ParaEQ MKII Deluxe : Source Audio EQ2 vs Empress ParaEq mkII Deluxe

My two cents on the two parametric eq pedals:

If you are in the market for an effective good quality parametric eq pedal, that has more than a decent sonic quality, low noise, connectivity and fair price, and then on top of that you also want all the functionality that you can possibly dream in a para eq pedal, then go for the SA EQ2, you won't regret it, there is nothing that can't even remotely compare with this pedal out there.

However, if you are in the market for a true sonic/tone professional tool, with a super low noise, exceptional transparent sonic qualities, effective, intuitive and easy to use capabilities, that helps you to dial in that magic tone, no matter what is your gear, then go for the the Empress ParaEq mkII Deluxe. The caveat in buying this expensive tool though, is that you have to give up all the nice functions of a modern pedal, starting from presets, stereo connectivity and much, much more. You will live just with your magic tone (in mono) and the paper cards to recall your precious presets :).

As last note...if you can't decide between the standard ParaEq and the Deluxe, I suggest you to go for the Deluxe, especially if you live in the US for the better price. I know it costs a fortune, but I think the standard is really too limited, the HPF, LPF, the two shelf filters and the variable Q knobs are sweet sweet things to have, they really help your tone in a much better and effective way than the standard version.