Equalizers / measured

Bettermaker EQ232D

Plugin Alliance · VST3

10.0/10 Measured score · Measured fidelity · how scored

Flatness

10.0/10

±0.00 dB · scored

Transparency (THD)

10.0/10

0.000% · scored

Noise

10.0/10

< floor · scored

Linearity

10.0/10

-153 dB · scored

Latency

32 smp

factual · not scored

On the bench

48 kHz · 512-block · offline · same procedure for every plugin
Magnitude responsestepped sine, −12 dBFS
2026-07-17T18:06:39.596247 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.10.9, https://matplotlib.org/

Output level vs. frequency.

It barely touches your tone — the level holds within ±0.00 dB right across the hearing range, so what goes in comes out sounding the same.

Distortion vs level1 kHz, THD / THD+N
2026-07-17T18:06:39.681443 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.10.9, https://matplotlib.org/

THD   THD+N. THD is the trustworthy figure; THD+N is method-floor-limited at low levels.

It adds almost none of its own edge (at or below 0.000%), so it keeps the sound clean.

Latency, reported
32 smp
Latency, measured
32 smp (matches)
Onset
32 smp
Noise floor
below measurement floor
Linearity residual
-152.7 dB (1000 Hz, -12/-18 dBFS)
Processing cost
not measured

Its own background hiss is below what the bench can even measure, so it adds no noise you would hear.

It treats quiet and loud the same (within -153 dB), so it behaves identically however hard you push it.

It delays the audio by 32 samples (0.7 ms at 48 kHz) and reports that delay, so your DAW lines it back up.


What these measurements mean

read from the numbers above · transparent / clean design

On the bench it behaves like a clean tool, scoring 10.0/10 on staying flat, low distortion, low noise, and steady behavior at any level. It barely touches your tone — the level holds within ±0.00 dB right across the hearing range, so what goes in comes out sounding the same. It adds almost none of its own edge (at or below 0.000%), so it keeps the sound clean. Its own background hiss is below what the bench can even measure, so it adds no noise you would hear. It treats quiet and loud the same (within -153 dB), so it behaves identically however hard you push it. It delays the audio by 32 samples (0.7 ms at 48 kHz) and reports that delay, so your DAW lines it back up.

Measured score 10.0/10 — flatness, low THD, low noise and linearity, evenly weighted toward a clean pass-through. How scoring works.


What people report

sourced sentiment · in our words, not a bench measurement
8.6/10 published & press sentiment, 4 sources · a separate figure from the measured score

Consistently praised

  • Quick to land a good sound, with big, smooth Pultec-style low and high curves that flatter mixes, especially electronic, hip-hop, and pop material.
  • Cleaner than a classic Pultec, giving the broad musical shapes without the added grit, and more versatile in use than its simple layout suggests.
  • Thoughtful extras from the Plugin Alliance frame, including a mid/side matrix, preset handling, and four comparison slots.

Common criticism

  • The interface looks unusual and takes a little time to read at first.
  • Frequency selection uses nudge buttons and there is no EQ graph, which some find fiddly.
  • Its broad-stroke character does not suit every source or a surgical job.

A review score is shown only when at least two independent sources — published reviews or genuine user discussion — return usable text. Launch or announcement coverage alone does not qualify, so some plugins read N/A here while still carrying a full measured score above.


How it sits in equalizers

measured score + bench figures, then the sourced review score (separate, N/A if unscored) · alphabetical · not ranked
PluginMeasured /10Mag devMax THDLatencyNoiseReview /10
4020 Retro EQ9.2±1.4 dB0.000%0 smp<floor8.0
6020 Ultimate EQ9.5±0.9 dB0.000%0 smp<floorN/A
AE400 Active EQ10.0±0.0 dB0.000%0 smp<floor7.8
Bettermaker EQ232D10.0±0.0 dB0.000%32 smp<floor8.6
Bettermaker Passive Equalizer8.4±0.2 dB0.757%32 smp<floor8.2
BM MEqualizer10.0±0.0 dB0.000%0 smp<floorN/A
CORE EQ10.0±0.0 dB0.000%0 smp<floor7.6
EQ SITRAL-2958.4±1.5 dB0.031%32 smp<floor7.5
EQ-7310.0±1.8 dB5.037%34 smp<floor8.0
EQ-8110.0±0.4 dB0.017%34 smp<floor8.4
EQP-1A10.0±1.7 dB0.378%34 smp<floor7.5
EQual10.0±0.0 dB0.000%19 smp<floor8.2
FilterBank E6068.3±3.0 dB0.000%0 smp<floor8.0
Master EQ-4329.6±0.0 dB0.013%19 smp<floor8.7
Sie-Q10.0±2.1 dB10.054%36 smp−166N/A
Sponsored · not a measurement

This lane is separate from measured results

No promoted plugins here. Anything in this lane is labeled and never affects the bench numbers or the order plugins appear in.