The addition of a phono stage to your home listening setup can make a dramatic impact in sound. The MU-2 is a beautifully designed mid-high tier product that’s […]
hi-fi
For anyone building a system on taste, this is where to start. Most of what matters in a turntable lives at the tip of the stylus. The cartridge […]
A look into one of our favorite audiophile-minded spaces to emerge in Los Angeles. As listening bars continues to rise in popularity across the United States and around […]
A 1959 short captures the obsessive early days of high-fidelity systems. Men chase sonic perfection through wires, cabinets, and carefully measured madness. “You must have one of these […]
The MP-110 has gained legendary status amongst audiophiles for its combination of price and performance. One of the most overlooked upgrades for an entry-level hi-fi system, installing a new phono […]
A 1975 copy of High Fidelity maps the world when vinyl and stereo equipment didn’t just occupy a room — it claimed it. In 1975, music didn’t just hang around […]
Build a complete audiophile-grade stereo system around the Acoustic Energy AE1 Active Bookshelf Loudspeakers for under $4,000. Reading Hi-Fi forums is bad for your health. Both mental and […]
These days, we try and limit our doom-scrolling as much as possible, lest our brains explode from the pressure of it all. When we’re bored and trying to […]
Visiting one of Tokyo’s oldest jazz kissas with filmmaker Nick Dwyer… Last November, I spent an evening visiting listening bars with my friend Nick Dwyer, a New Zealand-born, […]
From the first listen — Alice Coltrane’s Journey in Satchidananda — it’s clear why the HK 730 is worshiped. Let’s talk about mono blocks. In the world of […]
During the heyday of cassette culture, the respected home audio magazine Hi-Fi Stereo Review published one of its occasional overviews of new-model tape decks. The 1988 feature was […]
For more than two decades, the US magazine Musician covered a broader range of music and genres than any other publication of the time. While Rolling Stone was […]
NAD’S C 3050 blends retro industrial design with a HybridDigital UcD output stage along with modular options to keep this unit relevant for years to come. In 2022, […]
If you’ve been shopping for vintage gear, you’ve seen your share of Pioneer components. Founded in 1938 in Tokyo by Nozomu Matsumoto, Pioneer initially focused on speaker production. […]
We don’t have much to offer about the following trio of videos, other than anyone interested in pristine sound might find them riveting. Represented are twelve components in […]
JBL’s new modern and affordable approach to hi-fi and home theater pairs Stage 2 loudspeakers with new MA series A/V Receivers in matching white or black finishes. With […]
Build your first complete audiophile system for under $1,500 with the best entry-level equipment from JBL, Klipsch, ELAC, Magnepan, Onkyo, and more! Steve Guttenberg aka The Audiophiliac is […]
Transparent clarity, deep bass, and “Invisible Sound” from German audio company ADS. Background: One of the lesser known hi-fi brands of the ’70s, ADS (Analog and Digital Systems) […]
Join crucial selectors for curated delights on a killer system at our Sound & Vision shop in DTLA. No single statement better encapsulates In Sheep’s Clothing’s mission and […]
We’ve set up an Audio Note system in Hollywood and recently interviewed company founder Peter Qvortrup. Here’s Peter Qvortrup, founder of the respected British gear manufacturer Audio Note, […]
Looking for your first high-end audiophile turntable but don’t want to spend more than $2,000 for something that will be your deck for many years to come? Are […]
In collaboration with Devon Turnbull, the Denon DL-103o moving coil phono cartridge contains a DL-103R in a stylish clear case. Denon has teamed up with Devon Turnbull of OJAS, […]
“The city of Yokohama is an indispensable part of the story of Japanese jazz.” Featured in Philip Arneill’s Tokyo Jazz Joints book, DownBeat is one of the classic […]
Step into one of the oldest standing jazz kissas in Japan. Founded in 1933 by a 20-year old jazz lover named Mamoru Yoshida, Jazz Cafe Chigusa in Yokohama […]
Despite being more than a half-century old, the information delivered in Introduction to Hi-Fi, a 1960 book on the basics of sound reproduction and high fidelity listening at […]
Andrew Lowell in conversation with Varia Instruments co-founder Simon Schär. Speaking with ISC from his workshop in Berne, Switzerland, Varia Instruments co-founder Simon Schär is beaming with energy. […]
Do your new pair of loudspeakers not sound like you envisioned after reading that super positive review? You may have a room acoustics issue. This is a topic […]
Contrary to popular belief that the discotheque and dance revolution didn’t begin until the mid-’70s, the whole two-turntables-and-a-mixer thing started happening a half-decade earlier. Demand was such that […]
Favorites from the ’70s beloved by hi-fi enthusiasts and music lovers alike including Donna Leake and Ed Seven of Vintage Hi-Fi Plants. Background: Founded in London by Guy […]
Tana Yonas in conversation with Western Acoustics’ founder Liam Porr. Hi-fi culture in the United States has long been an obsession of mature audiences with deep pockets and […]
Here’s a scenario that virtually anyone who has entered the home listening game by investing in a vintage power amp or receiver has likely confronted. You’re aware of […]
Next year will mark the Sony PlayStation’s 30th anniversary, and as time passes the technology that helped define contemporary gaming is rendered more and more obsolete. Other than […]
If your budget for a new turntable can stretch to $1,000, the Pro-Ject Debut PRO Turntable is definitely the one to buy. 30 years have come and gone […]
A classic home speaker from JBL featuring crisp high frequency response and a wide soundstage. Background: In production from 1974-1977, the L65 aka Jubal is a 3-way bass […]
The $190 Grado Labs Prestige Red3 might be the affordable cartridge upgrade your turntable needs. Based on the reaction to my CAF 2023 editorial, many of you agree that […]
A guide to hi-fi audio terms pulled from a 1974 manual from Altec Lansing. Looking to get deeper into hi-fi, but not sure where to start? Plenty of […]
Read McIntosh engineer Gordon Gow’s famed ‘Speaker Wire Listening Test.’ If you hang out in a hi-fi group for any length of time, inevitably the question of speaker […]
Does the Thorens TD 1500 merely pay homage to one of its classic decks or is there something more here? Does familiarity truly breed contempt? Having invested a […]
A beloved 2-way home system from iconic theater loudspeaker makers Altec Lansing. Background: Released in 1976, the Altec Lansing Model 19 was a 2-way vented floor type speaker […]
“One night in a Japanese jazz kissa changed music listening for me forever.” Every now and then, a listening session turns into something more. You lose yourself for […]
We asked a popular vintage audio forum for gear tips. Here’s what came back. Here’s a scenario that virtually anyone who has entered the home listening game by […]
Each December in the 1970s, the monthly magazine High Fidelity delivered a holiday gift guide that offered suggestions for sound freaks — accessories, components, etc.
Full service retipping, diamond-only replacement, coil rewinds, suspension repairs from Joseph Long aka Groovetickler. You likely know this, but the mechanical thing at the tip of your tonearm […]
Peter Hahn, Owner and Founder of Turntable Lab in New York City, joins eCoustics for 10 questions. If you shop for records, DJ equipment, HiFi equipment, or turntable […]
Ecoustics shares their top 13 audiophile upgrades for 2023 featuring a variety of affordable products. Audiophile publications have been on the receiving end of a lot of criticism […]
Join us Saturday, October 7th at Platform Park with Good Boy Wine and Sound of Make Believe. What better way to end the summer than with an outdoor […]
The iconic Technics SL-1200 turntable gets a facelift and some improvements aimed at increasing the overall sound quality. The turntable category continues to be a source of strong sales […]
The U-Turn Audio Orbit has been refreshed with a new tonearm, revamped drive system and other changes. The little engine that could is tucked away in a suburb […]
The 200 watt per channel vintage amplifier contains two separate mono amplifiers and can drive almost anything. If you’ve never spent any time on HiFiShark while searching for […]
Ecoustics guides us through the history of recorded playback from Edison’s Phonograph to Thorens and Technics. Almost 145 years have elapsed since Edison’s Phonograph was patented. Since then, […]
Planar magnetic and ribbon speakers offer a unique aesthetic and approach to sound reproduction. Planar magnetic headphones have been the tip of the spear during the Head-Fi revolution and […]
A breathtaking new vinyl version of John Coltrane’s ‘Coltrane’s Sound’ comes to the market. Over the past five years, a growing number of specialized labels or sublabels have […]
Affordable vintage CD players from Marantz, Harman Kardon, Sony, Nakamichi, Rega, and more! For decades, the main format-facing argument between analog freaks and their CD-loving counterparts revolved around […]
The McIntosh ML1 MKII is a unique loudspeaker where vintage style meets contemporary sound. Vintage Audio has become a huge trend in the high-end space; loudspeaker companies including Klipsch, […]
And: How a multimillion-dollar audio company was born after a series of listening sessions. In the early 1950s, a 32-year-old audio afficiando named Hideo Matsushita landed a job […]
Celebrating the eye candy that sold ear candy. This is a post without many words. Mostly the aim is to offer drool-worthy, curious, or otherwise engaging advertisements from […]
Klipsch and Wharfedale speakers can work exceptionally well in smaller spaces with the right components. Space. Not the final frontier but the amount of room that all of […]
One of the best used electrostatic loudspeakers if you can find one… I vividly remember the day I flipped over the copy of Stereophile at the newsstand and saw my […]
The science of sound – how high-fidelity systems do what they do, and why – has been a subject of obsessive fascination since the rise of stereophonic systems […]
Understand the basic audio components of a Hi-Fi stereo system so you know what to look for when shopping for audiophile equipment. Amplifier. Amp. Preamp. Integrated amp. Phono […]
Ecoustics’ Eric Pye shares his experience with a stunning direct drive turntable. Back in 2021, I wrote about what attracts me to Vintage Audio. I discussed several factors, like style, […]
If you can find a pair of DeVore Fidelity Gibbon 3 Loudspeakers, these are vintage bookshelf speakers that will never disappoint. DeVore Fidelity has been handcrafting world class […]
One listener’s experience having his sonic mind blown… Getting lost in music is an act of vanishing, and if the ultimate goal of high-fidelity sound, vinyl culture and […]
Ecoustics’ Eric Pye takes a look at a few of the most prominent audiophile jazz labels around. A big bone of contention in audiophile circles is which stage […]
Listening and analog culture meets a master of ceremonies and dance music at Dante’s HiFi. In the fall of ‘22, we flew to Miami, the Magic City, after […]
From the 1950s through the 1980s, the home audio explosion was documented in real time. Online archives have digitized the bounty. It’s true. Those wanting to better understand […]
Mirage Loudspeakers are coming back. The storied Canadian brand has been reborn and we’re really excited to see if the M-1 is returning. If you are old enough […]
The Leak Stereo 230 offers hi-res streaming support, MQA, DSD, and a MM phono stage. The vintage audio theme remained very popular with both consumers and manufacturers in 2022; Klipsch, […]
A primer on the birth and evolution of recorded sound and the rise of high-fidelity stereo systems… Cheesy 1990s graphics? Check. Dated approach to documentary TV? Obviously. Woefully […]
Record totes, weights, portable turntable, books for your beloved vinyl and hi-fi friends. Here’s a challenge for you: The holiday season is in full effect. Those who celebrate […]
Brooklyn-based Ohm Acoustics have been manufacturing loudspeakers for almost 48 years. A deep dive by the Budget Audiophiler. There is a wonderful scene in Bosch when after a long day […]
Makers across the country have expanded their shelving options. Another tactic? Buy your woodworking friend a bottle of Scotch. Let’s not belabor the point: Ikea’s KALLAX shelving unit, […]
The spacious North Park listening bar / lounge features four Klipschorns and two reel-to-reel tape machines. A few months ago, we took the Pacific Surfliner down the coast […]
Ecoustics’ Robert Silva dives into the basics of subwoofers and what you need to know. In order to experience great sound in a speaker setup, you need speaker […]
Audio-Technica celebrates 60 years with a limited run of their cult classic Sound Burger. We’re a little late on this, but figured it makes sense to share anyway […]
Looking to build a great sounding system for under $5k? The Wharfedale Linton Heritage Speakers are a great place to start. Wharfedale’s founder, Gilbert Briggs built his first […]
An affordable handmade 2.3 watt tube amplifier that hits much harder than its power rating would suggest. Over the past 23 years, I have had the opportunity to […]
How a tiny turntable restoration company turned a new generation of vinyl listeners into the cult of Thorens. Have you taken a look at turntable prices lately? Inflation […]
The Quad 303 and 33 are two of the best British vintage audio components from before you were born. How do they sound decades later? As much as […]
Immerse yourself in an intimate Brooklyn listening space. Anyone who has spent time in New York knows that it’s a loud city. The streets are constantly bustling with […]
What you need to know about understanding frequency response curves of loudspeakers. Here’s an essential archival article from Paul Diacomo, a brilliant writer and longtime Polk Audio executive […]
Ecoustics’ Eric Pye shares his best record cleaning solutions to maintain your records. When I went to Japan as an ESL teacher in my mid-20s, it marked not […]
Ecoustics’ Eric Pye shares his adventures with the Klipsch KLF-30 speakers. On March 15th I had the opportunity to hear my second ever pair of Klipsch loudspeakers. In […]
One of the most iconic Japanese audio brands, vintage Sansui amplifiers have become super hot on the used market and we know why. In my last year of […]
Have prices for vintage Marantz components made them a stretch for a lot of vintage audio fans? Fear not. We have other options. Vintage Marantz components have seen […]
The founder of the famed loudspeaker company guides visitors through his lab and headquarters. For a while the Klipsch Speaker company in Hope, Arkansas not only built and […]
American-made floorstanding loudspeakers offer a taste high-end audio for under $2,000. I know I’ve been harping on “affordability” a lot recently on eCoustics. Boring. Yawn. I get it. […]
Ubiquitous on vintage audio marketplaces, the company’s flagship speaker outperforms fancier brands. Once upon a time at an estate sale in the middle of Missouri, two lucky gear […]
Three modern sounding loudspeakers with an old-school aesthetic from Klipsch, JBL, and Wharfedale. Consumers and manufacturers love to wax poetically about “vintage” when it comes to loudspeakers and […]
Ecoustics’ Jeremy Sikora shares his journey acquiring and restoring the rare Fisher 400 Tube Receiver. The Budget Audiophiler is going to begin this week with a little rant. […]
Looking for a pair of entry-level bookshelf speakers? Check this honest review from ecoustics on the Klipsch RP-600M. A lot of ink has been spilt about the Klipsch […]
Get the best sound from your turntable by upgrading its phono cartridge. Vinyl finds itself at an unexpected crossroads in 2022; a new generation of listeners has turned […]
Today we take a look at the mighty eighty-plus pound broadcast turntable – Elektromesstechnik’s 927 and its compact kid brother, the EMT 930. Massive, industrial, monochromatic, and most […]
Limited on space and budget? Check these great sounding bookshelf speakers from $318 and up. Most people love the idea of a pair of floor standing loudspeakers in […]
Looking for a classic vintage power amplifier? The Dynaco ST-70 needs to be on your radar if you crave that classic EL34 tube sound. Not all vintage buys […]
Ecoustics’ Eric Pye (Audio Love NYC) shares his journey with two premium vintage turntables from the 70’s. In the early ‘90s I took the digital plunge, and I […]
A fully comprehensive guide to buying vintage audio from ecoustics’ Budget Audiophiler. After reading the first two installments of my column, I’m sure it’s become obvious that I have a […]
Klipsch, Altec Lansing, JBL, Advent, Acoustic Research, and more classics that won’t bust your budget. A great stereo system, the saying goes, is only as good as its […]
Seven vintage but affordable amplifiers to upgrade your listening setup. Here’s a scenario that virtually anyone who has entered the home listening game by investing in a vintage […]
McIntosh announces an updated version of their classic power amp. More than 50 years ago, the hi-fi magazine Stereo Review opened its assessment of the then-new McIntosh MC-3500 […]
Next-gen audiophile designer Devon Turnbull talks shop with the Audiophiliac. To hear the speaker-maker Devon Turnbull, whose DJ and graffiti name is OJAS, discuss the intentions in creating […]
A look into some of our favorite audiophile bars around the globe, old and new, from Hong Kong to Miami. In recent years, hi-fi and listening bars have […]
Legendary Klipsch, McIntosh, Altec, Sansui equipment from the Grateful Dead go up for auction this Thursday. On Thursday, Sotheby’s will open bidding on a breathtakingly deep auction of […]
Katsumasa Kusunose, founder of the great Jazz Kissa publication, shares his fifteen favorite jazz kissas in Tokyo. Currently, about 100 jazz kissa and jazz bars are open in […]
Highly recommended vintage hi-fi reading from audiophile writer Hans Fantel. Though his name is nearly lost to time, starting in the 1950s the writer Hans Fantel was a […]
Building a system from the ground up? Start with the speakers. Some sage advice from a 1975 essay in High Fidelity magazine. The whole thing can be overwhelming, […]
Introducing Cell Alpha, the world’s first Triphonic speaker. I wasn’t quite sure what to think when I first saw Syng’s Cell Alpha speaker. The clear, almost droid-like design […]
Retro hi-fi and vinyl salesmanship salvaged from the vaults. Though it might now seem hard to fathom, there was a time when record retailers and hi-fi shops earned […]
From June 23 – September 25, the team behind In Sheep’s Clothing will host a series of dedicated listening sessions four nights a week at Neuehouse. After more […]
Ten absurdly beautiful plinth designs. The physical experience of playing vinyl helps listeners rationalize elaborate customizations, from record shelves to speaker stands. One of the most gratifying, and […]
A few basic concepts to get the best sound out of your listening room. With all the time, money and effort spent buying and putting together the hi-fi […]
ISC sits down with Condesa Electronics founder Mehdi El-Aquil to talk mixers, how Condesa came to be, and the future of rotaries. Based in Adelaide, Australia, Condesa Electronics in […]
Classic advertisements and illustrations from the cassette age. When Lou Ottens, who invented the cassette tape, died in March, a host of stories celebrated the life of a […]
Capturing the 70’s hi-fidelity craze in illustrations. If you were lucky enough to be a music freak who could also illustrate, in the 1960s and ‘70s you could […]
All hail the Thorens TD-160, an easily modified and uniquely designed classic turntable. History The famed Thorens TD-160 is pretty much unparalleled when it comes to classic vintage […]
Beautiful Japanese designs from the golden age of record players. Portable technology has always been an essential part of humanity. Whether a stone tool or cellular phone, there’s an […]
Classic Marantz, Klipsch, JBL, and Garrard advertisements from the peak Hi-Fi era. Fifty years ago when magazines were the dominant source of information on listening and hi-fi culture, […]
Take a look inside Chokuritsu Enjin, a small, strictly jazz bar named after Mingus’ Pithecanthropus Erectus. Via Chasing the Sun Moments, a documentary travel series telling stories from […]
Celebrity sound systems featuring Garrard, Tannoy, McIntosh, Thorens, and custom hi-fi equipment. News alert: Celebrities are very much human like the rest of us, despite that popular culture […]
The next part in our intro to hi-fi series focuses on used marketplaces and how to find deals on vintage gear. Finding a killer vintage amp or turntable […]
A wonderfully cheeky video from John Darko on how plants affect the sound of your listening room. If you’ve ever visited audiophile message boards, you’ll notice they’re filled […]
Listening, a recent film by Stereophile, explores how one deaf audiophile experiences music through a Mylar balloon. In a touching video tribute to late writer Art Dudley, Stereophile […]
Background When committing to hi-fi audio gear you’re going to have a lot of choices, and among the most crucial is whether you’ll be looking for a tube […]
Background When Jonathan Weiss first laid eyes on the old stone Oswalds Mill building in the wilds outside of Allentown, Pennsylvania in New Tripoli, he knew it was […]
Continuing our intro to hi-fi series with a look at one of the most important components of the sound system – the phono cartridge. When considering the sound […]
While most architects and designers were busy developing the future of everyday things, a few made the foray into hi-fi and had stunning results. Aiming to add simplicity […]
A look into the label behind the iconic ORIGINAL MASTER RECORDING. If you’ve stepped into a reputable record store or stereo dealer in the past 30 years, you’ve […]
Surprisingly affordable, powerful integrated receivers with warm, clear sound. Background: Maybe it’s the nostalgia. Perhaps it’s the distinctive stainless steel look, with its warm golden glow emanating from […]
Tana Yonas speaks to Blue Note’s Joe Harley on his history with jazz and the upcoming releases in their Tone Poet hi-fi series. Blue Note’s recent Tone Poet […]
For the first piece in our new gear series, we take a look at one of our all time favorite speakers, the Klipsch Heresy. Background: First introduced by […]
Interested in vintage audio gear? The team behind ISC HiFi takes you through the basics and shares a few of their favorites. It’s a hotly debated topic when […]
ISC HiFi releases 20 new (( ROOM RECORDINGS )). Bryan Ling reflects on the inspiration behind these sessions. The room recordings on the ISC website are meant to […]
Making Waves is a 2019 documentary examining how visionary directors work with sound designers to create the most exciting cinematic experiences. The film follows discoveries and advances in […]
Phil Cho speaks to the artist behind dublab’s new Quadraphonic Universally Accessible Resource Kit (QUARK). Kamran V builds bridges between technology and artistry. He’s a producer, sound artist, […]
It would behoove every listener-collector — vinyl freaks and Hi-Fi heads included — to consider subscribing to a streaming service, politics be damned. Yes, royalty payments to your […]
The music lounge known for hosting eclectic listening sets from selectors around the world closes permanently at their At Six Hotel location. Hosoi’s founder, Victor Sanchez, shared this […]
It’s no secret that In Sheep’s Clothing focuses on active listening and the depths to be explored within the grooves of great records. We sell and recommend physical […]
ISC Staff Michael Friedman steps into Wes Katzir’s elegant, industrial Downtown Los Angeles showroom. It doesn’t get any more ‘state of the art’ than this, and one could […]
Notice anything in the recordings in our audio player? Maybe Alice Coltrane’s World Galaxy hums differently than on vinyl or streaming platforms? Perhaps it sounds a little more […]
