The Behringer XENTX502 5-Channel Mixer is a small analog audio mixer. We’ll go over its features below, but first here’s a few user comments on this mixer . . .

“if you’re looking for an inexpensive mixer with an amazing sound and feature set, this is the unit for you. Highly recommended. ” . . . read more (by Barry Seymour, Amazon).

“It’s small, it’s compact and it works! And what a bargain price.” . . . read more (by M. Hinkle, Amazon).

“The sound is amazing I am outputing to my computer for some sound tests and it is flawless great bargain” . . . read more (by J. Rulison, Amazon).

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Features . . . it’s described as an ultra low-noise, high headroom analog mixer, with a state-of-the-art XENYX Mic Preamp which is said to be comparable to stand-alone boutique preamps, neo-classic British 2-band EQ (on the mono channel) which gives a warm and musical sound, main mix and stereo CD/tape out, plus separate headphone output, and CD/tape inputs which are assignable to headphone output or main mix outputs. It now comes with 48V Phantom power (which is a must, for high-quality microphones), which as one user pointed out would, on its own, cost as much as this mixer!

Basically, it has one mono channel which can be used for a microphone or mono 1/4 inch input, and 2 stereo inputs suitable for keyboard, sampler, computer, mp3, etc. as well as an additional stereo input (on phono connectors) without a level control. It has separate level controls for both main output and headphone (or control-room monitor) mix.

The only consistant customer complaint from a few users was the lack of a power switch which means you have to pull out the power connector to turn it off (or for a few dollars, just buy a cheap powerstrip with a switch on each plug!). A few users also mentioned that for some smooth surfaces, they needed to add rubber feet to stop it moving around. One user would have liked the connections to be on the back rather than on the top, which indeed might sometimes be better for fixed studio-type applications, but other users point out that for stage use and other mobile applications, it is much better to have the connectors on the top where they are easy to see and work with during setup. A solution to this would be to use right-angle 1/4 inch and phono connectors for fixed applications.

One user disliked the fact that the instruction manual didn’t tell him that the XLR had phantom power but the 1/4 inch input doesn’t . . . but if one understands what phantom power is and how it works, it is very obvious that it would be incorrect to apply phantom power to the 1/4 inch input anway, so this is really a problem of lack of understanding by the user. One user did have a component break, but lots of others have been using it in a variety of applications for a long time wih no problems at all.

Overall, user feedback on this mixer is excellent, and users on Amazon overall give it a 4.5.

Alternatives to the XENTC502 include the Behringer Xenyx 802 Premium 8-Input 2-Bus Mixer for more inputs at a higher price, or the Behringer UB802 Eurorack for more inputs at a similar price.

For about the same price as the XENTX502, Phonic make the Phonic AM220 2 Mic/Line 2 Stereo Input Compact Mixer which has 3-band EQ on all inputs and an FX send but doesn’t seem to be reviewed by any users which suggests people are wary of buying it in comparison with the XENTX502 which lots of people have happily bought. Overall, there are no alternatives to the XENTX502 at a similar price, with similarly good user feedback.

Don’t forget that if you need accessories to go with your mixer, Amazon do those as well, such as XLR cables (for microphones), 1/4 inch cables (for guitars and other instruments), phono cables (for CD, mp3, etc.), audio adaptors, microphone stands, microphones etc.

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Here’s some more comments by people who’ve used the Behringer XENTX502 in practice . . .

“this unit really does deliver a lot for the money” . . . read more (by Robert Lee, Amazon).

“Like it, bought a second one!” . . . read more (by George, Amazon).

“good price and good product” . . . read more (by Osiris Rodriguez, Amazon).

“I have had absolutely no problems with it,” . . . read more (by Josh Fernandes, Amazon).

“The combination is great and highly recommended. ” . . . read more (by Mike B, Amazon).

“becoming a huge fan of Behringer. Their products are very inexpensive yet are of top quality. This mixer is another example of that rule. ” . . . read more (by Barry Seymour, Amazon).

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In summary, this little mixer does a great job and has no direct competitors which get as good feedback from users.

The Behringer Xenyx 802 Premium 8-Input 2-Bus Mixer with Xenyx Mic Preamps and British EQs is a small general-purpose audio mixer with 2 mono and 2 stereo channels (plus aux return), 3-band EQ and an FX send. We’ll go through some of the features of this mixer shortly, but first lets take a look at some feedback from people who’ve bought one . . .

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“It’s relatively cheap, it’s high quality, and it’s an overall good beginning investment.” . . . read more (by Squonk, Amazon).

“Excellent for my homemade recording studio. . . . {snip} . . . The sound is clean and good. I recommend it.” . . . read more (by Isaiascar, Amazon).

“Just looking at it with it’s inputs, number of controls, I would have guessed it cost close to a couple hundred bucks” . . . read more (by Watkins, Amazon).

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The features of this small mixer include premium ultra low-noise, high headroom analog mixer, 2 state-of-the-art XENYX Mic Preamps (130 dB dynamic range) with 48V phantom power which are comparable to stand-alone boutique preamps, neo-classic British 3-band EQs for warm and musical sound, 1 post fader FX send per channel, and one stereo aux return which can either be used as the FX return or as an additional stereo input. It can be used for a wide variety of mixing applications including studio and live use.

Amazon gives it 4.5 stars overall, from user reviews. Most people who bought one were very pleased. There was one customer who recieved one which didn’t work and had to send it back. Several customers mention that the power cable doesn’t fit very tightly. One user said that you can’t balance the CD input with the microphones because there is no volume in the tape/CD input, however, what they might not have realised is that if either of the two stereo channels or the additional FX return are used for the CD input, this problem is solved. Other customer complaints include the power light being too bright, and the fact that the pre-amp was not of a character which suited some recording work, however another comment elsewhere says that they’ve used a slightly cheaper Behringer mixer very similar to this, for session work for some of the biggest studios in the world, and they’ve had nothing but praise for the sound. While there are a few less than satisfied customers, the majority of comments on this mixer are very positive . . .

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Here’s some more user reviews of this product . . .

“Not sure how they do it, but Behringer makes great products for insanely low prices.” . . . read more (by Jammin, Amazon).

“it does everything i need it to do. no complaints here” . . . read more (by twinspan53, Amazon).

“don’t know how they build so much for that small price. Amazing.” . . . read more (by M. Roberts, Amazon).

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There are alternatives to the Xenyx 802, of course. One needs to carefully assess ones needs, as one can get an even lower-cost product if one doesn’t need as many channels, or alternatively go for even more channels than the 802, for a little more money. Additionally, mixers of different makes tend to have slightly different sound characteristics. For example, Yamaha’s tend to have a slightly harder brighter sound than Behringers. When estimating how many channels you need, it is advisable to get slightly more than you thinks you need, because things tend to change, and also in a few years, if one channel has any problems in the middle of a gig, it is really nice to be able to finish that gig by using a different channel! Other options include paying more money and getting more facilities, such as built-in effects.

Smaller mixers include the Behringer XENTX502 5-Channel Mixer which also gets 4.5 stars from user reviews on Amazon.

Behringer also makes similar but slightly cheaper models such as the Behringer UB802 Eurorack UB802 Mixer, which gets a full 5 stars from user reviews on Amazon, and is very similar but slightly less expensive.

For slightly more expensive mixers, one could look at the Behringer XENYX1002 10-Channel Mixer, and get two more channels, but no EQ on the stereo channels.

If you want built-in effects, you might like to take a look at the Behringer 1202FX Xenyx Premium 12-Input 2-Bus Mixer with Xenyx Mic Preamps, British Eqs And 24-Bit Multi-Fx Processor, which gets a 4.5 star user rating on Amazon.

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In summary, the Behringer Xenyx 802 leaves the majority of customers very satisfied. There are a lot of choices if you want something slightly different for some reason, but if this is the type of mixer you want, the Xenyx 802 has no real competition at its price.

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