Behringer B3031A, B3030A User Manual

B3030A/B3031A

Loudspeakers

2-Way Active
Studio Monitors

Ultra-linear frequency response
with individual frequency
diagrams

Built-in 150 and 75 watt power
amplifi ers (75 and 35 watt for
B3030A) with enormous
power reserve

Ultra-high resolution, 2" velocity
ribbon transducer for ultimate
sound reproduction

Long-throw 8 ¾" woofer
(6 ¾" for B3030A) with deforma­tion-resistant Kevlar cone and
aluminum die-cast chassis for
ultimate bass response

Controlled dispersion
characteristics and extremely
large “sweet spot” owing to the
unique BEHRINGER wave guide
technology

Active crossover network with
4th order Linkwitz-Riley fi lters

Adjustable to a wide range of
acoustic conditions and subwoofer
operation

Separately controlled limiter for
low and high-frequency overload
protection

Magnetic shielding allows place­ment near computer monitors

Delivered as “matched pairs” with
individual frequency diagrams

Servo-balanced inputs with XLR
and ¼" TRS connectors

High-quality components and
exceptionally rugged construction
ensure long life

Conceived and designed by
BEHRINGER Germany

behringer.com

TRUTH — 2-Way Active Ribbon Studio Reference Monitor
with Kevlar Woofer

B3030A B3031A

Honesty

When it comes to your studio recordings,
you want honesty. In fact, considering how
important your art is, you should demand
it! That’s why we designed the new B3030A
and B3031A Reference Monitors to speak
nothing but the TRUTH. Oh, they still sound
great hooked up to your stereo or your video
surround system, but they were really built
with the studio in mind — where every note
you play or sing is “under the microscope.”

Built on a Legacy

Our TRUTH B2030A and B2031A monitors
have been so wildly successful that we’ve sold
thousands upon thousands of them to some of
the most critical ears on the planet. So, from the
moment we started this project, we knew these
new speakers would have to be something really
special, and indeed they are!

Years of R’n’D

For the past two years our
Research and Development
team has been on a mission
to create the “perfect” studio
monitor. Since the TRUTH
B2031A had already become
the industry standard, our
acoustic engineers decided
to start there and see just
how far they could push the
envelope. They tried a variety
of transducers and enclosure
designs, along with existing
and emerging technologies.
When all the dust settled, they
chose to deploy an ultra-high
resolution, 2" velocity ribbon
transducer and a long-throw,
Kevlar-coned woofer in a
deformation-resistant, die-cast
aluminum chassis.

Why Kevlar?

We’re glad you asked.
Kevlar has an incredible
strength-to-weight ratio —
that’s one reason it’s used in
bulletproof vests. Kevlar gives
our LF transducer the strength
to handle the extremely
high energy levels required
for distortion-free, chest­pounding bass. And since
they have such low mass,
Kevlar speaker cones also

Continued on next page

B3030A/B3031A

Page 2 of 4

2-Way Active
Studio Monitors

respond much more quickly than those made
of paper, important for not only maintaining
bass content integrity, but critical for midrange
accuracy and defi nition. Our Kevlar transducers
reproduce even the subtlest nuance of the
low-frequency realm without muddying
the midrange.

What’s with the funny-looking tweeter?

Ribbon tweeters bring a level of accuracy
and sophistication to high-resolution studio
monitors that was previously unattainable.
They provide exceptionally wide horizontal
dispersion (for a larger “sweet-spot”), while
holding the vertical dispersion extremely tight.
And since our ribbon transducer diaphragm is
virtually weightless, it reacts instantaneously
to changes in the high-frequency content.
Now, not only do you hear the dulcet tones of
a fl ute, you hear the breath fl owing through
it... You hear the wind chimes bouncing off
each other... You can hear the fi ngernails on the
nylon strings of a classical guitar…

Another reason why ribbon tweeters
are so supremely accurate is their ability to
reproduce frequencies far above our normal
hearing range. Even though we can’t hear
these “ultrasonics,” the lower harmonics they
generate do aff ect the way we experience the
stereo image. For instance, a 30 kHz signal is
too high for us to hear, but we can hear its fi rst
sub-harmonic (15 kHz), second sub-harmonic
(7.5 kHz), and third (3.75 kHz), etc. All these
sub-harmonics combine with the primary
sound to create stunning realism.

Surround Sound Setup

B3031A

Subwoofer

B3031A

Power to the People

It takes quite a bit more than just a
“bulletproof” woofer and a high-tech
ribbon tweeter stuck inside a fancy box
to make a studio monitor of this class.
It also takes power — and lots of it! But
even more importantly, that power has
to be matched to the individual high-

Computer Setup

Computer

energyXT2.5

DAW software

available separately

B3031A

B3031A

Video Monitor

Surround Sound Decoder

B3031A

and low-frequency tranducers. While
some of our competitors are content
to stick whatever speakers they have
on the shelf into haphazardly designed
boxes and then strap on a one-size­fi ts-all amplifi er package, we build
every single component from the
ground up.

Continued on next page

B3031A B3031A

UCA222

USB Audio Interface

B3030A/B3031A

Page 3 of 4

2-Way Active
Studio Monitors

We pack 225-Watts of bi-amped technology
(including a time- and phase-corrected active
crossover) into every B3031A (110-Watts for
B3030A), ensuring that you have the enormous
power reserves you’ll need to drive them
really hard.

2" velocity ribbon
HF transducer
(tweeter).

HF wave-guide.

Power/Limit LEDs
show power on
and input signal
overload.

Guitar

B3031A

XM8500

Recording

Control Out

Left and Right

B3031A

Laptop with

energyXT2.5

energyXT2.5

DAW software

available separately

UCA222

USB

Audio

Interface

Kevlar LF
transducer
(woofer).

Low Frequency
switch for use with
subs or to simulate
smaller speakers. Room

Input accepts XLR
and ¼" TRS.

Input Trim control
sets volume level.

Power switch.

Compensation
switch adjusts bass
when speakers
are placed against
walls or in corners.

High Frequency
switch adjusts
treble content.

Mute Low and
Mute High switches
(B3031A only, for
service technician).

IEC power socket.

Power Mode
switch On/Off /
Auto (B3031A
only) - Auto mode
puts system in
standby until signal
detected.

V-AMP PRO

Designed to Work in Your
Environment

The ideal environment for listening
is a room that is “fl at,” neither too
refl ective (echoes) nor too absorptive
(where the sound is muffl ed). But
since all rooms are not the same
acoustically, all TRUTH monitors come
equipped to function in a wide variety
of situations. Switches are provided to
adapt the monitor’s low- and high­frequency characteristics for optimal
performance specifi c to your listening
environment.

Placement is also critical. Ideally,
all loudspeakers should be placed
away from walls to ensure proper bass
response. But fear not, B3030A/B3031A
monitors feature Room Compensation
switches so you can place them
against walls, or even in corners.
Walls tend to enhance low-frequency
content, and corners exaggerate
bass even more, but your TRUTH
monitor can be custom-tailored to
provide honest bass response for your
situation, with the simple fl ick
of a switch or two.

XENYX 2222FX

Non-fatiguing, Wide “Sweet Spot”

While some of our competitor’s
studio monitors have a highly focused
“sweet spot” (the optimal listening
position for a pair of loudspeakers),
our wave-guide is designed to create
a much more generous, broader
listening zone. That means you won’t
wear a hole in the carpet in that one
spot where everything sounds great.
You are free to move around inside the
stereo image to fi nd the ideal spot in
the mix for subtle instrument or eff ects
placement opportunities. You also
won’t suff er the ravages of “monitor­fatigue-syndrome,” an ailment that
comes from listening to harsh high­mids and treble content for hours
on end. The new 2" velocity ribbon
transducer, along with our proprietary
wave-guide design, generates silky­smooth high-end that is non-fatiguing,
even during those all-night mix-down
sessions that can test your nerves.

Hearing is Believing

We could bore you to tears with all
the technical jargon (if you really like

Continued on next page

B3030A/B3031A

2-Way Active
Studio Monitors

that stuff , there’s a special treat at the
end), but hearing the TRUTH will make
you a believer. From the “bulletproof”
bass of its Kevlar woofer to the silky
top-end of its ribbon transducer, we

Page 4 of 4

think you’ll agree that nothing in this
class outperforms the B3030A and
B3031A monitors. Compare them to
the competition and own BEHRINGER!

SPECIFICATIONS

B3030A/B3031A

Audio Inputs

XLR connector servo-balanced input

¼" TRS servo-balanced input

Input impedance 10 kΩ

Input Trim –6 dB to +6 dB

Max. input level +22 dBu

TRANSDUCERS

B3030A

High-frequency driver 2" ribbon

Low-frequency driver 6 ¾" diameter Kevlar diaphragm

B3031A

High-frequency driver 2" ribbon

Low-frequency driver 8 ¾" diameter Kevlar diaphragm

AMPLIFIER OUTPUT POWER

Low-frequency range

B3030A

RMS @ 0.1 % THD
(sine wave) 50 W @ 4 Ω

Peak power 75 W @ 4 Ω

B3031A

RMS @ 0.1 % THD
(sine wave) 100 W @ 4 Ω

Peak power 150 W @ 4 Ω

High-frequency range

B3030A

RMS @ 0.1 % THD
(sine wave) 25 W @ 6 Ω

Peak power 35 W @ 6 Ω

B3031A

RMS @ 0.1 % THD
(sine wave) 30 W @ 6 Ω

Peak power 75 W @ 6 Ω

CROSSOVER

B3030A/B3031A

Type active, 4th order Linkwitz-Riley

Crossover frequency 3.6 kHz

SYSTEM SPECIFICATION

B3030A

Frequency response 50 Hz to 24 kHz

Sound pressure level max. 113 dB SPL @ 1 m (pair)

B3031A

Frequency response 50 Hz to 24 kHz

Sound pressure level max. 116 dB SPL @ 1 m (pair)

POWER SUPPLY

Voltage/Fuses

B3030A

100 - 120 V~, 50/60 Hz T 2.0 A H 250 V

220 - 230 V~, 50/60 Hz T 1.6 A H 250 V

B3031A

100 - 120 V~, 50/60 Hz T 5.0 A H 250 V

220 - 230 V~, 50/60 Hz T 2.5 A H 250 V

Power consumption

B3030A max. 110 W

B3031A max. 200 W

Mains connection

B3030A/B3031A Standard IEC connector

Dimensions/Weight

B3030A

Dimensions (HxWxD) 12.50 in x 8.40 in x 8.33 in

315 mm x 215 mm x 210 mm

Weight 22 lb / 10 kg

B3031A

Dimensions (HxWxD) 15.75 in x 9.81 in x 11.38 in

400 mm x 250 mm x 290 mm

Weight 33 lb / 15 kg

BEHRINGER is constantly striving to maintain the highest profes­sional standards. As a result of these eff orts, modifi cations may be
made from time to time to existing products without prior notice.
Specifi cations and appearance may diff er from those listed or
illustrated.

For service, support or more information contact the BEHRINGER location nearest you:

BEHRINGER Australia tel.: [phone], fax: [phone] BEHRINGER Germany tel.: +49
2154 9206 4149, fax: [phone] BEHRINGER Japan tel.: [phone], fax: [phone]
1181 BEHRINGER Singapore tel: [phone], fax: [phone] BEHRINGER USA / CANADA
tel: [phone], fax: [phone]

©2009 BEHRINGER International GmbH. Technical specifi cations and appearance subject to change without notice. The information contained herein is correct at the time of printing. BEHRINGER accepts no liability for any loss which
may be suff ered by any person who relies either wholly or in part upon any description, photograph or statement contained herein. energyXT2, energyXTC and the energyXT logo are trademarks of XT Software AS incorporated in
Norway, and are protected under the laws of Norway, and are being used under license by Behringer Holdings (Pte) Ltd and related companies. FOR INTERNAL USE BY BEHRINGER DEALERS ONLY. DO NOT DISTRIBUTE. 985-10000-00360

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