The 0xEAE Fuzz is an analog op amp fuzz pedal from Electronic Audio Experiments, built in collaboration with the design collective Obstructures. The maker describes it as a "dangerous op amp fuzz with a blendable analog octave circuit," capable of over +80dB of gain with a massive volume output12. There is, in the maker's own words, no subtlety or transparency to be found here: the pedal is described as "the auditory equivalent of an angle grinder"1.
The pedal was discontinued as of Spring 2025, and its product page is retained for archival purposes. Electronic Audio Experiments says the iteration was produced in a finite quantity but that it intends to manufacture the circuit in a new form in the future1.
An op amp fuzz with a blendable octave
The circuit is an op amp fuzz, a topology that uses an operational amplifier driven into clipping rather than the transistors of a vintage fuzz face style circuit. What sets the 0xEAE Fuzz apart is its octave: a full-wave rectified analog signal is blended to produce an octave up, which is then fed into the fuzz input1. Delicious Audio, covering the pedal in 2023, called it "an op-amp fuzz that can deliver over +80dB of gain"3.
The four sliders are highly interactive, and the maker describes them as working together rather than as independent tone controls1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Primary gain stage. Slide right to add gain up to +80dB. For conventional sounds, keep below halfway1 |
| Texture | Slide right to blend in the analog octave up at the input of the fuzz circuit. Low settings add broken harmonics; high settings add a strong 2nd harmonic with harsh overtones and sub-bass artifacts1 |
| Weight | Changes the cutoff of a high pass filter at the input to alter the attack and thickness of the fuzz. Slide left for a tight attack, right for crushing bass frequencies. Highly interactive with Texture and Gain1 |
| Master | Output volume level. Slide right to get loud, very, very loud1 |
The Weight control adjusts a lightly resonant pre-gain high pass filter at the input1, so the pedal can be tightened up for chords or opened up for heavy low end before the fuzz stage ever sees the signal. The single footswitch is the effect activator1.
Power and switching
The 0xEAE Fuzz runs on 9V DC through a 2.1x5.5 mm center negative barrel jack, drawing 120 mA when active1. Electronic Audio Experiments recommends a regulated, isolated power supply rated for 200 mA minimum, and the PSU input is protected against reverse polarity and over-voltage1.
The 0xEAE Fuzz does not accept batteries, and its 120 mA active draw means it should not share a low-current daisy chain output. Use an isolated supply rated for at least 200 mA per the maker's recommendation1.
Bypass is relay switching with an op amp buffered bypass rather than true bypass1. Input impedance is 2.2MΩ at 1 kHz and output impedance is under 1kΩ at 1 kHz1, so the pedal presents a light load to the guitar and drives long cable runs without loading issues.
History: the Obstructures collaboration
The 0xEAE Fuzz was the second collaboration between Electronic Audio Experiments and Obstructures, a design collective1. Delicious Audio described the enclosure as "imposing neo-brutalist geometry," reminiscent of the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey but actually inspired by the brutalist architecture of the mid-1900s3. Each faceplate is individually hand finished with an acid etch process, with normal variation from unit to unit1.
The collaboration began with the 0xEAE Boost, the first entry in the 0xEAE pedal series, developed in conjunction with Obstructures4. Development of that first pedal began in late 2017 or early 2018, and a pilot batch went live for sale through the EAE webstore on Friday, April 30, 2021, at 2PM EST5. The batch was deliberately small, kept that way so the maker could feel things out before committing to a high quantity production run amid global electronics supply chain problems5. The stated goal of the 0xEAE line was to marry cutting edge visual and engineering design with stage-proof sturdiness5.
The series later grew into what the maker calls a trifecta of neo-brutalist gain devices, completed by the 0xEAE Bass Driver, a bass-oriented gain pedal with a Drive knob offering approximately 50dB maximum passband gain and a post-clipping bass shelf boost of up to +14dB at 100Hz and below6.
The 0xEAE Boost
The 0xEAE Boost is the closest sibling to the Fuzz, and the two share the same enclosure, dimensions, power requirements and relay buffered bypass4. Where the Fuzz is a fuzz with an octave, the Boost is a versatile signal boost/overdrive with the potential for a razor-sharp treble response and excessively high output levels4.
Its circuit is a discrete op amp gain stage with a treble boost in front, forming what the maker calls a densely textured upper midrange character laden with higher order intermodulation products4. Its controls differ from the Fuzz's:
| Control | What it does (0xEAE Boost) |
|---|---|
| Gain | Primary gain stage, adjustable from approximately +26 dB to +46 dB4 |
| Focus | Input treble boost, from +0 dB to +26 dB for high mid frequencies. Adds saturation and harshness as it goes up4 |
| Filter | Passive, variable frequency low pass filter. Cutoff ranges from outside the audio range at minimum to 480Hz at maximum4 |
| Master | Output volume level, from -∞ dBu to an excess of +20 dBu4 |
The Boost is also discontinued as of Spring 2025, with the maker stating the same intent to manufacture its circuit in a new form in the future4. Both pedals measure 6.75" x 3.5" x 2" and weigh 1.5 lbs14.
Where it sits among fuzz pedals
Videos
collector//emitter
Noise Generator
Demos In The Dark
Questions
Is the 0xEAE Fuzz discontinued?
Yes. Electronic Audio Experiments discontinued it as of Spring 2025 and kept the product page for archival purposes. The maker says this iteration was produced in a finite quantity but intends to manufacture the circuit in a new form in the future1.
Does the 0xEAE Fuzz take a battery?
No. The maker states that its pedals do not accept batteries. Power comes from a 9V DC, 2.1x5.5 mm center negative barrel supply, with a regulated, isolated supply rated for 200 mA minimum recommended1.
How much gain does the 0xEAE Fuzz have?
The Gain control adds up to +80dB, which the maker calls irresponsible, advising players to keep it below halfway for conventional sounds1.
Is the 0xEAE Fuzz true bypass?
No. It uses relay switching with an op amp buffered bypass1.
Who designed the 0xEAE enclosure?
The enclosure came from Electronic Audio Experiments' collaboration with the design collective Obstructures, in a neo-brutalist style inspired by mid-1900s brutalist architecture, with each faceplate hand finished by an acid etch process13.
Sources (6)
- 0xEAE Fuzz Archive, Electronic Audio Experiments, 2025-03
- Legacy Products, Electronic Audio Experiments
- New Pedal: EAE 0xEAE Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2023-05-23
- 0xEAE Boost Archive, Electronic Audio Experiments, 2025
- Electronic Audio Experiments 0xEAE Boost, Delicious Audio, 2021-04-29
- 0xEAE Bass Driver Archive, Electronic Audio Experiments
