Equalizer in a Hi Fi system

The problem is you’ve never heard any of the analog hardware I’ve played with, and I’ve never heard your SOTA digital EQ you have used. I’ve heard a lot of purportedly excellent digital though…

@tlcocks I finally read your earlier posts, and info on your PEQ-1, and it really makes me believe I had a lemon unit.  Mine was a very early production unit, and I had to send it back initially for a couple wiring errors.  Then months later an op-amp went noisy, and needed to be replaced, so I think my unit was sub-par.  I really did love the way the bands sounded, and the switchability of the center frequencies.  It's something I miss in the Skyline M3D.  If only my PEQ1 had the transparency I was looking for.... which you claim it DOES have!  I think mine was just not a good one.

As for the Skyline M3D... the low end is glorious.... I can really fill out missing lows from my 70's+80's LP's.  I do wish it had a sub-filter.  The high band (labelled Atmosphere) is a high shelf with 5 selectable frequencies, and you can really breathe air into a dark or dry recording.  I'm not going to say the M3D is better than a "good" PEQ1... it's just different.  Also... I broke the seal on the lid to look inside (as I do with everything) and it's very well done inside, and the unit is very heavy for its size.  The only caveat it that it's strictly balanced only.  Do not simply throw an adapter on the output that shorts the (-) to ground.  

Another unit that I bought the very day it came out is the Drawmer 1974.  It's a 4-band parametric EQ with one set of controls.  The unit is quiet and transparent, but the bands simply don't sound all that great, and the high shelf is not "Airy".  It's really more suited to tonal shaping for mixing, rather than for mastering a full stereo mix.  I had higher hopes for it, but at least it has hardwire bypass!  Maybe worth it if you can find one used for a good price.     

Did you see the new Macintosh 8-band EQ that just came out?  

Soooo tempting!!  

Slower less busy tracks with room to breathe leaves better reproduced cymbals on analog. Cymbals really stand out a lot as much better. Reverb, if used, and vocals leading and trailing edges. All better on the analog. Clarity resolution top notch and kills the Chord Mojo2 EQ. But DEQX?  Better?

I’ll check it out, @mirolab !  Thanks!

Yeah, all balanced for me. No adapter or extra box. My Cardas are pseudobalanced, special pin scheme so they are playing at full unity gain when connecting to the single ended tape loop in the Bryston. Works perfectly.