In this episode, the eCoustics team cut through a year of hype, delays, and eyebrow-raising price hikes to talk about the products that genuinely moved the needle across hi-fi, head-fi, and home theater.
We cover the TVs and projectors that finally earned their bragging rights, the headphones and earbuds that didn’t just chase trends, and the loudspeakers and portable gear that reminded us why good engineering still matters. It’s a wide-ranging, candid discussion about what impressed us.
And because the timing couldn’t be better, the ink is barely dry on our massive eCoustics Editors’ Choice awards list. If you want to know which products actually earned a spot—and which ones quietly didn’t—you’ll want to listen first, then check the list.
Less hype. More perspective. And no participation trophies.
Sponsor: Thank you to our sponsor SVS.
This episode was recorded on December 16, 2025.
Sections
Click link to jump into any topic of the YouTube video:
- 2:02 TVs
- 5:00 UST Projectors
- 7:21 TV Market
- 9:22 Sony Bravia 8 II
- 9:45 Samsung TVs
- 13:06 Kaleidescape
- 18:05 Price Increases
- 22:00 Eclipsa
- 23:30 DTS:X Profile 2
- 25:47 Denon AVR-X3800H
- 27:24 Dirac ART
- 30:21 Headphones
- 31:15 Sony WH-1000XM6
- 31:56 Bowers & Wilkins Headphones
- 35:00 Noise Cancellation
- 36:54 Open-ear Earbuds
- 38:49 Dongles
- 42:55 Questyle
- 44:40 Audeze CRBN2
- 47:35 Technics EAH-AZ100
- 51:03 DAPs
- 54:40 Retro Portables
- 55:58 Vinyl Reissues
- 1:01:45 KLH Speakers
- 1:07:32 MoFi UltraTracker
- 1:11:40 Ray Tubes
- 1:20:49 Canvas HiFi
- 1:26:47 Bacch 3D
Where to listen:
- Apple Podcasts
- Amazon Music
- Spotify
- iHeart Radio
- Spreaker
- Stitcher
- Deezer
- Castbox
- Podcast Addict
- Pod-chaser
- TuneIn
- YouTube (video podcast)
On the Panel:
- Brian Mitchell, Co-host and eCoustics Founder
- Chris Boylan, Editor-at-Large
- Ealan Osborne, Video Producer & YouTuber
- W. Jennings, Sr. Headphone & Portable Audio Editor
- Eric Pye, Vintage Audio Columnist
- Mitch Anderson, Co-host & eCoustics Podcast Producer
Topics Covered
Credits:
- Original intro music by The Arc of All.
- Voice Over Provided by Todd Harrell of SSP Unlimited.
- Production by Mitch Anderson, Black Circle Studios.
