Residential Systems - September 2026

VOLUME 27 NO. 9 | SEPTEMBER 2026

FEATURING • Working With HAA Link • Next Generation Audio Codecs • The Evolution of HDR

THE BUSINESS OF

HOME THEATER

RETROFITS SoundVision Scores Big By Focusing on Home Theater Upgrades — Including to Its Own Showroom

Review:

Josh.ai Josh Edge Smart System Remote Control

09.26 COLUMNS 8

CEDIAline CEDIA Members’ VIP Experience at CEDIA Expo Free bagels and coffee are just one of the perks of membership at the show.

10 Secrets of Success

The Brand Question Every Integration Firm Must Answer The strongest brands are built on a clear promise, consistent proof, and an experience people remember for the right reasons.

By Katye McGregor Bennett, Founder & CEO, KMB Communications

12 VITAL Business Tips

Built for the Climb Why you need to match your ambition with your company’s capabilities.

By Matt Bernath

14 Internetworking

The AI-Enhanced Services Roadmap for CIs AI has the potential to transform custom integration from a projectbased business to a continuousservice business.

By Gordon van Zuiden

16 Home Theater

Treat the Room as Part of the Picture Every surface in the home theater interacts with the picture; make sure the room enhances it, not detracts.

By Christiaan Beukes

18 Home Theater

Next-Generation Audio Roundup A look at the latest codes from Dolby and DTS, and how to make sure your clients are hearing what they are supposed to.

By Anthony Grimani

20

42 Going Forward

Wi-Fi 7 Is Only as Good as the Wire Behind It Why cabling, switching, power delivery, and network design matter more than ever in the multi-gig era.

By James Chen, Managing Director, Kordz

GEAR 32 Tech Showcase

The Latest Lighting Solutions This relatively new category to the CI industry continues to innovate with new products and solutions.

38 Review

Josh.ai Josh Edge Smart System Remote Control The Josh Edge remote is a smart reimagining of what a modern system controller should be: simple yet powerful.

By John Sciacca

FEATURES 20 Motivated by Makeovers

SoundVision’s decision to focus its marketing attention on retrofits yields great results.

By Anthony Savona

24 Unlocking Professional Audio Precision How integrators can leverage HAA Link to create better-sounding spaces through manual calibration.

By Anthony Savona

28 The Evolution of HDR

A look at the standards behind High Dynamic Range and the role tone mapping plays in modern displays.

By Melvin Diaz, Epson

32 The Integration Guide to Whole-Home Audio Today’s distributed audio technology discreetly unifies the entire property with a solid soundscape.

By Karen Mitchell

DEPARTMENTS Editor’s Letter........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4 Exit Interview: Kimberly Lancaster.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6

ON THE COVER SoundVision has made home theater retrofits a solid part of its business, inspiring a tune up to its own showroom. See page 20 for the details.

ClickThrus

Get More Industry Information from

Join the online Residential Systems community on X (resisys), LinkedIn (/company/ residentialsystems), Bluesky (@residentialsystems.com), and Facebook (facebook/resisys). And visit residentialsystems.com to read the interactive Digital Edition of this and past issues.

SEPTEMBER 2026

Web: www.twice.com Twitter: @TWICEonline

r es i d entialsy stem s.com

3

EDITOR’S LETTER

The Big Transition

BY ANTHONY SAVONA

I

t is said that the only constant in life is change, and while that is certainly true of the technology we work with, it is also appli­ cable to the people in the industry. Custom installation has a history of creating “lifers,” those who work in the field for decades, but even the lifers drop out eventually.

This year has seen quite a few “transitional” announcements in the industry — retirement seems like the wrong word for people we know will be continuing in other roles. And in leaving their leadership roles, they make room for other transitions within the industry. All of which is a very healthy sign that the business is strong and will keep evolving. Still, doesn’t mean they won’t be missed.

In February, D-Tools announced that, after more than a decade as CEO, Randy Stearns would “downshift” from the role, but remain actively involved to ensure a smooth, orderly handoff.

Back in March, Kimberly Lancaster, founder and owner of Caster Communications, announced that she would be selling her company to two long-time employees — Alexandra Crabb and Peter Girard — and that she would stay on through the summer as part of the planned transition. Kim is the subject of our first “Exit Interview,” which is in this issue and where you can get her thoughts on why she sold, how the transition plan came to be, and what’s next for her.

In May, CEDIA announced that CEO Daryl Friedman informed the Board of his plans to retire in 2027. He has committed to stay through his successor’s onboarding to ensure there is no interruption to the programs and services currently underway.

And just a few weeks ago, HTSA leader Jon Robbins announced that he is stepping away from the role after December 31. The announcement said in no uncertain words that Jon is not retiring and will continue his career in the industry in a way that will be defined later.

Each of these people loom larger than life in their businesses and our industry, but their common throughline is that they all have a plan in place to make sure their businesses, group, or association has minimal disruptions.

In speaking with Kim, she explored various

4

r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.com

September 2026 Volume 27, Number 9

CONTRIBUTORS KATYE MCGREGOR BENNETT

Katye McGregor Bennett is chief strategist and CEO of KMB Communications and an avid podcaster. Podcasts include Connecting Tech + Design and AV Trade Talk.

MATT BERNATH

Matt Bernath is a CE veteran with more than two decades in retail, wholesale, CI, and business coaching. In 2021, Matt and a group of partners acquired VITAL, and Matt now serves as the company’s president/CEO.

GORDON VAN ZUIDEN

options before landing on the one she saw as perfect for her business, and that was to “keep it in the family” so to speak, and leave it in the hands of people she trusts.

That is the model we see in custom installation businesses. Many are family-owned, where the succession is obvious. Still others, like Xssentials, which was a three-person-owned business that sold to six long-time employees, find the answer in their own ranks. Others look to sell the business to other integration firms or join a franchise such as Daisy.

The idea is to start thinking about it early on, so that it can be as seamless as possible when the time comes.

Like these other legends, it doesn’t mean you won’t be missed, but that the business can continue on and on and on.

Gordon van Zuiden is president of cyberManor, a Daisy franchise and home networking and systems integration firm based in Los Gatos, California.

CHRISTIAAN BEUKES

Cinema designer Christiaan Beukes is celebrated for blending rigorous engineering with creative innovation. With more than two decades of experience, he has helped redefined the standard for what is possible in private cinema.

ANTHONY GRIMANI

Anthony Grimani is president of Performance Media Industries, an acoustical engineering firm specializing in home theater design and calibration with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Paris, France.

JOHN SCIACCA

John Sciacca is a principal with Custom Theater and Audio, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In his free time, he blogs prolifically about the CE industry. cineluxe.com

Find me online... anthony.savona@futurenet.com residentialsystems.com twitter.com/resisys facebook/resisys company/residentialsystems

SEPTEMBER 2026

Residential Systems (ISSN 1528-7858) is published monthly

by Future B2B. 130 W. 42nd St, 7th Floor, NY NY 10036.

Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Residential Systems P.O. Box 254 Lowell MA 01853.

PRINTED IN THE USA.

EXIT INTERVIEW

The Exit Interview: Kimberly Lancaster The tech PR powerhouse has sold the company she founded and is moving on to her next challenge.

By Anthony Savona

I

n theory, Caster Communications, a small, New England-based, boutique marketing and public relations agency, would never be able to claim such high-powered consumer electronics heavyweights as Microsoft and Crestron as clients, yet that is exactly what it did — in addition to many other well-known brands. It’s original secret of success was its founder and force-of-nature Kimberly (Kim) Lancaster, but now, after more than 28 years of leading the business, she has sold it to two trusted long-time employees — Alexandra (Alex) Crabb and Pete Girard — and is moving on to her next adventure.

We spoke with Kim about the earliest days of her business, her views on the changes in PR and marketing, the evolution of the transition plan, and what her future holds.

RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS: When you first started the company, what were your hopes for it, and how did it evolve?

KIM LANCASTER: I thought it was just going to be a one-, two-, maybe three- or four-person shop eventually — just a small little specialty firm.

I never saw it at that time becoming what it became. At our biggest, right before Covid, we had 14 employees.

In the beginning, I thought it was just going to be what a lot of agencies in the industry are: a couple of people doing really great work. I was 27 when I started Caster, and it was just me. I took out a loan and four credit cards that I maxed out to launch it. But I paid everything off by the end of the first year, including my student loans.

In the 2000s, we started getting really big accounts. When I landed Microsoft, I realized we were going to be bigger than I thought. Out of nowhere, it became pretty definitive that we were this specialty tech agency with deep chops in smart home, audio, and home theater. Mark Aling and I came up with “home theater in a box” out of Paradigm during a brainstorming session. With LifeWare we coined "dashboard to the home" and started migrating from the home of the future to smart home.

Caster was first with digital, then online, press kits. We offered social programs before brands were sure about it. We never relied on one single market but had diversity across our clients. Those little things built what became Caster.

Was getting Microsoft the moment you realized you were not just surviving, but that this was something very real?

Yes. It was around 2005 — a little over five years in. That was when we realized we could pay the bills consistently. Up until that point, we had been profitable, even though in our worst year our profit was $14 — everybody got

6

r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.com

SEPTEMBER 2026

paid. Then we had LifeWare, Microsoft, MCIA, Runco, Paradigm — it was a who’s who list.

So, around 2007 it really became something, and then of course we had the real estate bubble and the market crash. But it was interesting because I have learned over the years that Caster is an absolute barometer of the industry. We’ve learned that the direct number of inbound requests for proposals and budgets hit us in a cycle that is very directly correlated to how the total real estate and building market is doing. So, you could see this pattern emerging — the cycle had started about six months before the crash of where things were going to be.

And I’ve applied that in the 20 years since then and it helped us a lot for understanding what was in front of us and where we needed to diversify.

The consumer electronics industry is gigantic. How did you take a boutique agency and corner such a substantial part of it?

I’ve been going to CES since January 1994 and never missed one. CEDIA Expo used to be a launching ground for new technology for the home, where you’d see the first flat panels or hear the first 5.1 system. We became very good at taking luxury products and bringing in versions that talked to mainstream consumers.

We built long-term anchor relationships with both brands, integrators, associations, buying groups, and alliances. We had Paradigm for 14 years, along with Anthem and MartinLogan. In the early days we were jammed with top brands: TERK, SIM2, Krell, Vantage Lighting, Richard Gray’s, D-BOX, Kimber, and Runco through Sam’s sale, which was bought by Planar. We then added Control4 in 2009 and had them into 2020, which we then replaced with Crestron. Surgex was with Caster through 19 years; even as of today our clients stay with us: Powerhouse has been with Caster for 13 years, Z-Wave Alliance for 11, and KHRONOS for 10 years.

We weren’t just like, “Here’s this product review in the trades.” We understood their markets and their customers, and we knew their dealers. We were able to do crisis strategy, financial messaging, executive transitions, and help companies raise money or get acquired. Caster was one of the first agencies in the industry that took a company public.

We ended up managing 14 acquisitions (buying and selling), one IPO, and one SPAC IPO. That’s not typical in the trades, but we learned so much, and when companies were raising funds, had a plan for an offering, or needed that plus the specialty tech niche, they called us.

What is the single most chaotic crisis or fire you had to put out where you just had to trust your instincts?

It would have to be Kaleidescape, during the lawsuit with the DVD Copy

EXIT INTERVIEW

Rapid-Fire Round Favorite PR campaign from your Caster days?

The Disneyland Innoventions Home of the Future opening with LifeWare, Microsoft, HP, and Niveus. That was a cool experience and hard to beat.

The campaign you wish you came up with?

TiVo launch Technology you’re happiest you never have to pitch again?

Headphones What wine was poured to celebrate your final day?

Big Table Farm 2012 Pinot Noir. It was fantastic.

The Caster Communications team at CES 2026.

Control Association over the wholesale copying of protected DVDs. That one was scary. News and legal coverage were coming in from every direction for a $40,000 product. Everyone in my office was bringing me cellphones saying, “I’ve got CNN, I’ve got CNBC, I’ve got The Wall Street Journal.” Managing statements, working with legal teams, and guiding the CEO and COO required a lot of skills really fast, but it set the standard for what Caster was able to do.

Not a crisis, but another cool thing we handled was the Innoventions exhibit in Disneyland, which was a Home of the Future that involved our clients Microsoft, LifeWare, and Niveus. There was so much messaging — national coverage, local coverage, trade coverage — and we managed the press all the way through.

What piece of old-school PR advice would you give that you won’t find in today’s algorithm-rich world?

Use the phone and meet with people face-to-face when you can. Post-Covid stripped so much face-to-face out. Everyone thinks you can do it on Zoom, but it’s not the same. There’s something to be said for having a cocktail or coffee and talking about regular things in addition to work, because that’s what builds human connections.

Young people coming in are often not invested in getting to know the person on the other side; they just want to pitch and get the next story.

Relationships with press, association members, and client teams build networks where people take your call or media turn to you first when a story spot opens up. It isn’t enough to just email and text.

You have a knack for finding skilled people. What’s the secret behind your hiring process?

I have weird interview questions, like: Who is your best friend and why?

Nobody preps for that question, but it’s one of the biggest tells because it gives you so much information about who a person surrounds themselves with.

We’ve also homegrown a lot of talent. Take Pete [Girard, now co-owner of Caster Communications] — he was a barista at a coffee shop I regularly went to. He went to the University of Rhode Island like me, and he had the foundations and the right personality. We spent years building each piece to mold him into the perfect PR person.

When hiring, I always think: What does six hours in an airport look like with this person? Can I survive it?

How did you know that Alex and Pete were the right people to take Caster to the next chapter?

Covid was the source of all truths. We had done things one way for 23 years, and then the world blew up. Alex and Pete had both been with me for a long time. We realized we didn’t need our 4500-square-foot office building anymore because we were operating virtually and doing it well, and so I sold it.

That kicked off the conversation of Alex indicating that she’d like to be in partnership. We began having conversations about what the future of Caster would look like. We had an evaluation of the company, and I talked to three external agencies about being acquired, but they wanted me to stay on for three to five years with 40 people reporting to me, which wasn’t what I wanted.

Alex and I even talked to an external group together to evaluate it, and in that process, it evolved to bringing in Pete because he is a strong anchor that we needed to keep involved. When you went through all the different factors, the idea of them doing it is what made sense. I’m 10 years older than Alex, and Alex is 10 years older than Pete. The timing made sense to give them a strong runway. So, we worked with the Small Business Association to arrange the sale to Alex and Pete.

We spent all of 2025 planning internal transitions before closing and then kept it quiet through CES so everyone felt secure. Alex has put her soul into this company for 14 years, and Pete was natural to take over my account side. The continuity was already built in.

Your Caster Comm website bio says your retirement plan consisted of sleeping for 14 hours and hitting a breakfast buffet. What does “retirement” actually look like for you?

I haven’t quite gotten my rhythm down yet. I’m sleeping later, cooking a lot, visiting local farms, and staying up late watching Red Sox games on the West Coast!

I’m looking for a 200-year-old farmhouse to restore. Over the years, I’ve built or remodeled 14 residential and commercial properties. I love sourcing old finds and the history of New England architecture.

I’m also sitting on the board for a Vermont food co-op, connecting local farmers to sales channels. I just helped with a local strawberry campaign for them — they wanted to sell 7500 quarts, and we blew right past their numbers!

What was the final piece of advice left on Alex and Pete’s desks?

Go meet with people. Kiss babies, shake hands, go out to dinner with everyone, and carry the Caster dinner legacy on!

SEPTEMBER 2026

r es i d en t i alsy stem s.com

7

CEDIALINE

CEDIA Members’ VIP Experience at CEDIA Expo Free bagels and coffee are just one of the perks of membership at the show.

The best way to experience CEDIA Expo is as a CEDIA member.

Beyond free admission to the show and discounts on booth space, members unlock exclusive networking events, educational opportunities, and special perks from the moment Expo week begins until the final event wraps up.

On Tuesday evening, members are invited to the CEDIA Member Reception at 5:00 PM outside the Mile High Ballroom. Grab a drink, catch up with peers from around the world, and make new connections before heading into the CEDIA Town Hall. There, CEDIA’s new director of research, Ryan Bardach, will present key findings from the 2026 Professional Smart Home Market Analysis (USA) and explore what they mean for businesses moving forward.

Wednesday marks the official opening of the CEDIA Expo show floor, and members can start each day the right way. From Wednesday through Friday, enjoy complimentary coffee and bagels from 8:30-10:00 AM at the CEDIA Breakfast Club. Skip the long line at the coffee shop and fuel up for the busy days ahead.

Looking to sharpen your skills? Members receive discounts on CEDIA’s Education Conference and globally accredited certification

8

r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.com

SEPTEMBER 2026

exams, making CEDIA Expo the ideal place to invest in your professional growth.

Throughout the show, the CEDIA booth (#2532) serves as your home base. Stop by to connect with the CEDIA team, recharge in comfortable workspaces, enjoy complimentary refreshments, snag exclusive giveaways, and test your luck at the popular CEDIA claw machine.

When it’s time to unwind, join the Connection Hour on Wednesday at 4:00 PM at the CEDIA booth. This casual gathering is the perfect opportunity to continue conversations from the show floor, strengthen existing relationships, and introduce colleagues to the benefits of CEDIA membership.

To wrap up the week, registered attendees will be invited to a bar crawl through downtown Denver on Friday evening. Rumor has it CEDIA global president and CEO Daryl Friedman will be buying the first round of drinks for CEDIA members.

Not a member yet? Join today to make the most of CEDIA Expo with exclusive savings, members-only experiences, and year-round benefits that support your business and career.

For more information, visit cedia.net.

SECRETS OF SUCCESS

The Brand Question Every Firm Must Answer The strongest brands are built on a clear promise, consistent proof, and an experience people remember for the right reasons.

B Y K AT Y E M C G R E G O R B E N N E T T, F O U N D E R & C E O , K M B C O M M U N I C A T I O N S

Say the word “brand,” and somebody in the room typically will mention Canva, start debating hex codes, or suggest refreshing the logo. Those are not the same as building one. A logo, color palette, truck wrap, and polo shirt are relatable visual identifiers. The brand itself is the expectation attached to them.

The American Marketing Association distinguishes visual brand identity from corporate branding, which includes mission, values, and culture. It describes personal branding through identity, reputation, expertise, and personality. In other words, people, professionals, companies, and integration firms are all brands. The mindset is similar.

The execution should not be identical.

Same Foundation, Different Load Every brand should answer: What do we want to be known for? Who needs to care? What promise are we making? Where is the proof? What quietly contradicts it? If those answers are unclear, your brand is not absent. It is being created accidentally by everyone who encounters you. That is rarely the best use of creative freedom.

A personal brand is what people expect when your name appears in an inbox, meeting, social post, or project conversation. Are you prepared, responsive, candid, useful, and calm when things get weird? Or are you late, vague, defensive, and visible mainly when you have something to sell? Both create a brand. Only one earns referrals.

Harvard Business Review describes personal branding as intentional: Define your purpose, assess how others see you, build a narrative, embody it in your interactions, communicate it, and revisit it. Notice that “invent a shinier personality” is not on the list.

A professional brand is the work-facing expression of that personal brand. It combines expertise, point of view, behavior, and the problems people associate you with solving. For an integration-firm owner, sales leader, programmer, designer, or technician, this is where credibility becomes visible. That visibility matters.

For an integration firm, the brand lives in the first phone call, proposal clarity, site etiquette, coordination, programming, client training, documentation, and service response.

10

r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.com

SEPTEMBER 2026

The 2025 Edelman–LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report found that 55% of “hidden” decisionmakers use thought leadership to vet vendors.

In our world, that influencer may be the designer, architect, builder, property manager, or client adviser who is not signing the proposal but influences who gets through the door. Helpful ideas establish trust before the company brochure gets a chance. Off-brand or careless posts from people associated with the company can erode it just as quickly — and potentially do far more lasting damage.

The strategic challenge is not deciding whether these brands exist. It is determining how they should relate without becoming interchangeable.

A founder’s reputation may open the door, a professional point of view may establish relevance, and the company must ultimately prove it can deliver without depending on one personality. Get that balance wrong, and the founder becomes the brand, the company becomes the supporting cast, and growth gets awkward. Getting it right requires informed, experienced judgment, not another afternoon rearranging adjectives.

The Company Brand Must Travel A company brand is the collective promise delivered by people, processes, products, and experiences. It must be recognizable whether the founder is in the room, on vacation, or stuck in an airport hearing the flight is “only slightly delayed.”

For an integration firm, the brand lives in the first phone call, proposal clarity, site etiquette, coordination, programming, client training, documentation, and service response. The most elegant website cannot outrun a confusing handoff, a disappearing project manager, or a technician who treats a finished home like a loading dock.

Edelman’s 2026 brand-trust research found that 88% of respondents considered trust an important purchase criterion or critical deal-breaker — equal to value and nearly equal to quality. The same research found that what unpaid people say about a brand has more impact on willingness to trust than what the brand says about itself. This industry already knows the translation: Recommendations are rented credibility. Treat them accordingly.

Brand building is not vanity. It is expectation management. Done well, it helps the right people understand, trust, and recommend you. Done poorly, it leaves the market to invent the story — and the market has an active imagination.

Need help untangling where your personal, professional, and company brands overlap, compete, or disappear? Drop me a line at katye@ kmbcomm.com. I am always happy to help.

VITAL BUSINESS TIPS

Built for the Climb Why you need to match your ambition with your company’s capabilities.

B Y M AT T B E R N AT H

12

r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.com

SEPTEMBER 2026

keeps the ability to experiment, adjust, and absorb a mistake without it sinking the whole operation. The owner who leverages everything against the opportunity loses that room the moment anything goes sideways.

This connects directly to the point we made last month. Trusting that you have a 25-year runway instead of a 30-day one changes what you do when opportunity shows up. You stop needing to capture every bit of it right now, because there will be more opportunity next year and the year after that.

What that looks like in practice is fairly concrete. It’s a documented onboarding process that exists before you need to hire fast, not invented while a new tech is already on a job site. It’s a second person in the business who can run a project without you, built deliberately over a year or two rather than discovered in a crisis. It’s a recurring revenue base, service plans, maintenance contracts — the unglamorous stuff — that gives you room to say no to a bad opportunity because you’re not desperate for the next contract to make payroll.

This is still an argument for ambition. The owners who build the most enduring companies let their business encounter real friction at a scale it can survive, building the muscle to handle harder problems later.

Chase scale immediately, skip that friction, and the first real test breaks something that took years to build.

Foundations are slower to lay and a lot less exciting to talk about than a big new contract. They’re also the difference between a business that can take the next opportunity and one that’s still recovering from the last one.

Next month, this series closes out with the question all of this has been building toward. Once you’ve stopped making decisions out of fear and built a foundation that can hold your growth, what are you building all of it for? That’s where we go next.

If you want to hear the full conversation behind this series, including the parts that never made it onto the page, check out The Flywheel Effect podcast, wherever you listen to your shows.

GETTY IMAGES

My business partner, Brent, used a metaphor during a recent conversation that landed so clearly. A bottle rocket takes off hard and fast right out of the gate, and it never gets very high before it burns out and falls back to earth. A SpaceX rocket does the opposite. It lifts off the pad almost in slow motion, weighed down by every bit of fuel it’s carrying, and only starts building real speed once it’s burned through enough of that fuel to get lighter. By the time it’s climbing out of the atmosphere, it’s moving faster than anything a bottle rocket could ever touch.

That conversation, recorded for our podcast, The Flywheel Effect, is also where last month’s article in this series started; the one about how a longer time horizon changes the way custom integration business owners deal with fear. This month, we will discuss how that same long view changes something else: how fast you grow.

Growth is the one mistake nobody warns you about, because growth is supposed to be the win. You land the big builder relationship, three new MDU projects show up at once, a competitor closes down and half their business lands on your desk. The instinct is to say yes to all of it and figure out the rest later. I’ve done this myself, early in my career, and I’ve watched plenty of owners I work with do the same thing more recently.

Here’s what usually happens next: You hire fast to cover the new volume, but there’s no real onboarding process, so new techs are learning on the job from whoever happens to be free that day. You take on debt or stretch your cash position to cover the gap between the work coming in and the work getting invoiced. You skip building the systems and documentation that would let someone other than you run a job site because there’s no time; the work is already here. Eighteen months later, you’ve got more revenue and less margin, a team that’s burned out, and a business that’s harder to run than it was before the growth showed up.

Compare that to the owner who turns down two of the three opportunities and takes the one that fits. They hire one person into a role they actually have a process to train, not three people into roles they’re inventing on the fly. They spend the next year building a recurring maintenance program that pads the revenue base without adding headcount risk. From the outside, that owner looks like they’re moving slower than their competitor who said yes to everything. A year later, they usually aren’t.

None of that first scenario happens because growth is bad. The foundation wasn’t there to support the speed, and a fear of missing the opportunity is what made the decision for them instead of a clear read on what the business could absorb.

I keep coming back to a piece of advice I picked up years ago from a Mark Cuban memoir: Live as frugally as possible for as long as possible, especially early on. The logic is that lifestyle creep closes off your ability to experiment, because the more you spend, the less room you have to fail and try again. The same logic applies to a growing business. The owner who stays lean and disciplined while the opportunity is in front of them

INTERNETWORKING

The AI-Enhanced Services Roadmap AI has the potential to transform custom integration from a project-based business to a continuous-service business.

BY GORDON VAN ZUIDEN

A few years ago, I wrote a white paper on the importance of pivoting to services for the custom home technology integrator (see https://bit.ly/ daisyco). At that time, the use of AI for the custom home integrator was still in its infancy. Two years later, AI service tools for the custom integrator are no longer in their infancy, and the faster we implement these powerful AI tools the greater the value the customer will see in our services and the greater the value an investor will see in our companies. So, I recently asked ChatGPT: How can professional home technology integrators best use AI tools to improve their reactive and proactive service offerings?

What follows is its response. It’s a roadmap of what the custom integrator service model will look like over the next five to ten years.

A New Service Model Instead of offering only remote monitoring, integrators could provide tiered services that use AI capabilities: • Essential Tier: Remote monitoring, AI troubleshooting, automated documentation • Premium Tier: Predictive maintenance, monthly health reports, proactive firmware management • Concierge Tier: AI home assistant, personalized optimization, technology planning, white-glove support • Estate Tier: Continuous monitoring of multiple properties, cyber­ security oversight, energy optimization, executive reporting Today’s service calls often begin with, “Something isn’t working.” AI can dramatically shorten the path to a solution with the following assistants: AI Help Desk, AI Assisted Technicians, AI Network Engineer, AI Assisted Document Creation, AI Concierge, and AI Security Advisor.

AI Help Desk: Instead of a homeowner calling a dispatcher, they interact with an AI assistant that already knows: every installed device; firmware versions; network topology; previous service history; manufacturer documentation; and warranty information. Many issues could be solved before a technician is ever involved.

AI Assisted Technicians: When a technician arrives, AI can summarize customer history, previous repairs, similar cases, known manufacturer bugs, recommended diagnostic sequence, and required replacement parts. Instead of going online and searching manuals for 20 minutes, AI becomes the technician’s expert assistant.

AI Network Engineer: Today’s remote monitoring platforms generate thousands of alerts. Most are meaningless. AI filters noise and surfaces only meaningful issues.

AI Documentation Creation: After every service visit, AI automatically

14

r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.com

SEPTEMBER 2026

creates service reports, change logs, updated wiring documentation, updated rack diagrams, and customer summaries. Technicians spend more time fixing and less time writing.

AI Concierge: Integrators could offer a branded concierge. The AI has access to home systems, utility history, device status, and environmental sensors. It becomes the homeowner’s single point of contact.

AI Security Advisor: AI continuously watches for unusual behavior.

Rather than overwhelming homeowners with alerts, AI prioritizes what matters.

Proactive Service This is where AI becomes transformational. Instead of waiting for failures, the system constantly evaluates the health of the home. AI will provide the platform for custom home technology integrators to provide Predictive Maintenance, Personalized Home Intelligence, Automated Customer Success, Business Intelligence, and Knowledge Capture.

Predictive Maintenance: Rather than reacting after something fails, AI identifies trends. The homeowner receives a message such as, “We’ve noticed your theater amplifier has been running hotter than normal for three weeks. We’d recommend servicing it before it becomes a problem.”

Personalized Home Intelligence: AI learns how each family actually lives. Instead of static programming, automation becomes adaptive.

Automated Customer Success: AI continually looks for opportunities to improve the customer’s experience. Recommendations become timely, personalized, and based on observed usage rather than generic sales campaigns.

Business Intelligence: Across hundreds or thousands of homes, AI can identify fleet-wide patterns. This allows the company to proactively reach affected customers before failures become widespread.

Knowledge Capture: One of the biggest challenges in integration companies is that senior technicians carry years of expertise in their heads. AI can preserve that knowledge by indexing service notes, wiring diagrams, programming practices, troubleshooting procedures, vendor bulletins, and installer preferences. New technicians gain access to the collective expertise of the entire company.

The roadmap for the delivery of AI-enhanced services by the home technology custom integrator is crystal clear. Now the question is whether you apply the resources in your company to follow this AI service roadmap. The satisfaction of your homeowner clients with your home technology services is your greatest assurance of long-term success, and nothing else comes close.

HOME THEATER

Treat the Room as Part of the Picture

Every surface in the home theater interacts with the picture; make sure the room enhances it, not detracts.

BY CHRISTIAAN BEUKES

When people imagine a cinema, they often picture the technology: the projector, the giant screen, maybe even the leather recliners. But there’s one element that most clients — and many designers — overlook: The room itself is part of the image.

That may sound odd, but think about it: The light coming off the screen doesn’t vanish into thin air. It bounces around the room. Every surface, every color, every reflection interacts with the picture. Get those wrong, and even the best projector and screen combination can look washed-out, distorted, or oddly colored.

Why Reflections Kill Contrast: Contrast — the difference between the darkest blacks and the brightest whites — is the single biggest factor in how cinematic an image feels. A projector can have incredible specifications on paper, but if the room is full of reflective surfaces, those specs collapse in practice.

Here’s why: Light from the screen hits a shiny floor, a white wall, or a glossy ceiling and bounces straight back into the viewing area. Instead of deep blacks, you get a gray haze. Instead of vibrant colors, you get a muted wash. It’s like watching a movie in a hall of mirrors.

The result? A space that never quite feels cinematic, no matter how good the technology.

One of the simplest, most effective design moves is to establish a dark zone around the screen. This means keeping at least a meter — ideally two — around and above the screen surface as dark, matte, and nonreflective as possible.

Flat black is the gold standard here. It absorbs stray light, prevents reflections, and frames the image so that the screen appears to “float.”

Even deep charcoals or muted tones can work if true black is aesthetically too stark, but the principle remains: The closer to black, the better.

Color Choices: Color has a sneaky way of influencing perception. If walls or ceilings are painted in bold hues, the light reflecting from the screen picks up those tones and throws them back onto the image. A cream wall can make whites look yellow. A bold blue feature wall can shift the color balance across the entire screen.

That’s why cinema designers tend to specify neutral palettes — grays, charcoals, or natural timber tones that don’t interfere with the picture.

This doesn’t mean the room has to look dull. Subtle textures, layered materials, and clever lighting can create atmosphere and richness without compromising neutrality.

Lighting: Lighting design in cinemas is a delicate dance. On one hand, you

16

r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.com

SEPTEMBER 2026

need to navigate the space safely, find your drink, and create ambience.

On the other, any stray light falling on the screen destroys contrast. Key considerations include: • Color temperature: Stick to neutral white lighting. Warm amber tones may look cozy in a lounge but will tint the image in a cinema.

• Directionality: Aim light away from the screen. Wall washes, floor-level LEDs, or indirect coves can provide useful illumination without spilling onto the picture.

• Control: Layered, dimmable circuits are essential. Clients should be able to move from bright clean light to subtle mood lighting to complete blackout with ease.

Handled well, lighting becomes an architectural feature that enhances immersion rather than undermines it.

Surfaces and Materials: Cinemas often tempt designers to add statement finishes — polished stone, high-gloss joinery, or mirrored details. While these might look stunning in a bar or lounge, they’re deadly in a cinema.

Instead, think of cinemas as places where restraint pays off. Matte paints, textured fabrics, acoustic wall panels, and absorbent finishes should dominate the palette. This doesn’t mean the room has to feel austere; rather, it should feel deliberate, with every surface serving both an aesthetic and a performance role.

Timber slats, for example, can add warmth while doubling as acoustic diffusion. Upholstered panels can conceal treatments while softening the look. The trick is finding materials that are visually pleasing but acoustically and optically neutral.

The Role of Ceiling Design: Ceilings are often overlooked, but in cinema design they matter greatly. A white, reflective ceiling will throw light back onto the screen, cutting contrast and immersion. Options include: • Dark paint or stretched fabric: simple, effective, and easy to integrate.

• Star ceilings: Fiber-optic “star fields” are popular, adding atmosphere while still absorbing light.

• Acoustic ceilings: treated surfaces that reduce reflections and add comfort.

Again, the goal is to make the ceiling recede visually so the audience’s focus stays firmly on the screen, but still keep it aesthetically pleasing to the end user when the room is not in use.

In short: Design the room as if it’s another component of the projector system. Do that, and the technology disappears, leaving nothing but the story on screen.

HOME THEATER

Next-Generation Audio Roundup

A look at the latest codes from Dolby and DTS, and how to make sure your clients are hearing what they are supposed to.

BY ANTHONY GRIMANI

What a busy, action-packed summer it’s been! While billions of people around the world were being introduced to Vozinha, the Cabo Verdean goalkeeper, or waiting for Messi to break the career World Cup goal record, or learning that a suspended suspension is actually a thing, the AV world experienced some milestones of its own.

Next Generation Audio codecs from Dolby and DTS have been around for a few years, but it’s only been recently that they’ve made an inroad into our business in a demonstrable way. Let’s take a look at some examples of how all this is working out.

Dolby AC-4 Peacock grabbed headlines before the World Cup by officially announcing support for Dolby Atmos using the Dolby AC-4 codec on its Telemundo 4K coverage, making it the first streaming provider to support Dolby’s NGA codec (it had previously been deployed almost exclusively by ATSC 3.0 broadcast TV stations). At the same time, Xfinity quietly rolled out its own AC-4 upgrade to its high-bitrate, ultra-low-latency RealTime4K service on select X1 platform devices (specifically the Xi6). We were once again fortunate enough to see the Fox 4K and Telemundo 4K coverage provided

by Xfinity X1 and the Xfinity Stream app, revealing the significant reduction in compression artifacts and latency compared to alreadyexcellent streams from Fox One and Peacock. Device support for AC-4 was very limited, so both Peacock and Xfinity provided a parallel fallback Dolby Atmos option using the industry-standard DD+JOC codec.

So why is this big news? While DD+JOC is the latest evolution of Dolby’s venerable AC-3 codec that was introduced all the way back in the early 1990s, AC-4 is a clean sheet codec that uses a TOC/Presentation/ Substream structure similar to Dolby’s ED2 professional contribution/ mezzanine codec. This simplifies the workflow for live audio as it winds its way from the mobile unit at the venue, to the international broadcast center (for worldwide events like the World Cup), to the national TV network, to various providers’ headends, and finally to the devices we use at home and on the go.

AC-4 allows providers, at their discretion, to pass through unprecedented audio customization and mixing options to the viewers.

Although none of these advanced features were enabled for the World Cup, in the future, providers can offer multiple Presentations that allow viewers to isolate or re-balance Substreams such as stadium ambience, on-field action, commentary, height perspective, officials’ calls, etc.

Watching on your phone and annoyed because the tinny crowd sound

18

r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.com

SEPTEMBER 2026

is muffling the casters and referee? Dial back the crowd or bump up the spoken word a click. Watching the isolated Skycam feed and want to hear only the perspective of the height layer mics in the stadium? Choose the Skycam Presentation to pull back everything but the overhead layer of stadium ambience.

Previous generation codecs required each of these to be pre-mixed tracks, taking up precious bits in the pipeline that broadcasters were unwilling to allocate; however, AC-4 treats Substreams separately, so Presentations can mix them, essentially, on-the-fly. This makes AC-4 both highly efficient (roughly twice as efficient as DD+JOC) and highly flexible.

Lots of theory being thrown around, I know, but how does this affect you and your customers? Well, as we saw during the World Cup, one immediate consequence of the AC-4 implementation is that some device settings may need to change. For example, a situation was reported by multiple users on the AVS Forum live 4K events thread that Xfinity Xi6 boxes were falling back to stereo. This was due to the Expert (passthrough) audio setting being engaged, when AC-4 passthrough was not possible.

Full immersive audio was easily restored by reverting to the Auto Detect setting, where the Xfinity box decodes AC-4 internally and sends Dolby Atmos immersive audio to the surround processor over an uncompressed Dolby MAT bridge.

As an aside, users had to know to do that, and if that user happened to be your client, they’re probably going to call you. Or sadly, they may not have even realized their system had fallen back to upmixing stereo! If you present yourself as a purveyor of bespoke, premium AV experiences, it behooves you to track issues like this and act pre-emptively by contacting your clients and offering to swing by to do a quick audit of their device settings to make sure everything is in top form for a major event like the World Cup. Food for thought…

DTS:X for Streaming Not to be outdone, DTS also has a next-gen codec, DTS-UHD Profile 2 (commonly known by other names such as DTS:X for Streaming), which for now is closely associated with IMAX DTS:X for IMAX Enhanced streaming titles from Disney+ and Sony Pictures Core. We did an initial report on DTS-UHD Profile 2 last year, but while on the topic of NGA, this is a perfect opportunity for an update.

When it first appeared on Disney+, IMAX DTS:X was restricted to TVs, because surround processors couldn’t decode DTS-UHD Profile 2; that decoding work had to be done by the TV. This essentially precluded

systems with large video walls or projection screens from enjoying these quasi-ports of IMAX large format cinema audio. Now, a very select group of Android TV boxes offers bitstream passthrough for the DTS-UHD Profile 2 codec.

But if surround processors still can’t decode it, what’s the point?

That’s the question we posed to the team at Xperi when we first unpacked our Android TV streaming box, hooked it up to our reference Denon AVR-X8500H, and started demoing Disney+ IMAX Enhanced titles. To be completely honest, we’re still not 100% sure exactly what is going on under the hood, but thanks to the very patient Xperi folks, we can pass along some clarifying remarks. These bullet points are our words, which were affirmed by Xperi; but in the event there is any confusion, blame us, not them!

The Android TV box is looking at its DTS transcoding capabilities and the Denon AVR’s DTS decoding capabilities and choosing the best fit between them. In this case, that is to perform a guided downmix and transcode IMAX DTS:X Profile 2 5.1.4 > IMAX DTS 5.1. The Denon AVR is then upmixing the IMAX DTS 5.1 input signal to 7.1.4 outputs.

If the Android TV box were instead connected to a DTS:X-capable TV, which in turn was connected to the Denon AVR, the Android TV box would pass IMAX DTS:X Profile 2 5.1.4 through to the TV. The TV would then examine its DTS transcoding capabilities and the Denon AVR’s DTS decoding capabilities and choose the best fit between them. In that case, the TV might transcode to a different DTS format (e.g., IMAX DTS:X Profile 1).

To editorialize on this a bit, we believe we were experiencing a guided fold-down/unfold process — as opposed to a blind downmix from 5.1.4 to 5.1 and then a blind upmix to 7.1.4 — that largely preserved the original spatial resolution of the 5.1.4 presentation. At least, that’s the way it sounded compared to the traditional model of 5.1 blindly upmixed by an algorithm like Dolby Surround or DTS Neural:X. We didn’t have a DTS:Xcapable TV on hand for comparison, and, realistically, that would be largely irrelevant anyway, because the whole point was to remove the TV restriction from the IMAX DTS:X equation.

But the proof is in the pudding, and we were looking to answer the questions: “Does IMAX DTS:X/DTS-UHD Profile 2 sound different from Dolby Atmos/DD+JOC?” and “Does it add value to the entertainment package you can offer your clients?” The answer to the first question is definitely, “yes,” and, at least in our opinion, the answer to the second question is also, “yes.”

The IMAX presentation definitely differs from Dolby in terms of dynamics, bass impact, and spatial resolution. Whether the IMAX or Dolby presentation is “better” is highly subjective and also depends on the application. For example, among the Marvel Cinematic Universe titles we sampled, Dolby generally presented a unified, cohesive, balanced presentation with prioritized DME that remained clear and distinct across a wide range of listening levels — a great experience for those who don’t want to listen at reference level but also don’t want to miss any sonic goodies. On the other hand, IMAX was powerful and dynamic, providing an impact, slam, and scope that Dolby couldn’t quite match; however, IMAX did not maintain the DME balance integrity as well at lower volumes — for example, the richer and bolder IMAX dialog presentation occasionally suffered from lower intelligibility unless the system was really allowed to flex its muscles.

In short, Dolby and IMAX are intentionally very different presentations (not like in the old days when Dolby and DTS were competing to

GETTY IMAGES

HOME THEATER

compress the same 5.1 mix using their respective codecs). If you want to provide your clients with the ultimate and complete AV experience, then you need to offer both Dolby and IMAX formats — especially for bigger, more powerful sound systems. The ironic TV limitation is still holding the IMAX format back, but don’t discount the guided downmix presentation offered by the latest Android TV boxes. Even if you just install them as an IMAX demo tool for clients to show off, we think it’s worthwhile.

Hopefully, the industry at large can prevail upon DTS and their hardware and content partners to make these IMAX tracks more accessible to nonTV-based systems!

Dolby AC-4 and DTS-UHD Profile 2 reveal a shift in codec philosophy that has already had and will continue to have a lasting impact on how we do things. Both NGA codecs largely transfer the decoding responsibilities to the playback device rather than the surround processor. (According to our current information, this is by design and unlikely to change, at least in the near future.) What this means going forward is that we need to be more attuned to the individual decoding and audio processing characteristics — as well as the limitations — of the source devices we choose to install. For example, it may be necessary to specify at least one device based on each of the “main” operating systems: tvOS/Apple TV, Android/Google/Fire TV OS, Roku OS, and now Vega OS. Additionally, it may be necessary for our unified control systems to evolve. Users may need to balance an AC-4 track to their taste, for example, which means the control system has to reach deep enough into the streaming device’s UI to enable those mixing controls. We don’t really know what that looks like yet, but it’s coming in some shape or form.

Finally, in the evolving world of codecs and formats, it is more important than ever to audit the exact video and audio assets a source device is pulling from the provider’s server. We’re now starting to see cases where the same title on the same app from the same provider uses different bitrate tiers depending on which streaming device you’re using.

The image and sound quality can range from sub-par to outstanding. This difference in bitrate tier is completely invisible from the standard UI, only revealed by the developer playback HUDs provided on devices like Apple TV 4K and Fire TV. While none of us originally signed up to be curators of content and source devices for our clients, we do promise to deliver the ultimate entertainment experience. These days, it goes with the territory.

Anthony Grimani is co-founder of Grimani Systems loudspeakers, and president of PMI Engineering and MSR Acoustics. Chase Walton contributed to this column.

SEPTEMBER 2026

r es i d en t i alsy stem s.com

19

FEATURE

MOTIVATED BY

MAKEOVERS

SoundVision’s decision to focus its marketing attention on retrofits yields great results.

By Anthony Savona

W

ith the rapid advances in projectors, direct-view displays, and home audio over the past decade, it is no surprise that home theater retrofits are becoming huge opportunities for custom installers. Sure, what you create is built to last, but in a world of 4K laser projectors and their ilk, your customers will need to update to keep up with the very best.

SoundVision, located in Mooresville, North Carolina, is well aware of this, and successfully targeted its marketing to reach those clients in need of a refresh.

“We are about 60-40 in terms of new construction jobs versus retrofits, but in terms of our media room and home theater business, we go the other way — 60% of our media rooms are in retrofit, and 40% of them are in new construction,” says Zach Simpson, CSO and VP of Design for SoundVision. “The majority of our new construction is going to have some sort of surround sound system, but not always a media room. We typically end up doing a few more media rooms in a retrofit environment than in new construction on an annual basis.”

SoundVision has been in business for 15 years, with a big “Sweet 16” event planned for later this year. Simpson has been with the company for more than 10 years, and credits its overall success to its design-build relationships, which it purposely leveraged to bring in more retrofit work.

“We have some amazing relationships with our builder and trade partners, including architects, builders, and interior designers,” he

20 r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.co m

●

AFTER says. “Our interior designer relationships have gone through the roof since we brought lighting design in-house a few years back. That's helped bring in jobs that aren't just lighting design, but also media rooms.

“We also do a pretty good job of marketing and advertising within our business. We've got great people here that manage the socials, and we've got a newsletter that goes out monthly. We stay on top of our customer relations management.

“When you put that together, you get what happened about two years ago. At that time, the three of us here that make up our EOS leadership group were analyzing our pipeline.

We thought our pipeline was leaning heavy toward new construction, with 20% being

SEPTEMBER 2026

The SoundVision experience center underwent a transformation to better represent what clients are looking for today, as well as the expanded offerings the company now offers, including lighting.

retrofit and 80% in new construction, which is great, but we all know that the market dynamics can quickly shift. So, we decided to dive back into our builders, architects, and designers that mainly focus on remodel work. We turned our marketing toward them, and the fruit that fell out of those trees! Our sweet spot is 45 open jobs at any given point in time, and we went from 45 to 88 in three months.”

Integrator, Remodel Thyself It’s not just clients getting a technological

FEATURE

BEFORE

facelift — SoundVision recently renovated its own media room space so that it can better demonstrate today’s technology, converting its home theater into a media room environment.

“We wanted to show more of that media room design,” says Simpson. “With today's projectors and the ambient-light-rejecting screens we have — combined with lighting control and automated window coverings — we can create that media room experience in an open-concept space.”

The previous room had two display systems: SEPTEMBER 2026

●

r es i d en t ialsy stem s.com

21

MOTIVATED BY MAKEOVERS

one was a 98-inch TV with a simple 5.1-channel audio setup from Theory, and the other featured a drop-down projection screen that would come down in front of the TV and be used in conjunction with an Origin Acoustics Marquee Dolby Atmos sound system. There were Lutron motorized drapery tracks along the left and right walls.

“That was successful and suitable for what we were doing six years ago, and I wanted to change it,” Simpson explains. “We were doing way more 2.35:1 screens, and I wanted to show a system that was completely out of sight and get into more of the organic, wood-type acoustic treatments that are popular now. We redesigned the entire space. We got rid of the TV completely and decided to solely focus on a big 2.35 screen with a JVC DLA-NZ800 projector tucked in a niche in the back of the room so it's not hanging from the ceiling. All the speakers, which are still Marquees, are concealed behind the screen and walls and provide Dolby Atmos sound.

More than just a technology update, the experience center now provides a stronger representation of the type of design and integration work that SoundVision regularly provides. “Our layout here is a day in the life of technology,” says Simpson. “We don’t have walls of TVs and speakers, but the clients experience technology from the moment they walk in whether they realize it or not because of our concealed projection system, hidden speakers, and design-centric architectural acoustic treatments.

“As a company, we have fully embraced lighting, and so we have added lighting design in that room with various layers of recessed lighting for different purposes. We added in DMX-controlled linear lighting, so we've got a full RGB spectrum along the bottom edge of the stage and in the cove section of the ceiling.

We can now show full tunable and RGB lighting in there. We also feature Lutron’s Rania and Lumaris downlights.”

SoundVision was able to greatly improve this client’s home theater by replacing the projector with a JVC DLA-NZ500 and the screen with a Stewart Filmscreen 2.35 model.

The Red Room The revised experience center played a part in a recent home theater retrofit completed

by SoundVision. The new client had just moved into an existing house in a cul-desac where SoundVision was working next door. The homeowner saw the van in their neighbor’s driveway and asked them to check out her existing home theater, which she was not enjoying.

22 r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.co m

●

“She doesn't know much about technology at all, but she does know that she has a flatscreen TV in her living room that looks great, but she also has a media room that looks poor when she watches the same shows,” Simpson remembers. “We went to the house and did a size survey, then had her visit our experience center. There, she started learning about 16:9

SEPTEMBER 2026

versus 2.35:1 and ambient light rejection. She quickly realized that the video quality between what she has and what she could have is like night and day.

“We upgraded her projector to a JVC DLANZ500, which is the little brother of the one we have in the experience center, and we put a Stewart Filmscreen 2.35 screen on the wall. She

MOTIVATED BY MAKEOVERS

did not want us to change the audio system, but we did replace her subwoofer once we found out it was bad. For control, we installed a new user interface with a Control4 remote.

“She’s one of our most raving clients right now. We spent a day working in her theater and dialing it in. We set some custom aspect ratios because the shows she watches are either 16:9 or

"We thought our pipeline was leaning heavy toward new construction. So, we decided to dive back into our builders, architects, and designers that mainly focus on remodel work.

We turned our marketing toward them, and the fruit that fell out of those trees! " — Zach Simpson, CSO and VP of Design for SoundVision

2.35:1. So, we set in some recallable aspect ratios, and she and her husband absolutely love it.”

It was a fairly simple job for the SoundVision team, but one part did give Simpson pause.

“The room was painted a very interesting shade of deep red,” he says, “and they no longer have access to that paint. I'm sure a qualified painter could do a mixture that was pretty close, but not exact. When we did the initial site survey, I told them that we may have an issue because this is more than just projector and screen.

“They had a Roku, and we made sure that the interconnect cable between the two is of high quality. We weren't convinced that we were going to be able to use the HDMI cable that was in place. So, I had prepared the clients in the event we had to cut open an access hole or two to fish wire. I came up with the idea that, if that did happen, we should consider patching the hole and repainting the ceiling a darker color, but not red; maybe in the dark gray family. As luck would have it, our technicians are amazing, and the team that did that job did have to retrofit a wire, but were able to do it

without any holes being cut at all.”

Want More Than Need Technology does change quickly, but it has also become more durable, and SoundVision finds that its retrofit jobs do not come to fix a broken system, but more often to make it better.

“It's become common knowledge that technology moves really fast,” says Simpson.

“You certainly don’t want your projector to die, and it likely won’t — I could count on one hand the number of projectors we've had to replace because they died over the past seven years — but there's going to be a compelling

reason to upgrade it. People come to us saying they experienced new technology at a friend's house or at a home they rented, and they know it is time for them to upgrade. And they're upgrading out of want, not necessity.”

Not to mention the clients who complete jobs with their eyes on additional technology once they are ready. “I want to fix whatever the clients are concerned with, which builds trust,” concludes Simpson. “Then for any technology need they ever run into moving forward, they are going to pick up the phone and call us, and we'll be able to cater to it.”

For more information, visit www.svavnc.com.

SEPTEMBER 2026

●

r es i d en t i alsy stem s.com

23

FEATURE

Unlocking Professional Audio Precision

How integrators can leverage the Home Acoustics Alliance’s HAA Link to create better-sounding spaces through manual calibration.

By Anthony Savona

A

chieving reference-grade home theater audio has always been a balancing act between physics, room layout, and standard hardware constraints. Traditional audio/video receivers can fall short during final calibration, locking critical adjustments behind clunky menus or having non-pro-grade consumer interfaces.

Enter HAA Link, a tool developed by Gerry Lemay, founder of the Home Acoustics Alliance (HAA) and Andrew Smith of Studio Six Digital.

Designed to interface directly with HAA-certified DSP hardware — debuting in AudioControl’s Hyperion APR-16 receiver — HAA Link bridges the gap between hardware controls and real-

24 r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.com

●

time calibration software. Paired with the HAA CinemaTools iOS app, the platform exposes deep calibration parameters previously restricted to ultra-high-end standalone processors, allowing integrators to analyze audio data and apply realtime DSP adjustments instantly.

We spoke with Lemay to discuss the origins of HAA Link, its role in modern acoustic calibration standards, and why ears-on expertise remains irreplaceable in highperformance residential audio.

RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS: What exactly is HAA Link, and what led you to develop it?

GERRY LEMAY: It stems from an ongoing challenge throughout my HAA career. When

SEPTEMBER 2026

training integrators on acoustics, room design, and calibration, one of the first realizations is that you can only go so far with standard AVRs. You move speakers, subwoofers, and seating to optimize the acoustic framework, which delivers fundamental performance gains.

However, fine-tuning equalization, precise time delays, phase adjustments, and levels became difficult on conventional AVRs. Many calibration controls in standard receivers simply aren't designed for professional use. Over the last 15 years, as AVRs incorporated powerful DSP capabilities, I realized we could control or unlock these necessary functions if given access.

We partnered with AudioControl to implement this capability into its new

FEATURE

Will HAA Link work strictly with AudioControl, or will it work with other receiver brands in the future?

The hardware must be certified by the HAA. If a manufacturer wants to integrate HAA Link, we work directly with them to implement it, although the HAA CinemaTools app itself can be used as a high-performance audio analysis tool with any preamp processor or AVR. The distinct

Hyperion APR-16 receiver. HAA Link empowers professional integrators to access high-level calibration controls within an AVR that match the precision of expensive standalone processors.

For clarification, is HAA Link a service where integrators hire you to calibrate a room, or is it software they license and run themselves?

It is software that is built entirely for integrators. During development, we internally called it the “HAA backdoor.” It allows professional integrators to access calibration parameters exposed through our HAA CinemaTools app that consumers normally cannot access.

CinemaTools is an iOS app designed for the iPad to ensure enough screen space for realtime graphs and controls simultaneously.

You can use an iPad-compatible microphone interface. We strongly advocate for spatial averaging using multiple microphones. HAA offers a complete kit assembled by Studio Six Digital to ensure calibration consistency across project sites.

"The distinct advantage of using HAA Link with CinemaTools is real-time visual feedback. Whether checking frequency response or energy-time curves, you see the exact effect of your adjustments as you make them — eliminating the process of exiting menus to re-measure."

— Gerry Lemay, founder of the HAA

advantage of using HAA Link with CinemaTools is real-time visual feedback. Whether checking frequency response or energy-time curves, you see the exact effect of your adjustments as you make them — eliminating the process of exiting menus to re-measure.

What hardware is required to perform these measurements? Does CinemaTools require specific microphone setups?

How does HAA Link assist integrators with upcoming calibration guidelines like RP32?

HAA Link operates on the back end during the calibration phase, aligning closely with CEDIA’s RP32 guidelines. Andrew Smith (developer of Studio Six Digital) and I both served on that development group.

CinemaTools incorporates new acoustic measurement techniques and checklists derived from those efforts, giving integrators

SEPTEMBER 2026

●

r es i d en t i alsy stem s.com

25

UNLOCKING PROFESSIONAL AUDIO PRECISION access to room analysis parameters that weren't easily accessible before.

In your experience, are most residential home theaters being properly calibrated today, or are many systems left at a "good enough" baseline?

Historically, very few rooms were truly calibrated. Many integrators set delays and basic levels, but a lot of the glaring missteps were in the design and layout of the system.

There're some very strong integrators out there that have placed design and calibration at the forefront of their businesses, and I'm in contact with them.

The HAA class is an amazing experience. I say that not just because I think that, but because we've got tremendous reviews and feedback on it. I would challenge the typical integrator to consider at least taking our HAA Home Cinema Primer, which is the coursework for our Level 1 certification.

In fact, anyone who registers on the website as an HAA Pro candidate gets the first four lessons of that for free. They can check it out, see if it’s in their wheelhouse, and then they can decide if they want to step forward and take the full class to become Level 1 certified.

Automated room correction tools are increasingly integrated into modern electronics. Does HAA Link replace automated systems like Dirac, or do they work together?

Dirac is a solid platform, and automated calibration is a great time-saver. On the AudioControl Hyperion APR-16, an integrator can run auto-calibration first and then use HAA Link to fine-tune the system manually.

Professional calibrators prefer manual control because sound quality must be evaluated by ear throughout every step. Auto-calibration

algorithms can occasionally strip away desirable acoustic characteristics of a high-end system.

Manual calibration via HAA Link lets the calibrator listen continuously, preserving the natural warmth or dynamics of a room while correcting problematic resonances. A computer algorithm cannot replace a trained pair of ears.

How are calibration profiles and presets managed within the software for client use?

The software supports multiple custom profiles. You can create distinct calibrations for movies, multi-channel music, nighttime listening, or critical 2-channel listening without limit. While AudioControl's UI allows basic adjustments, HAA Link unlocks full custom profile management within the receiver hardware.

How long does an HAA calibration take alusing this system?

We structure our workflows around two primary calibration checklists built into CinemaTools: 1. TurboCal: Designed for standard turnarounds, taking roughly two hours.

It covers fundamental performance markers to achieve a significant uplift in sound quality quickly.

2. PowerCal: A comprehensive approach designed for reference-level systems.

Integrators spend more time analyzing

26 r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.co m

●

SEPTEMBER 2026

UNLOCKING PROFESSIONAL AUDIO PRECISION

data, running spatial measurements, and optimizing fine adjustments — which can take anywhere from half a day to two days depending on system complexity.

HAA Link speeds up both approaches. If a TurboCal reveals a specific ceiling resonance or a boomy subwoofer, you can apply precise filters immediately while connected, resolving major room issues without adding extra components.

What is the roadmap for expanding HAA Link into additional hardware platforms?

The AudioControl Hyperion APR-16 serves as our initial proof-of-concept. Any of the manufacturers that are looking at the APR16 as a competitive product are realizing it fits in a really good price point, and it's already got a lot of buzz going. I think that creating something that works on that same pattern is going to be a trend.

How should an integrator position the cost and value of HAA Link calibrations to their clients?

The difference between a truly calibrated system and one that is not is inexpressible; the calibrated one is clearly better. Convincing people that they need to bill a customer for their time, effort, and knowledge has come a long way. We've got people doing that readily now.

Unlocking HAA Link on an AudioControl unit

carries a one-time fee of $1000. Historically, achieving this level of DSP control required adding outboard hardware costing $2000 to $5000. The unlock stays with the hardware permanently, allowing integrators to charge appropriately for their expertise while saving the customer money on external processors.

HAA Certified Integrators get a discount on the HAA Link unlock fee.

What level of formal training is required for an integrator to use HAA Link effectively?

Experienced calibrators can download the app and begin using the controls immediately.

However, for those less familiar with real-time analyzers or FFT analysis, formal instruction ensures optimal results.

We offer direct technical support, and we recently launched "Ask HAA"—an AI assistant trained on our full acoustic knowledge base — available free to HAA Pro Candidates online.

For formal certification, our path includes: • HAA Level 1: Self-paced online course covering foundational theory.

• HAA Level 2: A two-day hands-on workshop (one day of lecture, one day of practical calibration).

• HAA Level 3 (Advanced Integrator): A workshop where teams of no more than six people lay out, measure, and calibrate a high-performance system from start to finish under instructor guidance.

Where do you see the discipline of acoustic calibration heading?

While automation and AI will continue to evolve, the physical realities of acoustics — toein angles, boundary distance, seat placement — cannot be solved purely by algorithms.

Listening remains the core diagnostic tool.

As hardware prices mature, professional calibration will become more common in highperformance installations. When integrators develop their ears and master tools like HAA Link, they realize they don't need days of trial-and-error to improve a room. Small, informed adjustments to speaker placement, seating, and target DSP filters yield dramatic improvements on almost any system.

How can integrators get started with CinemaTools and HAA Link?

The HAA CinemaTools app is available as a free download on the Apple App Store, which allows immediate access to HAA Link controls on certified devices like the Hyperion APR16. For integrators who want our full suite of real-time audio analysis tools, the advanced measurement package is available as a one-time $149 in-app purchase with lifetime updates.

Integrators can also register as an HAA Pro Candidate at homeacoustics.org for free access to our Ask HAA tool and the first four lessons of our Level 1 Primer course.

For more detials, visit homeacoustics.org/haa-link.

SEPTEMBER 2026

●

r es i d en t ialsy stem s.com

27

FEATURE

The Evolution of HDR

A look at the standards behind High Dynamic Range and the role tone mapping plays in modern displays.

By Melvin Diaz, Senior Product Manager, Epson

H

igh Dynamic Range has become one of the most significant advances in modern video technology. Unlike previous industry pushes, such as 3D or early 8K, HDR has succeeded because it delivers meaningful improvements for both content creators and consumers. It expands artistic freedom, enhances realism, and enables more visually expressive storytelling.

HDR has changed the way visual content is created and displayed, offering brighter highlights, deeper contrast, and a wider

28 r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.com

●

range of colors than ever before. However, achieving the full benefits of HDR is not always straightforward, especially in projection environments, where display capabilities differ significantly from flat-panel technologies.

In this article, we'll take a closer look at the history and standards behind HDR, the critical role of tone mapping, the challenges involved in accurately reproducing HDR content on modern displays, and what the future looks like for HDR.

Why HDR Exists HDR originated from a mix of artistic ambition

SEPTEMBER 2026

and technological progress. Cinematographers were pushing for a wider color palette and greater contrast range, seeking more shades, tones, and brightness levels than SDR could provide. By the mid-2010s, display technology had advanced to the point where SDR was no longer fully utilizing the capabilities of modern screens. HDR emerged as a natural next step, enabling more lifelike images that viewers could immediately appreciate.

HDR emerged through the convergence of advances in digital cinematography, mastering workflows, and display technology.

FEATURE

Epson’s QL-Series projectors can deliver the light output needed to more faithfully reproduce HDR content on large screens.

How HDR Expands Color and Contrast HDR boosts perceived image realism by expanding luminance range, color volume, and tonal precision beyond the limits of traditional SDR. It introduces a wider color gamut, moving from SDR’s Rec.709 standard to the Rec.2020 color container, enabling a broader range of colors. HDR also significantly extends luminance range beyond SDR’s traditional reference mastering level of approximately 100 nits to a theoretical peak of 10,000 nits.

This wider range improves separation between

shadows and highlights, increasing perceived depth and realism.

In addition, HDR increases bit depth from 8-bit to 10-bit or higher, reducing banding and producing smoother gradients across the image. Most HDR formats, including HDR10 and Dolby Vision, use the SMPTE ST 2084 fixed Perceptual Quantizer (PQ) curve that maps content to absolute brightness levels. While this helps preserve creative intent, it can also present challenges in non-ideal viewing environments, where insufficient brightness or tone mapping limitations may impact the perceived image.

The Rise of HDR Standards As HDR adoption grew, several HDR formats emerged, each designed to improve how HDR content is delivered and displayed. The four primary HDR formats today are HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and Hybrid LogGamma (HLG), with the primary differences centering on metadata, signal processing, and device compatibility. HDR10 remains the most widely supported format and uses static metadata, meaning brightness mapping information are applied uniformly across an entire piece of content. HDR10+ and Dolby

SEPTEMBER 2026

●

r es i d en t i alsy stem s.com

29

THE EVOLUTION OF HDR Vision build on this approach by incorporating dynamic metadata, allowing compatible displays to optimize image performance scene by scene or even frame by frame.

Dolby Vision offers one of the most featurerich HDR implementations, supporting dynamic metadata, higher bit-depth capabilities, and additional tools that help preserve creative intent, though real-world performance can vary by display manufacturer. Meanwhile, HLG was developed specifically for live television and broadcast applications, enabling HDR and SDR viewers to receive the same signal without requiring separate versions of the content. While HLG has seen adoption among broadcasters in markets such as the U.K. and Japan, it remains less common in streaming and physical media.

HDR10 serves as the baseline HDR format for Ultra HD Blu-ray and is supported by virtually all HDR-capable televisions and projectors.

Why Tone Mapping Is Necessary Regardless of format, all HDR standards ultimately depend on a display’s ability to interpret and map content to its own capabilities — a process known as tone mapping, which is especially critical in projection systems.

Tone mapping is necessary because most displays, particularly projectors, cannot reproduce the full brightness range for which HDR content is mastered. It serves as a translation layer, compressing the HDR signal into a more limited dynamic range while attempting to preserve overall image intent.

Because there is no single “correct” approach, manufacturers balance different priorities, such as preserving highlight detail, shadow depth, or overall image brightness. Tone mapping can take several forms, including static tone mapping that applies a consistent adjustment across content, dynamic tone mapping that adapts based on scene analysis, and frame-adaptive approaches that optimize adjustments on a frame-by-

frame basis. Each method introduces tradeoffs between accuracy, brightness, and visual impact. While many modern TVs have sufficient brightness to reduce these compromises, projectors face greater challenges, making tone mapping performance a key factor in perceived HDR quality.

Projection vs. Flat Panel: The Brightness Difference Before examining brightness differences in greater depth, it is worth noting that in 2024 the Digital Cinema Initiatives published updated HDR cinema specifications that established a reference peak brightness target of approximately 300 nits for HDR cinema displays, including both projected and direct-view systems. This updated reference supports improved highlight reproduction, greater perceived color volume, and more consistent HDR performance across different display technologies used in professional cinema environments.

●

The Future of HDR in Projection For the projection industry, HDR represents both an opportunity and an ongoing technical challenge. While flat-panel displays were the first to fully capitalize on HDR's benefits, advances in projection technology are steadily narrowing the gap. Higher-brightness laser light engines, improved tone-mapping

Tone mapping is necessary because most displays, particularly projectors, cannot reproduce the full brightness range for which HDR content is mastered. It serves as a translation layer, compressing the HDR signal into a more limited dynamic range while attempting to preserve overall image intent Even so, brightness behaves very differently in projection than it does on flat-panel displays, primarily because projected images scale with screen size. A 65-inch TV occupies roughly one square meter of screen space, while a 130-inch projected image covers approximately four times that area. To achieve comparable perceived brightness, a projector must therefore deliver significantly more light as screen size increases.

Epson’s QL-Series projectors

30 r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.co m

This challenge exists even in commercial cinema environments, where large screens require careful optimization of brightness, contrast, and viewing conditions. At home, projector performance can vary significantly depending on the screen size, screen gain, and projected light output, with many systems operating below the peak luminance levels used for HDR mastering. However, advances in projection technology are beginning to change that. New high-brightness solutions, such as Epson's QL-Series, are helping deliver the light output needed to more faithfully reproduce HDR content on large screens.

SEPTEMBER 2026

algorithms, and more sophisticated image processing are enabling projectors to reproduce HDR content with greater accuracy and impact than ever before.

As projection systems continue to evolve, the ability to deliver brighter images, greater color volume, and improved contrast will bring HDR experiences closer to the creative intent of filmmakers and content creators.

This is particularly important as screen sizes continue to grow.

Ultimately, HDR is far more than a buzzword. It is a meaningful advancement in how visual content is captured, mastered, and displayed. For projection, the future of HDR lies not only in brighter light engines, but in the industry's continued ability to balance brightness, color, contrast, and tone mapping to deliver compelling images on the largest screens. As these technologies advance, HDR will play an increasingly important role in defining the next generation of projection experiences.

FEATURE

TECH SHOWCASE

THE LATEST LIGHTING SOLUTIONS This relatively new category to the CI industry continues to innovate with new products and solutions.

Lighting continues its push into the custom installation industry at a furious pace. Helping its acceptance is a steady stream of new and innovative products that solve problems for dealers and make interior designers very happy. Here we look at the latest additions to the category.

1

ilLumenate Lighting Glacier

ilLumenate Lighting’s Glacier is designed for tough applications where some neon options fall short. Built to bridge the gap between aesthetics and rugged performance, Glacier can handle real-world environments. Its silicone-fin mounting is designed to prevent snapping during temperature changes. The series offers a variety of sizes, lumen outputs, and versatile mounting options, with plans to include integrated optical accessories like hex and linear louvers in the future.

The flagship in the Glacier line is Pinnacle [DB], a dual-bending fixture designed to handle the most demanding structural and environmental conditions. Its tensile strength comes from an aircraft cable power-delivery system that runs through the back of the fixture. This design allows Pinnacle to manage the expansion and contraction caused by fluctuating outdoor temperatures, from scorching summer days to chilly nights. It’s available in Static White (2700K–4000K), Color Changing (RGB+3000K/4000K) and Pixel (DMX512) options.

2

Coastal Source EVO Press Fit Surface Lights

The Coastal Source EVO Press Fit Shielded Surface Light and EVO Press Fit Semi-Shielded Surface Light extend the EVO architectural lighting platform with two new approaches to glare control and surface illumination. Designed for seamless integration into walls, stair risers, columns, pergolas, and other architectural features, the new fixtures enable designers and integrators to achieve refined lighting effects while maintaining Coastal Source’s signature low-profile aesthetic.

4 32 r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.com

The EVO Press Fit Shielded Surface Light delivers a wide, soft wash of light while fully concealing the light source, helping eliminate glare at its origin. Powered by the EVO 360+ LED Module, the fixture is ideal for applications where subtle architectural illumination and visual comfort are equally important.

The EVO Press Fit Semi-Shielded Surface Light combines powerful directional illumination with intelligent one-sided glare control. Built around the EVO Direct LED Module, it is designed for wall washing, column lighting, and hardscape uplighting where longer throw distances and controlled beam placement are required without exposing the light source.

3

Cerno Sona Sconce

4

Lepro STV1 TV backlight

Lighting fixture manufacturer Cerno and lighting design studio Siemon & Salazar have collaborated on the nautical-themed Sona sconce.

At the right time of day, light pierces through the water, creating a pristine and transparent scene. Later in the day, the water often reflects light in a shimmering pattern that is mesmerizing, but hard on the eyes. The light emitted from the Sona delivers a different experience from every angle, which is an homage to the ever-changing coastline. Although more subtle in this fixture than some of its other lights, the porthole look feels very at home in the Cerno collection. The raw brass strap carries the warmth of something handled and worn. The solid wood backplate anchors the piece, hand-worked to expose the rich depth of the grain.

The Lepro STV1 is a new camera-based TV backlight designed to make home entertainment more immersive by extending on-screen color into the room around the TV. Built for movies, gaming, live sports, and music, STV1 combines synchronized ambient lighting, AI-generated lighting scenes, and simplified installation in one entertainment-focused solution. What makes STV1 different from standard TV light strips is that it

5

●

SEPTEMBER 2026

FEATURE

is designed not only as a screen-sync backlight, but also as an AI lighting system for the living room.

With LightGPM 4 AI Lighting Designer, users can create customized lighting scenes from text, voice, or image prompts, while a 2-in-1 camera-controller design reduces wiring and makes setup cleaner and easier.

3

2

WAC Group Outdoor

5 X Track System

The Outdoor X Track System is track lighting engineered by WAC Group specifically for exterior environments. It extends the flexibility of WAC Track beyond the building envelope, bringing modular, system-based lighting outdoors. Built around a low-voltage platform and patent-pending technology, Outdoor X Track adapts to layouts, spacing, and changing design needs. Field cuttable sections and flexible connectors allow lighting to evolve with the space. Outdoor X Track features durable construction and outdoor-rated components that are designed for long-term performance in the most demanding environments.

Precision heads deliver controlled illumination exactly where it is needed. From facades and pathways to landscape, porte-cocheres, and patios to outdoor kitchens, gazebos, and pergolas to patios and porches, every beam is intentional. Outdoor X Track integrates seamlessly with WAC low-voltage power and control solutions.

9

DMF Lighting Artafex PhaseX

6 Gateway with Ethernet

The DMF Lighting Artafex PhaseX Gateway with Ethernet is the latest advancement in its PhaseX digital lighting ecosystem. The Artafex PhaseX Gateway with Ethernet adds direct Ethernet connectivity, eliminating the need for additional DMX control boxes traditionally required for digital lighting control. By removing these external components, DMF reduces control hardware requirements, streamlines system design, and lowers overall project costs, while improving reliability from installation through long-term operation.

Commissioning is handled directly through DMF software and can be completed over Wi-Fi, simplifying setup and improving reliability both on-site and during system adjustments. The Artafex PhaseX Gateway with Ethernet also offers native integration with leading control platforms, including Control4 and Crestron, enabling communication between lighting and control systems without additional hardware.

7

Lutron Intelligent Lighting

Lutron’s Intelligent Lighting portfolio represents a vision of seamlessly integrated, deeply experiential lighting for the home, elevated by advanced wireless control that allows for design freedom and unlocks new possibilities for industry professionals. Intelligent Lighting provides a seamless, fully addressable lighting ecosystem with wireless flexibility.

Since the intelligence resides within the fixture itself instead of the control wire, system setup and configuration is faster and re-zoning can be achieved effortlessly. Eliminating control wire also frees up significant rack room installation space, which can be re-purposed for other client uses.

Lutron has introduced Ketra and Orluna, two fully complementary product families within the Intelligent Lighting portfolio, including downlights, lamps, and linear lighting fixtures from Ketra, and downlights, tape, cylinders, uplights, and floorwash fixtures from Orluna.

8

Control4 Vibrant Bulbs and Recessed Trim Lights

9

Nightscaping Locklin Outdoor LED Lighting Series

The Control4 Vibrant Smart Bulbs and Recessed Trim Lights are high-performance lighting additions that broaden Control4’s Vibrant lighting lineup. Combining premium light quality with wireless installation and native Control4 commissioning, the fixtures address growing dealer demand for solutions that avoid the cost, complexity, and infrastructure requirements of legacy specialty systems.

Nightscaping’s Locklin Outdoor LED Lighting Series is designed for lighting designers, integrators, and installation teams alike. It is a logical, repeatable outdoor lighting system that removes guesswork from specification, installation, and long-term service. Built from four elements — application-based power bases, precision aiming knuckles, a single adjustable LED light module with interchangeable optics, and glare-control modifiers — the Series enable hundreds of custom lighting configurations from a streamlined, modular platform.

Luminii Gen 2 LED platform

10 Luminii’s Gen 2 LED platform is a comprehensive next-generation system that re-engineers the core lighting “engine” behind the majority of the company’s LED strip lighting. Luminii’s Gen 2 platform represents a full-scale evolution of the company’s linear ecosystem, introducing five new LED strip families, expanded outputs and CCTs, improved efficacy, tighter cut increments, enhanced dimming performance, and a standardized LED strip architecture that both simplifies the portfolio and expands compatibility across fixtures and extrusions.

SEPTEMBER 2026

●

r es i d en t i alsy stem s.com

33

A SUPPLEMENT TO

MAGAZINE

THE INTEGRATION GUIDE TO

WHOLE-HOME AUDIO

Sonos combines wired and wireless technologies to create a full sound throughout the home.

SPONSORED BY SONOS

FILLING THE HOUSE WITH SOUND Today’s distributed audio technology discreetly unifies the entire property — inside and outside — with a solid soundscape.

By Karen Mitchell

D

istributed audio has become a must for new home construction. The trick is to create amazing environments across huge homes and properties while keeping them heard but not seen.

“The starting point is to go for full sound coverage across every space where someone might want to listen in, paired with control that’s just as seamless as the audio itself,” says Colton Forth, president, Juke Audio. “Homeowners should be able to group areas for a party or isolate a single room, each at its own volume, from wherever they happen to be standing. That means placing enough speakers in the right listening areas and ensuring that every one of them can be controlled freely throughout the home. Underpinning all of it is a strong, reliable network, the same foundation that lets any modern smart-home system perform at its best.”

“Whole-home audio has evolved from being a luxury feature to becoming an expected part of the modern home,” notes Robyn Travaglia, director of architectural design, Origin Acoustics. “Today’s homeowners don’t think in terms of ‘audio rooms,’ but rather think about how they want to live in their home. They want music that follows them from the kitchen to the great room, out onto the patio, around the pool, and into every space where family and friends gather. The starting point isn’t selecting speakers; it’s understanding how people want to experience their home.”

34

That means designing the system around lifestyle first. “We encourage our dealers to begin every project by asking where homeowners spend time, where they entertain, and how they transition between indoor and outdoor spaces,” says Travaglia. “Once those experiences are defined, the technology becomes much easier to specify. A successful whole-home audio system should feel effortless, delivering consistent performance everywhere without requiring the homeowner to think about the equipment behind it.”

At Sonance, the home’s architecture and an understanding of how people actually move through the property and live in the home are starting points, according to marketing coordinator Courtney Gandolfi. “That means building a room-by-room, zone-by-zone audio plan early, ideally during new construction or a major renovation, so sound can live inside the walls and ceilings rather than being an afterthought,” she says. “We look at how each space is used — primary living areas, bedrooms, outdoor — and design coverage and zoning around that intent, so sound follows the homeowner seamlessly from room to room and from indoors to outdoors without competing with design.”

The starting point for Sonos, says Casey Clemens, senior director, Americas professional, Sonos, is proper pre-wire planning at roughin, not the gear itself. “On multi-zone properties, that means homerun speaker cable (or structured cabling to local amp locations) back to a

HOME THEATER

According to marketing coordinator Courtney Gandolfi, Sonance looks at how each space is used before designing coverage and zoning around that intent.

centralized rack, dedicated low-voltage runs for network infrastructure, and enough conduit/pathway flexibility to support future zone expansion. Spec the Sonos Amp/Amp Multi as your zone-level amplification, and build your network topology before you ever touch the finish hardware. Getting the infrastructure right at framing is what lets you scale to 20-plus zones without a service call six months post-occupancy.”

Heard Not Seen “Client expectation on most jobs now is zero visible AV footprint with no exposed equipment, no wall-mounted keypads unless requested, and no rack visible outside the mechanical closet,” Clemens says. “This is consistently what is being requested at the design/build stage. On the integrator side, that means racking all amplifiers and networking gear in a dedicated closet with proper ventilation and cable management, using paintable-grille architectural in-ceiling/in-wall speakers so the finish carpenter and painter can integrate them into the ceiling plan, control consolidated to the Sonos app, and, where the client wants a Crestron/ Control4-style unified GUI, voice/third-party control integration instead of multiple remotes or panels.

“When planning and executing whole-house audio systems, integrators utilize Sonos products not as standalone components but as modular building blocks within a single, interoperable ecosystem. Each addition, whether a new amplifier, speaker, soundbar, subwoofer, or portable speaker, not only expands where homeowners can listen, but also increases the overall value, flexibility, and personalization of the system. As lifestyles change, renovations occur, or new spaces are added, the Sonos platform grows with them, allowing integrators to evolve the installation over time rather than replace it.”

36

The Juke Audio system brings wired speakers under convenient control of an app.

Highlights are the primary zone amplifier for architectural builds, which drives 2-channel passive loads, integrates into the Sonos S2 ecosystem, and supports line-level/trigger inputs for combining with other AV sources. “The new multizone amplifier provides multi-zone flexibility with GaN and PFFB technology to completely redefine what an 8-channel amplifier can do,” Clemens says. “Architectural speakers, in-ceiling/ in-wall/outdoor, are designed for concealment with paintable grilles to reduce finish-out friction with GCs and designers. Other Sonos featured products include the Era 300 speakers for great rooms or media zones needing spatial audio. These are useful upsells for Atmos-adjacent lis-

tening without a full surround build-out. The Arc Ultra/Beam Gen 2 soundbar anchor for home theater zones simplifies theater wiring versus discrete surround amp channels. Sub 4/Sub minis offer zone-level lowend reinforcement, and the Move 2/Roam 2s are used for zones where a wire run isn’t feasible, such as pool decks.”

“Reducing visible wiring is what lets a distributed audio system blend into the architecture of the home,” Forth says. “Speaker wire runs discreetly behind walls and ceilings, connecting passive in-ceiling and inwall speakers back to an amplifier or receiver tucked away in an AV rack.

And if the system is controlled over Wi-Fi from a phone or tablet, you can keep the walls free of the keypads and volume controls some homeowners find obtrusive. The result is a sound experience you hear clearly but barely see; exactly what most homeowners are after.”

Most recently, the Juke+ audio amplifier and AudioMate adapter have been paired to create a seamless whole-home system. “AudioMate in particular can mount directly behind a TV and wirelessly transmit the TV’s audio to the Juke+ amplifier, so it plays through the connected in-ceiling and in-wall speakers,” Forth adds. “That removes the need for a soundbar or long cable runs, the usual workaround for getting good TV sound. The Juke+ then delivers that audio across up to six independent areas, with app-based control and music streaming so everyone in the home can listen to what they want, where they want.”

Homeowners who invest in large properties have usually put real effort into the interior design, and visible grilles or black boxes undercut that.

“Sonance Invisible Series speakers install into the wall or ceiling and are then painted, plastered, or wallpapered over to match the surrounding surface completely, so there’s no visual footprint at all,” says Gandolfi.

“Outdoors, our Landscape Series is built to blend into the grounds while delivering even coverage.

Three series show up most for whole-home audio, she notes: “The Invisible Series stands out for disappearing entirely into the wall or ceiling surface itself, painted or wallpapered over, while still delivering full-range, balanced sound with no compromise versus a visible speaker. The Small Aperture Series is built around a remarkably compact, low-profile grille, so the visual footprint shrinks dramatically without sacrificing the acoustic performance Sonance is known for. Visual Experience Series brings a new level of engineering to visible speakers, the first Sonance line built using simulation and machine learning to shape how sound moves through a room. The result is music that feels consistent and alive everywhere in the space, not just in one sweet spot, so every seat feels like the best seat in the house.”

“Just as important is ensuring the technology complements the home’s architecture rather than competing with it,” Travaglia says. “The best systems are the ones you don’t notice until the music starts. Homeowners increasingly prefer solutions that disappear into the design of the home through flush-mounted architectural speakers, invisible loudspeakers, discreet landscape systems, and equipment that can be hidden away in centralized racks. Premium performance no longer requires visible technology, and architects, designers, and homeowners all appreciate products that preserve the integrity of their spaces.

“Across today’s whole-home installations, Origin Acoustics architectural in-ceiling and in-wall loudspeakers continue to form the backbone of most projects because they deliver high-performance sound while blending seamlessly into the home’s design. Outdoor audio has also become a major focus, with landscape speaker systems extending the lis-

Can you spot Origin Acoustics’ discreet whole-home audio in this image?

tening experience beyond the walls of the home. As projects continue to grow in size, our residential distribution amplifiers provide the flexibility and scalability needed to power multiple listening zones while maintaining exceptional performance and reliability.

“Ultimately,” Travaglia concludes, “great whole-home audio isn’t about filling every room with speakers; it’s about creating an emotional connection throughout the entire property. When every space sounds as thoughtfully designed as it looks, technology fades into the background and the home itself becomes the experience.”

PRODUCT REVIEW

Josh.ai

Josh Edge Smart System Remote Control

M

y first “professional” product review was of a remote control: the OG Harmony remote back in 2001. Because of this, I have a bit of a soft spot in my heart for remote controls, and I’ve reviewed — and programmed — plenty more since then from virtually every manufacturer, including DIY models to ones that require custom programming and software.

The thing about remote controls is that they are the most personal thing in a system. I love my Trinnov Altitude processor, my Kaleidescape Strato, and my Sony 6100ES laser projector, but I almost never touch them. Those components sit away in my rack and ceiling mount, doing their thing, but I have virtually no tactile interaction with them.

But the remote? That’s a totally different relationship. I might touch the remote dozens of times a day, whether for a quick volume tweak, or holding it in my hand while channel surfing, or blindly grabbing it off the couch to make some change. The remote is the conduit to your entertainment and control experience, so it not only has to be functional, but it also has to be ergonomic, intuitive, and just feel good.

The trend with remotes lately seems to be toward pushing complexity. Color graphics and touchscreens with loads of hard and soft buttons

38 r e s id e ntia l s y st e m s.com

to offer control over an entire home. I typically use the Control4 Halo and Halo Touch remotes, and these can control any room in my home and accomplish practically anything my system is capable of doing. The drawback is relatively poor (approximately one day) battery life, frequently needing multiple button presses to get to a specific command, and complexity that makes it a bit daunting for guests. They also have limited voice control.

With the new Josh Edge remote demonstrated at CEDIA Expo 2025, Josh.ai took a decidedly “less is more” approach to not only what a modern smart remote control should look like, but how it should perform, while also putting Josh.ai’s full voice-control experience in your hands. Josh Edge very much looks like Steve Jobs gave Jony Ive a blank slate with the mandate to make a smart remote control that was both simple and powerful. Not only does Josh Edge not have a color touchscreen, but it has no display whatsoever. And you know what?

You won’t miss it.

About Josh.ai Josh.ai was founded in 2015 and started shipping its first products a year later. I first encountered the company at their new exhibitor booth at the company’s first CEDIA Expo, and while I

SEPTEMBER 2026

thought the technology was interesting, at the time it required a dedicated Mac Mini to run the custom Josh.ai software and was priced for highend, luxury projects. Cool, to be sure, but limited and pricey in my opinion.

But much has changed over the past decade, with Josh.ai steadily developing its powerful software and industry-leading Natural Language Processing for contextual voice control, developing many industry partner relationships and third-party control integrations, and adding new products and pricing to its platform.

Just two-and-a-half years ago, Josh.ai launched Josh One, its entry-level controller designed for smaller projects up to 100 devices.

According to Josh.ai, Josh One is “the first AIpowered home control platform for customers seeking a modern app-based experience.” Since then, Josh.ai has updated the Josh One with an entirely new, smaller form factor that resembles an Apple TV. According to Casey Levy-Tulloch, Josh.ai’s director of business development, “The new Josh One was redesigned to fulfill the vision of what we believe an entry-level control processor should offer with an ultracompact form factor and increased versatility so that everyone can live smarter. Whether it is mounted in a technology rack or placed in a media cabinet,

PRODUCT REVIEW

PRODUCT SPECS Configurable smart system remote with voice control microphone/ speaker Seven configurable buttons with more than 75 icon options (sold separately) USB-C (5V 2A) and RJ45 for power and network connection at base station High-performance wireless architecture with Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax) and Bluetooth 5 IPX4-rated for splashes and light moisture Compatible with systems powered by Josh Core or One processors Device control performed locally and voice processing computed on the edge Dimensions: 1.78 x 6.16 x 0.35 inches (WxHxD) Weight: 0.17 pounds

installation is made easy thanks to USB-C power and Ethernet data connections. Under the hood, the updated Josh One is equipped with a 4-Core ARM processor with speeds up to 1.5 GHz.” For customers looking for hands-free voice control — and once you start using it, this will be nearly everyone — a Josh Micro far-field microphone can be added to either a Josh One or Core system. A Josh Core is required to integrate the incredibly small Josh Nano, a quartersized far-field microphone that is designed to disappear into its surroundings. Josh Nano can even be integrated into a special dual-gang Lutron screwless wall plate for a truly custom finished look.

For traditional in-wall control, Josh.ai offers 8-inch and 10-inch touchscreens, both with built-in tap-to-talk voice button to trigger the full Josh.ai voice control experience.

Josh.ai has also simplified its software pricing model. In the past, there were base charges, and then a customer could separately add in voice control with JoshGPT (Josh.ai’s intelligent assistant) if desired. Now every software plan features the “full” Josh.ai experience, with app, voice, and JoshGPT included. Software plans start at $20/month for a single Josh One, and can be billed annually, for five years, or a lifetime license. I inquired, and Josh.ai makes it easy to swap new hardware in (if needed) under an existing software plan, meaning a lifetime license would be transferable.

By John Sciacca www.Josh.ai

KUDOS

Terrific industrial design; simple yet powerful system control; integrated microphone and JoshGPT

CONCERNS

No low-battery notifications; ability to reconfigure system-level buttons

Along with access to Josh.ai’s custom software, this subscription also includes regular free updates and upgrades automatically pushed to your system. Notably, Josh.ai recently rolled out AI X OS, a massive update and reimagining of its mobile app. The new app offers a lot of user customization to the look and layout, presenting your home in simplified panes that make it quick and easy to see — and control — what is happening at a glance.

While Josh.ai can control many third-party devices natively, it also works with professionally installed automation systems by connecting over the network to integrate with Lutron, Sony, AVPro, Crestron, Control4, and many more.

Why Edge?

Josh Edge is Josh.ai’s first foray into a handheld remote control (previously, Josh.ai established a partnership with AVA to incorporate their remotes), so I asked Josh.ai’s CEO and co-founder Alex Capecelatro why the company felt the time was right to come to market with the Edge.

“Dealers kept asking us for it. They wanted something simple, without a screen, with great battery life, strong reliability, and no learning curve,” Capecelatro said. “The remote is still one of the most important interfaces in the home. It is the thing people reach for every day, yet the industry has spent years making remotes more complicated. More buttons, more menus, more screens, more things to learn. We thought there had to be a better answer. Josh. ai has always been about removing complexity from technology, and Edge takes everything we have learned about intelligent home control and reduces it to its simplest form. You pick it up and immediately understand it. There is nothing to teach and nothing to figure out. It simply lets you control the room. That sounds obvious, but the industry has struggled to deliver it.”

When asked about Edge’s markedly different and simpler design, Capecelatro remarked,

“We have always believed that technology in a luxury home should look beautiful, feel great, and become part of the architecture rather than compete with it. Most remotes still look and feel like pieces of AV equipment. Edge was designed as an object that belongs in the home.

Every decision, from the shape and weight to the buttons and charging base, was made around how it feels to live with every day. We also believe the future is not about adding more controls. It is about removing everything that is unnecessary. Edge gives you the physical controls you use constantly, while voice and intelligence handle the complexity behind the scenes. It is simple because the technology underneath it is sophisticated, not because the product is limited.”

Capecelatro said that Josh One and Edge are opening more project opportunities for Josh.ai that may not have started with their platform in the past, but he shies away from calling these “entry-level” products.

“Entry level often implies compromise,” Capecelatro stated. “Edge and Josh One deliver the same core experience and the same design philosophy whether they are installed in one room or across a massive estate. We are seeing Edge used as an approachable starting point in smaller projects, but we are also seeing it deployed throughout some of the largest and most complex homes. It works for a single room, a whole home, or a mega-compound. The only real difference is how many you deploy.”

First Impressions Unboxing the Josh Edge and Josh One feels like a decidedly Apple experience. The products are smartly packed and presented, using just the requisite amount of material needed to make sure it arrives safe and perfect for its unveiling.

Now, I’m aware that this is the third time I’ve made a Josh.ai-to-Apple comparison in this review, but I do it with the highest respect to both companies. Apple is renowned for its experience, and that starts with the unboxing, continues with the industrial design, and ultimately culminates in the product use.

Pulling the remote from its packaging, it immediately feels luxe. Milled from solid aluminum, the remote is slightly cool to the touch with smooth, contoured edges and just the right amount of heft. At 6.16 x 1.78 x 0.35 inches (L x W x D), the Edge is small by “modern” remote standards, but it fits comfortably in the hand, and the shorter length makes it easy for your thumb to reach any of the buttons.

SEPTEMBER 2026

r es i d en t i alsy stem s.com

39

PRODUCT REVIEW

September 2026

Vol. 27 No. 9

residentialsystems.com FOLLOW US twitter.com/resisys facebook/resisys CONTENT MD, Content, AV Anthony Savona anthony.savona@futurenet.com Contributors: Katye McGregor Bennett, Matt Bernath, Sam Cavitt, Henry Clifford, Dave Donald, Tim Fitzpatrick, Jason Griffing, Anthony Grimani, Karen Mitchell, Lisa Montgomery, Todd Anthony Puma, John Sciacca, Lisa Slayman, Gordon van Zuiden Production Manager Heather Tatrow Art Editors Matt Lochrie & Rosie Webber ADVERTISING SALES Managing Vice President of Sales, B2B Tech Adam Goldstein, adam.goldstein@futurenet.com, 212-378-0465 SUBSCRIBER CUSTOMER SERVICE To subscribe, change your address, or check on your current account status, go to residentialsystems.com and click on About Us, email futureplc@computerfulfillment.com, call 888-266-5828, or write Residential Systems, PO Box 254 Lowell MA 01853..

LICENSING/REPRINTS/PERMISSIONS Residential Systems is available for licensing.

Contact the Licensing team to discuss partnership opportunities.

Head of Print Licensing: Rachel Shaw, licensing@futurenet.com MANAGEMENT SVP, MD, B2B Amanda Darman-Allen VP, Market Lead Carmel King MD, Content, AV Anthony Savona VP, Global Head of Sales, B2B Dena Malouf Managing VP of Sales, B2B Tech Adam Goldstein VP, Global Head of Strategy & Ops, B2B Allison Markert VP, Product & Marketing, B2B Andrew Buchholz Head of Production US & UK Mark Constance Head of Design, B2B Nicole Cobban FUTURE US, INC. 130 West 42nd Street7th Floor New York, NY 10036

All contents ©2026 Future US, Inc. or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.

If you submit material to us, you warrant that you own the material and/or have the necessary rights/permissions to supply the material and you automatically grant Future and its licensees a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in any/all issues and/or editions of publications, in any format published worldwide and on associated websites, social media channels and associated products. Any material you submit is sent at your own risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents, subcontractors or licensees shall be liable for loss or damage. We assume all unsolicited material is for publication unless otherwise stated, and reserve the right to edit, amend, adapt all submissions.

We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from responsibly managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this magazine was sourced and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards.

40 r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.co m

Capecelatro said this was very intentional: “We obsessed over the details because those details become the experience. The weight, the materials, the battery life, the responsiveness, the feel of every button, and the way it rests on the charging base all matter.”

Speaking of buttons, you quickly notice that, for a full-featured remote, the Edge doesn’t have a lot of them. There are eight at the top, including the microphone trigger and discreetly recessed power, a D-Pad in the center, and six more at the bottom. The upper-right side of the remote has three more for volume and mute.

For lack of a better term, I’ll call the top six buttons activity buttons and the bottom six control buttons. The remote ships with icons for the six activity buttons, including lights, shades, music, sunrise (room on/good morning), moon (room off/good night), and video. Josh.ai offers more than 75 different buttons to personalize the experience, and these can be purchased in category packs (27 buttons) or device icon packs (6 icons). A small Josh.ai Dog logo tool is included with the Edge to help remove buttons.

Josh Edge’s base station requires just a USB-C cable for power. The remote docks securely to the base for charging via a strong magnet that creates a solid and tactile connection without having to wonder if it is on correctly.

The newly designed Josh One is a good bit smaller than the previous and no longer features the ability to use PoE for power, requiring separate USB-C power and Ethernet data connections. According to LevyTulloch, “We made this decision to ensure supportability and reliability for every project.

By adding power and ethernet connection, the new Josh One is a solution for any client without requiring additional networking equipment to provide PoE.” Setup I covered the full setup and programming of a Josh.ai system in my original review of the Josh One and Micro (available online at residentialsystems.com), so I’m not going to rehash that entire experience here, but here’s an abridged version. New dealers will take Josh.ai’s online training courses and pass a Technical Certification Exam. These classes not only provide a good overview of Josh.ai hardware and what it can do, but also how to navigate system configuration in Josh.ai’s online portal and perform system

SEPTEMBER 2026

customizations. There is also an online sales training course.

Josh.ai stands on its own as an automation system and directly controls a whole host of products, like Sonos and HEOS audio systems, Sony, LG, and Samsung TVs, Kaleidescape, Roku and Apple TV streamers, and a slew of AV receivers from the main brands. Josh.ai can also layer on top of other control systems, and this is how I integrated it with Control4, Lutron, and Hunter Douglas devices already in my home. Deploying Josh.ai is quick and easy, requiring very little configuration to be up and running.

Once connected, Josh.ai scans the network and discovers devices it can work with. For my Control4 system, I installed the Josh.ai driver into my C4 project, “authorizing” it to work with my system. Some other devices — Apple TV, Crestron Home, Dish, HEOS, Lutron, Sonos — require authorization to work, but the Josh.ai portal walks you through the process.

Once authorized, Josh.ai goes out and pulls in all the information from your project, which not only includes all the lighting, fans, and shades, and AV zones, but also all the rooms and areas, efficiently saving you from that work.

Since I had a fully functional Josh.ai system already using the original Josh One, I simply added the new One into my project, and it started working.

Adding the remote took only slightly more work. Once the base station was connected to power, its LED went solid blue, indicating it’s in setup mode. You then open the Josh App, go to Settings > Device Setup > Josh Edge.

The LED will then turn purple to confirm you’re connected to the correct device, then walk you through connecting to the local Wi-Fi network (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax). After it connects, you select which room/area the Edge will be used in.

The base communicates to the Josh.ai processor over the network via Wi-Fi while the Edge communicates to the base via Bluetooth 5. If you’re an enemy of light pollution as I am, you’ll love that you can disable the base station’s LED. You can easily reconfigure any of the six activity and power button in the Josh App, or via voice control (i.e., Set double tap for the top left button to toggle the kitchen lights) to your liking, with separate commands available for single press, double-tap, and press-and-hold. With this, you turn seven

PRODUCT REVIEW buttons into 21 separate commands. Of course, you — or your customer — then need to remember what all of these do, so be judicious in your programming.

Because there are so few buttons, I used the programmable activity buttons for quick access to frequently used commands that didn’t have any button mapping. For example, a single press on video watches Apple TV, a double press watches Dish, and a press-and-hold sends the DVR command to my Dish Hopper. A single press of the Moon watches Kaleidescape, and a double press sends the Info command to my Kaleidescape Strato.

Currently, you cannot change any of the programming or functionality of the lower six buttons, which come default programmed as back, home, menu, rewind, play/pause, and fast forward. This was very intuitive and worked well for the most part, but it would be great to have access to double-tap and press-and-hold programming for these buttons, or to be able to repurpose them. For example, I’d rather have the rewind and FF buttons act as chapter skips on my Kaleidescape, and as skip back/forward on my Dish. Levy-Tulloch indicated that these could be made user-configurable “down the road if needed.”

How your customer uses their remote and system will likely determine which button icons you may or may not need. (The icons and locations can be reassigned in the Josh App.) For example, I use the Edge primarily as the main controller for my living room AV system and almost never use scenes — Good Morning, Goodnight — from my remote, so more device icons would likely work better for me.

There is no limit to the number of Edge remotes that can be added to a system, and Josh. ai components don’t count toward a processor’s device limits. My suggestion would be to add an Edge remote as the primary controller for every room that has an audio or video zone.

Performance There’s no sense beating around the bush; I loved the Josh Edge remote, and it quickly became my go-to daily driver remote. Really the only time that I would revert back to one of my Control4 Halos would be when the Edge needed recharging or if I wanted to switch rooms, say going from Living Room OLED control to controlling my projector.

Regarding the battery, Josh.ai claims it “should last for months off the charger” if not in use and offers weeks of battery life “with moderate use.”

We had an unexpected trip that lasted nearly two

weeks, and the Edge was still good to go when we returned, and I’d say we easily get more than a week of battery with daily use. Certainly, way more than today’s typical smart remotes.

While Josh.ai gives you a few ways of checking the battery life — you can look in the app or just ask what the battery status of the remote is — this isn’t something I’d typically do proactively, so inevitably I wouldn’t find out the remote was dead until I’d grab it and try to use it. As elegant as the rest of the system is, it would be really nice if the system would notify you either via a push notification, red light at the base station, or even voice announcement when the remote gets down to say 15%. LevyTulloch said, “I agree the app should ping you when the remote battery is low. It’s all software so if we don’t do it now, we will soon.” Also, the battery is not replaceable, so when it's gone, the remote is EOL. If you’re prone to misplacing your remote, you can trigger a tone either by asking another Josh. ai microphone — “Hey, Josh, where’s the Edge remote?” — or triggering it in the app. Plus, the tone is loud enough that you should be able to hear it even beneath a couch cushion.

Ergonomically, I really liked the fit and feel of the Edge; it just sits nicely in your hand, and the buttons have a nice amount of resistance and click to let you know the command took. Also, all the front buttons are fully backlit in a nice crisp white, and I daresay no one will have trouble reading the buttons in any lighting condition.

(Of course, this is adjustable if you prefer it dim or even no backlight.)

From a design standpoint, I love the remote,

but if I had one nit about the button layout, I don’t love the volume buttons on the side. They are a little more awkward to access, and I find that I can’t really use my thumb and have to regrip the remote to get a good hand position to get enough pressure from my index finger on the volume buttons, holding the remote in a pincer grip with thumb and index finger. If they were lower on the remote, I might be able to press them with my thumb, but it’s a bit of an awkward reach for me right now. I’d rather the volume buttons be on the front at the sides of the microphone button, but this is definitely not a deal breaker and something I’m adapting to.

With a Josh.ai microphone and speaker essentially at my fingertips, I found myself using the voice control features quite a bit.

Whether that was asking to turn fans or lights on/off, asking it to tune to a channel, streaming service, or start playing music, or asking JoshGPT some random question (“How bad is it to sit in the front row of a 70mm IMAX theater.” TLDR: Bad. “Are microfiber towels good for absorbing water?” Yes, excellent in fact.), with the mic right there, I interacted with Josh.ai more frequently.

The Josh Edge remote is a smart reimagining of what a modern system controller should be: simple yet powerful. By stripping away the clutter and incorporating essential buttons with Josh.ai’s powerful voice control, Edge delivers a daily-driver experience that feels modern, intuitive, and genuinely enjoyable to use. For anyone wanting a remote that simply works and feels great every time you pick it up, Edge sets a new benchmark.

SEPTEMBER 2026

r es i d en t i alsy stem s.com

41

GOING FORWARD

Wi-Fi 7 Is Only as Good as the Wire Behind It Why cabling, switching, power delivery, and network design matter more than ever in the multi-gig era.

BY JAMES CHEN, MANAGING DIRECTOR, KORDZ

As Wi-Fi 7 products continue to enter the residential market, much of the conversation has centered on wireless speed, lower latency, and impressive theoretical throughput. For homeowners, the promise is simple: faster, more responsive connectivity that can support streaming, gaming, video calls, smart home control, security, entertainment, and a growing number of connected devices throughout the property — and now all at the same time.

For systems integrators, however, the more important story is not simply what happens over the air, but what happens behind the access point.

Wi-Fi 6E and 7 Still Run on Wire The enduring irony of Wi-Fi is that this wireless technology depends heavily on wired infrastructure. Every high-performance access point relies on the cabling, switches, uplinks, and power delivery behind it. As Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 increase wireless capacity, they also place greater pressure on the physical network supporting them. If that infrastructure is dated and underspecified, a wireless upgrade may never deliver the performance the client expects.

In many residential projects, the internet service provider is no longer the main potential bottleneck. Internal network traffic is becoming just as big of a hurdle. Multiple simultaneous users, streaming, gaming, cloud-based applications, surveillance cameras, and smart home systems all place a new level of demand on the local network. With Wi-Fi 7 access points capable of exceeding 1 Gbps of real-world aggregate throughput, a standard gigabit backhaul can quickly become a limiting factor.

Cable First, Access Points Second This changes the Wi-Fi conversation dramatically. Cabling, switching, uplink capacity, and PoE budgeting must be considered, even before access points are specified. For new Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 installations, Cat6A is now generally the future-ready choice. It supports 10 Gbps up to 100 meters and provides greater performance margin for sustained PoE loads. Because the labor involved in installing cabling typically far outweighs the material cost difference between cable categories, specifying the right infrastructure at the outset can prevent costly rework later.

Existing homes require a more nuanced approach, as Cat6 can remain viable for Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 deployments when run lengths and installation conditions are within appropriate limits. While Cat6 may support 10 Gbps over shorter distances, performance depends on run length, installation quality, and the surrounding environment. Longer or unverified runs should be tested rather than assumed.

42

r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.com

SEPTEMBER 2026

Cat5E, on the other hand, should generally be treated as a 1 Gbps backhaul in practical residential upgrade planning. Although limited multi-gig scenarios may be possible under certain conditions, legacy Cat5E varies widely in quality and installation integrity. For a Wi-Fi 7 upgrade intended to deliver meaningful performance gains, Cat5E should not be considered a reliable design basis.

Don’t Let Power Become the Weak Link Power delivery is another area where Wi-Fi 7 can expose limits to a legacy network. Many higher-performance Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 access points require more power than previous generations; if they are underserved, connectivity problems can occur. As a preventative measure, integrators should verify the power requirements of each Wi-Fi 6E/7 access point, the maximum power per port of the network switch, and the total PoE budget needed for all connected devices.

Installation realities will continue to need consideration. The ideal access point locations are not always the easiest places to run cable. Fullsized Cat6A cable can be difficult to manage in tight ceiling voids, compact AP housings, and areas with limited bend radius. Forcing large-diameter cable into confined spaces can stress connectors, complicate termination, and make future servicing more difficult. This is where cable construction becomes a practical design consideration, not just a minor detail. Slimmer cable, for example, can help integrators maintain multi-gig performance while easing installation around access points and in tight routing paths.

Connectivity Is Spreading to New Areas Further complicating network design is the growing connected footprint of modern residences. Detached guest houses, outdoor living areas, wellness spaces, home offices, and pool houses now rely on the same robust connectivity as the primary home. Delivering reliable performance across these environments requires more than a post-construction Wi-Fi upgrade. It calls for proactive planning of cabling pathways, equipment placement, switch locations, and uplink capacity during the design and construction phases, before structural limitations make network expansion more difficult and costly.

Ultimately, Wi-Fi 7 raises the stakes for residential network design. The access point may be the visible symbol of the upgrade, but the cabling and switching infrastructure behind it determine how well that wireless signals travel. By treating Wi-Fi as part of a broader network ecosystem, integrators can deliver the performance, reliability, and longevity that homeowners increasingly expect from today’s connected environments.