Tech: What has happened to Behringer?

Subject: Tech: What has happened to Behringer?
From: GUEST,Claymore
Date: 18 Nov 02 - 12:42 PM

I am glad to see the "Tech" prefix, since the kind of questions I need answered, do not lend themselves to "My 10 obscure perversions", etc.   And despite the seemingly unfriendly nature of the following statement, I also don't need this to be an "Amateur Hour" thread on technical topics.

The question I need to know is: What has happened to Behringer? Their prices are dropping like crazy. I usually follow (but never pay) the prices of sound gear in American Musical Supply, and remember paying $64 for an active DI, which is now going for $29! I was once considering their MX9000 at $1,899, now going for $1,299.

I need for the German folks to answer up. Is Behringer going out of business? Are they trying to corner Mackie's market? Is the German engineered, China built, ISO 9000 thing a bust?

I have used much of their stuff for years, and have been quite pleased. Their active DI's are the best I have used and they have a new one with a power soak that goes at the same price.   But, I went with an Allen & Heath Wizard 16, when my 1604 got cranky, and though it's very primitive compared to the 1604, it's more musical, with two sweepable mids, muting the auxes as well as the fader, and can go to six post-fader auxes for monitors. I was just not sure of the China thing.

If they are going out of business, I need to make some buying decisions now, which may be very different than if they are simply dropping their prices to push Mackie off the rock. (In that case, Mackie may drop their own prices, then what a lovely bunch of coconuts that would be…).

The one non-techie hint I will give the rest of you is; this is the sound gear equivalent of a menhaden run…

Subject: RE: Tech: What has happened to Behringer?
From: GUEST,Claymore
Date: 19 Nov 02 - 12:07 PM

Refresh

Subject: RE: Tech: What has happened to Behringer?
From: Bernard
Date: 19 Nov 02 - 07:01 PM

Behringer can get their designs built more cheaply in China, which gives them a competitive edge over other inferior Chinese and Korean imports.

There is no evidence to suggest they are going bust - on the contrary, they are expanding their range.

Sadly, Allen and Heath, Soundcraft, and other quality manufacturers are feeling the pinch - Studiomaster Diamond have already fallen by the wayside (and their gear was cheap to start with!).