Behringer MS20 Digital Stereo Monitor System

Behringer MS20 Digital Stereo Monitor System

The Behringer MS20 is a compact powered stereo monitor system for desks where space is short but proper stereo listening still matters: computer workstations, video editing, keyboard setups and small home studios. Each cabinet is a two-way design with a 92 mm woofer and a 65 mm tweeter, driven by 10 W per channel of built-in amplification in the right-hand speaker, which powers its partner through a speaker link cable. What sets the MS20 apart from ordinary computer speakers is its digital input section — optical TOSLINK and coaxial S/PDIF inputs with 24-bit converters running at up to 192 kHz — alongside two analogue stereo inputs that can be mixed together. Front-panel volume, bass and treble controls and a headphone socket with automatic speaker muting make it a self-contained desktop monitoring station.

Key features

• Powered stereo pair, 2 x 10 W, with the amplifier in the right cabinet
• 92 mm woofer and 65 mm tweeter per cabinet, 65 Hz to 25 kHz response
• Optical and coaxial digital inputs, 24-bit conversion up to 192 kHz
• Two analogue inputs: 3.5 mm stereo and RCA, usable together as a mixer
• Front volume, bass and treble controls, plus a headphone socket that mutes the speakers
• Magnetically shielded cabinets for placement beside computer displays

Analogue and digital inputs, mixed

Line input 1 is a 3.5 mm stereo socket for a computer, phone or player, and Line input 2 is a pair of RCA sockets for a keyboard, mixer or second source, both at 20 kohm impedance. Each analogue input has its own level control, so two sources can be blended — playing along with a backing track is the classic example. The digital inputs accept stereo S/PDIF from a CD player, interface or computer sound card, and a selector switches between the optical and coaxial feeds. Feeding the MS20 digitally keeps the signal in the digital domain until its own 24-bit converters, avoiding the hum and level mismatches that analogue outputs on some computers introduce. Note the digital inputs carry stereo programme only; they do not decode Dolby Digital or DTS surround formats, so set a television or player to stereo PCM output if you connect one.

Sound and controls

With a quoted response of 65 Hz to 25 kHz, the MS20 covers the full range of speech, acoustic instruments and most music, with the natural low-end limit expected of a 92 mm woofer in a cabinet measuring 239 x 154 x 187 mm. The front panel puts the controls you actually touch every day within reach: a volume knob covering the analogue path, a separate digital level control, and bass and treble knobs for adjusting to desk placement and room reflections. Plugging headphones into the front 6.35 mm socket mutes the speakers automatically for private listening. The cabinets are magnetically shielded, so they can sit immediately beside a monitor or laptop without interference concerns.

Setting up on a desk

Connect the left cabinet to the powered right cabinet with the supplied speaker cable, place the tweeters roughly at ear height and angle both cabinets toward your listening position to form an equilateral triangle. Start with bass and treble centred, listen to familiar material, and only then adjust — a small bass reduction usually helps if the speakers must sit close to a wall. The pair weighs 5.8 kg in total and runs directly from the mains, with 80 W power consumption.

For anyone replacing thin laptop or monitor speakers with a proper stereo pair — and especially for keyboard players and editors who value the digital inputs — the MS20 is a compact, honest and flexible desktop system.