The reason many people (including myself) don't like the Berhinger nameplate is the same reason that Behringer tends to be less expensive than competing brands; their business model.
While there are some rare exceptions with *some* of their processing gear, it's generally true of their mixers and most other gear that they watch the marketplace for popular or otherwise hot items from other companies, then they go out and copy their design (sometimes going so far as to reverse-engineer exact designs down to the circuit level) and build almost identical looking/functioning desks out of cheaper (read: noiser and shorter-lived) components and the cheapest labor they can find on the planet (read: Chinese sweat shops.)
This combination of theft of other's designs and ideas (lesser R&D costs), combined with the use of lesser-quality components (cheaper parts) and cheap manufacturing costs (cheaper labor) is what allows them to sell products for less than many of their competitors while disguising them as true competitors.
While many other companies have switched to global sweat shop labor to keep costs down, it's the blatent copying and theft of other's ideas combined with the use of lesser-quality components that leaves a bad taste in many people's mouths.
There are many who will probably reply that Berhinger is a good choice for those with a limited budget and that they don't sound so bad to them. To them I have two replies: if you have a limited budget, try the Yamaha MG series of mixers instead, and, what good is saving money if in a year - once you ears get some experience - you'll be wanting to trade up to something better sounding?
Berhinger is always attractive for the very reason you describe; they offer a lot of features for the price. Well, the features are worthless if the sound quality is not there, and the price ain't so attractive when you find out why the price is what it is.
Look at the Yamaha MG series for a great price/sound/features ratio. Check out also Soundcraft (I personally don't like their Spirit line at all, but a lot of other people seem to like them) and Mackie (a few more dollars, but these are the ones that Berhinger are usually trying to copy, and the Mackies are built like tanks and sound much better than the Berhingers.)
G.
