HLabs EQ169+

Inspired by Studer’s classic 169 console, this handmade EQ is just as suited to mixing work as it is to tracking and mastering.

Back in March last year, I reviewed HLabs’ CS169, which is an all‑analogue channel strip based on the classic Studer 169 mixing console. I enjoyed it very much. The EQ169+ is a standalone EQ that draws on the same heritage and, as with all HLabs’ products, is entirely handmade at the company’s facility near Lyon, France. The company already offer a less costly EQ that puts two channels of the CS169’s EQ section in the same box, but the EQ169+ is a mono device that boasts not only more bands but some clever features that I’ll explore in detail below.

Controls & Features

The EQ169+ is a single‑channel device that’s housed in a 1U 19‑inch rackmountable case. It has balanced XLR inputs and outputs (the maximum input and output levels are each +22dBu) and an IEC14 power inlet on the back panel, along with a ground‑lift switch. On the inside, you’ll find circuit boards populated entirely with through‑hole components. There’s nothing inherently wrong with surface‑mount devices, but this traditional approach bodes well for maintenance and repair on site (should that ever be necessary; the build quality inspires confidence!).

The power inlet is compatible with V‑LOCK power cords, which have a pin to prevent accidental removal.

On the front, the yellow and white legending contrasts pleasingly with the panel’s dark blue‑grey, and it all looks very stylish. You could argue that some of the labels are a bit on the small side, but they’re cleanly printed and this, along with the high‑contrast colour scheme, makes everything perfectly easy to read. Colour is used to differentiate the controls. The band gains all have yellow caps, with black lines aligned to an integrated pointer. As with other knobs, a line down their side makes it easy to discern the setting from any viewing angle. The frequency selectors have white caps, again with black lines. The only departure from the ‘white for frequency, yellow for gain’ scheme (I know not why) is the master output level control, on the far right, which has a white cap.

The control layout makes good, intuitive sense, with the knobs for two Presence bands flanked by both high and low shelving bands, and with an additional high‑pass filter on the far left.

These knobs operate 11‑position switches and that, in combination with the tolerances of the chosen resistors and capacitors, means you have the precision needed for accurate recall and...