D.W. Fearn VT-5M Stereo Tube Mastering Equalizer

The D.W. Fearn VT-5M is a hand-built, all-tube stereo equalizer designed for mastering engineers and high-end recording studios. It pairs a passive LC equalizer, built with custom inductors, with Class-A triode gain stages powered by eight 6072A tubes, giving it smooth, musical tone shaping with generous headroom and very low noise. One set of high-precision, silver-contact stepped controls adjusts both channels together, so settings stay matched and repeatable from session to session. Each VT-5M is hand-wired, burned in, and tested in the USA and built to perform reliably for decades.

Key Features

• Class-A Triode Tube Stages: Eight 6072A dual triodes are optimized for high headroom and low distortion.
• Passive LC Equalization: Custom-made inductors provide the smooth, musical curves of classic passive EQ design.
• Transformer Coupled: Hand-selected, custom input and output transformers.
• True Stereo Control: A single set of high-precision controls adjusts both channels simultaneously for perfectly matched stereo processing.
• Silver-Contact Stepped Switches: High-quality rotary switches provide accurate, repeatable recall.
• Low Cut: 30, 40, 100, or 400 Hz, 0 to -10 dB shelving in 1 dB steps.
• Low Boost: 20, 40, 60, 100, or 140 Hz, 0 to +10 dB shelving in 1 dB steps.
• Mid Cut: 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, or 700 Hz, 0 to -10 dB with variable Q sharpening.
• High Boost: 1.5, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12, or 16 kHz, 0 to +10 dB with adjustable bandwidth (Q 0.6 to 1.7).
• High Cut: 1.7, 4, 10, or 28 kHz, 0 to -10 dB shelving, useful for taming noise and harsh digital top end.
• Gain Trim: -5 to +5 dB in 1 dB steps, referenced to +4 dBm.
• Hand-Built in the USA: Each VT-5M is individually engineered, wired, burned in, and tested before it leaves the workshop.
• Limited 7-Year Warranty: Vacuum tubes are covered for 90 days.

Specifications

• Circuitry: Pure Class-A triode vacuum tube audio path, eight 6072A dual triodes
• Equalization: Passive LC circuitry with custom-made inductors and silver-contact rotary switches
• EQ Controls: Low cut, low boost, mid cut, high boost, high bandwidth (Q), high cut, and gain trim
• Input Impedance: 40k ohms, balanced bridging (accepts 600 ohm nominal sources)
• Frequency Response: ±0.5 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz; -3 dB at 0.5 Hz and 80 kHz
• THD + Noise: < 0.10% (20 Hz to 20 kHz)
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 82 dB minimum
• Maximum Output Level: +22 dBm unterminated
• Power Requirements: 115 or 230 VAC, 50/60 Hz, 85 W