Teac GE-20 2-Channel 10-Band Stereo Graphic Equalizer, Japan

Teac GE-20 2-Channel 10-Band Stereo Graphic Equalizer

Made in Japan. A serviced, good-cosmetic-condition Teac GE-20 — a well-built late-1970s 2-channel, 10-band stereo graphic equalizer with independent left/right control, switchable VU metering, factory-style 19-inch rackmount brackets currently installed, and the kind of solid Japanese build quality that has kept these units in active service for nearly half a century.

The GE-20 is genuinely well-regarded among vintage-audio enthusiasts as a “quality machine” that delivers natural, transparent tonal shaping with very little audible degradation of the source signal — a reputation that has held up across decades of user reports. With independent left- and right-channel sliders for ten ISO-standard bands from 31.5 Hz up to 16 kHz at ±12 dB per band, the GE-20 gives you the full range of tonal correction you’d want for taming a bright room, fattening up a thin-sounding source, dialling in the bass on a forgiving pair of speakers, or rescuing recordings whose tonal balance sits at the wrong end of the spectrum.

This particular unit has been serviced and is presented in good cosmetic condition, with the chunky vintage sliders and switchable VU meter that give the GE-20 its distinctive late-1970s look. The built-in switchable high-pass and low-pass filters add infrasonic rumble protection (useful for vinyl playback) and ultrasonic noise rejection without giving up any of the audible band. An EQ defeat / bypass switch lets you A/B the equalized and flat signals instantly — an essential workflow feature when dialling in a curve.

Connectivity is straightforward and flexible: stereo RCA line input, stereo RCA line output, and a stereo RCA tape / foldback loop, allowing the GE-20 to drop into any conventional preamp tape-monitor loop and be switched in or out at the preamp without any rewiring.

The 19-inch rackmount brackets currently installed on the front of the chassis are a particularly welcome inclusion for anyone planning to install the GE-20 into a standard 19-inch equipment rack — they slot the unit straight in without any sourcing or fitting work required. The brackets are bolted to the side of the chassis at the factory mounting points and can be removed in a few minutes with a Phillips screwdriver if the next owner prefers the GE-20 as a free-standing component on a hi-fi shelf. With the brackets fitted, the overall mounting width is the standard 19 inches (483 mm); with the brackets removed, the chassis returns to its native 17.3-inch (440 mm) width.

Product highlights:

2-channel, 10-band stereo graphic equalizer with independent L/R sliders

ISO bands: 31.5, 63, 125, 250, 500, 1k, 2k, 4k, 8k, 16 kHz

±12 dB control range per band

Switchable high-pass filter (subsonic) and low-pass filter

EQ bypass / defeat switch for instant A/B

Switchable VU meter assignable to left or right channel

Stereo RCA line in, line out, and tape / foldback loop

19-inch rackmount brackets currently installed (easily removable for free-standing use)

Solid vintage Japanese build quality

Specifications:

Type: Stereo graphic equalizer

Channels: 2

Bands per channel: 10

Centre frequencies: 31.5, 63, 125, 250, 500, 1k, 2k, 4k, 8k, 16 kHz

Variable range: ±12 dB

High-pass filter: 31.5 Hz, 12 dB / octave

Low-pass filter: 16 kHz, 12 dB / octave

Frequency response: 20 Hz – 30 kHz

Input sensitivity: 300 mV

Output level: 300 mV

Signal-to-noise ratio: 82 dB

THD: 0.03%

Mounting: 19-inch rackmount brackets installed (removable)

Country of manufacture: Japan

Year of release: 1978

Condition: Good cosmetic, serviced

Dimensions, chassis only (W x H x D): 17.3 x 3.7 x 6.7 inches (440 x 95 x 170 mm)

Dimensions, with rackmount brackets installed (W x H x D): 19 x 3.7 x 6.7 inches (483 x 95 x 170 mm)
Weight: 9.9 lbs (4.5 kg)

This Teac GE-20 has undergone our Level One service and testing which should ensure many more years of reliable performance ahead.

A serviced, good-cosmetic-condition Teac GE-20 stereo graphic equalizer, made in Japan, with 19-inch rackmount brackets currently installed — a genuinely musical, well-built piece of late-1970s tonal-shaping kit that drops straight into a standard equipment rack or, with the brackets removed in a few minutes, sits equally happily as a free-standing component on a hi-fi shelf. Either way, an instant expansion of the listening range of any system it’s added to.

Backed by Radique Audio’s 90-day warranty and our perpetual trade-back policy, you can purchase with confidence.