EHX Superego Plus: Buy New or Used?
Quick verdict: Buy used. This is one of the few pedals on this list where used is the clearly smart move with almost no downside — it's a digital pedal, not an analog circuit with aging components or a "vintage chip" story, so a used unit performs identically to a new one. Used units run $160-230 against $255-284 new, and there's no tone lottery to worry about.
At a Glance
| New | Used | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $255-284 | $160-230 |
| Circuit | Digital DSP | Same digital DSP, no era variation |
| Tone risk | None | None — it's software, not analog components |
| Physical wear risk | None | Footswitches, jacks, pots — same as any pedal |
| Warranty | Yes, EHX standard | Depends on seller |
Why This One's Different From the Rest of This List
Every other pedal in this series has some version of the same story: an older analog circuit used a specific chip or component that's out of production, players argue about whether it sounds better, and that argument drives up used prices. The Superego Plus doesn't have that problem at all. It's a digital signal processor running fixed firmware — every unit, whether it shipped in 2015 or last month, runs the same code and produces the same sound. There's no "vintage chip lottery" here, because there's no chip variation to gamble on.
That flips the usual new-vs-used calculus. With an analog pedal like the RAT or TS9, buying used means gambling on a specific era's component choices. With the Superego Plus, buying used just means paying less for the exact same synth engine.
What Actually Varies on a Used Unit
Since the sound is identical, condition is the only real variable:
- Footswitch feel — heavily gigged units can develop a mushier or noisier switch over time, same as any pedal.
- Pot and jack wear — check listings for mentions of scratchy controls or loose jacks.
- Firmware/feature parity — the Superego Plus has had a stable feature set since release; there's no meaningful "older units lack a feature" concern to research before buying.
- Included power supply — EHX pedals often ship with a 9V/quiet-battery-eliminator style supply; confirm a used listing includes it, since replacing one adds to the total cost.
Who Should Buy New
Buy new if: you want the warranty and don't mind paying roughly $80-100 more for the peace of mind, or you can't find a used unit in good physical condition at the moment.
Who Should Buy Used
Buy used if: you're comfortable buying from a reputable used-gear marketplace (Reverb, Sweetwater's Gear Exchange, or similar) with return protection — which is most players, most of the time, for this specific pedal. Since there's no tonal difference to worry about, the savings are close to free money as long as the physical unit is in good shape.
Final Recommendation
Of every pedal covered so far, this is the clearest "just buy used" recommendation on the list — not because the debate resolves in favor of used gear, but because there's no debate to have. Save the $80-100 and put it toward another pedal.
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FAQ
Does a used Superego Plus sound any different from a new one? No — it's a digital pedal running fixed firmware, so sound is identical regardless of manufacture date or unit age.
What should I check before buying a used Superego Plus? Footswitch and pot feel, jack condition, and whether a power supply is included. There's nothing tone-related to verify, unlike an analog pedal.
Has EHX updated the Superego Plus's features since release? No major feature changes have been widely reported — the feature set has stayed consistent, unlike pedals with revision history that affects functionality.
Is the original Superego (non-Plus) worth considering instead to save money? It's a simpler, single-effect version without the Plus's expanded 11-part effects section and expression controls — worth it only if you specifically don't need those extras and want to save further.
Does buying used affect the warranty? Typically yes, unless the seller offers their own return/warranty policy — factor that into your decision if warranty coverage matters to you.