Avalon Design VT 747sp Stereo Compressor/EQ

The Avalon 747 is a "mastering quality", permanently linked stereo tube compressor, with an equally high quality equalizer section. It is so fully-featured that it is difficult to describe in a short review. A visit to the product page is recommended for a more in-depth look at all the many features, but here are some highlites:
Like all Avalon products, the 747 is visually stunning, and has the sound to back up its good looks. Its main intended use is as a final compressor/EQ across the stereo bus, or in a mastering chain. It can be operated in tube or solid state modes. There is a second EQ section dedicated to the internal side-chain circuit, which allows for considerable flexibility in "tuning" the compressor, and is clean enough to use as a program EQ if desired, although the "main" output EQ is quite lovely and musical, so usually it will be preferred. This EQ is switchable in/out and pre/post compression. There are controls for every typical compressor function, however they are not stepped or detented, so precise recall can be an issue.
That minor quibble aside, this is a wonderful piece of kit. I tested the 747 as a master bus compressor on a variety of sources, and it was never unwelcome. It doesn't color the sound, but imparts a gentle, transparent leveling, and definitely unveils any analogue "goodness" that the program may possess, with subtle enhancement to depth, soundstage, and detail; or not-so-subtle if the EQ is employed. The latter is a very nice sounding passive design, with high and low shelves at the _extreme_ ends of the spectrum (15 hz and 32Khz!), and another shelf at 5Khz, along with three wide peaking bands at 125, 500, and 2khz. Not a "surgical" but rather a "sweetening" EQ. The overall sound of the 747 may be best described as "transparent". Beautifully so. In "TSP" (tube) mode there are very subtle harmonics present, but the sound is never cloudy or veiled.
Taken all together, the Avalon 747 is a powerful, flexible, and very desireable piece of high-end, professional equipment, and well worth its price.