After a cursory search, there isn’t much in the way of Alctron EQ75a reviews kicking around the web. It’s not a new product, so why is there so little information on the cheapest 500 series equalizer on the market? We have a theory which we’ll get into below.
Alctron EQ75a Review
Alctron is a company based in China producing microphones, headphones, outboard equipment, and pro audio accessories. According to their website, there are only two Alctron dealers in the United States, and four total in North America (one in Canada, one in Mexico). That could partially explain why they haven’t made an impact on markets here, though it’s far more likely that discerning engineers avoid the type of gear Alctron is pushing.
The EQ75a is one of a few 500 series modules by Alctron next to a preamp and compressor. It’s a basic “vintage style” equalizer (i.e., Neve) housed in a 14-gauge steel chassis. It doesn’t necessarily look cheap and promises low distortion, but it’s hard to imagine the internal components are capable of such at this price.
Features
- 3-band EQ: LF, MF, HF
- Inductor based high-pass filter
- Control up to ±15dB
- A wide selection of frequencies from 33hz to 20khz
- Individual bypass for each band
The Cheapest 500 Series EQ: Is It Worth It?
We’re champions of affordable music production equipment around here — but because Alctron is unproven, we’re skeptical. That isn’t to say we haven’t been surprised before, but the Alctron EQ75a doesn’t have much going for it. As we mentioned earlier, there’s hardly any actual discussion of this EQ on the internet save for product landing pages from retailers. We managed to hunt down a lone user review, who noted that his Alctron EQ75a produced nothing but noise. Consider the fact that the EQ75a sells for $119 on AliExpress and that should tell you everything you need to know.
Alternatives to the Alctron EQ75a
You won’t find anything cheaper than the Alctron EQ75a, but it’s a gamble. You might get a unit that works fine and sounds okay, or you might get an unusable, noisy product of poor quality. We’d rather invest a bit more money into a proven name.
Midas 512 V2
For just $169, this is a much better alternative to the Alctron EQ75a. It’s a four-band, fully parametric 500 series EQ based on the Midas Heritage 3000 EQ. It’s inexpensive, and it’s a reputable name. Win-win!
dbx 530
The dbx 530 is $275, which is significantly more than both the Alctron and Midas. Again, however, this is a reputable company with track record of making some pretty impressive products over the years. The 530 is a three-band, fully parametric EQ with an Infinite Notch mode that even lets you get surgical with analog.