the ecoustics podcast 2025 Year in Review: The Gear That Actually Delivered (No Excuses, No Hype)
Dec 20, 2025
01:28:06
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.
Thank you to our sponsor SVS for a phenomenal year of collaboration and support of our programming! https://www.svsound.com
On the panel:
Brian Mitchell, Founder & CEO
Chris Boylan, Editor at Large
W. Jennings, Sr. Portables Editor
Eric Pye, Contributor / IG Influencer @audioloveyyc
Ealan Osborne, Mr. eCoustically Speaking
Mitch Anderson, Podcast Producer
Products mentioned:
Chris Boylan:
> Sony Bravia 8 II
> Hisense L9Q UST
> Kaleidescape Strato E and Strato V
> Denon AVR-X3800H
> Samsung Micro RGB
> Dirac Acoustic Room Treatment
Ealan Osborne:
> Sony STR-AZ7000ES
> Google Eclipsa
> DTS:X Profile 2
William Jennings:
> Sony WH-1000XM6
> Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
> Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
> Audeze CRBN2
> Questyle QCC Pro
> Astell&Kern SP4000 DAP
> Bose Ultra Open-Ear buds
Eric Pye:
> Vinyl reissues
> KLH Model Five
> KLH Model Seven
Mitch Anderson:
> MoFi UltraTracker
> Ray Tubes
Brian Mitchell:
> Canvas HiFi
> Canvas HiFi Frame
> Bacch 3D
Related links:
> https://www.ecoustics.com/best-right-now/
Credits:
Original intro music by The Arc of All. https://sourceoflightandpower.bandcamp.com
Voice Over Provided by Todd Harrell of SSP Unlimited. https://sspunlimited.com
Production by Mitch Anderson, Black Circle Studios. https://blackcircleradio.com
Keep up-to-date with all the latest Hi-Fi, Headphone, Home Theater and Music news by visiting: https://www.ecoustics.com
#ecoustics #avtrends #2025bestof #hifi #audiophile #vintageaudio #hometheater #dolbyatmos #headphones #vinylcommunity #yearinreview
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.
Thank you to our sponsor SVS for a phenomenal year of collaboration and support of our programming! https://www.svsound.com
On the panel:
Brian Mitchell, Founder & CEO
Chris Boylan, Editor at Large
W. Jennings, Sr. Portables Editor
Eric Pye, Contributor / IG Influencer @audioloveyyc
Ealan Osborne, Mr. eCoustically Speaking
Mitch Anderson, Podcast Producer
Products mentioned:
Chris Boylan:
> Sony Bravia 8 II
> Hisense L9Q UST
> Kaleidescape Strato E and Strato V
> Denon AVR-X3800H
> Samsung Micro RGB
> Dirac Acoustic Room Treatment
Ealan Osborne:
> Sony STR-AZ7000ES
> Google Eclipsa
> DTS:X Profile 2
William Jennings:
> Sony WH-1000XM6
> Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
> Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
> Audeze CRBN2
> Questyle QCC Pro
> Astell&Kern SP4000 DAP
> Bose Ultra Open-Ear buds
Eric Pye:
> Vinyl reissues
> KLH Model Five
> KLH Model Seven
Mitch Anderson:
> MoFi UltraTracker
> Ray Tubes
Brian Mitchell:
> Canvas HiFi
> Canvas HiFi Frame
> Bacch 3D
Related links:
> https://www.ecoustics.com/best-right-now/
Credits:
Original intro music by The Arc of All. https://sourceoflightandpower.bandcamp.com
Voice Over Provided by Todd Harrell of SSP Unlimited. https://sspunlimited.com
Production by Mitch Anderson, Black Circle Studios. https://blackcircleradio.com
Keep up-to-date with all the latest Hi-Fi, Headphone, Home Theater and Music news by visiting: https://www.ecoustics.com
#ecoustics #avtrends #2025bestof #hifi #audiophile #vintageaudio #hometheater #dolbyatmos #headphones #vinylcommunity #yearinreview