The EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening is a compact, all-analogue amp and cabinet simulator designed for players who want great direct guitar tone without menus, presets, IR loading or complicated digital modelling.

Voiced around the character of a classic ’65 Deluxe-style American guitar amp, Easy Listening delivers a full low end, slightly scooped mids and clear, sparkling highs. Its analogue preamp and cabinet simulation provide an immediate, zero-latency playing response whether you're practising through headphones, recording directly into an audio interface or using it as the final stage of an amp-free pedalboard.

There is just one Level control. Plug in, set your volume and play.

Why Choose the EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening? All-Analogue Amp & Cabinet Simulation

Unlike a conventional digital modeller, Easy Listening doesn't rely on digital amp models or impulse responses.

The signal path uses analogue circuitry to provide:

• Amp-style preamp voicing
• Analogue cabinet simulation
• Zero digital processing latency
• High headroom
• Low noise
• Immediate playing response
• Simple plug-and-play operation

There are no menus, apps or presets to configure.

For players who already have a pedalboard they love and simply need the amp and cabinet stage at the end, that's a big part of the appeal.

’65 Deluxe-Inspired American Amp Voicing

EQD voiced Easy Listening around the character of a classic 1965 Deluxe-style amplifier.

The target is a familiar American clean response with:

• Rich low-frequency resonance
• Slightly scooped mids
• Clear top-end chime
• Plenty of headroom
• Strong pedal compatibility

EQD says the fixed EQ is approximately equivalent to running the inspiration amp with Treble around 5 and Bass around 6.

Instead of giving you dozens of amp models, Easy Listening concentrates on doing one classic American-style sound simply and effectively.

A Simple Headphone Guitar Amp

One of the best uses for Easy Listening is silent guitar practice.

Connect your guitar or pedalboard to the ¼" mono input and a compatible pair of headphones to the ¼" stereo TRS output.

That makes it ideal for:

• Late-night practice
• Flats and shared accommodation
• Backstage warm-ups
• Travelling
• Hotel rooms
• Quiet home practice
• Testing pedalboard sounds without an amp

EQD confirms the output can drive headphones directly, with Tip carrying the left channel and Ring carrying the right.

Direct Recording Without an Amplifier

Easy Listening also makes an extremely straightforward direct-recording solution.

Place it at the end of your pedalboard and connect the output to your recording interface.

For mono recording, EQD specifies a standard TS cable into one interface channel. For stereo connectivity, a TRS splitter can feed two interface channels.

A simple recording setup could be:

Guitar → Pedals → Easy Listening → Audio Interface → DAW

There's no need to mic an amplifier or load a cabinet IR before getting started.

Excellent Pedal Platform

Easy Listening makes particular sense for guitarists who already build their sound with pedals.

Try:

Guitar → Overdrive/Fuzz → Modulation → Delay → Reverb → Easy Listening

Instead of replacing your effects with digital simulations, Easy Listening effectively becomes the amp/cab stage at the end of your existing pedalboard.

EQD designed the unit with a 1MΩ input impedance and plenty of headroom, allowing it to accommodate conventional guitar signals and gain-heavy pedal setups.

One Knob – Level

Operation couldn't be simpler.

Level controls the output volume.

That's it.

The amp and cabinet voicing are built into the circuit, so there's no:

• Gain menu
• EQ menu
• Cabinet selection
• Microphone selection
• IR management
• Preset system
• Software editor

This is very deliberately a different proposition from a full digital modelling platform.

Easy Listening vs Digital Amp Modeller

These products solve the same problem in very different ways.

Choose Easy Listening if you want:

• One carefully voiced amp sound
• All-analogue operation
• Analogue cabinet simulation
• Headphone practice
• Direct recording
• Zero digital processing latency
• Minimal controls
• Compact dimensions
• Your existing pedals to remain central to your sound

Choose a digital modeller if you need:

• Multiple amplifier models
• Multiple cabinet models
• Different microphone simulations
• Presets
• MIDI
• Integrated effects
• Deep editing

Easy Listening isn't trying to compete on the number of features. Its attraction is precisely that there's almost nothing to configure.

Great for an Amp-Free Pedalboard

With dimensions of approximately 92 × 48 × 38mm, Easy Listening occupies very little pedalboard space.

That makes it a particularly useful option for:

• Compact rigs
• Home recording
• Silent practice
• Songwriting
• Travelling
• Backstage practice
• Pedal testing
• Desktop setups

It's essentially an extremely compact way of adding an analogue amp/cab stage to a conventional effects setup.

Who Is the Easy Listening For?

The EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening is particularly well suited to:

• Guitarists needing silent practice
• Home-recording musicians
• Pedalboard users
• Players living in flats
• Travelling guitarists
• Songwriters
• Home studios
• Players who dislike menu-heavy modelling
• Guitarists who already own their preferred effects
• Musicians building compact direct rigs

It's especially appealing if your reaction to a complicated modeller is simply: I just want to plug my pedalboard in and play.

Technical Specifications

EQD confirms the 1MΩ input impedance, 39Ω output impedance, 75mA current draw and ¼" stereo TRS output. The Fair Deal Music listing also confirms the 129g out-of-box weight. 

Power Requirements

The EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening requires a standard regulated 9V DC power supply with a 2.1mm centre-negative barrel connection.

Current draw is 75mA.

EQD specifically states not to operate the pedal at higher voltages and recommends a pedal-specific or isolated power supply.

What's Included?

• EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening Analog Amp Simulator

The current Fair Deal Music listing doesn't confirm an included power supply, so I would not advertise a power supply as included on Reverb unless the physical stock confirms otherwise.

Fair Deal Music Verdict

The EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening succeeds because it doesn't try to be another do-everything modeller.

Best suited for: Guitarists who want a simple headphone, recording or amp-free pedalboard solution.

Main benefit: It lets you take an existing pedalboard directly into headphones or a recording interface with an analogue amp/cab-style voice at the end of the chain.

Standout feature: The all-analogue amp and cabinet simulation. There's no IR loading, menu diving or digital conversion involved in creating the core sound.

Customers usually upgrade from: Basic headphone practice amps or direct guitar-to-interface setups.

Most commonly paired with: Overdrive, fuzz, modulation, delay, reverb, headphones and audio interfaces.

Our tip: Think of Easy Listening as the amplifier at the end of your pedalboard rather than another conventional effect. Build the sound you want with your pedals first, then let Easy Listening provide the final amp/cab voicing.

Showroom feedback: This is best suited to players who value simplicity. If you want dozens of amps and cabinets, a modeller is the better choice. If you already love your pedals and simply want a compact analogue route into headphones or an interface, Easy Listening makes considerably more sense.

Why Buy From Fair Deal Music?

When you buy from Fair Deal Music, you're choosing one of the UK's most established, independent family run music retailers since 1987.

Our Birmingham showroom is backed by a knowledgeable musician-led team with experience across guitars, effects, amplification, recording equipment and complete pedalboard setups.

Whether you're building a silent practice setup, an amp-free pedalboard or a simple home-recording rig, our team can offer friendly, knowledgeable advice.