Tune your system by eye and ear. The Yamaha EQ-630 is a Natural Sound stereo graphic equalizer from 1989, and a properly sophisticated one: ten bands per channel with fully independent left and right control, and a channel-separated real-time spectrum analyzer built into its twin LCD displays, so you can watch the music and shape it at the same time. Flip the display between your EQ curve and the live analyzer, store your settings in the user memories or call up the Hard, Soft, Vocal and Theatre presets, and drive the whole thing from the sofa with the infrared remote. Clean, musical Yamaha circuitry, a wall of sliders and a genuinely useful analyzer, all in that handsome black Natural Sound livery.

FEATURES & PROS:

• 10 Bands Per Channel: independent left and right 10-band EQ, +/-12dB in 2dB steps, from 30Hz to 16kHz.
• Real-Time Spectrum Analyzer: channel-separated analyzer with peak hold on twin multifunction LCDs, switchable to show your EQ curve.
• Presets and Memories: four factory presets (Hard, Soft, Vocal, Theatre) plus four user-programmable memories.
• Infrared Remote: full IR remote control, part of Yamaha's RS remote system (please confirm the remote is included).
• Runs On SA Mains: switchable 110/220/240V, so it works on local power with no step-down transformer.
• Clean and Quiet: 105dB signal to noise and under 0.006% THD from Yamaha's Natural Sound circuitry.

THE WORD: Hi-fi circles rate the EQ-630 as one of the more sophisticated equalizers of Yamaha's Natural Sound era, ten bands per channel paired with a channel-separated real-time spectrum analyzer and remote recall, widely regarded as a clean, musical way to tune a system by eye as well as ear. More at HiFi Engine.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Released: 1989, made in Japan
• Type: Natural Sound stereo graphic equalizer (2 x 10 band)
• Center frequencies: 30, 60, 120, 240, 480, 1k, 2k, 4k, 8k, 16kHz
• Control range: +/-12dB in 2dB steps, independent per channel
• Display: twin multifunction LCDs; channel-separated real-time spectrum analyzer with peak hold; switchable EQ-curve and analyzer view
• Memories: 4 presets (Hard, Soft, Vocal, Theatre) plus 4 user memories; EQ reverse and EQ on/off
• Frequency response: 10Hz to 50kHz (-1dB); signal to noise 105dB; THD under 0.006%
• Levels: input sensitivity 1V (7V max); output 1V (7V max); input impedance 47k ohms
• Connections: line in/out and tape in/out (RCA); source and tape switch; records the equalized signal
• Remote: 17-key infrared remote (Yamaha RS system); please confirm if included
• Power: switchable 110/220/240V, 10W, 50/60Hz
• Dimensions: 435 x 122 x 271mm; weight approx 3.5kg
• Condition: used, good