The 9 Best Graphic Equalizers

A workhorse in live sound racks, the dbx 231s gives each of its two channels 31 sliders covering the full range of hearing. A switch sets how far each slider reaches, and the narrow setting allows finer moves. A low-cut filter tames stage rumble, and a bypass button lets you compare before and after. It takes two rack spaces. The short faders make tiny moves take a steady hand, and there are no RCA jacks for home gear.

When a monitor starts to howl, the Behringer FBQ3102HD lights up the fader of the band that's ringing, so you know which slider to pull down. It fits two channels of 31 bands into two rack spaces. Each channel adds adjustable high-cut and low-cut filters, and a separate subwoofer output can feed a sub amp. It runs quiet. The slider travel is short for precise deep cuts, and the build feels light.

Setting up a sound system from scratch is what the Behringer FBQ6200HD is built around. A built-in test signal plays through the speakers so you can measure the room, and the fader of any band that starts to ring lights up. Each of its two channels has a limiter, which helps keep sudden peaks from reaching the amps and speakers. The catch is size: it takes three rack spaces, which matters in a small road case.

Two channels of 15 bands fit in a single rack space on the dbx 215s. Each band covers a wide slice of sound. That's fine for shaping the overall tone of the main speakers or a monitor mix, but less precise for taming one ringing note. It has a range switch, low-cut filter, bypass button and output meters. It's pricey for its size and has no feedback finder.

Feedback detection in one rack space comes at low cost with the Behringer FBQ1502HD. Each channel has 15 sliders, and the fader of a ringing band lights up, which helps when a vocal mic squeals. A low-cut filter trims floor rumble, and a subwoofer output with an adjustable crossover can drive a separate sub amp. It's deep for a single-space unit, so check your rack. With so few bands, precise notching isn't its strength.

On paper, the Rockville REQ231 V2 covers most of what a small sound system needs at a budget price. This 2025 update has two channels of 31 bands, plus a master level control to match the gear around it. Adjustable low-cut and high-cut filters trim rumble and hiss, and a subwoofer output has its own controls. Its noise spec trails pro gear, it has no feedback finder, and the new version has little owner history.

Churches, theaters and clubs that set the sound once and leave it for years are the target for the dbx 1231. Each channel has 31 bands, and the range switch allows heavy corrections or fine ones. Screw terminals take installed wiring, and a ground-lift switch helps chase hum. If power fails, a relay passes the signal through, so the system keeps playing. It takes three rack spaces, and it's expensive.

Home stereos and DJ tables, not pro racks, are where the Rockville REQ42-B belongs. It uses RCA jacks, the same plugs as most receivers and turntable preamps, and a front jack takes a phone or music player. Each channel has 21 blue-lit sliders, and a colorful spectrum display and two meters bounce with the music. The rack brackets come off for shelf use. It lacks balanced connections, so it doesn't suit long cable runs, and durability is hit or miss.

The EMB EB831EQ pairs a two-channel, 31-band equalizer with a limiter, which caps loud peaks before they reach the amps, a help in a club or a mobile DJ rig. Long faders fill three rack spaces, with a range button, a low-cut button and a limiter knob on each channel. A noise-reduction circuit is meant to lower background hiss. The paperwork is the weak spot: no manual could be found, and the specs read like a rough translation.