the ecoustics podcast

Japan has become the world’s most in demand travel destination since the pandemic, but beyond cherry blossoms, bullet trains, Lawson runs, anime and those dangerously good 7-Eleven egg salad sandwiches, there’s a deeper pull that audiophiles can’t ignore.In this episode of the eCoustics podcast, resident Japanophile Eric Pye (@audioloveyyc) and reluctant future convert Mitch Anderson (@blackcircleradio) go all in on Japan’s cultural gravity and its quiet takeover of audio: the pilgrimage to e-Earphone, late night jazz kissa listening rooms, Technics heritage, Three Blind Mice pressings, JICO styli, portable travel rigs, flying JAL, record hunting in back alleys, and why Japan still treats music as ritual instead of background noise. This isn’t tourism hype it’s immersion, listening culture, and what the rest of us may have forgotten.Links for further information:Japanese Jazz Kissa and the Art of the Piano Trio: Exit to Vintage StreetJazz Kissa Culture Goes Global: Exit to Vintage StreetJazz City online store: Purchase Jazz Kissa magazines and booksTokyo Jazz Joints website@jazz_kissa on InstagramThank you to our sponsor SVS & Shure for supporting this episode!https://www.svsound.comhttps://www.shure.comIn the Episode:Eric Pye, Vintage Audio ColumnistMitch Anderson, ProducerCredits:Original intro music by The Arc of All.Voice Over Provided by Todd Harrell of SSP Unlimited.Production by Mitch Anderson, Black Circle Studios.Keep up-to-date with all the latest Hi-Fi, Music, Home Theater, and Headphone news by visiting:https://www.ecoustics.com#hifi #audiophile #vintageaudio #jazzkissa #japanesejazz #vinylcommunity #consumerelectronics #podcast #jico #ecousticsd #blackcircleradio #audioloveyyc #instavinyl #vinylcommunity

eCoustics Vintage Editor Eric Pye and Producer Mitch Anderson sit down with Dave Kelley, President of KLH, for a grounded conversation on loudspeaker design, KLH’s history, and how a legacy brand operates in today’s market without leaning on nostalgia as a crutch.The discussion traces the influence of Henry Kloss, the shared DNA linking Klipsch, Kelley, Kyocera, and KLH, and how those ideas continue to inform real-world speaker engineering. Attention turns to KLH’s current lineup—specifically the Model Three, Model Five, and Model Seven—with the Five and Seven competing for Eric’s eCoustics 2025 Editors’ Choice Floorstanding Loudspeakers vote based on listening, not legacy. If you want a clear-eyed look at where KLH has been and why its modern speakers still deserve serious consideration, this episode delivers without the marketing gloss.Thank you to SVS and Shure for their support of our programming!https://www.svsound.comhttps://www.shure.comCredits:• 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.comDon't forget to check our website for daily updates on the latest electronics, news, recommendations, and deals on high-end audio, loudspeakers, earphones, TVs, and more.https://www.ecoustics.com#KLHspeakers #vinylcommunity #audioloveyyc #KLHModelSeven #ecoustics #hifi #audiophile #hometheater #listeningroom #musicindustry #loudspeakerdesign #HIFIHistory

If you want music in every room without juggling multiple apps, this is your episode. HEOS isn’t just in Denon and Marantz gear — it’s built into a growing ecosystem of speakers, AVRs, soundbars, and components across the Harman Lifestyle portfolio. It’s become a serious multi-room, multi-zone streaming platform with Hi-Res audio, major music services, stereo pairing, and full Alexa/Google voice-assistant support.Phil Jones of Harman Lifestyle joins us to lay out what HEOS can really do — including the tricks Sonos, BluOS, and WiiM would probably prefer you didn’t mention. Simple to run, surprisingly deep, and absolutely worth a fresh look.Thank you to our sponsor SVS for a phenomenal year of collaboration and support of our programming! https://www.svsound.comOn the panel:Brian Mitchell, Founder & CEOChris Boylan, Editor at LargePhil Jones, Harman LifestyleCredits:Original intro music by The Arc of All. https://sourceoflightandpower.bandcamp.comVoice Over Provided by Todd Harrell of SSP Unlimited. https://sspunlimited.comProduction by Mitch Anderson, Black Circle Studios. https://blackcircleradio.comKeep up-to-date with all the latest Hi-Fi, Headphone, Home Theater and Music news by visiting: https://www.ecoustics.com#ecoustics #avtrends #heos #musicstreaming #multiroomstreaming #networkstreaming #denon #marantz #qobuz #hifi #audiophile #vintageaudio #hometheater #dolbyatmos #headphones #vinylcommunity #harmanlifestyle

This episode examines the results from the 2025 Ultra-Short Throw (UST) Projector Showdown with event organizer, Brian Gluck of ProjectorScreen.com and emcee, Phil Jones of ProjectorReviews.com. The UST Projector Showdown allowed 6 judges to rate 9 UST projectors side-by-side with identical 100-inch screens, which underwent testing 15 different categories. The models in the competition included the:• Epson QS100 3-Chip Laser-Lit LCD Projector – 4,500 Lumens ($4,999)• Formovie Theater Premium Triple Laser DLP Projector – 2,200 Lumens ($2,799)• Hisense L9Q Triple Laser DLP Projector – 5,000 Lumens ($5,999)• Hisense PT1 Triple Laser DLP Projector – 2,500 Lumens ($2,999)• Hisense PX3 Pro Triple Laser DLP Projector – 3,000 Lumens ($3,499)• JMGO O2S Ultra Triple Laser DLP Projector – 3,600 Lumens ($2,999)• Nexigo Aurora Pro MKII Hybrid Triple Laser/LED DLP Projector – 2,400 Lumens ($3,499)*• XGIMI Aura 2 GTV Hybrid Laser/LED DLP Projector – 2,200 Lumens ($2,699)The 2025 UST Projector Showdown was held November 8, 2025 at ProjectorScreen.com's headquarters in New Jersey, which crowed winners across four categories:1. Best for Mixed use in Bright and Dark Rooms2. Best for Home Theater3. Best Value4. Best Overall Picture PerformanceFind out who won and how it all went down.Panel:• Brian Mitchell, Founder, eCoustics• Chris Boylan, Editor-at-Large, eCoustics• Brian Gluck, Owner, ProjectorScreen.com• Phil Jones, Owner, ProjectorReviews.comRelated links:https://www.ecoustics.com/news/best-ust-projectors-2025-showdown/https://www.projectorscreen.com/blogs/insights/the-2025-ust-projector-showdown-resultshttps://www.projectorreviews.com/2025-ultra-short-throw-projector-showdown-recap/Credits:Original intro music by The Arc of All. https://sourceoflightandpower.bandcamp.comVoice Over Provided by Todd Harrell of SSP Unlimited. https://sspunlimited.comProduction by Mitch Anderson, Black Circle Studios. https://blackcircleradio.comKeep up-to-date with all the latest Hi-Fi, Headphone, Home Theater and Music news by visiting: https://www.ecoustics.com#USTProjector #USTshowdown #miniprojector #ecoustics #projectorscreens #projectorshootout #hometheater #hdr #uhd #4k #8k #tvtech #2025bestoftech #2025tv

Back in the 80s and 90s, earplugs at a concert were a one-way ticket to dweeb status. Protecting your hearing? Please. You might as well have stayed home with a VHS and some Tang. These days it’s the opposite—walk into any venue and half the crowd is rocking hi-fi earplugs that make the music sound better and keep your ears intact.Etymotic’s new Music Pro Elite are at the front of that shift, and Tim Monroe, Sr. Director of Engineering, along with Chris Roth, Principal Engineer at Etymotic Research, join us to break down why and how these things work so damn well.Thank you to HEOS, and SVS for supporting this episode!www.svsound.comhttps://www.marantz.com/en-us/world-of-marantz/heosCredits:• 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.comDon't forget to check our website for daily updates on the latest electronics, news, recommendations, and deals on high-end audio, loudspeakers, earphones, TVs, and more.www.ecoustics.com#ecoustics #hifi #audiophile #avtech #musicindustry #liveconcertexperience #hearingprotection #hifiearplugs #hearingsaftey #loudnesswars #hearingaid #etymotic #lifestyleav #earplugs

A/V industry expert and custom integrator John Sciacca joins the eCoustics team to break down our top picks from CEDIA Expo 2025, held September 3–6. The annual trade show covers everything from home theater and soundbars to architectural speakers and outdoor A/V systems—gear designed for the pros who install and recommend solutions for luxury homes and yachts. We’ll highlight this year’s “Best in Show” winners across multiple categories—and call out a few products that didn’t quite live up to the hype.Panel:John Sciacca, Partner at Custom Theater and AudioChris Boylan, eCoustics Editor-at-LargeRobert Silva, eCoustics Sr. News CorrespondentBrian Mitchell, eCoustics Founder and HostThank you to Marantz and SVS for their support of our programming!www.svsound.comwww.marantz.comCredits:• 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.comDon't forget to check our website for daily updates on the latest electronics, news, recommendations, and deals on high-end audio, loudspeakers, earphones, TVs, and more.www.ecoustics.com#cedia2025 #ecoustics #hifi #audiophile #hometheater #avtech #custominstall #bestof2025tech #musicindustry #projectors #dolbyatmos #bestsoundbar #besttv #beststereo