Shredding In Stereo

EarthQuaker Devices unveils new take on Easy Listening Analog Amp Simulator   10-Sep-26

Just in from Earthquaker Devices...

The market spoke, and EarthQuaker Devices listened. Last summer, the aural architects of Akron announced the Easy Listening Analog Amp Simulator--a simple, all-analog headphone amp with speaker cabinet simulation that made a much bigger splash than the pedal maker anticipated. Today, the pedal maker expands the lineup with the Stereo Easy Listening, offering an enhanced feature set shaped by player feedback.

Every manufacturer is used to reading comments like, "This is awesome, but what if it also did this?" when introducing a new product. More often than not, these suggestions reflect the highly specific tastes of an individual player, or they may be brilliant but entirely impractical from a design and production standpoint. Easy Listening, however, proved to be something of an anomaly--a product that inspired enthusiastic feature wishlists while simultaneously flying off the shelves. The response also had an unusual effect on EarthQuaker Devices Founder and President Jamie Stillman.

"Very rarely do I alter a design based on customer feedback, but this was one of those times where the ideas were just too good to ignore," Stillman explained. "Integrating an auxiliary input, stereo functionality, and XLR outputs made perfect sense. Combined with the active EQ, it elevates the entire design to a whole new level of flexibility."

The new Stereo Easy Listening features refined circuitry that delivers lush, low-noise, high-fidelity sound with pristine dynamic clarity. Like the original, it takes inspiration from a classic American amplifier for its foundational tone. This time, however, the addition of a powerful three-band active EQ gives players easy access to the tonalities associated with amplifiers from the other side of the Atlantic as well.

As the name implies, the newest addition to the EarthQuaker Devices family of sonic solutions includes a feature set designed to preserve the full image of stereo rigs. Stereo signals are received through dual ¼-inch inputs and routed to dual XLR outputs, a ¼-inch headphone jack, or both.

The Stereo Easy Listening also performs a bit of magic on mono rigs. Plugging into only the left input automatically splits the signal into two identical, completely independent preamps with analog speaker cabinet simulation, instantly creating the massive sound of running two separate amplifiers at once. This functionality pairs perfectly with the new Aux input. This flat, unaffected input allows users to connect a phone, computer, drum machine, or other accompaniment directly to the unit. Because the Aux input features its own independent level control and preserves the original fidelity of the source, it is the perfect companion for musicians who want to throw on headphones and silently shred along to music or send backing tracks directly through the pedal during live performances.

When it comes to recording, Stereo Easy Listening has the unique distinction of eliminating many of the traditional barriers and technical constraints involved in capturing great tone--without bringing digital simulation into the equation. It gives musicians the ability to quickly record highly usable tracks that deliver the rich, authentic warmth of a professionally miked amp anywhere, anytime, without the amp, the mic, or the professional.

Through it all, the Stereo Easy Listening offers enough clean headroom to handle everything from vintage fuzz to modern gain stages without breaking a sweat. It welcomes hot signals across the frequency spectrum with open arms and a smooth, forgiving warmth, acting as a bridge that transforms the sterile nature of modern digital tracking into something alive, rich, and responsive. It is the path of least resistance for turning a fleeting late-night idea into a finished track.

The Stereo Easy Listening can be viewed as a way to top off a digital setup with a little analog secret sauce at the end of the signal chain or as a complete counterpoint to digital modeling. Like its more punk-rock older sibling, it is 100% analog. There are no menus, no IR loading, and no software updates. It won't trigger decision paralysis or imposter syndrome. You definitely won't find any presets trying to emulate the edge-of-cone miking of a large-diaphragm tube condenser microphone in a studio in 1975 at 40% humidity. Instead, you'll find an infinitely usable, fantastic-sounding discrete speaker cabinet simulator that sounds like a real miked amp, whether you're listening through headphones, tracking straight into a DAW, or running direct to front of house for an ampless live performance.

"I'm really happy with the way it turned out," Stillman adds. "In the end, it definitely exceeded my expectations."

EarthQuaker's mission has always been to "inspire a lifetime of musical adventures for all sonic explorers," and the Stereo Easy Listening certainly lives up to that promise. It is a platform that stands at the end of your signal chain, allowing your own voice to shine through. It is the box that pulls you out of the box.

Every Stereo Easy Listening is raised by honest, salt-of-the-Earth pedal farmers in the fertile soil of Akron, Ohio, and is chock-full of all-natural analog vitamins.

Pricing and Availability:
$249

More information:

• Stereo Easy Listening