Despite its very recent founding in 2025, EchoCore Suppressors managed to take the first and second podium spots in the 5.56mm category at the 2025 Silencer Summit.
Its winning USA-made cans include the Sector 5.56 Full Size and Sector 5.56 Compact suppressors. These were subjected to the industry’s most advanced and transparent testing standards using the Shooter’s Ear (SE) LEQ dBA measurement.
Silencer Summit sets the gold standard for suppressor testing by providing independent, data-driven evaluations of real-world acoustic analysis for leading suppressor manufacturers. More than 375 gun/silencer combinations underwent testing and evaluation during a five-day period.
Most traditional suppressor testing focuses on “peak” sound levels by capturing the loudest spike of a gunshot. However, this measurement doesn’t fully reflect what the human ear experiences. Instead, SE LEQ dBA looks at the equivalent continuous sound level. Sound energy is averaged across a 10-millisecond window for a more realistic picture of what the shooter’s ear actually experiences.
The new American hush-tube manufacturer EchoCore took the first and second place honors thanks to its precision engineering, additive manufacturing, and XCR (Cross Chamber Regulation) technology. That XCR tech is engineered to cut backpressure and still maintain excellent sound and flash reduction.
“Earning first and second place in our debut year validates everything we’ve worked toward,” said Chris Mudgett, founder of EchoCore Suppressors. “EchoCore was built on the belief that true innovation is alive and well in this industry. Our team’s expertise, discipline, and relentless pursuit of performance are what make these results possible — and this is just the beginning.”
All of the company’s suppressors are engineered, manufactured, and tested in the United States.
Silencer Summit was started in 2023 and is hosted annually by Thunder Beast Arms Corporation. The summit has two major objectives. First, it strives “to test as many silencers as possible in one place at one time with the exact same setup.” This provides an apples-to-apples comparison of various suppressor devices.
Second, the summit shares its sound-testing best practices and trains others to do the same. The event is open to all interested suppressor manufacturers, and the results are publicly published for the world to see.
