Audio Research EQ 2
The Audio Research EQ 2 is a stereo graphic equalizer, and one of the company's rarer excursions outside the preamplifier and power amplifier work they're known for. Documentation is thin — no production years, dimensions, or weight have surfaced — but period advertisements show the model was marketed alongside other high-end components in Audio magazine's classified pages Audio (February 1978, p.118). It's a solid-state design offering 30 bands per channel on ISO 1/3-octave spacing, with center frequencies from 25Hz through 20kHz. Each band has a ±12dB range, and the frequency response is rated at 5Hz–100kHz. Input sensitivity is 1.0V into 50k ohms, output impedance is 600 ohms, and signal-to-noise is better than 90dB.
The original list price was $1,795, which was serious money for serious equipment. What is known of the unit in practice comes from a single seller's account: a one-owner example, serviced by Audio Research in 2019, described as "great sounding" with some scratching to the faceplate but working perfectly.
Recent asking prices on the used market have ranged from $1,295 to $1,400. The Archive would like to hear from anyone who owns one or has documentation for it.
eBay Listings
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.