Behringer Studio XL Monitor Controller

[Lambda]

Even if that were the spec, it doesn't matter to me. Any professional product with balanced inputs must be able to handle 4 volts input without saturating. 4 dBu is only 1.8 volt. That is below even a consumer spec, let alone professional.

Did you do this or not?

 

[amirm]

So the Spec is thd+n of -80dB At 4dBu!

Which is what I measured yet you kept complaining something was wrong:

It actually reached 90 dB SINAD earlier per above graph. If it hadn't distorted from there on, it could achieve 100 dB as Focusrite did:

So nothing wrong with the measurements whatsoever. The box is doing what it does. And what it does doesn't even rise to consumer level performance let alone professional.

 

[amirm]

Did you do this or not?

What if it wants to use it at 1 volt? You want me to only test it at that? So no, I don't pay attention to idiot lights on any such devices. My standard is to measure to just before digital clipping with 4 volts for balanced and 2 volts for unbalanced.

 

[Lambda]

What if it wants to use it at 1 volt?

No Problem just follow the manual.

But no, I don't pay attention to idiot lights on any such devices.

Maybe you should, if this is what the manual says...

with 4 volts for balanced and 2 volts for unbalanced.

You can you just have to make sure to follow step 5 from the manual

If it hadn't distorted from there on

it would not have if you would have followed step 5 from the manual

 

[amirm]

No Problem just follow the manual.

Oh? First the excuse was that the manual is wrong. Now we are supposed to follow the manual like lemmings? We can't think for ourselves and have proper standards of performance?

Any other way you want to wiggle out of making false claims the measurements were wrong?

 

[JSmith]

Behringer makes products for people weighing price vs. features where absolute sound quality is not important.

Price has nothing to do with having high distortion, so to me this is a bit disingenuous.


JSmith

 

[Lambda]

First the excuse was that the manual is wrong

Where did i say this?

Now we are supposed to follow the manual like lemmings?

No, actually, this should be pretty self-explanatory. If not by the numbers, then at least by the colors
green = good.
yellow =not so good
red = bad

We can't think for ourselves and have proper standards of performance?

Waht is the proper standard?

Any other way you want to wiggle out of making false claims

Waht marketing claim is False?
this seems to perform even better then spec

I would say if used properly according to manual this is almost transparent

 

[neRok]

I downloaded the ASIO drivers

Could there be a problem with these drivers? Maybe it's worth trying the standard windows usb device output/driver?

I've got the smaller Monitor 2, which seems to have the same design (buttons, knobs, etc). I've used it a few times and it seems okay, but I haven't set that system up properly yet. I've got another interface that I could test against (a PreSonus). What exactly do I need to do to test it? Just plug an input to an ouput and sweep in REW?

 

[CoryGillmore]

Either this unit is broken or it was tested incorrectly. I refuse to believe this company put this thing out in this state.

 

[Old_School_Brad]

While the documentation is undeniably lacking, does that justify a review criticizing its performance when the device is being used beyond its intended design due to misinterpretations?

I’d argue this is one of those cases where the manufacturer deserves the benefit of the doubt.

Judging a device based on a third-party standard rather than the specifications and guidelines provided by the manufacturer doesn’t seem like a fair assessment.

 

[JSmith]

Judging a device based on a third-party standard rather than the specifications and guidelines provided by the manufacturer doesn’t seem like a fair assessment.

Is comparing to other similar devices not a fair assessment?


JSmith

 

[Sokel]

Could there be a problem with these drivers? Maybe it's worth trying the standard windows usb device output/driver?

I've got the smaller Monitor 2, which seems to have the same design (buttons, knobs, etc). I've used it a few times and it seems okay, but I haven't set that system up properly yet. I've got another interface that I could test against (a PreSonus). What exactly do I need to do to test it? Just plug an input to an ouput and sweep in REW?

View attachment 440830

Use my silly guide for a sanity check (read down the page too) :

Horrible Crackling from Topping E1x2

Hi! I lurked on this forum a lot when deciding on which interface to buy, and I ended up deciding on "upgrading" from my rudimentary Behringer UM-2 to a Topping E1x2. The first day, it worked great! The next day however, I noticed a horrible crackling noise when I was playing a game and...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[restorer-john]

So no, I don't pay attention to idiot lights on any such devices.

Quoted for posterity.

 

[amirm]

Judging a device based on a third-party standard rather than the specifications and guidelines provided by the manufacturer doesn’t seem like a fair assessment.

Is that right? This is the company's spec:

Distortion (THD+N)

<0.01% @ 1 kHz,

0.01% translates into a SINAD of 80 dB. Is your claim that this is a defensible performance? Distortion+noise 16 dB higher than that of 16 bit CD audio floor?

And what excuse to have for the DAC to clip at 0 dBFS?

You have a spec that says you are supposed to monitor your PCM samples so that they don't hit 0 dB? You ever, ever, seen any of my DAC measurements produce the sine wave above left?

So maybe you want to a) pay attention to data posted and b) do some research before complaining.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Looking closely even at the -1 db DAC output, the graph looks slightly flat topped like it may be in near clipping. Reducing it another db or two digitally might have cleaned it up. Now it should not be that way. The specs are almost as telling for what they leave out as for what they include which is typical for Behringer.

The quick start guide is a mess. However, it does appear the XLR is a microphone input only. The guide isn't clear, but I don't see it any other way. 22 dbu is max LINE input. 1 meg ohm input impedance (which typically is a instrument input for guitars). 3 k ohm for mic. There is no mention about any mic parameters. Feeding 4 volts into a microphone pre is almost surely too much on a low end device. For instance a Focusrite 2i2 says max input with no gain is 9 dbu. The Babyface Pro FS lists 8 dbu as max input on mic with 0 gain. 7-9 dbu is common for such interfaces. 14.3 dbu (4 volts) was almost surely overloading the XLR input. Of course only a very minor improvement when the same signal was fed via TRS.

 

[amirm]

Quoted for posterity.

What's that? I am supposed to ignore my Audio Analyzer telling if clipping is reached and instead should look at a few LEDs?

 

[amirm]

The quick start guide is a mess. However, it does appear the XLR is a microphone input only. The guide isn't clear, but I don't see it any other way. 22 dbu is max LINE input. 1 meg ohm input impedance (which typically is a instrument input for guitars). 3 k ohm for mic. There is no mention about any mic parameters. Feeding 4 volts into a microphone pre is almost surely too much on a low end device. For instance a Focusrite 2i2 says max input with no gain is 9 dbu. The Babyface Pro FS lists 8 dbu as max input on mic with 0 gain. 7-9 dbu is common for such interfaces. 14.3 dbu (4 volts) was almost surely overloading the XLR in as Behringers typically are low on this parameter anyway. Of course only a very minor improvement when the same signal was fed via TRS.

I tested two other inputs with identical results. It is all in the review now.

 

[amirm]

Looking closely even at the -1 db DAC output, the graph looks slightly flat topped like it may be in near clipping. Reducing it another db or two digitally might have cleaned it up.

I *did* test that. Here is the complete sweep again:

Peak performance is at just 0.5 volt. Even then, SINAD is a lousy 83 dB. It then progressively declines before it clips.

 

[Blumlein 88]

I *did* test that. Here is the complete sweep again:

Peak performance is at just 0.5 volt. Even then, SINAD is a lousy 83 dB. It then progressively declines before it clips.

That is not too dissimilar to Julian Krause's results with other Behringer mic inputs. Most devices don't create a curve vs input level like the one you found, but he found about the same. He also found very similar results to recording line level. So while a different model all right in line with your results. These devices are lousy at anything other than low levels. Something of a replication or confirmation that your results are not outliers. The device was not broken.

All of this is why I say friends don't let friends buy Behringer.

 

[solderdude]

reminds me of DEQ2496 (which I own)

Also peaks at 0.5V (red + blue trace) and has similar distortion profile.
Noticed something similar in the ADC (rising distortion above a certain point).

Behringer is low-cost entry level gear for studio usage.

It should not clip digital input (built-in DAC) at 0dBFS. I have no idea whether it is due to the output stage not being set to +22dBU or not (if that is even an option that is kind of hidden ?).