Essential Install June 2019

INSIDE

The essential magazine for the custom install industry

Cover.indd 1

AVRS AND AMPLIFICATION THE POWER AND THE GLORY

HVAC INTEGRATION

STAY COOL WITH OUR ROUND-UP

June 2019

MATRIX AND SIGNAL MANAGEMENT FIND THE PATH TO TRUE POWER

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2.0

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Essential Install | Contents

The essential magazine for the custom install industry

June 2019

INSIDE

June 2019 AVRS AND AMPLIFICATION THE POWER AND THE GLORY

HVAC INTEGRATION

STAY COOL WITH OUR ROUND-UP

MATRIX AND SIGNAL MANAGEMENT FIND THE PATH TO TRUE POWER

This issue…

REGULARS 5 From the Editor’s Chair

24 Habitech Home Cinema

7 Essential News

30 Essential Review

14 Pulse Cinemas

60 Essential Products

EI Live! reflections

Sell the experience

CI news bulletin

So, is the Sonos AMP up to it?

A trio of top brands joins the line-up

A festival of futuristic kit

Essential Review

30

16 One AV Update Hear the Tigers roar

18 Case Study: Prestige Audio

A real corker of a home cinema

22 Essential CEDIA

What ‘stage’ is your business at?

Case Study: Prestige Audio

18

More powe

The New Sonos A OY19000_SONOS_AMP_400x60_UK-D02.indd 2 | June 2019

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Essential Install | Contents

FEATURES 27 Smart Thinking: The Equaliser?

Patrice Congard ponders some of the big questions in AV

33

Essential HVAC

32 Marketing Master Class A new awareness building service for installers

33 Essential HVAC

Keep hot things hot and cool things cool

40 AVRs and Amplification The power and glory!

48 Essential Matrixes

Essential News

7

Essential Products

60

Some big, fat brain power

Pending first audit.

AVRs & Amplification

40

wer. More possibilities.

os Amp 22/03/2019 13:54 June 2019

Contents.indd 3

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ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER UNPRECEDENTED TECHNICAL SUPPORT 10 YEAR WARRANTY ®

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The engineers at AVPro Edge understand what installers are facing and design products around real-world applications that need dynamic solutions. As an original equipment manufacturer, we are so confident with the reliability of our products that we offer an industry leading 10 year manufacturers warranty. Visit www.avproedge.com to learn more.

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pages 24-25

The EI Live! show provides an important opportunity to test the temperature of the market

From the

Editor’s Desk The middle ground

Daniel J Sait, Editor-in-Chief

So another EI Live! is in the books and if you were there exhibiting or visiting, thanks loads for your support, we hope the experience was a positive one and you will be back for next year. Judging by the reaction from visitors and exhibitors, the show this year, and in particular the new venue, was a very positive experience for all involved and many exhibitors have already signed up for 2020.

Also a thank-you to some of my counterparts in other parts of the media – consumer journalists and other trade titles showed their support this year with attendance, so another positive step there too.

As well as finding out what everyone was exhibiting this year, and there was loads to see and experience, attending EI Live! always provides a good opportunity to see where the industry is at a given point in time.

One of the major themes that struck EI this year was market maturity. Think about it, go back a few years, or even a few more and remember how ‘niche’ the market felt. Think about those early CEDIA shows in Brighton if you were there, and then bring your mind back to where we are today – bit different is it not?

That is natural; all markets on the cutting edge, develop and change as is their nature, however EI does think that particularly at the moment there is a new maturity and marketability that the sector simply has not had before. One of the reasons for this is the move from

manufacturers and distributors to create and deliver products that can appeal to a wider audience. Yes the high-end of this market will always exist and provide many opportunities, however from automation to audio, companies are producing high-performance equipment that will way out perform anything a DIY product or retail proposition could (particularly with the support of a proper installer) but at prices that are attainable, rather than aspirational for many people.

Home cinemas that will blow you away for 20-30K? Automation systems offering more plug and play affordable solutions, quality hi-fi products edging more into the world of install, all provide an opportunity for installers to offer a rainbow of experiences that allow the industry to target ‘middle Britain’, which is far more numerous and, let’s face it, often less challenging to deal with than some of the higher end clients.

What we as an industry can now offer is a genuine up-sell from what a client, even a techie one with some knowledge, will be expecting a system to be able to do and at a price that will tempt them.

Of course, it’s nice to do the big projects for the big bucks, but cash flow-wise, those bread and butter jobs, where the ease of execution and margin is still there, are a huge part of the future and the range of solutions we have at our disposal have never been better to deliver just that.

Essential INSTALL MAGAZINE

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Daniel Sait, dan@allthingsmedialtd.com EDITORIAL COORDINATOR: Jordan O’Brien, jordan@allthingsmedialtd.com SALES DIRECTOR: Ian Kitchener, ian@allthingsmedialtd.com PUBLISHER: David Kitchener, david@allthingsmedialtd.com ACCOUNTS: susan@allthingsmedialtd.com CIRCULATION: carol@allthingsmedialtd.com STUDIOEssential MANAGER: Ben Bristow, ben@allthingsmedialtd.com GRAPHIC DESIGN: Jon Appleton, jon@allthingsmedialtd.com

INSTALL MAGAZINE

Essential Install magazine, Suite 14, 6-8 Revenge Road, Lordswood, Chatham, Kent ME5 8UD. T: +44 (0)1634 673163 F: +44 (0)1634 673173 Whist we make every effort that everything printed in Essential Install magazine is factually correct, we cannot be held responsible if factual errors occur.

All articles are copyright and remain the property of Essential Install magazine.

Essential INSTALL MAGAZINE

Ed's Comment.indd 5

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Essential Install | News

Essential News Smart home happenings and automation announcements

RTI Automation joins Pulse Cinemas

The RTI platform is now part of the Pulse Cinemas family

This latest addition means Pulse Cinemas’ customers can now provide a complete one call solution for the whole market, from AV through to automation.

Kapes Patel, Technical Director of Pulse Cinemas, explains, “We really like the affordability of the RTI platform, coupled to the level of functionality available and its ease of install. The programming is very simple, just a one-day course (which will be held at Pulse Cinemas HQ) and you are up and running. RTI really can control everything.

“Another strong aspect of the system is that it is very ‘open’, and so RTI and its suppliers can create drivers for almost anything, making the system very adaptable.”

RTI has a large family of handheld and in-wall universal controllers, central processors and accessories, alongside customisable software. The company also offers RTiQ, its own cloudbased remote management solution, which delivers many benefits including faster troubleshooting without the need of a site visit. RTiQ allows dealers to be the first to know when a client’s devices fail, or a system is experiencing a problem. With real-time notifications and a quick-reference dashboard, installers can address problems and restore service without the client ever knowing there was an issue.

All RTI solutions are programmed using Integration Designer APEX. This software allows integrators to design a completely custom user interface for intuitive command in residential and commercial environments.

RTI’s automation environment includes some new ways to control the system, like the T4X flagship remote control. Due to arrive this summer, this controller offers a customisable interface via a high-res capacitive LCD touchscreen, and also has the option of hard button control. Made to be ergonomic and intuitive, the T4X also has dualRF and Wi-Fi, grip sensors and an ‘instant on’ accelerometer.

Other new controllers include the KA8 or KA11 for whole house control from 8in and 11in screens respectively.

Laying out the befits of RTI, Simon Schino, Brand Manager for RTI at Pulse Cinemas, said, “It is very fast and easy to programme.

It’s easy to work your way through a project, creating different zones and the other building blocks needed. But just because it is fast, that does not mean you don’t get an attractive fully customised end result. It’s definitely the best of both worlds with RTI.” Simon added, “The other thing to factor in is the price point. For great functionality and ease of programming, you still get a product that is very competitive. So RTI really scores a hattrick of all the things installers could ask for in an automation system.”

Simon enthused, “The good stuff does not end there, however. The training is excellent, and a new one-day course, to be held at Pulse Cinemas HQ, is being added this year. The online training portal is also very good, with different stages taking technical and sales staff through what they need to know in digestible bite sized sessions.”

Another aspect of the RTI platform underlined by the distributor is access to special pricing if a dealer wants to include the system in their showroom set up. If you want more details on that, just get in touch with Pulse Cinemas direct.

Pulse Cinemas 01279 647 039, pulsecinemas.com

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Essential Install | News

Paradigm, Anthem, and MartinLogan purchased by Co-Founder The Paradigm, Anthem, and MartinLogan brands have a new owner

Scott Bagby and John Bagby have announced the successful purchase of Paradigm Electronics, Anthem Electronics, and MartinLogan Loudspeakers, effective May 10, 2019.

Scott Bagby, one of the original founders of Paradigm Electronics, continues as Chairman and assumes the role of CEO. John Bagby, who has been active in many areas in the business over the last several years, takes on the role of MD. “This is an exciting time in the industry and we look forward to the opportunity to move into the future with all three brands. We will continue to maintain and adhere to the core values of each brand as we strive for continuous innovation to deliver products with superior performance and value. We will operate with integrity and respect, building on the great relationships and strong friendships created over the years. This is our commitment to the industry,” Scott said.

Paradigm, Anthem, and MartinLogan are brands with a strong history and commitment to the industry. In addition to products that deliver on innovation and performance, the owners stated industry partners across all three brands can expect a renewed commitment on ease of doing business, focusing on enhanced training and support.

In 2005, Shoreview Industries, a Private Equity firm out of Minneapolis, acquired a controlling interest in Paradigm with Scott continuing with a minority position. Together they created SVI Holdings which then acquired MartinLogan Loudspeakers a short time later. With the purchase of the three brands completed last week, Shoreview Industries has exited the business.

Connected Distribution appointed distributor for Heritage Acoustics

Heritage Acoustics has a new distribution partner in the EU

Connected Distribution has been appointed as distributor for US-based custom installation loudspeaker and accessories brand, Heritage Acoustics, with responsibility for all European territory sales.

Heritage Acoustics, a division of Astrosound Audio, has been an original equipment manufacturer and supplier of loudspeaker products for some of the biggest names in audio, including JBL, Russound, Audiobahn and Carver etc for over 40 years. It is now producing its own range of speakers, speaker selectors, distribution hubs and volume controls under the Heritage Acoustics brand for sale to the custom installation and contractor markets.

Connected Distribution was chosen by Heritage Acoustics to build the brand across all EU based markets and service the many businesses that have expressed interest in specifying Heritage in their projects.

EU and UK-based customers will be able to purchase direct from Heritage Acoustics EU, the dedicated division of Connected Distribution, by visiting the newly created dedicated website for the brand’s European presence. By registering on the site, the customer will have access to trade pricing and volume discount information.

Mike Bonnette, Product Director for Connected Distribution, says, “Heritage Acoustics manufactures a range of high-performance loudspeakers that are perfect for the custom installation, electrical contractor and commercial integrator sectors.

“The company’s pedigree in producing OEM products for some of the biggest names puts them in an enviable position when it comes to producing their own Heritage range, and the name Heritage couldn’t be more perfect.” He continues, “The product range covers all requirements from high quality, low cost in-ceiling speakers to very high performance in-walls and external speakers, plus distribution hubs, switches and volume controls. There is a product for all instances and we are delighted to be representing this exciting brand across Europe.”

Connected Distribution 01242 511 133, connecteddistribution.com, heritageacoustics-eu.com

June 2019 | 9 News.indd 9

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Essential Install | News

Control4 and SnapAV are to merge as OS 3 launches

SnapAV and Control4 announce merger as OS 3 launches SnapAV, manufacturer and primary source of AV, surveillance, networking and remote management products for professional integrators, and Control4 Corporation, smart home specialist, have announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement whereby SnapAV will acquire Control4 in an all-cash transaction for $23.91 per share in cash, representing an aggregate value of approximately $680 million.

The companies said this complementary combination will leverage the increased resources of the two companies to provide integrators with a true one-stop shop, offering a complete product portfolio of custom smart-home, control and automation solutions.

Together, SnapAV and Control4 say they will drive increased innovation, simplified integration and compelling solutions that meet the demands of today’s expanding smart home industry. With a wide range of technology solutions, a broad geographic footprint and strong service organisations, the combined company is promising to provide integrators with better opportunities to serve customers in the connected home and business markets. Control4’s board of directors has unanimously approved and recommended that stockholders vote in favor of the transaction.

More than 1,200 employees of the combined company will be led by SnapAV CEO, John Heyman, and an executive team made up of leaders from both SnapAV and Control4. Control4 CEO, Martin Plaehn, will join the board of directors of the combined company, helping to ensure a smooth integration of the businesses.

The news comes just as Control4 announced a major overhaul of its operating system, with the launch of its OS 3 platform.

The company said that more than 1,000 new features have been added including the addition of ‘favourites’, a feature many users have been asking for that will make navigating the Control 4 Smart Home OS 3 easier.

Using Favourites on OS 3, users will be able to bring any of their most-used features to the front and centre on any control device.

That means whether a homeowner chooses to control their Control4 system through the mobile app, touchscreen or a TV, they’ll be able to easily find their favourite device, service, scene or playlist with a single tap.

OS 3 also boasts support for more than 13,500 third-party devices and 7,500 Control4 SDDP-embedded products, while Control4 has also added native support for MQA. That means high-resolution audio streaming through TIDAL masters and a user’s own MQAencoded music collection is now just a tap away.

Check out all the highlights in our comprehensive round-up on sister website essentialinstall.com.

Control4 01347 812 300, control4.com

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Essential Install | News

Essential people

Andrew Rump

Robert Keeler

Genelec is deepening its on-the-ground customer support in the UK with the appointment of Andy Bensley, whose new role as Regional Business Development Manager is effective immediately. Andy is already closely associated with Genelec after more than six years of service with UK distributor Source Distribution, first as the company’s Pro Audio Product Specialist then later as Brand Manager. Both roles saw Andy play a central, hands-on role in the growth of Genelec within the influential UK market as he commissioned and supported dozens of high-profile projects.

In his new role, he will continue to provide support to ongoing Genelec activities while also delivering new opportunities for training, education and more at the Genelec Experience Centre in London. Through his close personal connections with key facilities, Andy will bring the company closer to its major UK customers, support Source Distribution in its efforts and play a very important role in the company’s future European sales and marketing activities, offering additional expertise to some projects outside the UK too. “Becoming a part of the Genelec family is a huge honour for me,” said Andy. “This role is an exciting opportunity to work closely with our customers in all market segments from music recording to installed audio. It’s a privilege to represent a brand which genuinely strives to add real value to its customers, not only through the development of innovative products but by doing so with a sincere passion and love for audio.”

Global AV distribution specialist, Maverick AV Solutions has appointed Naina Tailor as its UK sales director, to lead customer engagement as it expands the company’s AV/IT customer base with new manufacturer partnerships and global capabilities.

Naina joined the team shortly after Maverick’s recent partnership announcements with Huddly and Microsoft, which complement its portfolio of smart meeting and signage solutions. With over 15 years’ experience in the industry, Naina has built her career working with Sony UK, Lenovo and most recently Midwich.

Naina explained, “The move to the Maverick team is an exciting step and one where I’ll be able to develop both the internal and external sales teams, as well as maintaining the business as a distributor of choice for the AV channel. Maverick already has a brilliant client portfolio and has positioned itself at the forefront of where the industry is moving, so I will be supporting growth with both my technical specialism and team development skills, delivering exceptional value and service to our customers.”

Naina will be based in the Basingstoke HQ for Maverick UK, which has demonstration facilities for the portfolio of smart signage and meeting technologies.

Smart home trade association CEDIA has announced that Robert Keeler has joined the CEDIA staff as the Senior Director of Sales, Sponsorships, and Partnerships.

In this role, Robert will be responsible for facilitating the achievement of current and long-term sales plans and positioning of CEDIA’s industry relationships.

Richard brings extensive industry sales experience to this role, having spent two decades in the consumer electronics and custom integration channel, most recently as the Vice President of Sales at Stewart Filmscreen.

He has also held roles at Screen Innovations, Pioneer Electronics, BDI and Hitachi.

“I am thrilled that Robert has joined our team; he has a proven track record and is incredibly well respected in

Naina Tailor

the channel. I know he will do a fantastic job of engaging with members and understanding how CEDIA can better fulfil its role of connecting the industry,” said Giles Sutton, Senior Vice President of Industry Engagement.

Richard added, “I am incredibly passionate about this industry and I look forward to this next chapter and taking a wider look at the entire channel to see how CEDIA can continue to support growth for members and for the industry a whole.”

Technological Innovations Group (TIG) has announced the appointment of Andrew Rump to the position of Regional Sales Manager, UK & Ireland.

With over 20 years of industry experience, Andrew joins TIG from Sony Professional Solutions where he was responsible for developing the company’s corporate and education relationships as well as ensuring that exceptional customer service and customer satisfaction was provided.

TIG was appointed as the strategic sales partner for Oblong Industries’ flagship UC solution, Mezzanine, in Europe at ISE 2019. Andrew will work closely with TIG’s Director of Sales, Steven Dullaert, and the rest of the Mezzanine sales team to boost the sales of Oblong’s immersive collaborative solution.

Andrew said: “I am incredibly pleased and fortunate to be joining the TIG team at such an exciting time in the company history and being part of the future development. Working on providing AV solutions that not only improve business and workflow but provide next level WOW for clients across various markets is of course where AV should be, Oblong delivers exactly that.

I am looking forward to engaging with new and existing clients as well as many new AV partners in delivering world class solutions.”

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WE CREATE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE CONNECTED WORLD A wave of digitisation is sweeping our world and increasingly shaping and altering how we act and live, our homes and workplaces, businesses, public facilities and spaces – even entire cities. Digital technologies are now omnipresent. Everything is communicating with everything else: people with devices, devices with other devices, buildings with people, and buildings with other buildings. It’s up to us to

In every system, multiple components interact in very important ways. Many of our products incorporate a number of basic AV and IT functions to perform a range of tasks, even over long distances.

This is the philosophy that guides us – Combined Connectivity Solutions.

shape our digital future so it will yield the greatest benefits.

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DISCOVER LINDY lindy.com

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Essential Install | Pulse Cinemas

IsoTek solutions protect AV equipment from surges and spikes, as well as cleaning power so AV equipment can deliver content in pristine condition

Three thinking from Pulse Cinemas Effective distribution is about constantly evolving to offer installation partners and end users something new and exciting. Pulse Cinemas has recently added three top new names to expand the opportunities when working with this value-added distributor.

The most recent addition is the RTI automation platform meaning the company can now provide a complete one call solution for the whole market from AV through to automation.

Kapes Patel, Technical Director of Pulse Cinemas, explains, “We really like the affordability of the RTI platform coupled to the level of functionality available and its ease of install. The programming is very simple, just a three-day course (which will be held at Pulse Cinemas HQ) and you are up and running. RTI really can control everything.

“Another strong aspect of the system is that it is very ‘open’ and so RTI and its suppliers can create drivers for almost anything, making the system very adaptable. Plus, the company does all of this free of charge.”

Simon Schino will be the brand manager for RTI and the platform will receive technical support from Kapes and Simon Gibbs – get in touch to find out more.

Every AV component has one thing in common, they need clean, controlled power to work at their best.

The only way to ensure this is to use a range of products that, before it ever gets to the equipment,

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Essential Install | Pulse Cinemas

Creating increased control and connectivity between AV systems is now easier with the Pulse-Eight range

®

RTI automation is the latest product to join the Pulse Cinemas family

cleans and controls that power, which these days is compromised like never before.

21st century homes are stuffed full of interference in the power network. This is because ‘differential mode noise’ is increased by the switch-mode power supplies that are found on many of today’s devices such as computers, kitchen equipment, smartphones, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth products, compromising the supply your AV equipment relies on to deliver controlled performance.

However, help is at hand as UK manufacturer IsoTek creates a whole family of solutions that not only protect equipment from surges and spikes, but clean the power so AV equipment has the raw material it needs to deliver content in pristine condition.

A true engineering company, the firm’s RnD is led by Company Founder and Managing Director, Keith Martin, an industry expert in this field. Keith’s knowledge of the issues here is second to none and is one of the main reasons Pulse Cinemas wanted to secure the supply of this constantly evolving brand. The company has recently added to its large family of protection and conditioning equipment with the Super Nova. The most sophisticated (passive) front-end source component power cleaning system IsoTek has ever developed. The company’s family of products extends all way from relatively simple power bars all the way up to high-end products like the Super Nova, whatever the project, there is a solution which IsoTek can offer that will give your equipment the platforms it needs to shine.

The addition of the capable family of AV control and distribution systems from another UK manufacturer, Pulse-Eight, also fits perfectly into the existing Pulse Cinemas family. Adding Pulse-Eight was another victory for this joined up thinking as Pulse Cinemas says creating increased control and connectivity between AV systems is now easier with the Pulse-Eight range.

Highlights from PulseEight’s product offering include the neo:X Video and Audio Matrix which delivers eight HDMI inputs, eight HDBaseT outputs and two HDMI outputs as well as an integrated audio matrix.

This product can extend 4K images up to 100m and deliver a 1080p image as far as 150m, all over a single Cat5e/6/7 cable. Other features include Ultra

HD 4K video transmission (up to 600Mhz), 1080p, 3D, full HDCP 2.2 support, audio return channel and audio breakout of input sources. Other systems in the neo matrix range include the neo:8 and neo:4 Professional, which feature HDMI-CEC bi-directional control, Alexa compatibility, bi-directional IR control, responsive web interface, automatic EDID management and come with a three-year warranty.

The new ProAudio range delivers a series of DSP pre-amp audio matrixes, with built in audio conversion, lip sync delay, volume and tone controls, in many cases eliminating the need for an audio receiver.

Kapes sums up, “Our world constantly evolves, so we need to evolve with it. These fully supported latest additions to our offering mean our install partners can offer anything the client needs to make their AV, home cinema or home control dreams come true.”

Pulse Cinemas 01279 647 039, pulsecinemas.com

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Essential Install | OneAV

Find Liberty with Just Add Power Just Add Power, one of OneAV’s leading manufacturers, has teamed up with Miestro Home Integration to transform the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium locker rooms.

An impressive use of Just Add Power transformed the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium locker rooms

The regulated leagues of the National Collegiate Athletic Association is a hugely competitive and ever growing industry. Bringing in around $1 billion dollars every year, the University of Memphis wanted to step up their game to set themselves apart in terms of recruiting new players.

Enter the collaboration of Just Add Power and Miestro Home Integration. The University of Memphis came armed with a list of must-haves for their locker room including a plethora of video walls, interactive boards/screens, and insane high-quality speakers.

Miestro delivered in style with a whopping 117in video image with a Pro Audio Technology in-wall/in-ceiling sound system that reaches volume levels of 120dB for the main locker room, to help pump the ‘Tigers’ during their pre-game warm-up routines. Each locker now comes integrated with its own 32in screen, displaying vital information about each player including their jersey number and a photo. Also included is a four-zone Triad audio system paired with Control4 10in wall mounted touchscreens and custom keypads to help launch personalised scenes that change before every week of the football season.

It wasn’t just the locker room that had a makeover either, as the team wanted to upgrade their coaching area. A 98in Planar UltraRes screen with quad-display technology was installed by the coaches podium to help demonstrate plays, draw up gameplans, and help the Tigers get ahead of the game.

So we’ve seen what Miestro brought to the table, but what about Just Add Power? Impressively, this entire system is powered by a Just Add Power 4K video platform with 23 sources/display nodes. Using the power of 4K HDR support, local HDMI loop out, and videowall mode, this was the perfect accompaniment to all of the impressive tech that Miestro provided. At Just Add Power,

the company likes to say that its design and manufacturing philosophy is ‘evolutionary, not revolutionary’, a maxim born out in its ability to deliver what was needed here with reliability and all the functionality needed.

And if that’s not enough, Just Add Power is so confident in the technology that the company has added a five-year warranty on all of the maker’s products, meaning that installers have peace of mind that each project and customer investment is protected. OneAV says it is proud to distribute Just Add Power and what makes this news even more exciting, is that the warranty is valid for all 3G products that have previously been purchased, so not only can new customers take advantage of it, but existing and loyal customers can too.

If installers are unsure if any already purchased or installed product is included in the new warranty arrangement, or to learn more about Just Add Power products, contact OneAV direct.

OneAV 01684 576 348, oneav.co.uk

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30/05/2019 10:10

Top dogs in HDMI and AV over IP Just Add Power have more hardware, more options and more exibility than anyone else in the game.

Essential Install | Case Study; Prestige Audio

Prestige Audio has let the audio dogs loose on this fine sounding cinema

From car to cinema star

EI takes a look under the hood of this well-appointed and innovative Dolby Atmos 7.2.4 created by Prestige Audio.

Joe Carri, Commercial Director, takes up the story, “This is a client who we have worked with in the past. Prestige Audio originally installed high end audio systems in his cars, Lamborghini, Ferrari and a couple of BMWs, we then installed a cinema in his previous house, this is his latest home. We installed the cinema as well as other AV/ Automation around the property.”

The company’s goals when designing a cinema for a client are always the same and make sure the customer has the best possible all around experience.

Joe argues, “Comfort is absolutely key. If a client doesn’t enjoy the room, they just won’t use it, it’s a simple as that. Uncomfortable headphones at £10,000 just won’t get used. Even if they are the best sounding, the user experience spoils the performance, so we always bear that in mind.”

Joe underlines that ease of use, combined with performance, are also big when creating its cinema projects.

Joe says, “Complicated systems frustrate clients, hence our custom interface for Crestron Control systems is a favourite.

In terms of performance, sound in our opinion, is the most difficult to get right, so we place a lot of our expertise there.

Picture is never easy either, but usually is always driven by the quality of the equipment and proper calibration.”

Of course the other factor that needs to be taken into account is budget, and there can be necessary compromises that come up there.

Joe argues, “As always, every client has a budget.

However, we need to keep our integrity to ensure the client’s budget isn’t the primary goal. By doing this, clients can often be disappointed and miss out on improvements that some well thought out additional budget can bring.”

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Essential Install | Case Study; Prestige Audio

Delving into the detail

A visit to the Pulse Cinemas demo facility really took the spec of the cinema up a notch

The room the cinemas was to be created in is roughly 5m by 5m. The client stated originally that he wanted a ‘high performing’ cinema for around £30,000 – £40,000. However, the company wanted the client to see just what was possible and so arranged for him to visit a proper demonstration space to experience some top performing cinemas.

Joe explains, “We invited the client to Pulse Cinemas to demonstrate various cinema systems. Decision made. The customer definitely wanted big cinema performance, which for one of the systems he experienced could be priced at just over £200,000 for equipment only, say £300,000 after installation, wall treatment, seats and automation, however, we had to stay within £150,000 including seats, lighting and floor/wall fabrication. With regarding choosing the products, he really left it to us and we had to design a system that would hit our internal goals.”

So, well worth a trip to the demo facility as the budget/ performance ratio was still a challenge, but the client has definitely been up-sold by the experience.

The interior was designed by a combination of client input and and Prestige Audio.

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Essential Install | Case Study; Prestige Audio

So, what are the team particularly pleased with now it’s all finished and commissioned?

Joe enthuses, “The picture detail we get from the Digital Projection high contrast projector delivers stunning results, the other is accuracy of sound reproduction when we were finished setting up. We have some Sheffield Labs (high-end audiophile recording label) demo and test discs that we are very familiar with and were quite surprised with the performance from the front speakers, both in terms of tonality and imaging. We always say that if a cinema doesn’t perform on audio, it won’t perform well during a movie, after all who knows what a laser, ray gun, or King Kong really sounds like? Some of us have heard gun shots, but we are few and far between.”

Joe adds, “The client was initially blown away by the picture, however after we spent some time helping him pick up (understand) tonality, staging and imaging on the sound. He really got it, and often calls and tells us his cinema outperforms his friends, especially on the sound side, which we all know is the hardest to get right.”

Prestige Audio 01923 801400, prestigeaudio.co.uk Its important for the room to feel personal and comfortable, other wise it wont get used

Joe explains, “Our brief on the design was simple, dark, non-reflective colours. No glass coffee table in front of the screen! Many of your readers will know that a darker room with non-reflective walls, floors and ceiling will increase the perceived performance of the projector, however this has an equally big impact on the sound due to the way our brains and ears work. We compromised on the pictures the client wanted on the wall.”

Challenge wise, like all projects this one had its moments.

Joe recalls, “Our biggest challenges were speaker locations and the windows. There were two small windows that were not centred on the rear wall and another large window on the left-hand wall (looking at the screen) so speaker placements were compromised.

“Diffusers around the rear speakers helped. We had a similar issue with the side speakers, whilst not ideal, the sides were installed in the ceiling, we selected the Paradigm CI Pro P80-A speakers for this. The room correction offered by the AudioControl M5 processor helped, as well as lot of system tuning to modify the Dirac correction delivered by the processor. As the room was on the smaller side, we could sacrifice max SPL levels and this was another compromise the client was happy with to achieve the allocated budget.”

Some of the other kit that went into completing the cinema included Lutron window treatments, control via a Crestron TSR 302, a Prismasonic Anamorphic Lense partnering the Digital Projection Atlas 1 projector and for video sources a Kaliedescape Strato 6TB machine and a Pioneer UDP-LX500 4K Blu-Ray Player.

Essential Kit List • Rako Keypad • 3 x Lutron: Curtain Rail • 2 x Lutron: Blind • Crestron: MC3 • Crestron: Remote TSR 302 • Digital Projection: Atlas 1 • Prismasonic Anamorphic Lense • Screen Research: 3.5m XLR3 SR Wide 235 Acoustically Transparent Projection Screen (lateral masking) • Kaliedescape: Strato 6TB • Pioneer: UDP-LX500 4K Blu-Ray Player • Apple TV: 4K 64GB TV Box • AudioControl: M5 • AudioControl: Pantages • AudioControl: Savoy • Paradigm: X850

The client loves the images and particularity the sound of the new cinema

• Paradigm: CI Pro Elite E7 Series Speakers • 4 x Paradigm: RCV12 Subwoofers • Starlight MaxiLEDRGBW DMX Light source

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24/05/2019 15:30

Essential Install | CEDIA

Survive, grow and remain competitive Paul says there are five stages that every business goes through - which stage is yours at?

Paul Laville, CEO of T21 Group, provides key business advice for CEDIA home technology businesses.

I like simplicity, so the ‘five-stage life-cycle’ that describes the different stages a business will pass through during its lifetime appeals to me greatly. Plus, it applies to all businesses without exception.

The five stages in my simple cycle are: 1. Start-up, 2.

Growth, 3. Shake out, 4. Maturity, 5. Decline.

In all of these life stages, there are three key metrics: sales, cash and profit.

In the start-up phase, sales are slow, cash is limited, and profit is negligible. You need sales to come in and if you’re doing the selling, delivering the service, and running the business, it’s very easy to concentrate so much on sales that you relegate the focus on cash and profitability. It’s easy to develop a tunnel-vision approach to your business that can be harmful, not only to its growth, but also to your health.

And, if your sales techniques are lacking, then there’s a real danger your business won’t succeed.

In the growth phase, sales are picking up and you break even. Cash inflow is good and now you can repay debts, pay yourself, your partners, and your employees.

Your products and services are of proven value in the marketplace, and, maybe, there’s opportunity to expand.

However, when you expand, your costs increase — bigger offices, more staff, more vans, warehousing, and so on — and your profitability dives. It will pick up, but you may need to cut redundant processes, change suppliers, renegotiate contracts, etc, to help manage your expansion, in other words, shake-out the business. Get it right and you’ll enter maturity, after which, unless you continually diversify and restart the cycle in new markets, you’ll enter the decline phase of the business life-cycle, also known as the ‘retirement plan.’

Every one of these stages has to be managed, by which I mean you need strategies for getting through them. If you don’t have a strategy, then you may find that your business flounders, reacting to short-term issues — firefighting rather than growing. It’s easy to blame disruption on external forces — I won’t mention Brexit — but there are things that you just can’t control. Move on.

The Business Training workshops we’ve been running with CEDIA aim to help you form a sound business strategy and sharpen your sales skills no matter which stage your business is at. I know it’s difficult — if you’re a solo enterprise or a small partnership — to find the time to set out a business or sales strategy, or even to attend the courses which can help you do so. But, if you can make the time to see us, then it’s time well spent, because we can give you the insight and tools to help you manage your business strategy, take control, and make it successful.

Throughout 2019, we’ll be running courses specifically designed to review and develop your commercial business strategy. We’ll also be offering a Consultative Selling Skills workshop that will take you through the key stages of up-to-the-minute solution-based consultative selling techniques with powerful closing strategies. It’s not a hard-sell, but it is a persuasive one designed to create long-lasting relationships with your customers and gain profitable, premium-level sales for your business.

For more information on what’s available to help your business, and to book a place, visit cediaeducation.com, or take a look at our website www.t21uk.com.

CEDIA 01480 213 744, cedia.co.uk

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Essential Install | Habitech

The Sonance/CinemaTech Theatre offers your customers the unforgettably immersive experience of a pristine custom cinema environment that can be entirely re-created in their homes

Make room for magic!

Don’t sell the system, sell the complete experience into the homes of your customers, down to the very last frequencies says Habitech’s home cinema specialist Craig Wheeler…

According to the ancient laws of CEDIA you can talk till your blue about tech, but sell simplicity and you’ll close the deal. Today, surrounded by all kinds of IoT smarts, ordinary rich folk want simple access to powerful functionality on a plate and don’t give a stuff about how it gets there. So this is how we sell high performance cinema: not with specs or system configurations, but simply by letting that immersive, unforgettable first encounter do all the work.

Universal blueprint for success

At 1.3m tall, three Wisdom Audio LS8i in-wall line-source LCRs form the front sound-stage in the Wisdom Theatre

The clincher for your business and Habitech’s is our ability to replicate the impact of that experience in every residential space. To the ‘can I have this in my home’ question, we simply say ‘yes’, emphatically, every time. Combined with the proven systems versatility and performance of our flagship cinema brands, our notso-secret weapon, CinemaTech, gives us the power to emulate the look, sound and feel of high-end Habitech cinema virtually anywhere. By selling the experience of sight, sound, acoustics and room design tuned into one compelling and transferable package, we can supply the ‘wow’ that makes every decision simpler. Forget the tech for a moment, it’s Habitech’s reliably repeatable and scalable introduction to luxury cinema that invariably seals the deal.

Theatre of Dreams

And the special sauce in the Habitech design recipe is the ability to control room reverberation whatever the size and shape of the space. With this constant in play, we have the confidence to support and enhance your project, involving anything from compact ‘Atmos’ systems to the biggest ticket builds. The logic is irrefutable: when every listener uses reverberation to analyse and determine the nature and character of the space they’re in, it follows that by controlling reverberation we can ‘equalise’ the acoustics of different rooms. In deploying Cinematech’s advanced and proven low-profile room treatments, our installer partners can reproduce the acoustics and therefore the experience of the original demo for every customer. They can, in fact, liberate the sound of any system, in any space, making it fuller, richer and more natural.

Proving the power of EQ

As part of our product research we’ve documented the power of optimal acoustics to transform cinema sound quality. While building the Sonance Reference Theatre, we invited leading pro acousticians Veal Associates to measure the space before and after CinemaTech treatment. Their independent report found that ‘the wall

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Essential Install | Habitech

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Bring us your customers and we’ll help you to reproduce their Habitech theatre experience at home, right down to the last few frequencies. What’s more, the process is bespoke, so with the assistance of CinemaTech, you’ll be able to supply your client’s aesthetic design choices as well! We’re not talking local Odeon, but an expertly choreographed transfer of home comforts to a dedicated and beautifully original home cinema space.

High performance in easy steps

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The CinemaTech effect: how the Sonance/ CinemaTech room measured before and after treatment

Sonance Reference in-wall/ceiling speakers help to provide discreet fidelity in the Sonance/ CinemaTech Theatre

finishes dampened construction resonances and resolved the room acoustic effects to provide a more consistent and even reverberation with a faithful sound field over the listening area’, recording ‘a reduction in low frequency reverberation time around 60Hz’, along with ‘general improvements across the lower frequencies’, improved sound pressure levels and ‘better defined’ speaker dynamics. In other words, when the influence of the room is mitigated, the sound becomes naturally immersive.

Unsurprisingly every acoustically-optimised environment becomes the perfect playground for our world-class brands including JVC, Dalite/Projecta, Panamorph, Yamaha, Arcam, Sonance and Wisdom Audio. The systems in our new suite of rooms at Basingstoke are able to amplify the emotional heft of home cinema in easy steps, from our flush and surface-mounted media room systems, to the immersive chemistry of our acousticallyoptimised CinemaTech/Sonance Reference Theatre, culminating in the luxurious 9.4.4 flagship Wisdom Theatre, complete with JVC 4K e-shift DLA-NX9 projector and CinemaTech treatment. It’s a good/better/best scenario that addresses the widest range of budgets and applications. Simplifying further, we’ve put a ‘package’ price on the complete Sonance Theatre and on the Wisdom Theatre, so your customers can buy everything they see ‘off the shelf’.

Make room for magic

Whether the brief is for super-discreet surround around a telly or the ultimate in bespoke home cinema luxury, you can rely on us to help you get your project smoothly over the line, starting of course with a hugely motivational demonstration. We’ll empower your design capabilities and help you to unlock new business simply by demonstrating and replicating the quality in every jaw-dropping detail. After all, the very best experiences always sell themselves!

Habitech 01256 638500, habitech.co.uk

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24/05/2019 15:32

Essential Install | Smart Thinking

The equaliser?

In the first of a series, AV expert Patrice Congard, CEO of Screen Excellence/Audio Excellence, gives his view on some of the most common problems in home cinema design and argues the industry might be offering misleading solutions.

This month, early reflections and equalisation.

Graph 1: This graph is displayed with is displayed with a logarithmic frequency scale most commonly used

Home Cinema techniques have improved in quite an impressive way since the turn of this millennium. However, designing a system remains challenging because of the higher level of expectations, the constraints and the budget limitations.

The constraints include a defined room, often with small size that is acoustically problematic and additional décor requirements. Finally, the budget is often too limited to use the techniques that are applied in recording studio control rooms, which could be regarded as a model for home cinema due their often limited size.

Reflections from various room surfaces are generally qualified as ‘early’ when they arrive at the ear less than 20ms after the initial sound wave. These reflections are generally ‘discrete’, meaning that they can be identified individually.

There are many reflections arriving later than 20ms after the first wavefront, however their relative level will have decreased by the additional distance travelled (nearly 7m for 20ms) such that they merge into reverberation.

Reverberation is desirable in small amounts, defining the acoustic signature of a room and avoiding the oppressive feeling experienced in a pure anechoic room.

Early reflections are not beneficial in any respect.

They tend to blur the intelligibility of sound and create some audio oddities. In recording studio control rooms, a specific geometry is often used in the design to create a ‘reflection free zone’ where no reflection reaches the listener earlier than 20ms after the first wavefront. This allows the sound engineer to hear the sound as it is, without the inconvenience of an anechoic environment.

Measured effects

Early reflections, due to their delay with respect to the initial sound, create multiple phase cancellations at all frequencies where the difference in time of arrival is equal to ½ period or any multiple thereof (or travelling distance differs by any multiple of ½ wavelength). The combination of the direct sound with one single reflection, when measured with an appropriate tool (spectrum analyser), provides a response that looks like a comb, and hence nicknamed ‘comb-filtering’.

Fortunately, our brain is not perceiving the response the way it is displayed by a frequency response graph. It makes a difference between the first wavefront and any subsequent reflection, giving priority to first sound heard.

This is called the ‘precedence effect’.

Further, let’s describe what happens in a simplified case of one single reflection on a perfectly reflecting surface.

The comb-filtered response shown in graph two would suggest that there is a sound emitted by the source containing a 1.5kHz frequency (where there is a null in the response), we would not hear the entire sound as the 1.5kHz content would be wiped off (and 2.5kHz, 3.5kHz, etc… as well). However, this is not the case.

Remember, the reflected sound reaches our ears after the direct one. So, we do hear the full frequency spectrum emitted by the source. The first wavefront is not affected by the reflection, it is totally ‘anechoic’. Later, the sound decay is modified by the reflection. But this is less important to our ears.

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Essential Install | Smart Thinking

The right response

Now, imagine that, concerned by the appearance of the comb-filtered response displayed by our measurement system, we try to correct it by means of equalisation.

First, it is just not possible: at a null, you can increase the gain as much as you want, you’ll still have a null.

Second – and this is seriously concerning – most analysers offer an averaging function, typically by 1/3 octave. So, the null in the response is hidden, only the average level of this 1/3 octave band is being displayed instead. As a result of the null, the whole 1/3 octave band will be displayed as being down by 3 to 5dB with respect to the reference level.

Third, it is tempting to take action, and to increase the gain in that 1/3 octave band to compensate for what looks like a loss.

The result is: the first wavefront (or direct sound) will have an increased gain of 3 to 5dB (according to what has been displayed) in the frequency band, resulting in a quite perceptible coloration.

Remember, the most important direct sound does not exhibit the null we have tried to equalise!

Another thing to bear in mind, is that the frequency of the nulls depends on the difference in distance between the sound source and the microphone position. Therefore, if you place the microphone in another position, the comb-filtering will still occur, but with a shift in the nulls frequencies.

Some analysers and measurement/equalisation software propose a multi-measurement averaging. This only makes things worse!

Graph 2: This graph represents the same as Graph One, but with a linear instead of logarithmic frequency scale.

It explains the designation ‘comb filtering’. The grey line shows the direct sound only

“Early reflections are not beneficial in any respect: They tend to blur the intelligibility of sound and create some audio oddities.”

Not only the first step in this process consists of equalising a displayed frequency response that does not correspond to the reality, but it is supposed to average these displayed responses that are not correlated.

You have to bear in mind that if a sound system is well designed or even just correct, it does not have nulls nor imbalances in its response. The measured response is just a build-up of the many nulls in the decaying sound generated by the multiple reflections. Eventually, such responses present random variations according to the measurement position.

So, to summarise, the sound system generates a relatively satisfying first wavefront that is perceived as such by the listener. Then the multiple reflections create a randomly uneven response in the sound decay.

The installer now has the choice:

•S pending hours and having a serious headache trying to equalise the system in a way that is more or less consistent in various positions (or accepting that it will only be good enough in one prime seating position), and then trying to persuade themselves that it sounds good despite all the added coloration due to the equalisation.

• Optimising the system for the first wavefront only (this can be done with any time-windowed measurement system, like MLSSA), and disregarding the erratic response of the sound decay.

Option two is the one I recommend. The sound decay is not as important as the first wavefront, and it can only be optimised by acoustic means. Never will the most advanced equalisation software be able to match the results obtained with a thorough acoustic design. Now, if acoustic design is out of reach because of budget or room shape/ size limitations, you will still be better off by defeating the room equalisation functions on your AV processor.

I’m not meaning here that equalisation cannot be useful. Thorough parametric or shelving equalisation can be used for optimising the first wavefront, and this provides excellent results when combined with the use of an adequate measurement system. But ‘equalisation’ does not mean ‘room equalisation’.

Screen Excellence/Audio Excellence, 01394 420 220 screenexcellence.com, audioexcellence.one

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AI Security for the Smart Home 01908 443 660 contact@lilin.uk meritLILIN.com

INVISION UK IS LILIN’S PARTNER AND DISTRIBUTOR FOR THE CUSTOM INSTALL SECTOR IN THE UK.

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24/05/2019 15:28

EssentialREVIEW Sonos Amp

Simply Sonos?

This month, our specialist trade reviewer, Richard Stevenson, takes a look under the hood of the much anticipated Sonos Amp.

The Sonos Amp takes over from the old Connect device, packing in more install features and even better build quality into a svelte and rather good-looking case. The Connect was always the easiest way to add a powered music zone to any install, leveraging Sonos’s slick app mesh wireless networking to get sound into a zone without cabling infrastructure. Despite the Connect’s fairly humble 55W output, many installers were are also happy to put them into racks, albeit having to work around the clunky size and shape, and deal with the heat output. The Amp is a better fit for CI audio in every way. It is much easier to rack mount on a tray, being only 1.5U tall and half rack width, and innovative heat sinking means it runs cooler despite packing over twice the power output of the original Connect. Cooling is a mix of through-unit venting, from the base up to the circular vent moulding in the top surface, and a die-case aluminium sub-chassis that acts as a heat sink.

Power is supplied by very efficient direct digital feedback amps with discrete output stages to keep things running as cool as possible in the first place.

Even the printed circuit boards are painted black which, Sonos claims, makes them better at radiating heat. The upshot of all this thermal management is cool running and stackable architecture for maximum zone in minimal space. For example, eight Amps stacked four-high side-by-side would only take up 6U of rack space.

Installation

Underneath the Amp there is a small threaded socket to secure it to a rack shelf, and all of the rear panel connections are flush or recessed to keep the front to back dimensions of a fully connected Amp as compact as possible. To that end the supplied figure-eight mains cable is a bespoke flush-fit design and the four flush

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EssentialREVIEW Sonos Amp

4mm banana plug sockets are supplied with beautifully engineered shallow banana plugs with side cable entry to keep things neat. Other hard connections on offer are analogue stereo input, ARC HDMI input, optical input (with the optional optical to HDMI adapter) and a subwoofer output. The latter deploys a user-adjustable a 50-110Hz crossover in the app, auto enabled/ disabled when a sub connection is detected.

Network connectivity comes courtesy of 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi or hardwired RJ45 Ethernet.

Sonos have usefully thought to include a second RJ45 allowing you to daisy-chain the network connection to several Amps without having to take separate feeds from the network switch. If you are running hardwired network connection, you can shut off the Wi-Fi to each Amp in the app to reduce the wireless signal chaos in the rack.

Once installed, illuminated touch controls on the fascia give you play/pause, next/previous and volume control without delving into the app, and there is an IR receiver for remote control. This can be set-up to use a TV remote volume for the Amp’s volume control.

Set up

Connecting an Amp to the network and the Sonos app is seamless and all but fully automatic. For Wi-Fi you need to press the join button on the rear of the Amp and follow the instructions to drop in the Wi-Fi network password. Hardwired units appear in the app virtually instantly. You can allocate a zone name to each device, set parental controls, sign-in to a wide selection of music services, search for uPnP server and so on.

Sonos’s experience as one of the first companies into the ‘streaming system’ space, means the control app is the slickest on the market bar none. It is fast, seamless, logical and packed with features that are easy to find.

Performance From its rack-compatible dimensions to the super-slick app, the Amp is an exceptionally adept powered zone audio device. It’s about as plug-and-play as multi-room streaming audio gets, and absolutely ideal for ‘lite’ multi-room installs without a control system backbone.

Delve into the menus and there are some further clever tricks up the Amp’s sleek casework. It can be configured to add rear channels to a Sonos soundbar for 4.1 surround sound, albeit decoding only Dolby based formats rather than any DTS variants. It is also AirPlay2 certified, allowing comprehensive streaming from iOS devices and Siri voice control.

On the missing list from Amp, or rather Sonos per se, is any ability to play high resolution audio or MQA files. Given the increasing number of services looking to implement premium HRA services to catch up with Tidal, that might be an issue for true audiophile customers. The high-power output is relatively agnostic of speaker load, and we successfully simultaneously drove four inceiling speakers per channel using parallel-wired series pairs.

Driving full-size, full range audiophile loudspeakers, the Amp gives a very good account of itself especially considering its features, outstanding build quality and sub-£600 retail price. Installs for main room audiophile performance will need more affluent electronics but for baseline multi-room audio driving a range of install speakers, the Amp is an extremely flexible and highly compelling proposition for installers.

Sonos offers a Control API interface for control platforms working over IP, including URC, Crestron and Elan. These would allow you to connect Sonos to wall panel controllers or automatically start playlists in conjunction with some other facet of smart home automation.

Alongside all the features you would expect of a top-flight streaming system, the app offers manual lip-sync, a raft of settings for the sub and an Audio Compression setting, which defaults to automatic. We could not trigger any obviously audible compression in this mode, but we would suggest opting for the uncompressed setting to ensure best sound quality.

If your install includes driving Sonos architectural loudspeakers with the Amp you can also use Sonos’s clever Trueplay room EQ system. This uses the mic built into later Apple iOS devices while you wander around the room listening to various test tones. It then applies a range of parametric filtering to the Amp’s output to deliver a flatter in-room response. It is currently limited to iOS devices and Sonance speakers.

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Essential Install | Marketing Master Class

Are you reaching your potential?

Highly experienced AV journalist and PR professional, Richard Stevenson, is launching new arm of his PR company offering support and content creation especially tailored towards installers and install brands. Richard explains the plan and the opportunities to improve your marketing and public facing communications to drive business ahead.

I have been in the AV business my entire working life, gaining experience at the coal face of the industry as a retailer and then installer long before switching to writing about it and helping AV companies get their important messages out to the wider world. My PR company, RSPR, is 15 years old and many of our clients have been with us for years. They trust us to understand what is important about their brand, products and services, and trust us to communicate those company strengths and messages to their target audience.

Looking around the AV and custom install space however, I have noted that very few, if any, PR and marketing firms provide those same services tailored specifically for the unique needs of install companies.

In the modern business world, everybody needs good, focused marketing and now installers can take advantage of our services under a new wing of the company called RSPR Install.

Finding the right expertise RSPR Install has assembled a team of writers with decades of direct experience of the install and AV market

As an installer, you rely on your own expertise and those around you to know their craft and get the job done. You are a specialist, so when it comes to marketing, you need a specialist too. Chances are, when you first came into the industry, business came in through word of mouth, but the landscape is different now. The market is more mature with far more competition for work so you need to stand out.

So how do you make sure you are attracting a constant stream of new business and not missing opportunities to expand into new areas and gain new customers? How do you get to a point when you have enough new business coming in to work on multiple projects at the same time to keep revenue and cash flow up? How do you attract new customers and keep them coming back and supplying ongoing revenue?

With our help, and an effective marketing plan, it can be done.

Your marketing needs to be effective across digital, social and local channels. In the digital age, your website and social media feeds are likely to be the very first thing a potential new customer will see. Your website and posts need to be sharp, eye-catching and bristling with engaging copy and enticing stories. You need to attract the attention of not just those customers who are already in the market for an install project, but captivate the imagination of potential customers that don’t yet even know what is possible.

Keeping an attractive website regularly updated with sparkling copy and stories, constantly feeding the dream into your social media channels and combining with local press and marketing initiatives will generate an ongoing supply of quality leads. Yet all that takes time and skills that are unlikely to be at the top of your priority list during day-to-day business.

That is where RSPR Install comes in. We have assembled a team of writers with decades of direct experience of the install and AV market, combined with PR and social media experts, to create effective marketing initiatives that will be working for you 24/7. Allowing us to support you in our field of expertise allows you to do what you do best, even better.

Our team of experts can create engaging case studies, regular e-newsletters, customer feedback and testimonials, company blogs, product stories, company explainers and a stream of social media updates that keep your company constantly on the front foot. Away from your own real estate we can assist with getting you press coverage in the trade and consumer press, local news and other media to raise the profile and reputation of your business.

We have decades of experience doing this for manufacturers, distributors and service providers in the AV and install sector, now let us offer these same services to you. Get in touch to find out more.

RSPR 01797 360 481, rspr.co.uk

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SensibleEssentialInstal_05_SensibleBro2013_02.qxd 18/09/2014 16:43 Page 1

This Month’s Essential Supplement

HVAC

sensible heat

Advanced HVAC controls for the home

Do the Sensible thing; call us today!

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Essential Install | HVAC

Hot property

EI takes a look at some of the people and systems that can help installers provide fulsome HVAC compatibility and control.

Sensible Heat continues to supply fully integrated HVAC controls with a range of control systems including Control4, Savant, Crestron and RTI, using its range of proven, pre-written drivers which are available free-ofcharge to the company’s partners.

Sensible Heat has new features available such as better access to Heat Boost within a Control4 environment

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Dave Robinson, MD for the company, explains, “We regularly refresh and update these drivers, to add new features. The latest one to receive this treatment is our Control4 driver. The latest release includes two exciting new features; firstly, we now have comprehensive support for ‘Heat boost’ mode, using AC fan coil units to supplement the ‘wet’ heating system.

“This is a common requirement in some properties (perhaps where a period interior, windows etc cannot be upgraded to modern insulation standards) where underfloor heating alone simply does not have the capacity to heat the space when the weather is cold. The use of AC units in heating mode can be complex, due to limitations of the AC system, and the requirement for the AC to ‘share’ the load with the ‘wet’ heating (rather than take over the whole load).”

Dave explains, “The new driver handles all aspects of these issues, including automatically offering contextsensitive choices of heating/cooling modes depending on how the AC system is currently operating – the underlying complexity is hidden from the user.”

The innovation does not end there however. Dave says, “The second innovation is the introduction of alarm handling and reporting, with a new Alarm Webview page. This page summarises the status of the alarms within the HVAC system (or potentially other systems too, if we can monitor them) – which might be faults with things like faulty temperature sensors, critical temperatures having been exceeded, pumps or boiler failures, pool alarms, flood alarms, etc.

“This simple page, which can be navigated to from an icon on the main screen, shows at a glance when there is a problem with the HVAC system, and in addition to this, alerts can be generated which can produce pop-up screen announcements, emails to maintenance providers etc, as the alarm occurs.”

Dave sums up, “In the last few years, we’ve found ourselves providing controls for some pretty complex HVAC plant in houses, including multiple boilers, CHP engines, various sorts of heat pumps, solar, and even museum-quality full air conditioning with close control of humidity – and of course, it goes wrong!

“Increasingly we find that customers are interested in a faster response to problems with their M&E plant; using our system, the maintenance providers are likely to know about a problem before the customer does, which is a great illustration of why it is worth investing in a state-ofthe-art HVAC control system.”

info@sensibleheat.com www.sensibleheat.com

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Essential Install | HVAC

The Deseo dedicated KNX thermostat from Basalte is now available

New from manufacturer Basalte is fresh KNX thermostat, the Deseo RTR, which is now shipping.

The company says the Deseo is the perfect keypad to complete any KNX control concept. It’s handmade with high-quality finishes and beautifully matches the Basalte switches and sockets.

Basalte argues, combined with a rich variety of functions, Deseo demonstrates what a full blown KNX thermostat should do and look like.

The high-resolution OLED display can show the current temperature, humidity or time. Custom text is also possible through a 14-byte text object in KNX. Customers can use the intuitive four-touch point control to change the set point (°C/°F), fan speed and temperature modes and use multi-touch for quick light control using scenes.

The integrated temperature and humidity sensor continuously monitors the room, while the internal thermostat logic includes a variety of detailed functionalities, all directly in KNX. Second stage heating and cooling are integrated and installers can directly connect a PT1000 temperature probe for floor protection. More details are available direct from Basalte.

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Advanced HVAC controls for the home

Distributor Tenways Engineering continues with its close support and distribution of the CoolAutomation platform.

Eli Sellam, Product Manager for the company, explains, “The drive for more energy efficient heating and cooling have meant technologies like Inverter-based VRF and Split systems are replacing traditional systems.

“The closed nature of HVAC architecture makes seamless integration between home and building automation systems and the newer HVAC technologies extremely difficult to implement. Integrators find themselves having to reinvent the integration process, including time consuming coding on almost every installation. In many cases integrators prefer not to offer HVAC integration at all.”

However, Eli adds, “Tenways and CoolAutomation are offering the industry the answer. The company has developed robust integration devices and software that dramatically simplify inverter-based HVAC integration.

The company’s latest offerings support all leading HVAC brands, such as Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric, Toshiba, Panasonic, Fujitsu, LG and many more.”

Integrators and BMS installers in over 90 countries are already familiar with CoolAutomation’s plug-n-play

info@sensibleheat.com www.sensibleheat.com

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Essential Install | HVAC

VRF integration solution: CoolMasterNet, a universal HVAC bridge, which allows integration between all VRF HVAC and almost any home automation system. Now CoolAutomation has announced a similarly simple and easy to use solution for Split HVAC systems coming soon.

The new Wireless CoolPlug and CooLinkHub will allow single split units to be interconnected and integrated into a home automation system. From a single home or building automation solution, end-users gain full control of all indoor units. The company’s new, wireless CoolPlug will allow integrators to connect and retrofit existing split and multi-split systems without necessitating any wiring between components. Contact the company direct for more information.

The big news out of the Nest camp is that following a period of relative autonomy within the Google group, it’s now much more integrated with the rest of the company as the Google Home and Nest families are melded into one entity. All Google Home products now come under the Nest banner. This means the Nest platform gains some of the privacy enhancements Google can offer, as well as greater connection to the rest of the Google real-estate, which should mean greater personalisation and control. This commitment extends to explaining in greater detail to installers and customers just what the technical specs are of the whole product family and what the types of data are that are collected by each product. The company has committed to explaining how home environment sensor readings are used to offer helpful features and services, and how this data is kept separate from advertising and ad personalisation. So bottom line, the company is working hard to gain the trust of consumers an increasingly SensibleEssentialInstal_banners_02_Layout 1 18/09/2014 17:10in Page 3 A new product from CoolAutomation helps communication with Split HVAC systems

sensitive area. Another initiative is the ability to move any existing Nest account into the Google Account to gain the extra security available there.

Following the ending of the ‘Works With Nest’ concept, the company is unifying its efforts around third-party connected home devices under a single platform for developers to build features and apps for a more helpful home. The Works with Nest developer program will end on August 31, 2019, delivering a single consumer and developer experience through the Works with Google Assistant program—which already works with more than 30,000 devices from over 3,500 home automation brands.

Product-wise, and underlining the birth of this new approach, the company has introduced the Nest Hub Max, designed to be everything people liked about Google Home Hub, but with added ‘Nest’. The unit provides lots of access to Google services of course and apps, but for our purposes here, provides a more feature rich way into the connected devices and environmental controls to be found in the home. All the Google Nest Hub Max requires is a Wi-Fi network, a nearby electrical socket and a compatible (Android, iOS) mobile device. A Google Account is required for full access to features. Minimum OS requirements are available at g.co/home/req.

Automation platform, Crestron has strong abilities in the HVAC control area providing environmental control abilities for much of its existence.

The newly launched Crestron Home platform aimed at residential applications, allows easy configuration via an iPad tablet or web browser for full HVAC control and for commercial installation, the PC-based D3Pro tool provides all the programming and UI, as well as load schedules and documentation. For more custom installations, programmers can either create code in C#, or via the symbolic programming environment SIMPL. Integration with third-party HVAC and BMS systems is achieved via BACnet, allowing installers to control third party devices, or expose Crestron devices to an existing BMS. Crestron can also connect to third party systems via Modbus, DALI, DMX, sACN, and physical connections, such as RS485 / RS232. Crestron is distributed in the UK via the Technological Innovations Group (TIG).

Sensible Heat 01273 475 834, sensibleheat.co.uk Basalte +32 (0)93 857838, basalte.be/en Google Nest nest.com/uk Crestron tig.eu, crestron.com Tenways Engineering 0208 203 1105, coolmasternet.co.uk

info@sensibleheat.com www.sensibleheat.com

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07/05/2019 10:15

Essential Install | HVAC

Heat networks offer key to cleaner more affordable energy In the next few years, hot water and heating in new apartments must be supplied by a low or zero carbon heat network instead of a gas boiler, says Richard Slee, CEO of Switch2 Energy.

Are ‘heat networks’ the future of really smart heating?

Richard Slee, CEO of Switch2 Energy, argues they are

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has issued an urgent call for the decarbonisation of heat in housing.

Latest statistics show that emission reductions from the UK’s 29 million homes have stalled, while energy use in homes – which accounts for 14% of total UK emissions – has increased.

The government is considering proposals from the CCC to ban gas boilers in new homes by 2025. The CCC is also proposing wider use of heat networks, wherever viable.

This recommendation makes both environmental and financial sense as it is far more efficient to supply heat from a single energy centre that is then distributed to homes via a local network, than from many individual gas boilers.

That’s why the government is already incentivising wider deployment of district and community heating. It has recently opened up funding to private sector housing developers through its £320 million Heat Network Investment Project.

As well as being more efficient, heat networks are also fuel neutral, so can work on hydrogen, heat pumps, or other sustainable energy technologies.

Optimising heat network performance

The lack of visibility of performance across the entire heat network is holding back efficiency improvements and system optimisation, but digital technology is changing this. Our innovative Switch2 Optimise platform brings together data from heat metering, the Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS), internet feeds, CCTV and any additional sensor or measurement points installed across a heat network. Using powerful business analytics, alarms highlight issues that will have an impact on efficient scheme performance. This enables remote monitoring and engineering teams to make immediate changes to the control of the heat network, or to initiate engineering works as part of an intelligence-led preventative maintenance strategy.

The real-time data insights are accessible on any device and inform continuous optimisation of heat network performance. In this way, maximum efficiencies and reliable operation can be ensured. Potential operational issues can be predicted or immediately identified and corrected before a17:10 critical event SensibleEssentialInstal_banners_02_Layout 1 18/09/2014 Page 1 is

realised. A number of key issues can be tackled including overheating within communal areas; flow rates and return temperatures can be optimised; and pumping and primary fuel costs can be reduced which ultimately leads to emissions being minimised.

Smart metering solutions

A successful heat metering strategy is essential to the efficiency, compliance, and transparency of any community or district heating project.

The Heat Network Billing and Metering Regulations make it mandatory to fit final customer meters and point of entry meters in new build developments and most major refurbishment projects. In addition, customers must be billed using actual meter readings, rather than estimates, and billing information must be transparent and informative.

New generation smart meters, such as Switch2’s Incontro provide a billing and payment system, but the technology is also linked with all components of the heat network – from heat interface units (HIUs) – to the plant room, BEMS and heating system. This enables real-time communication between all devices.

Incontro combines either pay-as-you-go or credit billing with energy monitoring; multi-zone thermostat, time and temperature control; and an in-home display. It enables developers and landlords to manage costs, reduce debt risk, improve environmental performance, and achieve compliance with statutory regulations and voluntary codes. Residents find it simpler to budget and pay for their energy and control and monitor their energy usage. This leads to energy efficiency savings and lower bills.

Incontro is designed for stylish, aspirational living.

Its touchscreen provides everything residents need to programme and control their heat by temperature or time, monitor their energy usage and carbon footprint, and take care of budgeting and payments. If they forget to turn the heat off, or want to return to a warm house after a holiday, they have remote control via a mobile app.

Switch2 remotely manages and monitors the Incontro system from its UK customer service centre, which provides complete billing, prepayment and administration services to more than 70,000 homes across 500 heat networks.

Switch2 0330 0535 599, switch2.co.uk

info@sensibleheat.com www.sensibleheat.com

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The New Sonos Amp The versatile amplifier for powering all your entertainment.

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Essential Install | AVRs and Amplification

Let’s get amped!

EI takes a look at some of the equipment and opportunities to get the best hardware performance for each AV inspired project.

IMAX Enhanced capable products like the Marantz AV8805 are now becoming available, will it rival Dolby Atmos?

Pulse Cinemas has recently been underlining the importance of the latest room correction technology available from the Anthem/Paradigm axis, in the form of ARC Genesis. A development from the Anthem Room Correction (ARC) tech which was released back in 2008 and then was only available on the $10,000 D2 surround sound processor, this technology has trickled down into the rest of the products and is these days available across Anthem’s current MRX receivers. As getting back in front of existing customers is never a bad thing, the most recent upgrade to the technology (ARC Genesis) provides a good reason to re-visit existing jobs, run the software upgrade and who knows what else can happen whilst you are there – upgrades elsewhere perhaps.

This is not the first upgrade developed for the Anthem range of receivers. The product has already gone through ARC-2 which worked on second gen and current MRX receivers, as well as other Anthem and Paradigm network attached audio devices and USB connected devices, like Defiance subs down to $549, $899 soundbars, and streaming audio devices as inexpensive as $349, increasing the sound quality of sound systems that almost anyone could afford.

Now with the release of ARC Genesis, installers of any Anthem or Paradigm audio device that is ARC2 capable can once again significantly improve the sound of this existing system by simply downloading the free upgrade and running ARC again on the AVR or other compatible devices. An opportunity to charge for the service and perhaps offer other improvements whilst at the property.

Its creators say the new software delivers dramatic improvements in ease-of-use and in sound quality, as well as customisation, and encourages installers to take stock of how many compatible devices they have sold and get in touch with all of those customers.

Its creators also argue that ARC Genesis will make all future demos and presentations on new sales that much more compelling.

It’s also important to note that this is not just an upgrade, but it’s being described as an all-new, ground-up re-writing including everything under the hood (code, algorithms, bass management, etc.) and the usability and UI. For those that want to find out more, webinars are held every Wednesday morning at 7am GMT, hosted by Rob Sample, Director of Training at Paradigm, to give a detailed overview of the new features. Get to the Pulse Cinemas website and check out the news section for how to register.

Kit-wise Pulse Cinemas recently showed off just how good the MRX receiver family is by including the Anthem MRX 1120 AV receiver in its impactful Dolby Atmos home cinema demonstration at EI Live! 2019. Speaking about the event, Pulse Cinemas’ Internal Sales Manager, Simon Schino, says, “This unit delivers the wide, expansive sound you are looking for when creating an immersive Dolby Atmos experience. In this case, we had created a full 7.2.4 Atmos cinema, and all you need to drive it is the MRX 1120. This product also has built in the Anthem Room Correction (ARC) calibration system, which is both easy to use and highly effective.”

If the distributor has enough confidence to put the unit front and centre in a showpiece event like EI Live! then it has got to be worth checking out, particularly now with the ARC Genesis upgrade.

AWE is underlining its supply of IMAX Enhanced products, the new kid on the block in immersive home cinema. Offering reference quality processing, the Marantz AV8805 – its first 13 channel AV pre-amplifier – is designed to deliver full immersive audio formats (Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Auro 3D), as well as IMAX Enhanced content.

Designed to be connected to dedicated power amplification, the Marantz AV8805 is for integrators needing rock solid quality surround processing and video switching. Featuring a balanced XLR stereo input and assignable 15.2 balanced XLR outputs, which include overhead channels, front/width outputs and two subwoofer outputs, the AV8805 further enhances audio quality by handling all signals via the Marantz HDAM modules in Current Feedback topology, before passing via the XLR or RCA outputs to separate power amplification. This means the processor is suitable where top quality processing is desired in virtually any size media or cinema room.

The Marantz SR5013 7.2 Channel Full 4K Ultra HD Network AV Surround Receiver with Amazon Alexa Voice Control and HEOS Connectivity is packed with audio and video technologies. AWE is the UK exclusive supplier of the SR5013 and its previous derivatives, and the distributor says the model is fast becoming the default AVR for mid-range media room installations.

Thanks to built-in HEOS integration, the Marantz SR5013 can also become the hub for a complete whole house sound system, when paired with HEOS speakers or the AWE Exclusive HEOS Drive or SuperLink.

Featuring Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Auro 3D surround sound capabilities, the Denon AVC-X8500H 13.2 channel AV amplifier is another IMAX Enhanced product. This

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Essential Install | AVRs and Amplification

Habitech has added Lexicon to its cinema armoury

flagship AV amplifier enables 13 channels of inbuilt amplification, as well as 13.2-channel processing. Delivering a 9.1.4 setup or a 7.1.6 Dolby Atmos system, the AVC-X8500H requires no external amplification.

The AVC-X8500H supports DSD, WAV, ALAC and FLAC, in addition to AirPlay, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and eARC. For video, the AV amplifier boasts eight HDMI inputs and three outputs, with all supporting the HDCP 2.2 compatibility and HDMI specifications such as 4K Ultra HD, High Dynamic Range and 3D. Integrators can also benefit from wireless music compatibility through HEOS, with the AVCX8500H operating as part of a multi-room audio system.

Available exclusively through AWE, the HEOS Amp combines flexibility, ease of use, and strong performance, all in a sleek and compact chassis carefully crafted to create a statement in a living room. It is designed to add HEOS multi-room audio functionality to a pair of stereo speakers, delivering room-filling sound quality with the same wireless ease of use as other HEOS speaker models.

HEOS Drive is a four-zone, eight-channel multi-room amplifier all within a single 2U tall, rack mountable chassis, with 70W of Class D amplification per output. The functionality of this amplifier is very similar to the HEOS Amp, but higher quality, four zones and increased flexibility. Visitors to the AWE Smart Apartment in Epsom can experience its range of products in home cinema and media room set ups, including the Marantz SR5013 in the dedicated living room area, and the Marantz AV8805 in the Reference Cinema Room.

Habitech has just added the Lexicon brand to its home cinema portfolio.

Founded in 1971, and a primary force in cinema sound and home theatre development for many years, technologies such as LOGIC7 processing, have helped Lexicon to raise expectations of performance and it’s deployed on the latest Lexicon line-up exclusively to select dealers from Habitech, including the flagship MC10 processor, RV-8 and RV-6 receivers.

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Essential Install | AVRs and Amplification

What is Cortex VIP? Find out from CAVD

Now very much installed in Habitech’s home cinema offering, ARCAM’s successful ‘FMJ’ range of stereo and AV receivers, processors and amplifiers provides integrators with the opportunity to blend versatile power with the latest processing technologies for UHD AV in many environments. All FMJ control products have the ability to integrate with home automation systems through drivers for Crestron and C4.

Also from Habitech, Wisdom Audio’s second-generation SC-2 eight-channel in to 16-channel out and SC-3 16-channel in to 32-channel out system controllers provide installers with the a high-quality audio calibration suite to solve room acoustic problems. Now featuring Dirac Live, the controllers are designed to deliver strong sound in any listening room by removing resonances and acoustic problems in sound reproduction. Expert Mode provides installers with an additional layer of live tuning features, equalisation tools, and ability to override delays and trim EQs to optimise performance. With four preset slots to store up to four complete and independent calibrations, installers have room to perform multiple room correction setups for up to 16 zones or rooms. The controllers complement Wisdom’s matching SA-2 and SA-3 two and three channel power amplifiers rated at 500W/chan.

Distributed exclusively in the UK by Custom AV Distribution, Cortex VIP delivers Dolby Atmos sound processing unlike anything you’ve heard before in residential AV, argues its creators.

Cortex VIP is a high-end rack-mounted customised package with the Dolby CP850 processor and Dolby DMA amplification at its core. Makers claim it delivers immersive audio processing only normally experienced in the commercial theatre world.

The company argues that currently, Dolby Atmos is way out in front in terms of immersive codecs delivered not only in disc form but via AV sources such as Kaleidescape, Apple TV and Sky. This system delivers the 128 tracks and meta data of Dolby Atmos decoding in full, uncompressed and accurate form, true to the source compared to the standard licensed version used in standard AVRs and AVPs. Cortex VIP integrates the Dolby products with an eight-way video matrix, networking products for system monitoring and an immense power management package.

This combination is designed to open up the power of this audio processing to high-end residential installations.

The Cortex VIP system will render up to 64 discrete speaker channels and offer high-quality bass-management configuration; each project is

also calibrated and signed-off by a Dolby certified engineer. System design by CAVD starts with the room dimensions and speaker brands entered into the CP850’s software. This calculates the locations and quantities of speakers needed to deliver the complete Dolby Atmos experience. The processor and power amplifier connect digitally and also monitor speaker behaviour or failures and switch routing. The DMA intelligent power amplifier comes in 16, 24 and 32 channel variants, each just 4U high. At a meaty 300W per channel into eight ohms, or 1100W bridged, this is a highly capable and flexible amplifier. Give CAVD a shout to find out more.

Connected Distribution is keen to draw attention to the Parasound Halo JC5, a flagship stereo power amplifier designed by John Curl.

The Halo JC5 distils the essence of the top-ofthe-line Halo JC 1 monoblock power amplifiers into a single chassis and features a high power and ultra-high bias Class A/AB topography capable of delivering 400W per channel.

High bias class A/AB provides 12W per channel pure class A power and class AB effortlessly to its 400W per channel eight ohm rating. It can deliver 600W per channel into four ohms and can be bridged to mono for 1,200W into eight ohms. The output stage employs 24 beta-matched, 15 ampere, 60MHz bipolar transistors to deliver a peak current of 90 amperes.

The power supply employs a 1.7kVA shielded toroid power transformer with a premium H18 grade steel core. It has independent secondary windings for its dual-mono power supply. As with the JC 1, input stage B+/B- rails are 10V above the output stage rails to eliminate distortion caused by voltage sagging when the amp is under load. Independent power supplies for left and right channel input stages employ filter capacitors totalling 8,880µF. Driver and output stages employ massive Rubicon filter capacitors totalling 132,000µF. The Halo JC 5 is direct-coupled, protected by DC servo circuits to eliminate coupling capacitors, to extend bass response down to 5Hz. Its balanced inputs use discrete circuits with Neutrik locking XLR connectors. The connecting hardware includes Vampire 24k gold-plated RCA input and loop output jacks.

Five-way ‘propeller’ speaker binding posts are custommanufactured for Parasound by CHK Infinium.

Mike Bonnette, Connected Distribution’s Product Director says, “Parasound amplifiers are the amplifiers of choice for many of the major movie studios, composers, artists and Oscar-winning sound engineers.

With Parasound there is no separate ‘pro’ line of products, and nothing is specially modified for the industry insiders. The amplifiers available for use in the home are exactly the same as those that Pixar, Warner Brothers, Sony, Lucasfilm and many others, for whom money is no object, choose to buy. That’s why they are the perfect choice for customers wanting the authentic experience in their high-end home cinema installation.”

All of this performance comes in at just under £7K. Invision UK is underlining the power of the AudioControl brand with its cool running, high-power delivery and reliability. AudioControl amplifiers are built on a unique Class H topology, which is created to offer authoritative power and pristine sonics without generating the excess heat inherent to some other designs. Class H topology monitors the input levels, maximizing power efficiency through the use of multiple voltage rails. This reduces the amount of power converted into heat that puts strain on an amplifier.

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Dynaudio Custom Studio series LCR

Your space, your system, your way

You want discreet design and world-class performance? You’ve got it.

The Dynaudio Studio series modular LCR speaker system is a unique way to create truly customized left, centre and right speaker channels – and to scale the system to match the room and work around existing wall studs. With technology derived directly from Dynaudio’s legendary home hi-fi and professional studio speakers, our Custom Studio architectural speaker range is engineered to give stellar performance, along with simple tool-free installation.

The Dynaudio Custom Studio series: engineered to entertain

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Essential Install | AVRs and Amplification

Travel to Avalon with Invision UK

The Avalon G4 is a four-channel home theatre amplifier, new for 2019, which uses the award winning Savoy G3 amplifier as a basis and according to the maker delivers exceptional detail and clarity thanks to an innovative and efficient design that achieves 230W per channel, all channels driven. The Avalon G4 also features AudioControl’s LightDrive anti-clipping protection circuit, which protects loudspeakers from clipping and distortion even in extreme conditions such as a dynamic action movie soundtrack.

It can be easily configured as a four-channel amplifier, a two-channel amplifier or as a 2.1 solution without any need for DSP management. Each pair of channels features hi/lo/bypass crossover controls, balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) inputs as well as RCA throughputs to achieve multiple configuration options.

The Avalon G4 also features independent channel level controls, remote power control triggers, and audiophilegrade five-way binding posts. The Avalon G4 has been designed as a match to AudioControl’s Maestro M9 and Maestro M5 cinema processors and is suited for immersive surround formats or as a premium standalone power amplifier for almost any home audio system.

Also available from Invision is the Trinnov Amplitude8, designed to integrate seamlessly with the Altitude32 AV preamp, both visually and technically.

The unit has two linear power supplies based on heavy-duty toroidal power transformers, allowing for a powerful three-dimensional soundstage, large dynamic range and bass impact. The maker also claims the Amplitude8 features the industry’s lowest distortion and noise specifications, and its performance is frequencyindependent. Gain-matched to the Altitude32 and Altitude16, it boasts fully balanced inputs (XLR x 8, DB25 x 1) and audiophile grade five-way speaker cable binding posts. The unit delivers 225W into eight ohms, or 375W into four ohms, per channel.

Also in the Invision stable is the Autonomic Mirage M-801e, an eight-zone, IP controllable amplifier, expandable to 96 rooms, with extensive zone linking capabilities. Boasting 55W per channel into an eight ohm load, it has the power to drive higher end architectural or floor-standing speakers. Its IP controllability makes it a good option for an integrated environment, and digital connectors on all inputs ensure clean and pure sonic performance.

Onkyo has added two THX Certified Select and IMAX Enhanced certified Network AV Receivers to its premium RZ Series line, each featuring high-performance amplification systems and state-of-the-art multi-room audio capabilities.

The 9.2-ch TX-RZ840 and 9.2-ch TX-RZ740 have been created to provide a stable, easy-to-use platform for multiroom entertainment and are optimised to deliver highend Dolby Atmos and DTS:X through speaker layouts of up to 7.2.4 channels (with external power amp) as well as involving musicality with stereo sources.

These are also the first Onkyo AVRs that have been designed to conform with the IMAX Enhanced program.

News of the new products came out around the same time that it was announced that Sound United, the company behind Denon, Marantz, Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, Boston Acoustics and Classe Audio, intends to acquire the home audio divisions of Onkyo and Pioneer, which also includes Pioneer Elite and Integra. Check out the full story on EI’s sister website.

Proving a very popular story over on our sister website (essentialinstall.com) in recent weeks was the announcement of the Arcam SA30, a new flagship integrated amplifier from its HDA product range boasting new features that should benefit installers looking for an install-friendly yet powerful integrated amplifier.

The SA30 replaces the SA20 and although it has much in common with Arcam’s current flagship, there are a number of new features that set it apart. First up, the inclusion of Dirac Live, the room correction technology that is designed to optimise the sound for its environment, providing more flexibility for a range of projects and uses.

Like the SA20, the SA30 offers Class G amplification, although its power output has been upgraded from 90W per channel to 120W per channel eight ohm and 220W into four ohm. Both still offer hybrid amplification, however, with the SA30 utilising class A amplification, switching in, when required, an additional power supply to drive those larger sections of the waveform.

The unit also supports MQA, as offered by the likes of Tidal Masters, and its Roon endpoint status means that it is also capable of receiving audio from Roon’s digital music player and library system. Pair that with a bunch of other inputs, such as a switchable MM/MC phono input, as well as support for AirPlay 2, uPnP, Chromecast and HDMI ARC, and the SA30 is a pretty flexible beast. Arcam has included compatibility with Control4 and Crestron.

Pulse Cinemas 01279 647 039, pulsecinemas.com Arcam 01223 203 200, arcam.co.uk CAVD 01628 563344, cavd.co.uk Connected Distribution 01242 511133, connecteddistribution.com Invision 01359 270280, invisionuk.com Habitech 01256 638500, habitech.co.uk AWE 01372 729 995, awe-europe.com Onkyo 020 393 68 087 uk.onkyo.com

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image courtesy of www.realmcontrol.com

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Essential Install | Matrix and Signal Management

Pulse-Eight continues to offer its UK made line of high performance matrix and connection products

The CI super-highway

EI embarks on a journey to discover what is new in the world of matrixes and signal management products and services.

Pulse-Eight is now well established as one of the only true British manufacturers of HDBaseT matrixes, with a 24,000sq ft facility in Poole where all products are designed and fully manufactured from the blank PCB upwards.

The company has been on an expansion drive lately with the announcement of a new distribution deal with Pulse Cinemas announced in May of this year.

The neo range of products are known for innovative features and the flexibility of multiple control methods including Bi-directional IR, HDMI-CEC, Alexa Voice, Set Top Box IP, Serial and a responsive Web Interface, offering the choice to select the most appropriate control method for each installation. Having these options allows the installer and the end user to agree on what is best for their requirement. The neo range is also compatible with all major control systems including Crestron, Control4, ELAN, RTI and URC. The company explains that all CEC features are exposed in the drivers, which allows installers to create powerful control experiences and ensure compatibility with home automation products.

The latest model, the neo:X, stretches to further distances, up to 150 meters for 1080p and up to 100 meters for 4K. The maker achieves this using DSC (Display Stream Compression) which was developed by VESA as a low latency and visually lossless compression which works seamlessly with UHD (4K) video and high-dynamic range (HDR) content. Pulse-Eight’s DSC products were the first in the 4K@60Hz type A category to be fully certified

by HDBaseT Alliance, and the company is proud to fully

certify its products to ensure compatibility and reliability in the field.

After the installation, installers can call on the powerful Monitoring Portal, allowing technicians to check up on any installation from anywhere in the world. From the portal, installers can gain information on system health, temperature history, cable link quality, plus general overview on the sources and output devices. The portal is linked to an install company’s account to ensure the team can check on any system you have installed, plus it is free with every matrix.

Available from several suppliers including Invision and Habitech distribution, the WyreStorm brand has some fresh offerings.

The latest in WyreStorm’s H2 matrix line up gets an upgrade in the form of WyreStorm’s light compression technology meaning the MXV-0404-H2A-KIT can handle HDMI content up to 4K/60 4:4:4 including HDR. CEC triggering for connected screens and AV mute function enhances the offering for the modern home or commercial installation.

The MXV-0404-H2A-KIT also lets installers do even more with audio, with internal audio switching allowing de-embedded audio via S/PDIF and analogue stereo ports offering audio breakout from source or HDBaseT output.

Deploying plug-and-play setup convenience, WyreStorm’s ‘lite’ compression technology, is also available on the other two products from the range, the MXV-0606-H2A and MXV-0808-H2A, which can also

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Essential Install | Matrix and Signal Management

New from WyreStorm is the MXV-0404-H2A-KIT

handle both 2160p HDR and 8-bit content at 4:4:4 within a 1U chassis feeding up to eight independent zones.

The MXV range also offers mirrored HDMI outputs to feed up to an additional four screens. All models feature HDBaseT transmission of 4K/60 4:4:4 up to 35m with PoH, S/PDIF Toslink audio matrix outputs with mute, support for 60Hz HDR-10 and HLG content and Dolby Vision at 30Hz over HDBaseT, 18Gbps HDBaseT and HDMI outputs, AV mute cuts signal to any output via API. All ship in Q2 of this year.

Also from WyreStorm is the NHD-400 range which delivers 4K HDR video, 4K/2K auto-scaling, multi-channel audio and audio matrixing to IP with the NetworkHD 400 Series’ NHD-400-RX AVoIP decoder. Used in conjunction with an NHD-400-TX encoder, the NHD-400-RX handles mixed resolution sources, content and display devices for matrix and video wall functionality up to 16x16 with image rotation and bezel compensation. Featuring low latency, the 400 Series is a strong AV over IP solution for systems where high quality and low latency are key in domestic or commercial settings.

Habitech also makes available 100G bandwidth through HDMI/fibre extender sets from Cleerline.

Cable quality and capacity is key to the long-term success of video distribution (HDBT, VOIP, HDMI, Fibre) when planning for the rise in data demand. Habitech’s recommendation for video is 2 x CAT6A plus Multimode shotgun fibre to every TV and projector point. This will allow a 100G bandwidth (using fibre) and accommodate the intro of dynamic HDR. With fibre in the wall, installers can use new Cleerline Inneos Real4K extenders to run HDMI to the TV and back. Unlike Real4K adaptors, which have a short HDMI cable attached, Real4K extenders have a female HDMI port, which gives integrators design flexibility to attach HDMI cables to either end. It’s as simple as connecting the extender and plugging in the fibre. Leave the fibre in the walls and connect 8K extenders for upgrade when the time comes. The new Real4K extenders also offer ARC support to pipe audio back from the TV to the AVR and IR emmitter support for bi-directional IR. Also in the business of extending signals, Wyrestorm’s EX-70-H2X-ARC supports 4K HDR, HDMI 2.0 video standards and HDCP 2.2 encryption and is designed for compatibility with 4K Ultra HD content, sources and displays. The EX-70-H2X-ARC also allows installers to free the audio from on-demand content within a SmartTV with ARC or optical audio return functionality. Equipped

with the 5Play feature set handling delivery of 4K UHD video, multichannel audio, two-way IR/RS-232, power and Ethernet, the EX-70-H2X-ARC offers point-to-point delivery and control of 4K HDR content.

Also available from the same maker, the EX-35-H2ARC is an18Gbps 4K HDR HDBaseT extender with True ARC and Audio Breakout Support for ARC. The EX-35H2-ARC is a ClassB HDBaseT extender with not only the ability to send 5.1 digital audio back to the transmitter, but it can send 2160p 4:4:4/60 content up to 35m/115ft.

The EX-35-H2 meanwhile offers an 18Gbps 4K HDR HDBaseT extender with HDCP 2.2 and two-way PoH (4K: 35m/115ft | 1080p: 70m/230ft) for extension of 4K UHD and HDR transmissions over medium distances in residential or commercial applications. The EX35-H2 features WyreStorm dynamic compression and HDBaseT technology to deliver visually lossless, latency-free 4K/60 4:4:4 or HDR content, along with bidirectional control and two-way PoH up to 35m/115ft or 1080p to 70m/230ft.

TRIAX state the company’s new solutions have been designed to recognise the importance of robust installations to both engineer and client. The range includes two and four way HDMI 2.0 splitters with 4K to 1080p downscaling, support for HDMI video resolution up to 4K@60Hz 4:4:4, 1080p 3D and multichannel audio formats, while also passing EDID information from the display. TRIAX says the two-way splitter offers a great opportunity to distribute Sky Q content around the home when used in conjunction with the TRIAX HDMI to COFDM Modulator. One output of the splitter can pass 4K Sky Q content to the main TV while the second output sends 1080p signals to the HDMI modulator for distribution around the rest of the home. This creates a cost effective installation for enhanced viewing at other TV locations without additional subscriptions.

Also new is the 1080p Point to Point Kit which delivers transmission of 1080p@60Hz (max) signals up to 55m and can also be used with the TRIAX two-way splitter to pass Sky Q in 1080p to a second TV location. The 4K version supports video resolution up to 4Kx2K@60Hz 4:4:4 and transmission distance up to 40m for 4Kx2K and 70m for 1080p.

TRIAX also has new home distribution hubs which are HDCP 2.2 compliant and backwards compatible and transmit 4Kx2K@60Hz 4:2:0 up to 8m via HDMI port and 40m via HDBaseT port. The HDBaseT Receivers are powered by the matrix using PoC.

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Essential Install | Matrix and Signal Management

The HDanywhere family continues to grow

The new HMX 431 Kit includes the matrix, four x RCU’s, four x IR Receivers, four x IR Emitters, three x HDBaseT Receivers and power cables. The switch features three HDBaseT outputs and one HDMI output.

The three HDBaseT outputs also enable distances of up to 70m at 1080p.

Moving up a gear, the HMX 871 kit includes the matrix, eight x RCU’s, eight x IR Receivers, eight x IR Emitters and seven x HDBaseT Receivers and power cables. The switch features seven HDBaseT outputs and one HDMI output.

The seven HDBaseT outputs also enable distances up to 70m at 1080p. The matrix has a built-in GUI for TCP/ IP control and set up and features EDID management to control far end display devices. All the new products are available now.

AWE offers access to the HDanywhere mHub range created to provide installers with a complete suite of options for Ultra-HD 4K displays and multi-room audio systems. New matrix models (MHUB U 2.0 and MHUB PRO 2.0) are HDMI 2.0 compatible, boasting 18G HDMI interfaces that support 4K HDR video content and Dolby Atmos.

Elsewhere in the mHub range, the HDanywhere MHUB 8x8 Pro provides access to any eight HDMI media devices on up to eight HDTVs and supports the full HDBaseT-Pro 5-Play feature set.

The PRO models support a POE of up to 70m, as well as control from a smart phone via the HDanywhere uControl IR remote app. The mHub PRO range has been designed to be the ultimate centralised AV solution for the connected home.

Other products include the mHub 2K 1x4 HDMI over Cat 5/6 splitter which provides users with instant access to one set top box on any five HDTVs within a house in full HD 1080p quality. The 2K 4x4 mHub has been a strong seller for the brand and is suited for small to medium sized properties looking for reliable distribution at a keen price point. It supports full HD up to 50m over Cat 6, with four additional HDMI loop outs. With the mHub 2K 8x8, up to eight media devices can be distributed to eight screens.

The mHub 4K 4x4 allows any four entertainment devices in ultra HD or 1080p on up to four UHD TVs. Using a single Cat6 cable, ultra HD can be delivered up to 70m from the central hub, with PoH, Ethernet and audio extraction.

The maker itself is keen to highlight the MHUB U with 18G 4K HDR support, uControl and more natural Alexa functionality. The best selling MHUB U matrix systems have received this 18G upgrade to support 4K HDR content from devices such as AppleTV, Sky Q and Ultra HD Blu-ray.

Uncompressed HDMI 2.0 signals are supported via MHUB U’s HDMI I/O supporting 4K UHD HDR content up-to 18G with zero compression. Tipping point compression (TPC) technology is automatically activated on the long-range HDBaseT links, only when higherthan 9G video is detected (tipping-point) and is a robust solution for achieving high bandwidth content over Cat infrastructure without significant visual trade-offs.

MHUB U also offers expanded multi-zone IO for low-cost Control4 and RTI controllers. Advanced drivers leverage the maker’s patented IP2IR technology to hijack the IR ports on the matrix and display receivers.

For example, using any Control4 controller and loading the new driver into Composer, you turn the MHUB into an IO expander (similar to the C4-IOX-E-B) converting commands into IR signals used to control AV devices connected to MHUB, such as AppleTV, Sky Q, AVRs and even in-room control for devices such as displays, soundbars and projectors.

MHUB U models also feature uControl, which gives universal room-to-room control of connected input sources and TVs via the app or Alexa. Remote monitoring via the HDA Cloud helps to minimise return site visits, and Pros can also select which zone output to extract the multichannel or stereo audio from.

Company Founder, Chris Pinder, says, “We continue to innovate MHUB’s features and functions to offer more and more for installers and users alike. Delivering superior value in the marketplace, MHUB U is unmatched on features vs cost. TPC is a fantastic technology that delivers a pragmatic and cost-effective solution to getting 9G+ video over Cat with no discernible difference to the viewer.”

Speaking about recent technical progress achieved by his company, Martin Featherstone, Commercial Director CYP Europe, explains, “Some of our earlier PUV matrixes used Chroma Sub Sampling to change the colour space from 4.4.4 60Hz (HDR and Dolby Vision) to 4.2.0 60Hz, to work within the specification limitations of HDBaseT.

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Compact in size, big on features!

Explore the full potential of 4K audio and visual distribution over HDBase-T using the versatile Compact Matrix Switches from Antiference. With the choice of 4x4 or 8x8 input options, these represent outstanding value and performance for domestic or commercial applications. The system includes full HDCP2.2 support and includes PoE receivers with IR or IP control plus an on-board GUI for mobile device use and all systems are supplied as a kit.

• HDBase-T Matrix Switchers • 4K distributed over CAT6 cable • Available as 4x3+1 or 8x7+1 options • HDBase-T PoE technology • Supports HDCP2.2 • 4K up to 40m

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Essential Install | Matrix and Signal Management

The PUV-1082PRO is part of CYP’s updated and powerful product line-up

“Now, with our latest generation of PUV matrixes and extenders, we have introduced intelligent compression technology to faithfully deliver 4K HDR and Dolby Vision. This is called AVLC (Adaptive Visually Lossless Compression), which takes the 18Gbs HDR signal and compresses it down to a signal that can be transmitted over the standard HDBaseT technology and is then faithfully re-built at the receiver end prior to distributing it to the display device.

“For consumers, the ability to recycle technology within a property is essential. Combining legacy 1080p displays with the latest source components is a common request.

Our PUV’s also include the latest scaling technology to actively convert an HDR source to be compatible with a 1080p display without having any effect on the other 4K HDR displays in the system. Thanks to EDID communication, all screens will deliver the best possible resolution automatically.”

Product-wise the company has introduced the diminutive in size, but feature-packed MA-421signal distribution minimatrix. Featuring four HDMI inputs, one HDBaseT output, one HDMI with mirrored HDBaseT output, a power amplifier and app control, CYP’s MA-421 is designed for signal distribution in small residential and commercial applications.

The product is 219mm wide x 156mm deep x 42mm tall and one of the first products to include the CYP Control app. The MA-421 also includes a stereo amplifier, line-level output, IR control and LAN connection. The product comes packaged with a single HDBaseT PUV-1710LRX-AVLC receiver for instant installation.

As with all CYP products, the quality of performance is paramount and the MA-421 delivers the same up-to 4K UHD (18Gbps, 4K @50/60Hz 4:4:4 8-bit) and Dolby Vision performance as its larger siblings. This is thanks to the inclusion of the company’s AVLC technology underlined

by Martin. The product also includes the important scaling abilities of EDID for legacy 1080p equipment.

Audio is given the same level of care and attention, with the MA-421 supporting the passthrough of HD audio formats including LPCM 2/5.1/7.1CH, Dolby Digital 2/5.1CH, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos and DTS- X / HD Master Audio. The built-in 20W stereo amplifier and mirrored 3.5mm stereo line output can be assigned to any of the outputs, allowing the user the flexibility to improve audio performance where required.

The HDMI output also has built in ARC (Audio Return Channel) audio return pathway to pull the audio signal back from the connected TV to be utilised by the built-in amplifier and/or line output.

CYP has also launched its latest flagship signal distribution matrix – the PUV-1082-PRO. Based on the successful PUV-1082-4K22, the new PRO model features independent video scaling on all outputs as well as AVLC technology. The PUV-1082-PRO comes packaged with IR remote control, rackmount ears, detachable handles two x IR extender cables, two x IR blaster cables and two x power supplies.

The PUV-1082-PRO supports the transmission of video (resolutions up to 4K UHD 10/12-bit HDR & Dolby Vision, HDCP 2.2, HDMI2.0) and multi-channel digital audio from ten x HDMI sources to eight x HDBaseT outputs and two x independent HDMI2.0 outputs (18Gbps). The PUV-1082PRO supports independent video output scaling on all of the HDBaseT and HDMI outputs. This is useful when transmitting a 4KHDR image from the matrix to a standard 1080p HD display within an AV setup.

The PUV-1082-PRO incorporates an independent audio matrix with 14 audio outputs and ten audio inputs. These outputs and inputs can also be used for de-embedding HDMI audio to the audio outputs and embedding audio to the HDBaseT and HDMI outputs.

The audio CAT connections, along with compatible bidirectional audio modules (PU-305BD-RX & PU-305BDARX) allow integration with remote sources and remote audio zones. In addition, volume, mute, treble, bass and audio lip-sync correction control are available on all direct audio outputs. Optical Audio Return (OAR) Technology allows the optical input on the PUV-1830RX-AVLC receiver to be routed back to the audio matrix.

This matrix also supports audio formats LPCM 7.1CH, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD Master Audio as well as 3D video content. LAN connectivity provides a 100BaseT network for smart TVs or games consoles in every zone. The matrix has a built-in pattern generator which can be used to verify the video signal on any of its ten output ports. The Power over HDBaseT (PoH) function provides power to compatible receivers.

Control is via manual selection buttons, IR, RS232, Telnet or Web GUI. Like its smaller sibling, the product has drivers for all major automation platforms. This unit also supports RS232 pass-through to the receivers. The PUV1082-PRO is designed to be used with PUV-1830RX-AVLC or PUV-1810RX-AVLC receivers that utilise the PoH and LAN capabilities of the matrix.

RGB Communications supplies and supports the Atlona brand which offers its range of OmniStream AVoverIP solutions. A scalable and cost-effective AV distribution platform for meeting rooms, residences, retail establishments, corporations and even a campus or enterprise, OmniStream is designed to deliver the performance and dependability of traditional AV distribution, plus the unrestricted scalability and cost efficiency of integrating over data networks. OmniStream is available in four variants – OmniStream Pro, which is ideal for conference rooms, auditoriums and divisible rooms, offering mission-critical reliability for large-scale AV distribution; OmniStream R-Type, which offers the same high-performance and dependability for residential and various commercial AV distribution applications; OmniStream Audio, which supports seamless, flexible audio over IP integration via AES67 and Dante; and OmniStream USB, which integrate USB devices over IP, from PCs to cameras, speakerphones and touch displays.

Meanwhile Atlona’s Opus family of 4K, high dynamic range (HDR), matrix switchers is a range of three HDMIto-HDBaseT matrix switchers. The family consists of 4x6 (4 input by 6 output), 6x8 and 8x10 models, each featuring fully independent audio matrixing, for transmission and extension of 4K with HDR. Visually lossless VESA Display Stream Compression (DSC) delivers image quality and 4K/UHD video (including HDR10) at 60Hz with 4:4:4 signal extension over HDBaseT with zero latency. Audio is catered for by way of the simultaneous TOSLINK and analogue stereo outputs, which are provided for each HDBaseT and HDMI output, offering volume, mute and five-band EQ for each output. Opus switchers, supporting

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Blustream has updated its switching family of products

ELAN has its own matrix family designed to be used with its automation platform

UltraHD, are ideal for multi-zone, whole-house residential AV distribution, as well as light commercial, education and corporate projects that require compatibility with new and emerging devices for 4K presentations.

Also from Atlona is the AT-HDR-H2H-44MA, which is a 4×4 HDMI matrix switcher for high dynamic range (HDR) formats. It is HDCP 2.2 compliant and supports 4K/UHD video @ 60 Hz with 4:4:4 chroma sampling, as well as HDMI data rates up to 18Gbps. The HDR-H2H-44MA is ideal for residential applications, supporting the latest as well as emerging 4K/UHD and HDR sources and displays.

It is compatible with all video resolutions, audio formats, and colour space formats supported in the HDMI 2.0b specification, plus the ability to pass metadata for HDR content. The HDR-H2H-44MA includes EDID and HDCP management features and can send CEC display control independently to each output. An unbalanced analogue audio output is paired with each HDMI input for sending deembedded HDMI audio to a whole-house audio system. The HDR-H2H-44MA can be controlled via Ethernet, RS232, and IR. A handheld IR remote control is included.

Distributor Alltrade has expanded its offering of switches and matrix products with new products from Blustream and ELAN. Blustream has significantly updated its switching range with its latest Custom Pro series of HDBaseT matrix units. Supporting 4K HDR, HDCP 2.2, HDMI 2.0 and audio break-out, the line-up has a new fascia with illuminated touch controls to bring a touch of style to the rack. Specifically designed to operate in challenging AV environments, the robust housing and interlocking board configuration make both installation and maintenance a seamless experience, says the supplier.

The flagship PRO88HDMI is a 2U high 8x8 HDMI matrix supporting full spectrum 4K UHD video and audio formats up to Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD Master Audio.

The units can be controlled by the front panel touch buttons, supplied remote control, RS232, TCP/IP or a web GUI via its web interface module. Flexibility is further enhanced with two-way IR and its quick-release module fittings allow simple population of input/output cards to ensure upgrade longevity and compatibility. Third party drivers are available for all major control systems, including ELAN, Crestron, Control4 and URC.

The ELAN HDMI video matrix models have been designed to offer value and seamless integration into ELAN-based installations. Available in HDMI and HDBaseT switching configuration, the range covers 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8 switching models. All switches have 4K HDR, HDCP 2.2 HDMI and bi-directional IR, with PoE up to 70m over a single CAT cable on the HDBaseT models.

ELAN’s matrixes also provide advanced features including point-to-point audio breakout with pre-amp variable line-level control, simultaneous HDBaseT/ HDMI outputs and RS232 pass through to enable third party control of displays. They can be controlled and configured using the built-in web interface module or ELAN configuration software, allowing the user to define audio channels, designate EDID presets and insert audio delays on outputs to correct any lip-sync issues within the system.

ELAN’s UltraMatrix GMV1616 is a unique 16x16 HDMI/HDBaseT matrix, delivering up to 72 audio input paths and the ability to carry HDMI, Ethernet, serial and IR signals over a single cable via HDBaseT. This highly flexible matrix is ideal for the largest residential installations, multi-zone commercial applications and installs where video sources like satellite or a Blu-ray player are often used for audio.

Alltrade backs up its Blustream and ELAN offering with a year-long calendar of installer training held locally at its six trade counters across the south of the UK. The Antiference Compact matrix range is this company’s main focus currently offering a slim compact design and cost effective solution for 4K audio video distribution over HDBase-T. Within the range there are 4x4 & 8x8 input/output options and with HDCP2.2 supported and PoE receivers, these matrix switchers are a popular choice for domestic or commercial applications.

The products each feature an HDMI output port in addition to the HDBase-T outputs for a local screen or projector and this output is coupled with digital and analogue outputs for an audio system.

As well as this, the Compact matrix can be IP controlled and comes with a pre-installed GUI allowing the user to customise the inputs/outputs and enabling the switching of sources with a mobile device. There are also drivers available for integration with a Control4.

For a simpler system, there is a built-in bi-directional IR control system for remote IR control of the sources or TV sets. All Compact matrix systems are supplied as a complete kit.

Known for its work in the commercial space, Extron offers a huge range of matrix products and signal tamers.

Combining cutting edge video and audio processing, signal extension, and networked control, the IN1800 Series of presentation switchers have been created to set a new benchmark standard for integrated scaling and switching, says the company. This scaler product family includes nine models with four, six or eight inputs, dual video outputs, and a variety of integration features that equip them for a broad range of AV applications.

The Vector 4K scaling engine incorporates Extronengineered, multi-tap, bicubic interpolation, which creates a new pixel by averaging adjacent pixels above, below, to the sides, and diagonally of the new pixel. This produces sharp, accurate output, preserving single-pixel detail that other scaling methods lack, claims the maker.

JPEG, PNG, and BMP image files can be uploaded for use as logos or supplementary content. Logos can be positioned anywhere on screen and image transparency is supported, including Alpha channel, level keying,

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Essential Install | Matrix and Signal Management

and colour keying. Full screen images up to 4096 x 2160 resolution can also be recalled to provide information to a presentation audience.

The IN1800 Series models feature DTP2 twisted pair connectivity support 4K/60 @ 4:4:4 signal extension up to 330 feet (100m) over a shielded CATx cable when paired with DTP2 endpoints. These models are compatible with all DTP products, enabling additional design options within what Extron describes as the AV industry’s most comprehensive integration platform for small to midsized AV systems supporting video resolutions up to 4K. The DTP family includes numerous extender models in a wide variety of form factors and video formats, plus a broad offering of distribution amplifiers, switchers, and matrix switchers with essential AV signal processing and control features. Extron says DTP Systems allow complete flexibility in designing systems precisely to every application and budget requirement. DTP products are available to support all the digital and analogue video formats commonly found in professional AV, including HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, SDI, VGA, YUV, and composite, at resolutions up to 4K. Many DTP products also have extensive audio capability – from simple analogue audio transport, embedding, de-embedding, to full matrix switching with Extron ProDSP and efficient XTRA power amplifier technology. DTP Systems also deliver a comprehensive range of video switching solutions, from 2x1 to 10x8 matrix configurations. Exclusive Extron EDID Minder and Key Minder technologies are in place to ensure optimal switching speed.

Every DTP product features built-in signal conversion so any DTP transmitter is compatible with any DTP receiver regardless of video format. Select DTP products

feature Vector 4K scaling technology to provide 4K image quality. The family is also built to transport RS232 and IR signals along with video over a single CATx cable, and DTP CrossPoint and IN1608 xi products feature built-in IPCP Pro control processors for an all-in-one solution.

Extron also underlines that DTP products extend audio, video, and control signals, along with DC power over a single shielded CATx cable to span distances not achievable with native video cabling such as HDMI. DTP products enable overall transmission distances up to 230 feet (70m) or 330 feet (100m).

Invision 01359 270 280, invisionuk.com Habitech 01256 638 500, habitech.co.uk Pulse Cinemas 01279 647 039, pulsecinemas.com Pulse-Eight 01202 413610, pulse-eight.com Triax 0845 601 0578, triax.co.uk AWE Europe 01372 729 995, awe-europe.com HDanywhere 01684 576 348, hdanywhere.co.uk CYP Europe 0203 1379 180, cypeurope.com RGB Communications 01488 73366, rgbcomms.co.uk Alltrade 0844 225 2700, alltrade.co.uk Antiference 01675 465 487, antiference.co.uk Extron 0208 2839 500, extron.com

Eurosat recommends

a mini control system within every MHUB Every MHUB ships with uControl - a universal remote app that can control Sky, BT, Virgin, AppleTV and pretty much any display.

Download the app today.

T: 020 8208 4444 E: sales@eurosatlondon.com W: www.eurosatlondon.com

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MHUB U...pgraded.

Now 18G. Supporting 4K HDR, uControl & Alexa.

HDANYWHERE.COM Untitled-3 2

Patented GB 2548668

16/05/2019 11:04

Essential Install | Training Dates

AL LT R A D E

C ED I A

INTRODUCTION TO SONOS

NETWORKING SCHOOL

DATES/LOCATION: June 4 (10am) Brighton & Hove/Bournemouth Branches, June 6 (10am) Hemel Hempstead/Reading Branches

LEVEL 1 UBIQUITI DATES/LOCATION: June 27 (2pm) Hemel Hempstead/Reading Branches, July 3 (2pm) Bournemouth Branch, July 17 (2pm) Brighton & Hove Branch

LEVEL 2 UBIQUITI DATES/LOCATION: June 5 (2pm) Brighton & Hove Branch, July 10 (2pm) Bournemouth Branch, July 24 (2pm) Brighton & Hove Branch

INTRODUCTION TO IRS

DATES/LOCATION: June 3 2019 at 09:30 - June 5 2019 at 16:30 GMT, CEDIA Training Centre, St. Neots.

COST: Package price – £649 Members, £975 Non-Members; day price – £179 Members, £249 Non-Members

DEVELOPING A COMPETITIVE COMMERCIAL STRATEGY FOR YOUR BUSINESS DATES/LOCATION: June 7 2019 at 09:30 - 16:30 GMT, CEDIA Training Centre, St Neots COST: £179 members / £249 non-members

HOME CINEMA DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS DATES/LOCATION: June 18 -19 2019 at 09:30 - 17:00 GMT, Pulse Cinemas, M11 Business Link, Stansted

DATES/LOCATION: June 19 (2pm) Brighton & Hove Branch, June 20 (2pm) Reading Branch, June 26 (2pm) Bournemouth Branch, July 11 (2pm) Hemel Hempstead Branch, July 25 (2pm) Reading Branch

COST: £299 Members, £449 Non-Members

INTRODUCTION TO FIBRE

COST: FREE

DATES/LOCATION: June 13 (2pm) Hemel Hempstead/Reading Branches, June 19 (2pm) Bournemouth Branch, July 10 (2pm) Brighton & Hove Branch, July 18 (2pm) Hemel Hempstead/ Reading Branches, July 31 (2pm) Bournemouth Branch

INTRODUCTION TO CAD

CCTV PRODUCT OVERVIEW - HIKVISION DATES/LOCATION: June 12 (2pm) Brighton & Hove Branch, June 20 (2pm) Hemel Hempstead Branch, July 11 (2pm) Reading Branch, July 17 (2pm) Bournemouth Branch, July 25 (2pm) Hemel Hempstead Branch, July 31 (2pm) Brighton & Hove Branch

CAT5E/6, THEIR CONNECTORS AND BEYOND DATES/LOCATION: June 12 (2pm) Bournemouth Branch, July 3 (2pm) Brighton & Hove Branch, July 4 (2pm) Hemel Hempstead/Reading Branches, July 24 (2pm) Bournemouth Branch All courses are free of charge

MORE INFORMATION »

For more information or to book call 0344 225 2700/01273 765180, email training@alltrade.co.uk or visit alltrade.co.uk

OUTREACH INSTRUCTOR COURSE DATES/LOCATION: June 18 2019 at 09:30 - 17:00 GMT, St Neots Training Centre. Members Only Course

DATES/LOCATION: June 19 2019 at 09:30 - 16:30 GMT, CEDIA Training Centre COST: £179 members / £249 non-members

KNX BASIC TRAINING DATES/LOCATION: July 1 2019 at 09:30 - July 1 2019 at 16:30 GMT, CEDIA Training Centre, St Neots COST: £649 Members, £799 Non-Member

MORE INFORMATION »

CEDIA 01480 213 744, education@cedia.co.uk, cediaeducation.com

AW E S MA RT HO ME ACA D E M Y WIRE FREE BLINDS WITH QMOTION DATES/LOCATION: AWE Smart Home Academy, Epsom; June 4 COST: £25

DESIGNING AN IMMERSIVE AUDIO HOME CINEMA DATES/LOCATION: AWE Smart Home Academy, Epsom; June 19 COST: £240

MORE INFORMATION »

CA I BASIC AERIAL & SATELLITE INSTALLATION (THREE DAY COURSE) DATES/LOCATION: June 4, 5 & 6 – Watford, Hertfordshire; July 16, 17 & 18 – Basford, Nottinghamshire; September 3, 4 & 5 – Watford, Hertfordshire; November 12, 13 & 14 – Watford, Hertfordshire

COST: Member Rate £525 / Non-Member Rate £780

INTRODUCTION TO IRS (TWO DAY COURSE) DATES/LOCATION: July 24 & 25, September 11 & 12, November 20 & 21; Watford, Hertfordshire

COST: Member Rate £270 / Non-Member Rate £395

MAKING THE BOND (ONE DAY COURSE) DATES/LOCATION: July 23, September 10, November 19; Watford, Hertfordshire

COST: Member Rate £180 / Non-Member Rate £265

MORE INFORMATION »

CAI 01923 803 030, cai.org.uk

AWE 01372 729 995, awe-europe.com, smarthomeacademy.co.uk

RA KO RAKO FOUNDATION COURSE ‘INTRODUCTION TO LIGHTING CONTROLS’ DATES/LOCATION: Rako, Rochester; June 6, July 18, August 29, October 10, November 21 COST: Free

RAKO ADVANCED COURSE (LAPTOP REQUIRED) DATES/LOCATION: Rako, June 20, July 11, August 1, August 22, September 12, October 3, October 24, November 5, November 14, November 26, December 5, December 17

MORE INFORMATION »

All courses are free of charge although spaces are secured with a nominal reservation fee. If you would like to book a training date please contact 01634 226666 or email sarah@rakocontrols.com

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Essential Install | Training Dates

HAB ITEC H

INVISION

COMMERCIAL AV INTEGRATOR (1 DAY COURSE)

INTRODUCTION TO GJD WEBINAR

DATES: June 11, July 4, September 13, November 7

COST: Free

WYRESTORM - 4K HDR (1 DAY COURSE) DATES: June 26, July24, September10, October 22, November 27

WYRESTORM - NETWORK HD (1 DAY COURSE) DATES: June 27, July 25, September 11, October 23, November 28

ARCAM - PRODUCT TRAINING (1 DAY COURSE) DATES: July 2, September 3, October 17, November 12

INTRODUCTION TO COMMERCIAL AV (1 DAY COURSE)

DATES: June 4

COMELIT VIP DOOR ENTRY TRAINING DATES/LOCATION: June 6, July 4, Aug 8, Sept 5, Oct 10, Welwyn Garden City COST: £25

LILIN – IP SURVEILLANCE FOR CI DATES/LOCATION: June 11, Lilin HQ, Milton Keynes COST: £25

ORIGIN ACOUSTICS – OUTDOOR AUDIO WEBINAR DATES: June 13 COST: Free

DATES: July 3, September 12, November 6

INTRODUCTION TO RTI PROGRAMMING

WISDOM AUDIO PRODUCT TRAINING (1 DAY COURSE)

COST: £99

DATES: July 9, September 24, November 5

DATES/LOCATION: June 25 & 26, Cedia HQ, St Neots

COST: £99.00 + VAT

DATES/LOCATION: June 13, Lilin HQ, Milton Keynes

TRINNOV – IMMERSIVE AUDIO (TWO DAYS)

DAHUA (1 DAY COURSE)

COST: £25

DATES: July 10, September 4, November 13

INTROUCTION TO MIDDLE ATLANTIC WEBINAR

PRONET - QUICK START (1 DAY COURSE)

DATES: July 16

DATES: July 16, September 17, November 19

COST: Free

COST: £99.00 + VAT

SATEL – COMMISSIONING AND INSTALLING

PRONET - INTEGRATOR (2 DAY COURSE)

DATES/LOCATION: July 23, Lilin HQ, Milton Keynes

DATES: July 17 & 18, September 18 & 19, November 20 & 21 COST: £150.00 + VAT

RUCKUS ICX SWITCHING (1 DAY COURSE) DATES: July 18, September 19, November 21 COST: £99.00 + VAT

All courses are free of charge unless specified otherwise

MORE INFORMATION »

Habitech 01256 638500, tanya.sworn@habitech.co.uk, habitech.co.uk

COST: £49

INTRODUCTION TO DOORBIRD WEBINAR DATES: June 25 COST: Free

MORE INFORMATION »

Invision 01359 270280 invisionuk.com

MERIDIAN WEBINARS UNDERSTANDING DIGITAL AUDIO In this webinar Meridian looks at the advantages and challenges of digital audio transmission compared to traditional analogue signal paths.

DATE: July 2

30 mins long. Live chat room for Q and A. Transmissions spread across the day to suit busy schedules and various time zones. Replay available for all registrants

IVORY EG G K NX TRAINING KNX ADVANCED COURSE DATES: July 22-25, December 9-12 COST: £875 excl VAT

KNX SALES AND SPECIFICATION COURSE DATES: June 11, October 8, November 19 COST: £175 excl VAT

MORE INFORMATION »

Meridian 01480 445 622, meridian-audio.com

B EMCO K N X TRAINING KNX ‘TASTER’ COURSE

KNX HEATING COURSE

DATES/LOCATION: June 12, July 24, Bemco Wandsworth

DATES: June 18, October 22, December 3

KNX PARTNER (BASIC) COURSE

COST: £175 excl VAT

KNX BASIC COURSE DATES: June 24-27, September 23-26

DATES/LOCATION: June 3-7, July 15-19, October 7-11, November 25-29, Bemco Wandsworth COST: £750+VAT

COST: £875 excl VAT

All KNX Intro courses are free of charge

MORE INFORMATION »

MORE INFORMATION »

Ivory Egg 01243 572 700, ivoryegg.co.uk

Bemco 0208 874 0404, bemco.co.uk

June 2019 | 57 Training Dates.indd 57

26/06/2019 10:28

EssentialBUYERS’ GUIDE DISTRIBUTORS

300IWLCR6 CI can be Hi-Fi

GET NOTICED! Would you like to advertise in our new Buyers’ Guide section and reach 10,000+ readers each and every month?

Please call Ian on 01634 673163 or email ian@allthingsmedialtd.com

Size

Dimensions

6 Months

1/8 page

110 x 61mm

£450

12 Months £750

1/4 page vertical

110 x 133mm

£900

£1500

1/4 page horizontal

224 x 61mm

£900

£1500

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Essential BUYERS’ GUIDE

EssentialBUYERS’ GUIDE LIGHTING &CATEGORY LIGHTING CONTROLS

Hamilton

1/8

Visit www.hamilton-litestat.com Tel: +44 (0)1747 860088

92 x 56mm

INDUSTRY PARTNER

Wiring Accessories • Circuit Protection • Smart Lighting Control & Multi-room Audio

CATEGORY

MATRIX & SIGNAL MANAGEMENT

CATEGORY

HDMI DISTRIBUTION WITHOUT COMPROMISE

1/4 V

CATEGORY

92 x123mm

a mini control system within every MHUB Tel: +44(0)115 824 7000 Email: sales@blustream.co.uk Web: www.blustream.co.uk

HDANYWHERE.COM

THE OPERATING SYSTEM OF THE WORLDS SMARTEST HOMES CATEGORY

GET NOTICED!

Blustream_EI_97_123_August_2018_Legacy_outlines.indd 1

24/08/2018 14:27

Would you like to advertise in our new Buyers’ Guide section and reach 10,000+ readers each and every month?

Control without limits

1/4 H

1/8

Please call Ian on 01634 673163 or email ian@allthingsmedialtd.com

Crestron Pyng OS 2: video is here 189 x 56mm crestron.com/pyng The operating system of the world’s smartest homes

92 x 56mm

Size

Dimensions

6 Months

1/8 page

110 x 61mm

£450

12 Months £750

1/4 page vertical

110 x 133mm

£900

£1500

1/4 page horizontal

224 x 61mm

£900

£1500

All brand names, product names, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Certain trademarks, registered trademarks, and trade names may be used to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Crestron disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others. Crestron is not responsible for errors in typography or photography. ©2018 Crestron EMEA

2018_Essential-Install-AD_Pyng-OS2_EMEA_123x92.indd 1

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June 2019 | 59 30/05/2019 15:25

Essential Install | Products

Essential products

A cavalcade of carefully crafted kit

The fact.8 signature and fact.12 signature will be available for RRP £6,995 (SRP €9,495) and RRP £14,995 (SRP €18,995) including VAT respectively

PMC has new designs and that’s a fact New from PMC comes the fact signature series: reengineered versions of the popular fact.8 and fact.12 loudspeakers, with innovations and technology developed for the recently launched fact fenestria flagship, for greater musical transparency.

The development of the fact fenestria saw PMC’s engineers undertake extensive research into the effect of vibrations on audio performance. In particular the analysis of vibration and its impact on sensitive components within crossover circuits led to fenestria being fitted with the very best, British made, capacitors and non-inductive German resistors, designed to eradicate internal micro-vibrations which have a negative impact on the performance of the speaker.

In much the same way as car manufacturers trickle technology down from Formula 1 cars to family vehicles, PMC’s engineers have done the same with the fact.8 and fact.12 models, taking the attention to detail employed during the fenestria design process to further improve the performance of these already high-performance models.

New crossovers, mounted on military-grade circuit boards, are populated with the same hand-selected

components employed in the fenestria, with the positioning of each component calculated to minimise unwanted interference. Audiophile grade switching, set into the solid aluminium back panel, permits tailoring of the bass and treble response of the speakers to create the right sound balance. Connections to the amplifier are via silver coated binding posts and it is possible to bi/tri-wire or bi/tri-amp the speakers.

The two-way fact.8 signature and three-way fact.12 signature retain the familiar features which have made them firm favourites. The Sonomex dome treble unit is common across both models and the fact.12 utilises a hand-made 50mm dome mid-range that incorporates design elements from the mid-range driver in fenestria, for the same sense of clean, airy and roomenveloping sound. fact.8 features light, super-stiff, natural fibre bass drivers and the fact.12 retains its bespoke woofers made from an ultra-light alloy cone.

The fact.8 signature and fact.12 signature models are supplied in two attractive finishes: White Silk and Metallic Graphite.

PMC 01767 686 300, pmc-speakers.com

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Essential Install | Products

The Lexicon SL-1 launches during the fourth quarter of 2019 with a recommended retail price of €43,000 or £40,000 GBP (incl. VAT)

Sweet spot control With the intuitively controllable Lexicon SL-1 loudspeaker system, HARMAN says it has succeeded in creating a real audio innovation with the Lexicon SL-1, a groundbreaking loudspeaker system that can be positioned in any room and uses advanced beam steering technology to optimally control the sweet spot, guaranteeing the listener a high-quality music experience.

Designed as an active and completely wireless solution, HARMAN says the Lexicon SL-1 has the ability to individually optimise sound for any listening position and provides a crystal-clear, high-definition audio experience at any time, even with demanding placement options.

The loudspeaker system comprises two active floor-standing loudspeakers, each equipped with 33 loudspeaker drivers (12x 3/4in tweeters, 16x 2in midrange drivers, 4x 5.25in woofers and a 10in subwoofer) and 23 amplifier channels, each with an output of 650W (RMS) per loudspeaker. The drivers are arranged in a 360° configuration around the Lexicon loudspeaker’s hourglass-shaped housing. A detachable four-panel grille reveals the configuration, while

automatic EQ settings enhance playback for operation with or without grilles mounted. Two LED rings integrated into the loudspeaker chassis, round off the appearance of the Lexicon SL-1 and serve to visualise the width and direction of the sound dispersion.

The Lexicon SLC-1 wireless controller complements the floor-standing loudspeakers and establishes the connection to the audio source via a variety of interfaces. In addition to streaming via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n/ac), the Lexicon SLC-1 offers four HDMI inputs, an HDMI ARC output, a 3.5mm jack and an optical SPDIF input. The connection to the home network can also be established via an Ethernet interface (10/100 Mbps, RJ45). The system supports high-definition 24-bit transmission and universal audio standards, including PCM, AAC, FLAC, MP3 and WMA (via HDMI and SPDIF).

Lexicon SL-1 is also fully compatible with Dolby Digital and DTS Digital Surround (via HDMI and SPDIF) and supports UHD video signals with up to 4K resolution (HDCP 2.2 compatible).

Lexicon by Harman, lexicon.com

Arcam, McIntosh add Airplay 2 Products supporting the DTS Play-Fi ecosystem will now be compatible with Apple’s AirPlay 2 streaming platform. This means that users will be able to cast audio to these devices using Siri on an iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple HomePod. While the feature will be available on a myriad of DTS Play-Fi products later in the year, it’s currently only been confirmed for two – the McIntosh RS200 and Arcam rPlay.

AirPlay 2 support on the McIntosh RS200 adds yet more functionality to this already quite capable wireless speaker. The speaker itself offers 650W of total power that is delivered to eight drivers consisting of two 4in x 6in woofers, four 2in midranges and two ¾in tweeters. In addition, a subwoofer output is included to connect an external powered subwoofer to further enhance low frequencies. That’s in contrast to the Arcam rPlay, which is not a speaker in itself but one that can add functionality to AVRs and speakers that may not support wireless audio formats or AirPlay 2. The Arcam rPlay can connect wirelessly to any speaker in the DTS Play-Fi ecosystem, or it can be linked up to an AVR through the included SPDIF output. Once hooked up, users will be able to stream using AirPlay to any device the Arcam rPlay is connected to.

The DTS Play-Fi ecosystem features a large collection of products in the whole-home wireless audio space, with more than 200 interoperable speakers, soundbars, set-top boxes, and AV receivers from big names in the audio industry.

Charlie Randall, CEO of McIntosh, commented, “Supporting AirPlay 2 and Works with Alexa in the RS200 offers choice to our customers with music assistant control. Integrating these protocols with DTS Play-Fi gives the RS200 a sophisticated set of streaming capabilities unmatched by our competitors.”

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Essential Install | Products

Focal celebrated its birthday in style

Focal presents its ‘40th Collection’ at High-End show in Munich In tribute to four decades of passion, innovation and excellence in the high-fidelity sector, the French brand has developed some special products, which it presented during the 2019 edition of the High-End exhibition in Munich.

The speaker driver and hi-fi loudspeaker have always been at the heart of Focal, so no surprise then that it has created two unique loudspeaker models to mark its anniversary.

Spectral 40th is a made-in-France product, which has been created to embody Focal’s heritage and technological advances. With its loudspeakers equipped with the K2 Power cone and its pure Beryllium tweeter, Spectral 40th is a high-performance three-way bass-reflex loudspeaker with an eye-catching neo-retro style.

Scala 40th is a very limited edition (just four pairs) of the high-end Scala Utopia Evo three-way floor-standing loudspeaker. To celebrate its 40 years in business, Focal

has chosen to adorn this product with a Black Silver finish.

The mirror effect of the side panels combined with the matte Graphic Black front panel are in place to give an elegant and modern look.

Focal has also created new loudspeakers for creative types, designed to delight composers, sound engineers and musicians. The Solo6 Be active studio monitor has been given a black coating and has been stamped as a special ‘40 year’ edition. It’s designed to be timeless, elegant and discreet, designed, developed and made in France. Behind this brand new finish, Solo6 Be 40th continues to deliver transparency as well as a high-quality degree of definition and precision of stereo image for its price category. It manages to do this thanks to the Beryllium inverted dome tweeter and the bass/mid speaker driver composed of the company’s ‘W’ composite sandwich cone.

Focal UK focal.com/uk

Access all areas with Control4

The WA-2200 is a new WAP from the Pakedge family

Control4 has announced the new Pakedge WA-2200 Wave 2 Access Point with BakPak Lite.

Engineered for high-performance and reliable wireless connectivity in homes and projects with a growing number of connected devices, the WA-2200 has been created so Control4 Dealers can provide centralised management and configuration with simplified deployment.

With the propagation of bandwidth-intensive applications such as VoIP, 4K/HD video streaming, and multi-player gaming that are happening simultaneously in today’s homes, the WA-2200 leverages next-generation wireless technology to improve wireless network performance. Control4 says the all-new, high-performance chipset delivers faster speeds, lower latency, and seamless roaming across the wireless network.

With BakPak cloud configuration, the WA-2200 supports both traditional setup through its local user interface as well as remote management and monitoring (RMM), affording a more straight-forward solution for faster and easier access point installation and configuration. With auto-discovery of additional access points on the network, the WA2200 is intended to streamline registration and enables quick setup for multi-access point systems.

Secure-by-design, new security requirements safeguard customers by ensuring the access point is never left with a ‘default’ username and password. Built-in RF scan, device monitoring, and analytics for fine-tuning and monitoring the network maximize peak performance for every connected device in the system.

Control4 says the WA-2200 is the smallest Pakedge access point available; sleek on-ceiling and flush-mount in-ceiling designs offer flexible, easy installation that are designed to not compromise décor for placement performance.

The WA-2200 (ceiling-mount)/ WA-2200-C (in-ceiling-mount) have a UK MSRP of £389 and £499 respectively.

“With BakPak built-in to more and more Pakedge network devices, it’s easier than ever to remotely configure, monitor, and manage customers’ wireless networks,” says Charlie Kindel, Control4 Senior Vice President of Products and Services. “The BakPak iOS or Android mobile app enables on-the-go network management for proactive customer service from anywhere.”

Control4 01347 812 300, control4.com

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Essential Install | Products

The iFi Aurora all-in one wireless music system will be available from July at an RRP of £1,299 including VAT

Light up your life with Aurora iFi has produced a new all-in-one music system called the Aurora, bringing together a collection of proprietary technologies to deliver a sonic experience unlike any other table top, all-in-one system, claims its creator.

Clad in bamboo and elevated by a distinctive aluminium frame, the Aurora’s design is striking. The aesthetic was created by French product designer Julien Haziza, inspired by the architecture in Tokyo’s Omotesandō and Harajuku districts. Six drive units nestle behind the bamboo fins that curve around the Aurora’s sides, with a further two bass radiators underneath. The system’s control panel sits front and centre, with touch-sensitive controls and an OLED display inlaid with bamboo.

The Aurora has been designed to produce a remarkably expansive soundstage, tailored to the space in which it sits.

The Aurora connects to a home Wi-Fi network, enabling users to stream music via their favourite apps, or play audio files stored on networked devices such as computers and NAS drives. Bluetooth is also included, so that users may stream directly from any smart device.

The Aurora is hi-res audio enabled, supporting data up to 32-bit/192kHz without conversion or down-sampling via Wi-Fi, USB or Ethernet cable. Bluetooth streaming also delivers much better sound quality than is typically the case, engineered by iFi to be less ‘lossy’ than off-the-shelf Bluetooth solutions. The latest high-quality Bluetooth codecs are supported, including aptX HD, LDAC and LDHC, as well as AAC. Several Auroras may be linked together on a Wi-Fi network to make a multi-room system, playing in sync or controlled individually.

There are eight custom-made drive units in total.

Four main drivers with 130mm cones are deployed in a wide-bandwidth role to cover the majority of the audible frequency spectrum, rolling off towards very low and very high frequencies.

These four main drivers are joined by two 28mm silk-dome tweeters to handle very high frequencies, and two passive bass drivers that fire downwards from the underside of the cabinet.

IFi ifi-audio.com

IsoTek goes Super Nova

The power behind the AV throne, the Super Nova from IsoTek

IsoTek, specialist in power conditioning solutions for hi-fi and home cinema systems, has announced the Super Nova.

The new addition to the Ultimate Series, Super Nova is the most sophisticated (passive) front-end source component power cleaning system IsoTek has developed so far. The Super Nova is designed for primary components that typically have a constant current draw, such as CD players, music servers, DAC, pre-amplifiers, phono stages etc. Each of the eight power outlets has its own dedicated power cleaning system, and each output has over 100,000A (1840 joules) of protection, that’s over 800,000 combined.

Priced at £9995.00 (including VAT), the Super Nova features ground filtering which is fully compliant with certification and safety standards; this is further clamped with an electronic protection circuit. Therefore, each connected component’s functional lifetime will increase as well as being protected against dangerous power surges and voltage spikes.

The design includes a new choke which allows a series connection that quadruples the inductance, giving a vast increase in filtering at a constant 10A if needed. In turn, this provides a typical load of 25-40W, a massive power reserve.

In addition, two specialised radio frequency chokes which, combined with capacitances, produce a high level of classical (Pi filter) design filtration. Furthermore, there is the unique Nova adaptive gate system that produces the optimum resistance capacitance barrier eliminating differential mode cross-contamination.

The maker says that unlike some power clean concepts, Super Nova not only adjusts to the connected load, it creates the ultimate barrier to differential mode noise cross-contamination and also has the virtue of high transient power handling ability should it be required. All of this combined is designed to deliver a very reliable conditioner irrespective of operation.

All internal wiring features silver plated ultra-pure OCC (Ohno Continuous Cast) Copper with IsoTek’s VAD (Virtual Air Dielectric) technology and all PCB circuits feature double oz copper. The machine is available via new distributor Pulse Cinemas.

Pulse Cinemas 01279 647 039, pulsecinemas.com

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SUPPORTING THE UK’S FINEST HOME CINEMA INSTALLERS

W: www.pulsecinemas.com Untitled-6 2

E: info@pulsecinemas.com

T: +44 1279 647 039 28/02/2019 11:36