets the job down for clean guitar or as amplification for synths. The hiss at idle is annoying. My Line6 Spider II goes completely silent when not playing.

Before I settled on a Behringer amp, I played through a K3000FX at The Guitar Center and the tweeter was buzzing off and on. So I asked to have another on brought out from a box. It also had a bad tweeter (brand new). Then, I went to another Guitar Center and tried out a K900FX. Turned it on and the tweeter crackled. There was a K3000FX there as well and I tried it and it worked well. After spending a lot of time there, I finally bought the bigger model. The damn thing is so heavy, I still wanted the smaller lighter K1800FX.

So I write Behringer and ask them about the tweeter problem. They write back saying "This is the first time someone told us about a tweeter problem. We use the highest standards, yada, yada, yada. If you have a problem we will be happy to repair or replace. Well, I read on the net someone's review about the K3000FX and they had a tweeter problem too. We will see what happens with my amps. They are still new, but I had to go through 3 amps and played the two I have for 3 hours in the store before I took it home. Time will tell...

When I wrote Behringer about the tweeter issue, I received a response in two days. They do have service centers around.

My concern and my warning to you is: Behringer's email to me had a statement of: "There will be a certain percentage of electronic equipment that will be defective in the manufacturing process. It just happens that way. But we will take whatever steps to repair or replace our product." What? a certain percentage? If my amp was inspected, why would there be a sound defect?

Been playing for over 30 years, have had many amplifiers. I like solid state amps for power only. Because of my different styles, a modeling pedal is the way to go. And because of using Midi, I need a mixer / amp combo all in one package. For the money, the K1800FX is satisfactory. Beware of the quality control and try out the amp BEFORE taking it home.

It is not on the same level as Roland, Peavey, Fender, Crate, etc., but it has a clean range that can work for a cost far less than the other guys.After waiting and being told by Behringer the item would be available fall 2006, I found one in a Guitar Center sitting in their warehouse. No one knew it was there. Lucky for me, a manager looked in the computer and it was listed in stock. I bought it for it's size and use it for my guitar synth and now use the K3000FX when I play bass.