Linear phase EQ
Linear phase EQ adjusts the frequency response of a signal without introducing the phase shifts inherent to other EQ designs. Some people say this lack of phase shift makes them more transparent and therefore better for mastering, while others suggest that analogue-style EQ is preferable for mastering. There’s no such thing as analogue linear phase EQ, so they can’t both be right!
In practice, the static phase shifts that are caused by minimum phase EQ are not always audible at all, and when they are, they might actually sound good. Phase shifting is an inherent part of the ‘analogue’ sound that’s so prized these days, after all. There’s no free lunch, either: linear phase EQs have much higher latency, higher CPU usage, and potential issues with smearing of transients due to ‘pre-ringing’ artefacts.
Pre-ringing is usually only noticeable when using very sharp, steep cuts or boosts at low frequencies, which ideally wouldn’t be required at the mastering stage anyway; but when it is audible, it’s usually much more of a problem than phase shift.
Ideally, the best option for mastering is neither linear nor minimum phase, but the option to switch between the two without changing the EQ curve you’ve dialled in. This way, you can easily assess which works best. Both FabFilter Pro-Q 2 and DMG Equilibrium, among others, offer exactly that.