Behringer B300 Ultrawave Powered Speaker

I think musically these are very adequate especially for vocals.

They are unreliable.

They were very helpful, but they ought to be when you pay $800 New Zealand dollars each for them and they cant exactly ship them back

I would buy something else. They performed beautifully when I first got them but during a quiet practice they both died. I got them fixed for my gigs, but another cut out and will have to get it repaired. I want my money back.
I have always owned behringer including the desks and effects units so these are a let down. Why have a power fuse when the unit doesnt even have any circuit or transformer protection??? I have only been running them at half volume.
I have been playing for the last fifteen years professionally and being solo these speakers have been so easy to set up and take down.

Not bad to use but the volume control does not turn down all the way, line level inputs are still too loud with volume knob at minimum. Easily toppled over, they're top heavy.

Line in/out on XLR, line in on jack. Mic in on XLR. Mic/line switcheable via push button. IEC mains inlet.

A bit tinny at flat EQ, needs lots of bass adding if you've no bass cabinets with them.

Very unreliable. Faults include broken reservoir capacitors (they rattle free), broken / fractured connections to output modules (they use car-radio IC's), blown tweeters (they can overheat and melt themselves stuck into the cabinet) and open circuit woofers. Intermittent mains switches. No DC protection, an internal amp failure can blow the drivers instantly. If you own a B300, it WILL go faulty sooner rather than later.

No manufacturer support, it's all done through dealers who may/may not be interested in out-of-warranty remedies.

Forget them.

The speaker is simple to use, its a shame the rear panel could not be made more water resistant ie reccesed with a better mains connection,
its shape is ungainly,unstable to stack and akward to flightcase.

XLR in and out are fine but only single jack input, the jack input is set at such a high level that a C/D player plugged in on line level is already to loud with the gain and eQ pots set @ zero!. Could do with a pair of phono inputs. It would be great to have a mains out in addition
as the abillity to link on to further cabs is often handy (we made up XLR and mains looms for supply)

The sound and power of a new cab is very impressive, We covered a crowd of 25,000 at the top end of Trafalagar Square in London with 8 boxes mounted high on dual brackets on Manfroto stands.
Sadly this quality doesn't last long.

Utterly unreliable, always take four if you need two to work,all the components shake loose even when inside foamed flight cases (we now security glue every nut bolt and screw with every rebuild).
The idea of using the bass driver to cool the amp is great,shame it doesn't work,the unit needs a fan.
The 3 Ohm bass driver is of such poor quality just replace it with a 4 Ohm unit of better quality (don't wait for it to fail, It will!)
Hf driver seems to be unprotected from the amp and is of very poor quality, replace with any other screw mount 1" driver you may have lying about.

Customer support in the UK non-existant

I would pay someone to steal ours.
we got trapped into using them by buying to many, it is the worst Behringer product by far.
Great shame because on the occasions when they work they can sound great, however they say you get what you pay for and thats certainly true of these.
Probably Ok for some kids bedroom but don't think of trying to use them professionly

Very easy to use, even for a novice.

Nice little 2 band EQ

They sound great when they work.

I bought two B300s and in the first year I may have had use of them two months out of twelve. I have had to return each one three times because of the woofers popping after playing at half volume for twenty to thirty minutes.

The person in customer support at Behringer would not even talk to me and advised me to have the dealer that I purchased them from call them. Finally when I took them back to the dealer the third time Behringer agreed to semd me a new replacement set. I havent used them yet but I can just hope they are better than the first set.

I will not be buying any more Behringer products.

Couldn't be easier.

Could have been a Windows product :
Plug and play ... and full of bugs ...

The line and mic input cannot be used toghether which would have been nice ...
The EQ is not very usefull. I prefer to leave both at 12:00 and EQ the rest of the chain.

As mentionned, the volume regulates the input level, not the output.
The amplification is factory set methinks, and identical whatever the input level

Clean, clear, good.
Somewhat lacking in the low end but not that bad.

Sounds pretty good with both my keyboard and guitar (using preamp and
speaker sims for the latter)

I bought one to test it.
Worked OK a couple times but then it had cooling problems once
(thermal protection shut it down).
Since then, it shuts down more and more frequently.
Impossible to use more than 30 minutes in a row (and no, I'm not pushing it too hard).

I can relate on the horn popping when the speaker runs hot.
Unfortunately, I ordered a second one right before
the trouble started arising.
I'm trying to cancel my order but it seems it's shipped
already.

Didn't reply so far ...
I'd like to have a tech inspect the unit to see if it needs repair
or if the thermal problems I experience are inherent to its construction ...

The ads were too good to be true.
Great bang for the buck when it worked.
But eventually, it's useless in a real (live) situation.

The B300 needs some additional engineering from Behringer.
I shouldn't have bought it before more people had used this product.

I wouldn't buy it again, no way ...

if you can set them up that they don't topple over, great.

enough

ok. not very defined, ok for a floor monitor though.

it is a piece of crap. i've used MANY Behringer products, and this is by far the worst piece of equipment they've ever put out. it will just go up in smoke at any given time. if you drop it from a foot high, the transformer will break loose. you can blow the high frequency driver with a little feedback (hey, this is an active speaker, right?). it is not to be trusted, and they are not easily repairable (i've fixed about 7 so far, from powersupply through crossover through poweramp modules (rated at 40w, there's 4, and they suck, too), through speakers). it's terrible.

they don't give out schematics, and the guys who fix these things have a hard life, i'm sure. talking to behringer themselves (at least here in europe) is like talking to a dead b300.

as long as it works, be grateful.

This is a special use of a pair of active cabs.
I "corrupted" their original function, as I mainly use them like a bass amp.
I have a SanSamp BassDriver that I use as a preamp, and I then go directly into these cabs.
Depending on the situation I can use these like a full rig, a combo, a full PA, monitors or wedges.
It's definitely the strongest point of these. They are just as versatile as you can get.
There is a lot of R&D and novelties in this cab. Passive cooling using the bass reflex to refresh air, integrated limiter, computer designed horn, low slope crossover, ...
Features are pretty simple though.
Bass and treble knobs, gain adjustement knob with line/mic level switch, XLR and 1/4" jack in, XLR direct out for daisy chaining. Simple and efficient.
You can directly plug an instrument or a mic into it, but I prefer to use a preamp.
2x300 W program (actually, 225 W RMS) can be a little short sometimes, but these are quite loud for the power and project very well.
Each cab has a single 15" with a 1.5" horn, each with its own poweramp section.
They have all the necessary spots to hang them, put them on a standard foot or stack them. Nice.

Sound quality is pretty amazing for the price.
Lows are deep and well defined, mediums are powerful (although sometimes a little blurry) and highs just shine.
They are basically a PA with a cab, so what I ask them is to reproduce what I throw into them, and they do that pretty well.
No distortion even at high volume, they really fill the room.

I had a problem on one of them like a week after buying. A whole solder plate when dead. I got it repaired and never had a problem since. They look very sturdy and solid. Boxes are made of strong quality plastic with a metal gril.
Behringer quality control seems somewhat arguable, though.

I use it without a backup that I couldn't afford anyway.
If I was to go on a world tour, I'd choose something else.

The previously mentionned repair was done by the local reseller (who is also a Behringer tech) in 2 days.
I've shared mails with Behringer and they all were answered the next day with great advice.
They even recommended me another brand for a product they didn't have !

I've been using these for a year and a half for basically anything.
I love these active cabs. Whatever the situation, there is always a good use for them. They are the only sound reinforcement system I still own for now.
They were definitely designed with the musician in head. There are a few mistakes though. The feet don't give enough stability to it, expecially when you stack them. I'd be affraid to see them fall.
Also, when you use it as a wedge, if your jack cord is too long it gets blocked into the hanging handle and be damaged.
I'd buy something of the same kind if they were stolen, not necessarely the same. Mackie and JBL also make cool bi-amp active cabs. They get the "best bang for the bucks" award though. Hard to beat, really.

This kind of integrated system has a lot of possibilities and I see them developping in the future.
Not THE best bass amp, but you get a very versatile system for cheap.

Very easy to set up, but pity the mains cable is not wired permanantly... I've already forgotten it once so far :-)

The Volume control ISN't !! It's a gain control, so you can never turn the input right off

Excellent, clean sound quality. Others criticize the lack of punch in the bass end, but it seems quite adequate for me considering the power and size of these things

I recently bought a pair (VERY long delay supplying in Europe...) and one was un-usable straight out of the packaging! The sound was so distorted I couldn't use it at all. This is quite unacceptable from a company that boasts "Quality Control"... how can they let material un-tested out the factory ? The other works fine so far, but I wouldn't trust them enough to use without a back up system

I have sent e-mails twice to their support address and no reply so far... again, for a company that mentions "ISO 9000 Certified" everywhere on it's site and in their manuals and advertising this is totally unacceptable.
I have no news of the speaker received 6 weeks after ordering, and sent back almost immedaitely !

Well worth the price paid for them (if I end up getting two that work of course...) but considering the impossiblity of contacting these people, I wouldn't be too sure about purchasing other equipment from them. Before buying other makes, I would now send a mail for enquiries and not buy from those who don't have the good manners (or available competent staff ??) to reply

Setting the speaker up is a piece of cake

I love the ability to plug in a quarter inch jack, male or female xlr and use them as inputs. The two band eq is handy.

Sound is very articulate and neutral. I use it as a front end speaker so the bass doesn't really matter since I use a sub anyway, however when we use it as a monitor you can notice the lack of a bass punch.

Yes and no. The cooling system is poor. I now have a speaker that pops when it gets hot.

I live outside the US so I would like better internet support, since there are no dealers or Behringer service centres in my country I would like to be able to have the problems diagnosed by one of their experts and fixed by a local technician.

Needs more power and a cooling system that works. I am currently building a studio to assist artist in my country to pursue their creative dreams. I bought a number of Behringer products that I am now using for my live jams. Hopefully I will like enough of their products to stock my studio out with them when it is completed, because their price is right.

Very easy to make adjustments

lack of punch, low end

3 months old, used at 12 small gigs in small rooms with no more than 125 people, already have a woofer thats popping.

Heavy and tough to carry even though they have handles. No protective covers available for them. They don't come close to the JBL EON's or Mackie SMR series but the prices don't come close either. I guess you get what you pay for.

Even though these cabs come with the best technical manual I've ever seen, I still have problems occasionally with the switch and input settings in combination with my Behringer mixer.

I have owned three of them for almost a year now, and a fourth one is on it's way. These babies are rugged --and awkward to carry. My advice: get a padded dolly! Going out on gigs every weekend, the paint on the front grills is chipping. I don't fault Behringer for calling them B300, although the wattage really seems only slightly over 200W. I'm using two of the B300s as PA for our band, one as a monitor and with a Behringer B2002 mixer as a front end (+feedback controller) it's a neat PA setup. There are two switchable input settings: Line or Mic. Bass and Treble are not quite as effective as I would like, but then you can always adjust that prior to going to the speaker. The "chainable" XLR and 1/4" inputs and outs are great to add speakers where and when you need them. Versatility is first rate! Minor quibble: the receptacle for the speaker stand is a reinforced hole, but it seems a little shallow. Imagine when we were playing on a float in the middle of a lake: A whole lotta shaking going on. I wish the stand adapter was deeper.

The sound is excellent for vocals, although a little more bass would help. The wattage is just so low that you'll never get down to a real "punchy" bass. As mentioned before, keyboards and even Acoustic-Electric Guitar sound incredibly clean an precise. Stereo keyboards can wrap you up in waves of incredible swirling sounds with every little nuance reproduced by these speakers. Feast your ears.

They're rugged -and heavy, but you can break them easily: At a festival gig, I allowed an acoustic guitar to be plugged in the board --a loud pop and the first HF speaker in a chain of three cabs was broken. So here is Customer Support:

One of my HF drivers was dammaged by a bad input (my fault). Even though I had not registered the warranty of this particular speaker,I called Behringer and promptly received an RMA number and the address to ship the cab. Within ONE WEEK, the speaker cab came back REPAIRED -NO CHARGE. I was floored! And happy, because customer support can't get any better than Behringer.

OK, I'm partial. I am German, and I scrutinize every purchase: was it a good decision? Money well spent? I absolutely think that the B300s are the lowest price, highest quality powered speakers you can get. I'd like to have a whole bunch of them, but ultimately four will have to do. The quality and features of Behringer gear is stunning at the price they sell their products. Can these people make any money at all? I have been making music for over 30 years, and it's not until now that quality gear has become affordable. One thing I should point out: whenever I set up my PA, people stare at the "foreign" looking cabs, and then they determine that I must have brought them over from Germany --the B300 are strangely "engineered" and High-tech looking. Our drummer still hasn't got it that the B300 are powered -duh. I hate their weight and ungainly rear. There's only one way to carry them without throwing my back out of alignment. But my verdict is highly recommend! If you don't buy them, I will eventually buy every single B300 in existence at a bargain price, someday.

This is a slight ammendment to myprevious review.
When I stated the wattage of the speakers as 300 watts, that was peak power. I believe RMS is 225 watts (175/50).

The rest of the review stands the same. These sound great for keys (and vocals).

Since there is no review category for live sound, I'm using the Synth area to post this review. Besides, these speakers were purchased for my keyboard stage rig.

The B300 specs out sort of like this:

~ 300 watt, 2 way system (225 watts - low freq.,
75 watts to the horn).
~ 2 band EQ.
~ Balanced XLR & TRS inputs.
~ Balanced XLR line output.
~ Full overload protection circuitry.
~ Rugged construction w/ mounting brackets & stand flange & heavy duty handles.

I play keyboards & guitar in my band and needed to purchase some type of amplification for the keys. It was either a dedicated keyboard amp or a small PA type setup. Since I also do some solo acoustic stuff, I decided to go for the latter. Plus the hon & driver in the behringer is superior in sound & power handling than the piezos that come in most keyboard amps.
I ordered them "sound unheard" just on recommendations of people whose opinions I trust. Still, I was a little worried that the sound wouldn't live up to my expectations.
Well, they arrived yesterday & I hooked 'em up and all I can say is UNBELIEVABLE! These things sound excellent! Possibly as good as my board sounds through my headphones. Transparent, non-distorted tone all the way. I would highly recommend these for your keyboard rig.

The Ultrawaves are built like a tank! Around 55-57lbs each. I don't forsee any problems.

Never owned any Behringer stuff that I've had to return. Loved everything.
I really like this company.

I'll continue to purchase Behringer equipment.
Bang for the buck, nothing beats it.