the ecoustics podcast

In this episode we speak with Sven Mevissen, Director of Product Management, Home and Media Solutions, Xperi (parent company to DTS) to discuss the IMAX Enhanced program and the role that DTS:X plays in delivering immersive cinematic sound to home viewers. As of May 15, 2024, Disney+ is the first mainstream streaming service to bring the IMAX Enhanced experience with DTS:X sound into your home. Th...

The wireless loudspeaker category has made enormous strides over the past 5 years and there is no question that there are high-end options that offer better sonic performance, superior connectivity options, and greater value for your money than traditional passive loudspeakers. Don't listen to members of the Hi-Fi press who try to tell you that you must continue down the traditional path to achiev...

Today (April 17, 2024) Sony introduced its new 2024 line of BRAVIA 4K TVs, Soundbars and Theater speakers. Take a deep dive into the product launch with eCoustics Founder, Brian Mitchell and Editor at Large, Chris Boylan who got a hands-on tour of all the new products last month at Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles. Sony says, "Cinema is Coming Home" but is that true or just marketing hype? Joi...

Are you considering a turntable upgrade in 2024? Before you empty your wallet on a deck that might seem like the right path for you — we have a few suggestions that might make more sense long-term if your budget is between $600 and $2,000.  Does it make sense to spend more? We think the market has shifted and there are some outstanding options from Pro-Ject, Rega, Andover, U-Turn, and others worth...

The gear fetishism that has stunted the mainstream growth of high-end audio for almost four decades is about to run out of runway and that might be the most positive development in years. How we consume music has completely shifted and whilst there will always be room on the credenza for a turntable, or even a CD player, the reality is that real estate at home is a hot commodity, and most consumer...

Audeze’s Co-Founder & CEO, Sankar Thiagasamudram, joins eCoustics Senior Headphone & Portables Editor William Jennings and Producer (and Audeze Artist) Mitch Anderson to discuss its 16 year journey as an innovator in the global Head-Fi revolution. Founded in 2008 as a boutique audiophile brand, Audeze's first concept was a loudspeaker which never came to market. However, early innovations...

Can we finally stop pretending that wireless loudspeakers offer an inferior listening experience. The desire to sell high-end audio systems consisting of expensive boxes made of ticky tacky has become an impediment to the growth of the next generation of audiophiles and brands like Q Acoustics are working very hard to offer the best possible passive and wireless loudspeakers for less. And they are...

With consumers spending tens of billions of dollars on headphones and earbuds, the product has become a commodity and one that is rather disposable. But does that need to be the case? Have you thrown away a perfectly good pair of earbuds or headphones because the ear pads or ear tips are worn down or busted up? Dekoni Audio have not only cornered the market on replacement pads for some of the most...

In our second podcast with Jim Garrett, head of product strategy and planning at Harman Luxury Audio we discuss Arcam’s new product refresh. The British Hi-Fi brand has just introduced the sleek new Radia series of audio components, which consists of five new models: • Arcam A5 Integrated Amp – $699 • Arcam A15 Integrated Amp – $1,099 • Arcam A25 Integrated Amp – $1,499 • Arcam CD5 CD Player – $69...

In September 2023, vintage columnist Eric Pye ( @audioloveyyc ) spent three weeks in Japan pursuing audio perfection in all forms. In this episode of the eCoustics podcast, he and podcast producer Mitch Anderson ( @black_circle_radio ) discuss shopping in Japan for modern and vintage HiFi, and new and used music on vinyl and other mediums. Conversation meanders to Japanese audiophilia and the obse...

In September 2023, vintage columnist Eric Pye ( @audioloveyyc ) spent three weeks in Japan pursuing audio perfection in all forms. In this episode of the eCoustics podcast, he and podcast producer Mitch Anderson ( @black_circle_radio ) discuss the history and current state of Jazz Kissa culture, how visiting a Jazz Kissa is such a special experience, and why that experience can’t really be recreat...

With consumers moving away from expensive multi-component systems and looking for more economical and space-spacing alternatives, the question has to be asked -- who is actually offering solutions that are affordable? Bob Hazelwood, Director of Engineering and Product Development, Andover Audio, joins us on the eCoustics podcast to discuss their rather extensive lineup of award-winning wireless sp...

A new generation of music listeners are stepping outside their traditional comfort zones and looking for better ways to enjoy their music collections. But will they find that at a traditional Hi-Fi show? EIC Ian White and Producer Mitch Anderson break down CAF 2023 and why horrible music, unaffordable systems, and an aging customer base do not portend a strong future for high-end audio manufacture...

Looking for a 4K UST projector or a portable lifestyle projector for your home? At the 2023 Laser TV Showdown, six unbiased expert judges took a look at the top UST projectors and the top portable 4K projectors (aka lifestyle projectors) and picked the winners in each category. Join us for a discussion with the organizers of the event as they reveal which UST projectors and which portable projecto...

2023 was a year of discovery for all of us. New music. Some strange audio discoveries that have panned out beyond our wildest dreams. It was also a year where some of us stretched their budget and looked beyond what we thought we needed after exposure to some of the best Hi-Fi and home theater systems currently available. Does anyone really need 24 subwoofers in their home theater? Maybe you do. O...

Have you ever wondered why music changes the way your brain deals with pain, love, or anxiety? Is it possible to use music to diagnose the early onset of Dementia or Alzheimer's disease? Leading Israeli Scientist, Dr. Neta Maimon, joins this episode's host, editor-in-chief Ian White, on the eCoustics podcast from Netanya, Israel, to discuss how the brain responds to music in times of crisis, passi...

In this episode, eCoustics Senior Headphone Editor, W. Jennings speaks with Tal Kocen (Vice President, Consumer Product) and Dave Friesema (Technical Director/General Manager) of Westone Audio about the company’s wide range of custom and universal fit IEM products. Westone has been making earphones and audio accessories for musicians and audiophiles since 1959. Their products are available at Amaz...

eCoustics Senior Headphone Editor W. Jennings recently sat down with Vincent Liu, Ultimate Ears Pro’s Head of Product & Operations for a conversation about the new Premier 21-driver IEM. This discussion touches on the impacts of the pandemic on Ultimate Ears Pro and how that provided opportunities to rethink some design elements of existing models as well as complete the development and testin...

Legendary guitarist, Al Anderson, toured with Bob Marley & The Wailers from 1974 until just before Marley’s death in 1981. Anderson's stunning lead guitar work on iconic classics like "No Woman, No Cry," "Three O’clock Road Block," and "Could You Be Loved" earned him a place in music history. Al continues touring to this day as the sole member of the 1970s lineup with his Grammy nominated band...

Lenny CoCo spends his days and nights traversing North America, spreading the gospel for MoFi Distribution, as their National Specialty Audio Sales Manager. After more than 32 years in the business, he has seen it all and can help music listeners assemble the audio system of their dreams, regardless of price. His passion for music and hi-fi began when was only 10 years old, and his core belief rem...

In our third installment with Gryphon Audio Designs, we speak with Gryphon’s Sales Director, Rune Skov, at T.H.E. Show 2023. He’s responsible for the company’s worldwide sales strategy, tasked with the daunting goal of turning Gryphon into the most sought-after brand in hi-fi. Gryphon Audio’s vision is clear: the company wants its brand to be as recognized as the “Lamborghini of High End Audio,” e...

SVS has a gone from a factory-direct seller of affordable subwoofers, to a full fledged audio brand to be reckoned with. In keeping to their high value / affordable roots, SVS now sells a full lineup of loudspeakers, wireless speakers, and accessories in addition to subwoofers. The company has racked up so many awards, it's nearly impossible to go wrong buying anything from SVS. Although consumers...

In this episode eCoustics founder Brian Mitchell sits down with Jim Garrett, head of product strategy and planning at the Harman Luxury Audio Group, which is composed of five active brands — JBL, JBL Synthesis, Arcam, Mark Levinson, and Revel. The discussion centers around the luxury side of the JBL business, which includes the modernized re-launch of JBL’s classic products, including the L100. Re...

In this episode we return to the T.H.E. Show 2023, where we talk with Allen Sides of Ocean Way Audio and Alberto Guerra of AGD Productions. The unlikely duo have teamed up at T.H.E. Show in Costa Mesa, CA to demonstrate the synergy between AGD electronics and Ocean Way loudspeakers. Allen Sides is a five-time Grammy winning engineer/producer who has worked on over a thousand albums. Under his comp...

Cambridge Audio has been a “music first” brand since its inception and one would like to think that every company that designs and manufactures audio components and loudspeakers shares that same ethos. With so much emphasis on the hardware, it is most certainly refreshing to see that the British manufacturer is taking a different approach to reach a new audience that is not obsessed with all of th...