Behringer Truth B1030A

Behringer Truth B1030A are powered monitor speakers with a 1 inch dome tweeter and a 5.25 Kevlar woofer. They are equipped with a balanced XLR port, 1/4 inch TRS as well as unbalanced TS and RCA connections. They have switches for adjusting the high and low frequency output of the monitors; handy for optimizing their performance based on the room you're using them in. The low frequency woofer has 50 watts of power while the high frequency has 25 watts. They are pretty solid and not too heavy at 5KG each. They're well built, with the yellow cone which looks like was copied from the KRK Rokit series. They feel good and are ideal for home studio use. I use mine in my home studio and they were actually the first pair of monitor speakers I purchased.

SOUNDS

Several people tried to convince me to stay away from Behringer products due to supposed issues with quality. I still went ahead and bought the Truth speakers anyway and I have to say it was not a bad decision at all because the sound on these is clear and uncoloured for the most part, which is how a good monitor should sound. I use them with my Komplete 6 and Mbox 3 Mini audio interfaces, though it's possible for you to connect them straight to your computer using the RCA connectors (a rare thing in many monitors). My main use for them is mixing hip hop, reggae and dance music though I occasionally use them for casual music playback. The bass on these is not very pronounced which may be a concern to anyone who mixes bass heavy music and uses a lot of 808s. The rest of the frequency spectrum is represented well. One other thing I noticed when I playback mixes through these speakers is that they sound lower; they are not as loud as my other 2 sets. But this isn't a major concern because I don't usually mix at very loud volumes. The RCA connection is very convenient when I want to casually play music off my MP3 player. The high frequency and low frequency controls are also great for anyone who mixes in an untreated room or in a tiny space, close to a wall. You can adjust them to get the sound just right to suit your environment.
The sweet spot on these is also worth a mention. It's wide. You can move around without losing much audio info. For most mixing jobs these speakers will suffice. As with most speakers once you learn their sound you'll be able to make good mixes if you know what you're doing. No matter how good a speaker is it can't substitute skill, knowledge and experience.

OVERALL OPINION

Overall these speakers are great value for money. I got mine at $300 for the pair. They do what they're supposed to do which is provide clear sound for you to tweak your mix so that it translates well on other systems. I have indeed managed to make many great sounding mixes with these speakers. They were my first set of monitors and I don't really regret buying them as I was on a budget. Adding an extra $100 can get you a superior set of monitors, but the Behringers are nonetheless good. They are great for small, home studios or anyone who wants good sound at a low cost.

Pros:
- Balanced and flat sound. No over hyped high end or low end.
- Wide sweet spot
- Multiple inputs, including RCA jacks

cons:
- Not as loud as other speakers in the same range
- Bass response not great