Finding The Perfect Delay Pedal

A good-sounding delay pedal is an essential addition to any pedalboard. The effect is synonymous with creativity and experimentation in the guitar world, allowing you to imprint your tone with slight reflections to otherworldly echoes and everything in between. But what are the best delay pedals?

The market is flooded with options. That's why in this buying guide, we will demystify the effect and showcase the 10 best delay pedals in 2026, as well as give you a few tips and tricks on how to use the delay effect to revolutionize your tone. Let's get started!

10 Best Delay Pedals in 2024

What Are Delay Pedals and How Do They Work?

Delay pedals simulate the echo effect. They capture your audio signal and play it back after a set time, creating anything from subtle ambiance to full-blown ethereal soundscapes.

Being one of the most popular guitar effects, the delay has been used time and again on countless famous records. It is an effect that is highly customizable, with units usually offering many parameters to tailor your sound.

These are the most common parameters and controls found on delay pedals:

Time or rate: As the name implies, this parameter lets you set the time between your playing and the first delay reflections.Feedback: With this parameter, you can control how many times the signal is repeated.Mix: This parameter lets you mix between the dry and wet/delayed signal.Tap Footswitch: This allows you to set the time parameter by tapping the footswitch in sync with your desired BPM.

As there are many options on the market, you might find delay pedals with added functionalities, such as modulation and even reverse playback functionalities. The possibilities are truly endless

Types of Delay Pedals

There are many different types of delay pedals, each with their intricacies. To help with making the best possible choice, here is a breakdown of each of the main delay types:

Analog Delay: A type of delay known for its warm and organic sound, based on bucket-brigade devices (BBD).Digital Delay: A modern delay type based on digital processing with many extra features and added flexibility.Tape Delay: Tape delay pedals emulate the effect found on vintage tape recorders. They have distinct artifacts such as wow and flutter.Modulated Delay: A combination of delay and modulation for extra versatility.Reverse Delay: An experimental type of delay that plays the delayed signal in reverse.

10 Best Delay Pedals in 2025

Death By Audio Echo Dream 2

 

 

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Main Features

• Delay times of up to 1 second
• Built-in modulator
• Built-in fuzz

The Death By Audio Echo Dream 2 is described as an advanced echo modulation unit. Despite the many knobs on the pedal, it's quite simple to understand how this pedal works: apart from the traditional delay section, it has an added fuzz and modulator for extra possibilities.

The modulator function is, in fact, the flagship function of this pedal: it allows you to dial in some pretty creative effects, such as subtle chorusing and full-blown lofi madness. There's a toggle switch on the right side of the pedal that lets you select between a smoother modulator waveform and a sharp, square-shaped wave.

This is an excellent pedal not only for experimental-focused guitarists but also for tone purists, as it's extremely versatile.

Strymon El Capistan V2

 

Flattley Nirvana

 

 

Main Features

• Warm, analog delay with up to 620ms of delay time
• Simple controls for shaping repeats, tone, and volume
• Distinctive purple halo light and large foot topper for stage visibility
• Handmade in the UK with a polished, boutique finish

The Flattley Nirvana delivers rich, vintage-style delay tones that add depth and warmth to your playing. With up to 620 milliseconds of delay time, it moves seamlessly from short slapback echoes to spacious, ambient trails. Its analog circuitry keeps your tone smooth and musical, making it ideal for classic rock, blues, or atmospheric soundscapes.

Built by hand in the UK, the Nirvana stands out with its signature purple halo light and sleek polished finish. Its sturdy construction, easy-to-use controls, and thoughtful design details make it a dependable and stylish choice for any guitarist looking to bring character and clarity to their delay sound.

 

Haunted Labs Shadow Winds

 

 

Main Features

• Three distinct delay programs
• Built-in modulation
• True bypass

Despite its simple appearance, the Haunted Labs Shadow Winds delay can get really moody, really fast. While there are only three parameters, this pedal gets more experimental as you crank up each knob.

While the Time and Replicate knobs respectively control the delay rate and feedback, the Invoke function introduces several modulation stages to the effect's reflections, rapidly transforming your guitar's tone into a chaotic soundscape.

There's also a middle switch that lets you alternate between the three distinctive delay programs in this pedal, imprinting extra effects such as alternating up/down 3rds, tremolo, and vibrato into your tone. Listen to the demo below to hear it in action.

Mojo Hand FX Octaverse

 

 

Main Features

• Reserve octave delay
• Selectable high and low octave
• True bypass

The Octaverse, by Mojo Hand FX, is an out-of-the-box pedal, as it's a reserve octave delay. It sounds quite unique since there are very few units with the same proposal: to create pitch-shifted experimental soundscapes and textures.

With the middle push button, you can select whether you want the effect an octave down or an octave up from what you're playing. This allows for some pretty creative tones when you blend them with the usual mix, rate, and feedback parameters. If you crank the feedback knob up, you can even achieve a near-infinite amount of repeats.

While the Octaverse pedal can be a treat for experimental-oriented players, it's not a very versatile pedal. We definitely recommend this unit if you're into styles such as ambient and lofi music, though.

DigiTech DOD Rubberneck

Main Features

• True bucket-brigade analog delay with up to 1.5 seconds of delay time
• Rubberneck and Regen Adjust features for pitch-bending and time-ramping effects
• Adjustable modulation and built-in effects loop for creative tone shaping
• Dual footswitch layout for live performance flexibility

The DigiTech DOD Rubberneck is a modern classic in the analog delay world, combining vintage warmth with bold, expressive control. With up to 1.5 seconds of bucket-brigade delay time, it delivers everything from short, punchy echoes to spacious ambient repeats. But the real magic lies in its namesake Rubberneck feature, allowing you to stretch or compress delay times in real time for pitch-bending, tape-like textures.

Loaded with innovative performance features like adjustable regeneration, modulation, and a built-in effects loop, the Rubberneck encourages experimentation on stage and in the studio. It’s an analog delay pedal that rewards creativity, offering endless ways to push your tone beyond the ordinary.

OBNE BL-44

 

 

Main Features

• Real-time reverse delay
• Clock and speed controls
• Expression jack
• True bypass

Yet another highly experimental delay pedal on our list, the OBNE BL-44 is a real-time reverse delay, meaning it constantly listens to your audio signal and instantly generates backward reflections, evoking ethereal and abstract soundscapes.

Apart from the usual mix and volume knobs, there are two parameters to further control the effect: clock and speed. With the clock knob, you can affect both the time and quality of the delay, while the speed control lets you mess with the playback speed ratio, creating pitch-shifted-like and unison tones.

While this pedal has many experimentation possibilities, there is one particular scenario where the OBNE BL-44 performs really well: creating guitar drones and pad-like textures. If you're into ambient music, this delay pedal is worth a try.

EarthQuaker Devices and Death By Audio Time Shadows

 

 

Main Features

• Three Delay Modes
• Six preset slots
• Expression jack
• True bypass

The Time Shadows is a joint effort by EarthQuaker Devices and Death By Audio, two extremely innovative companies. It's a very creative unit with three distinctive delay modes, six preset slots, and a few extra tricks up its sleeve.

Among the three delay modes, you'll find an envelope-controlled sub-octave filter delay (EQD), a dual delay that shifts up and down with each regeneration (!¡), and a multi-delay regenerating filter (DBA). Each of these programs has its own unique vibe, making the Time Shadows extremely versatile.

The parameters can be adjusted via the three knobs: time, span, and filter, and you can save up to six presets to the unit. We highly recommend you watch the demo video below to check how the Time Shadows sounds.

Maneco Labs 16 Seconds Delay Reissue

 

 

Main Features

• Digital delay based on the classic EHX looping delay
• Delay times of up to 16 seconds
• Infinite function

The 16 Second Digital Delay, by Maneco Labs, is inspired by the classic EHX looping delay from 1983. The original vintage unit is rare to come across nowadays, so this reissue is the best option if you want that classic tone with extra reliability.

You probably won't come across that much delay time in any other pedal, so having those 16 seconds allows for a great deal of experimentation and tone possibilities. Apart from that, the unit also allows you to modulate the reflections and add effects such as pitch-shifting and reverse playback.

Last but not least, there's an infinite footswitch that does what it says. Despite the high price, this pedal is quite versatile and a gem for experienced players who want to get more experimentative with their tone.

EarthQuaker Devices Dispatch Master V3

 

 

Main Features

• Hi-fi digital delay and reverb
• Four independent parameters
• Flexi-switch technology
• True bypass

The EarthQuaker Devices Dispatch Master is a delay/reverb combo in a single pedal. It's extremely minimalist and easy to use, excellent if you're a beginner or looking for a compact and versatile unit for your pedalboard.

The delay effect sounds superb with clean tones, allowing for up to 1500 ms of delay time and the usual parameters of mix, time, and repeats. If you'd like to get experimental with it, you can crank up the repeats knob to achieve infinite reflections.

What's good about the Dispatch Master is that it also has a built-in reverb, and you can either use it on its own or paired with the delay function. As we said, it's an amazing pedal for those with versatility in mind.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Difference Between Analog and Digital Delay Pedals?

Analog delay pedals utilize bucket-brigade devices (BBD) to create warmer, vintage-inspired tones. Typically offering shorter delay times, analog units are revered for their classic sound and versatility.

Digital delay pedals, on the other hand, employ digital signal processing (DSP) to produce cleaner reflections, allowing for longer delay times and more creative and experimental possibilities.

What Is The Tap Tempo Function on Delay Pedals?

The tap tempo function lets you adjust the delay time on the fly by tapping the footswitch to the tempo of the song. This feature is extremely useful for live concerts, as the player can easily match the pedal's rate to the BPM of each song.

What Is The Best Position for a Delay Pedal on a Pedalboard?

The best position for a delay pedal is typically at the end of the signal chain, right after modulation and before reverb. This ensures a cleaner tone. However, it's common practice for players to put the delay in unusual positions to achieve creative and innovative effects.

How Do I Use A Delay Pedal On an Amplifier Effects Loop?

Using a delay pedal in an amplifier effects loop can enhance the clarity and quality of your delayed signals, as the effect will be unaffected by the amplifier's preamp gain. To do so, you must connect a cable from your pedal's input jack to your amp's send, and another from your pedal's output jack to your amp's return.

Conclusion

These are the 10 best delay pedals in 2025. Finding the perfect addition to your setup is definitely not a one-size-fits-all situation, as each effects unit has its unique vibe and extra functions (such as modulation). For that reason, make sure to research extensively before making a call.

Bonus: Use the code IASN10 at checkout for an extra 10% discount!