DI20 : Behringer DI20 Stereo Direct box field report

The Behringer DI20 is an (extremely) inexpensive DI solution. I have much more expensive DIs (BSS AR 116, Jensen-based Mercenary Audio, and ALTEC-based passives) and, I must say, the DI20 compares favorably considering the price.

This DI was purchased as I needed a DI with a very high (several MegaOhms) input impedance. The BSS have this type of impedance but I did not have enough channels of these for the project. Interestingly, the DI20 tech spec sheet on the Behringer site offers no clue as to the input impedance, however, armed with the knowledge that the DI20 is an active, op-amp buffered input - i took the chance that the impedance would be high, as ineed it turned out to be. The DIs were being used as high impedance buffers for piezo contact microphones, and the provision of an XLR 600 ohm balanced output meant that convenient interface with a mixer was possible. They worked extremely well for this purpose and no low-frequency roll-off effects were apparent with the piezos, so the input impedance matches that of the BSS DIs.

To summarize, the DIs performed admirably well for the project at hand, and have remained in my production case for live shows and recording. The build quality is a little delicate - but this is to be expected given the low price. This DI has a clear open sound, a little clinical as there is no 'iron' as with the BSS. There are a number of flexible switching options and it's stereo - so you get 2 DIs in one. It can be powered remotely by phantom 48 Volt, or via an onboard 9 Volt battery, so it's extremely flexible.