BSS AR133 Reviews

Loved it

I bought 2 of these and only got around to using one so far but the flexibility this offers is great....no wonder it is so highly regarded.

Fully recommended

BSS DI Box

The best you can get as far as I'm concerned. Got them for the band a few years ago all still in perfect order. Very Strong and Robust housing. Gives a great signal to any instrument. Well worth every penny. Well up to gigging constantly. Well Done BSS

Excellent

I needed a linebox to bring for gigs where there are no line boxes available or crappy Behringer-stuff. This one was bought on the price (it was quite expensive and therefore ought to be good). I have never regretted that purchase. Excellent build-quality, all features expected from a line-box and provides the sound from my acoustic guitars brilliantly.

The classic active DI box

BSS have been making this box for umpteen years now and it's not hard to see why, it just works, has a good selection of useful features and sounds excellent! It is also the model that other manufacturers have copied (almost exactly in looks anyway..)

It's not the cheapest active DI around, but then decent quality doesn't come cheap and Radial gear is more expensive..

Good quality low cost Active DI Box

I don't have alot to spend on equipment and have wasted too much on DI boxes in the past that I don't think now were good enough for recording. The BSS AR133 is not one of those. It is lower cost than many of the other DI boxes in its range, affordable for me and I am very happy with the outcome of the recordings I used it on. In previous recordings the DI boxes I used (Behringer and Millenium) were difficult to control with hiss as some of my instruments are old and of questionable quality due to mixed pickups and customised wiring. But the BSS coped with these very well as I was able to eradicate most of the hissing with the ground lift button and db pads. I have no idea though if it makes any difference with it on battery power as I had it through the Phantom power on my soundcraft desk.

Great sound quality!

After researching direct boxes this one stood out. The DI box has great features, the pad on the way in is great for handling different output pickups, the link is clean and the signal output is very pristine, especially compared to other models. Although there is a ground lift I've never needed to use it, very quiet.

The quality of the build also seems excellent.

Extremely versatile, great sounding DI Box - Worth the price!

While it may be pricey, it's fair to say this DI Box is definitely worth every penny! he design itself is of such a high standard that's it's been copied by numerous other manufacturers, but never beaten. The curved design allows easy stacking of multiple boxes, ideal for keyboard rigs, but also routing of cables underneath the box itself, perfect for tidy stages.

Connections are perfectly standard until you come to the XLR Input, which makes this box a fantastic problem solver. If you turn your main system on and find the whole system buzzing or humming, there's a good chance you're suffering a ground loop problem. No issue here! Just patch the main outputs of your desk into two of these boxes, throw in two 9V batteries (another useful "get out of jail" feature!), flick the ground lift on and go and worry about something more important! This feature bailed me out recently in a local theatre, saving a lot of embarrassment from a buzzing system!

In terms of sound quality, if it had a particular sound characteristic, it really wouldn't be doing it's job very well! Clean and clear is the order of the day here, with the AR-133 capturing very natural sound from whatever it;s used on. Acoustic guitars come through with warmth, but without a hint of mud, while the top end is clear and distinct without being harsh. Basses sound full with plenty of punch, and overall, whatever you put into this box will come out without any coloration; exactly what you want with a DI!

Finally, it's worth making a point about the construction quality. DI Boxes inevitably get kicked around the stage, dropped while being carelessly carried out of trunks, used as door wedges and suffer numerous other abuses - this one handles it with no issue. There isn't even the merest hint of creaking when the case is abused, the rubber is solid, and - I speak from experience - a drop doesn't phase it! It's also worth mentioning that all the connectors are Neutrik - I've lost track of the number of times a lock on an XLR input has snapped or bent over time if it isn't Neutrik, no worries here!

All in all, while it is an investment, it's sure to last you for many years, and prove invaluable in all sorts of situations.