Neve 8803 Stereoequalizer

The AMS Neve 8803 is a fantastic stereo equaliser that instantly brings a kind of "hi-fi" quality to whatever you use it on.
The broad frequency range of each band with an adjustable Q setting makes the EQ ideal for surgical frequency correction in recording, mixing or mastering or for broader strokes that affect larger areas.
The shelf options are incredibly useful and musical as well whilst the filters add that extra useful parameter.
This EQ isn't as colourful as other units, however it does have an inherent colour particularly in the low frequencies. The highs can sound harsh at times when boosted with a bell filter, so I tend to prefer the shelf option.
Larger dials would certainly make things easier to handle, but with so many options onboard, it would be hard to see how that could happen on a unit of this size.

It took me a few sessions to appreciate how useful this equaliser is and now it is part of my regular work flow for correcting certain ranges whilst enhancing others simultaneously.
With so many options, the Neve 8803 is ideal as a primary equaliser, after which a more colourful unit might further enhance your sonic sculpture.
Highly recommended.

I spent a really long time trying out different dual channel EQs, with the goal of having an all purpose parametric dual mono EQ. This one, sound wise, is really excellent. Theres this narrative about it that "its fine for broad strokes but isn't really surgical" which is nonsense. Its perfectly capable of delivering both, and with real class and just the right kind of transparent character. Its not clinical like an SSL (my opinion, but I find them useful but uninspiring), its not vague and flattering like the 1073, or particularily punchy like an API.

The small knobs, while not as bad as I expected, are so fiddly and do so much in such a small range that I found myself liking it more when I had a clear sense of what to cut and boost than to just try things and see what works. Correcting a drum buss with a bit too much 500hz super easy. Using the shelves and upper mids to bring out the detail in a vocal buss super easy. But something like shaping two competing guitars where I need to dig around and search for interesting contrasts I feel a bit stressed out by.

I am still deciding whether to keep this unit or return it and just save up for an API 5500 which is my dream EQ. It does fill a niche in the market, as a high quality precision unit with a lot of uses, so its not an easy decision.

I hope that this comes across as a resounding recommendation, with the caveat that this kind of a tool depends very much on how you work and what gaps you have in your arsenal.