All user reviews for the Behringer Ultrabass BX4210A

I'm a bass guitarist and have been for 17 years or so. I sing a bit as well, and dabble in rhythm guitar occasionally. I play in a classic rock band, Sore Point, who gig fairly regularly in the local area and are well regarded on the circuit. My heroes are John Deacon (Queen), Pete Trewavas (Marillion), Steve Harris (Iron Maiden), Geddy Lee (Rush) and I tend to listen to good rock music from the 70s onwards

About £300 new from www.dolphinmusic.co.uk
Rather than put my BX1200 through the band PA and carry huge bass bins everywhere, I wanted something that would serve as backline and FOH sound at the same time.

For a 450w combo, this was at the cheaper end of the market (always a bonus!) and, as with the BX1200, offered a lot for the money. The controls are pretty intuitive, passive/active inputs with a cool 'vintage' meter for gain adjustment, 5-band rotary controls for EQ, 'Shape' control for a 2nd channel for solos, change of sound etc, 'Ultrabass' octaver control, master volume...
There is a post-EQ DI output on the front, ideal for providing a sound engineer with your bass sound, not his, plus FX send/return . The back of the amp is also simple and straightforward, with two 1/4" jack outputs and a single speakon connection, kettle-lead power socket and on/off switch. This is pretty much a bigger version of what I was already using and there was no real need to fiddle about to get the sound I wanted.
There are 'bright' and 'deep' switches on the front of the amp, I tend not to use these and rely on the EQ.
A footswitch is included for the 'Shape' and 'Ultrabass' options so switching between or during songs is made easy, with a light on the amp to indicate when either function is 'in'.
Another selling point for me was the spec on the speakers - 2x10" aluminium coned drivers plus a tweeter. I have a fair amount of attack in my sound so this sounded ideal - but more on this later!
For me it was a nice compromise between size, output, cost and familiarity - I was never going to pick up a Trace Elliot at this price and it seemed an ideal 'big brother' to my BX1200.
It's plenty loud enough to use un-miked or DI'd in most of the venues I play, and in fact rarely gets pushed over about 60%. Nice to have that headroom though. The sound is clear and never comes close to breaking up.

This amounts to a love/hate thing. The amp itself is great - it's available as a head by itself and I wish I'd gone down that route in retrospect.
The 'cab' part has caused me a lot of grief and it took me a while to work out why. Initially I found the aluminium speaker cones a little harsh, but some EQing seemed to sort matters out. I then found that the left-hand cone had parted from the fabric surround, possibly due to a small dent in the cone. I was send a replacement by Dolphin and, prior to fitting it, ran a line of superglue around the join, just to be on the safe side. Having used the amp a few more times, the replacement cone shattered around the edges. I decided that the drivers weren't up to scratch and replaced them with Eminence Gammas. To my surprise, when I rewired the unit, one of the outputs had been driving both 10" speakers in series with the other output direct to the tweeter. The driver that blew was the first in line.
I've since rewired both speakers and taken the tweeter out of the circuit altogether. I was not impressed...
There is no crossover between the bass drivers and the tweeter anyway, so quite what was meant to be happening in there I really don't know.

The other minor quibble is that the unit is unbalanced when lifting, especially when there are 2 of you lifting it.

The unit itself is rugged and well built. It's heavy, but that's to be expected. It has handles on either side and a set of wheels at one end. I'm convinced the amp is a little bigger than advertised but still not outrageously huge. I can lift it myself as long as I'm not carrying it too far, and it fits in the car easily enough.
There is the usual grille across the front and the controls are recessed far enough back not to get knocked about. Access to the front and rear of the amp is easy enough and when playing, anything you may need to adjust is on the front and readily accessible. The footswitch is also a rugged thing, nice to have it included rather than an additional extra.
As for the rest of it - a large, carpet-covered chipboard box! Nothing else to say!

Now I've fiddled with it, I'm happy with this amp and will continue to use it. It was a logical step up from the BX1200 and as far as the amp itself goes, I'm more than happy.
The big disappointment has obviously been with the speakers. Incorrect wiring left me putting 225w through two 10" drivers in series and the other 225w through a tweeter(!). Since the warranty had expired by the time I realised what had happened, I had to spend more money on a pair of high quality drivers and get the soldering iron out to correct the error.
Correctly wired I suspect I would have had no problems whatsoever with this amp and still be using it with stock parts. Unfortunately this has shaken my faith in the usually reliable Behringer and, while I would be happy to recommend the 450w head, I'd steer clear of the combo option and buy a seperate cab if I were you.
I've scored it as a 3 overall because I now have what I wanted. Pity I had to change so much to get it...

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Everything has been said

UTILIZATION

Without a doubt the worst purchase of my short life to date a musician. Like others, the membrane was peeled off of almost 10 centimeters, in full concert!! the sound is really horrible, no depth, no feeling of power that, despite the high wattage display, shape functions, ultrabass, deep, bright utterly useless.
The amp itself is still not as bad as the horrible Bugera that trying to mimic some models from Hartke, do not happen to them at the ankle!
You will be there to get a good sound speaker change, opting for a good old firm a more reliable brand.

SOUNDS

Not suitable at all for my style of music, amp, because too flat.
I play a Fender Precision principalent 62, and the amp distorts its magnificent son.En fact, I lose all the precision of the bass, and I have no attack.
J'obitens beacoup sound closer to what I want with a small amp Laney Hardcore 15 or 20 watts. The sound is bold, heavy, accurate and "coated" (it's a term I use to describe a sound I can not describe otherwise ...)

OVERALL OPINION

I've had almost six months, and I do not use in concert, where I need to power through a Hartke 4x10. The live sound is less annoying but still horrible ahaha.
I was looking for power for a reasonable price, and at that point of view, it still draws out of the game
I would not recommend even to my worst enemy music. Unless you spend a lot of effects in an attempt to give it color, but there is committed on a slippery slope, folks!

Conventional transistor amplifier j seen spending the sound ... 450 Power announced it already if it just puts a knob 11 hours ... the rest is classic

UTILIZATION

Setup is simple, but turns the knob without obtaining a special ... the switch are useless ... I am cool I put a

SOUNDS

The I can not be nice, unfortunately it is zero: the knob has 9 hours ago breath is horrible the sound is always the same regardless of the setting a short sound ch ...

OVERALL OPINION

I tested 2 min at a friend's hand and the aesthetic € 450 is a scam it is going to break everything ... 100 I recommend even a fender rumble 100 th in a side is doing brilliantly!

Transistor amplifier 450w .... but it is hard to imagine more than 250W which after all is enough anyway!

UTILIZATION

Possder seems all the basic CHARACTERISTICS ..... solid finish (the frame) easy to get a good sound that penetrates well into the mix even if it is not the top ... and it d depends also on the bass!

SOUNDS

For rpter, just amplement.Je am less hard on my sound in RPET show.LES SPEAKERS ARE REALLY Chieri (OOPS) AND CROSSOVER TWEETER AND HAVE A BACKGROUND NOISE PERMANENT except that does not include band ca ... For the studio, please pass on to another call ..... you buy the Behringer BDI21 for almost nothing, ca sound much better and is lighter!

OVERALL OPINION

We move to the right things .... 1-srieuses the footswitch when used kicks (click) and strong enough anyway vident.de super bass function only serves to give the misery speaker .... however, not be practical shape Defines your son.2 Even with t-warned, I believed that my exprience in his m'viterais following: AFTER 3 RPET . , BOOM, THE SPEAKER OF LEFT LACH (aluminum adcoll of the membrane). I have a dead stick, but it will have on this subject remplacer.A I plan to put 2 Eminence Beta 10A . At least I had the chance to do that dbourser $ 250 for the amp ... and it's not my main amp but rather my back-up for RPET when I do not want Ampeg bring my fridge! IF YOU BUY THIS AMP, CONSQUANCE PAY THE PRICE OF A POTENTIAL CHANGE IN SPEAKER! Otherwise this a good amp to the point lignemais not at any price.

ULTRABASS BX4210A (manufacturer's specifications)
- 450-Watt bass amp (provided you add an additional speaker BA 115, in my case) woofers with 2 original BUGERA 10''Aluminum Cone engine and 1 "horn

- Powerful 450-Watt bass amp with front-ported cabinet
- 2 woofers original BUGERA 10 "HARD ATTACK aluminum-cone
- Tweeter 1 "mistaken for ultimate punch
- Recessed carrying handles and integrated rollers for easy transportation
- Technology Patented * DYNAMIZER capture every nuance of your playing for ultimate punch
- Switchable Ultrabass subharmonics processor for unbelievable serious power
- Dedicated 5-band EQ with Deep, Bright and Shape functions for awesome sound shaping
- Musical limiter for ultimate volume without distortion
- VU meter vintage style for precise level control
- Direct output for symmetrical wiring to a console
- Dual footswitch included for Ultrabass and Shape functions
- Tuner function and line output for versatility beyond reproach
- Insert for devices (stomp boxes, rack effects, etc.).
- 3 speaker outputs on jack and professional connector compatible with Neutrik Speakon ** (I added a speaker BA 115 to round down)
- System Active cooling temperature-controlled for ultimate protection
- Ultra-rugged power supply with toroidal transformer for maximum power reserve
- High-quality components and exceptionally rugged construction ensure long life


UTILIZATION

- Use no problem, very simple configuration.
- The sound is obtained relatively easily provided to be very methodical between the bass amp, multi effects pedal and the amp itself, this represents a sum of parameters which can be easily lost. But if you follow a procedure, the versatility of the amp allows good adaptation to different scenes as concerts. (What I am saying is valid for all type of material).
- The manual that came in handy for checking impedances pregnant when I bought my 15 "(BA 115). Behringer also responds to questions with no problem.
- In summary my configuration is currently as follows:
- Receivers BX 4210 A
- Eceinte BA 115
I am absolutely satisfied with the result in terms of power and in terms of sound.
I use the combo only during rehearsals and all concerts outdoor or large rooms. (In all cases the DI connector allows dubbing sound).

SOUNDS

- While playing rock since the 70's to today, when I fantasize even on AMPEG SVT Classic 300W tube of U.S. I must say that my material is suitable for my music because it speaks is a unit very affordable and sturdy. (Slightly heavier 39 kg) + (BA 115 32 kg)
Between 2500/3000 € for Ampeg Behringer and investment there much difference .... One may even wonder if the hardware "U.S." not exaggerating a bit?!
- My bass is an Ibanez SR 605 Soungear + A pedal Boss ME 20 B + Aphex compressor.
- As said above, I get the sounds I want: clean, nice round, fat and more. For my part, I like round sound with punch.
- I do not hate any particular sound. I play again with the group so I want the maximum versatility of my equipment.

OVERALL OPINION

- I bought the amp in April 2009.
- I bought the cabinet 15 "in December 2009.
All this is in perfect working condition and appearance is very important to me (Monk is a funny side to me!).
- I am 59 years since last September, then is it really necessary that I indicate the various materials with which I have played since the age of 15?
- What I like and what triggered my purchase decision was undoubtedly the price and since I recognize that I have some satisfaction to use it by repeating (1x weekly) and concerts (15 x in 2010).
The quality / price ratio is outstanding if not the best market, after it is posh or not: you buy a Fender U.S. because it's written on it while a Mex or another would probably do nicely.
Now .... if you are rich is another story.
Precisely, with the pace of the 2010 concerts, I just ideas and if I had a new bass amp .... not to buy, after all I would do the same thing.