PLUS:
• W hy Audio Processing Power Is Worth Paying For •Selling Motorized Shades
• Tech Showcase on High-End Audio
LUXURY
Creating a High-End Entertainment and Automation System That Won’t Impact the Interior Design
COLUMNS
8 Secrets of Success Lessons Learned From Mittens the Cat
A little professional humor can go a long way in your marketing efforts.
By Katye McGregor
Bennett
the Financial Foundation
A look at the professionals who will help you count the money and enhance your decision-making process.
GEAR
22 Tech Showcase: High-End Audio
Whether or not it is profitable for your company, high-end audio is a category that offers a lot of interesting possibilities with its diverse range of products. Here, we take a look at some of the more recent entries to the market, including speakers, amplifiers, turntables, and more — all designed for the luxury market.
30 Review
Sonos Arc Ultra Dolby Atmos Steaming Soundbar
An introduction to EOS and how it helps companies establish a stronger foundation for future success. By Haley
The current perception of luxury falls under two different categories, and you need to know which one your client is using.
By Sam Cavitt
Erin
executive role in the companies and offers a preview of what’s to come.
By Anthony Savona
The Arc Ultra and Sub 4 reflect an expedited release cycle in Sonos’ product launches. The original Playbar, released more than a decade ago back in 2013, was in the lineup for seven years, while the Arc had just a four-year run. And short of just throwing a “2” on the name the way Sonos likes to do, the Ultra moniker indicates this is a new beast rather than just a follow-on. And, by God, it is.
By John Sciacca
FEATURES
This high-end home required entertainment everywhere, but demanded that it not take away from the interior aesthetics.
By Anthony Savona
20 The Price of Luxury Sound
Why audio processing power is worth paying for.
By Arnaud Laborie, CEO and Co-Founder,
Trinnov Audio
The versatility of motorized shades design and functionality continue to make them a high priority for clients.
By Karen Mitchell
The Highview Residence in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, features a ton of gear — most of it unseen thanks to the talents of the team at Premier Automation and Design. See page 16 for the story.
DEPARTMENTS
Editor’s Letter 4 Showroom Spotlight: L-Acoustics
Experience Center 6
Annoyingly Inundated
BY ANTHONY SAVONA
f CES 2025 were an episode of Sesame Street, it would have been brought to you by the letters “A” and “I,” as they were used extensively in that order throughout the show. Marketers had a field day touting the AI-powered features of their latest products and the conference program was filled with AIthemed sessions. Topics included AI’s impact in mobility, transportation, commercial, smart home, retail… You get the picture.
II think we have passed a threshold of overexplaining AI to the masses. This is not coming from a “we-just-created-Terminatorsand-the-machines-are-coming-to-kill-us-all” perspective, but more in line with the reasons why a magician never reveals his or her secrets.
I know that CES is a trade event, despite the “C” standing for “consumer.” However, there are plenty of mainstream consumer press outlets covering the show and sharing the language used at the event. You will certainly hear some of it repeated by your clients.
We get it — AI is making everything better. But AI is not new and has been operating behind the scenes for some time, providing machine learning and algorithms that provide customization of services for clients. And in putting it so far front and center, we run the risk of taking the magic out of what we do.
In this month’s feature on working with luxury clients, Premier Automation and Design owner Kevin Qualtrough says, “A big part of our job is understanding what the clients need because most of them don’t know what it takes to make this one button do whatever they want. They just want it to happen, and they don’t care how.”
In that case Premier Automation created more than 100 scenes for the client — and not by using AI, just “I.” The point being that clients don’t need to know or even want to know how the system works — they just want it to work. And AI-this and AI-that, even though it is useful, takes the creative and hard work behind a system that performs away from integrators and places it behind a buzzword.
We may have also reached the point where AI in a product is a given. As a co-worker of mine from the B2C side remarked when we were discussing the issue at CES, “It’s kind of like bragging that the new TV you installed runs
on electricity.” Will this new TV know what you like to watch? Sure, they all do now. Will it do it better than others? Sure. Does the client need to know which chip it is using to do it? Probably not.
Magic tricks are not as fun to watch when you know how they are done. You hardly ever see a person sawed in half anymore. When you let people behind the curtain, they lose their sense of wonder and astonishment at the trick. It still takes skill to do the trick properly, and they may never be able to do it themselves, but they know how (or at least think they do), and so it is no longer special.
We should keep the magic in the industry for as long as we can.
February 2025
Volume 26, Number 2
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.
HALEY PATTERSON
As an EOS Implementer, Haley Patterson acts as a teacher, facilitator, and coach for business leaders and leadership teams. Patterson helps teams strategically overcome foundational challenges
SAM CAVITT
Sam is the founder and chief vision officer of Paradise Theater. He has also founded and spearheads Cinema Connoisseur, an initiative to build a community of enthusiasts who embrace the world of private cinema and film.
ARNAUD LABORIE
Arnaud Laborie is co-founder and CEO at Trinnov Audio. A pioneer in 3D sound and acoustic correction, he co-designed the first highspatial-resolution audio chain in 2001. Laborie has over 20 years of audio product design experience.
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
Founder 120H is no ordinary loudspeaker.
We’ve treated every part, large and small, as if it were the most crucial piece of the whole. Every component has been thoroughly researched, designed, engineered, and tested. Not only are the drivers completely new, so is their mounting hardware, the cabinet’s internal structure and shape, and even the feet. By leaving no element unaddressed, we’ve created something that is much greater than the sum of its parts.
Designed, engineered, and fully Made in Canada, by people who love great audio (just like you).
Scan to learn more about Founder 120H
L-Acoustics Highgate Experience Center
When you create a unique sound system that must be experienced, you need to have a showroom that shows it at its best.
BY ANTHONY SAVONA
It is not the exterior of the L-Acoustics Experience Center in the high-end residential neighborhood of Highgate, London, that makes it stand out. In fact, the building itself is limited in what can be done to it, as it is listed as a historic landmark.
“L-Acoustics purchased the building 10 years ago,” says Nick Fichte, business development director, home & yacht, global for L-Acoustics. “It was an old Royal Mail Postal Service sorting office that was used as a local depot for sending mail and parcels and whatnot. It was later converted into an architect’s practice and so on until we took it on.
“For us, it originally started life as a research and development facility for our L-ISA immersive audio technology, but the space was more targeted in its look and feel toward our pro audio customers. The speakers and subwoofers were on show. It was all integrated, and there was nice artwork and furniture, but there were still 18 speakers and 36 subwoofers in a room that had blue neon lights on them when you walked in. What we found is that, when you took architects, interior designers, or end users into that space, they felt overwhelmed and panicked about, ‘Where am I going to hide all these speakers and subwoofers?’”
When the design process for the re-imagined space was started, it was led heavily by L-Acoustics founder and president Christian Heil, who partnered with French interior designer Lyne B and the U.K.-based design and interior fit out company Cinema Luxe, which specialize in cinema rooms and recording studios.
“Cinema Luxe were presented with mood boards and a design brief from Christian and Lyne B with technical drawings from L-Acoustics that allowed them to design the space technically and visually. Part of the Cinema Luxe offerings is full fabrication, so they were then able to manufacture all the wall panels and ceilings to really make it a true, complete turnkey experience,” says Fichte. “We did the installation of all of the L-Acoustics technology — loudspeakers, subwoofers, amplifiers, processors, and so on — but Cinema Luxe did the fabrication of the room and the lighting.”
BEHIND THE WALLS
The renovated space has resulted in a HYRISS (HyperReal Immersive Sound Space), which is a collection of L-Acoustics offerings — from design, loudspeakers, subwoofers, amplification, processing and software — that make a single, flexible
solution that can handle a high-end 2-channel listening environment to a full immersive experience, and everything in between.
The large rectangular space has couches assembled around a television at one end and tables and chairs at the other. There are 16 Soka ultra-shallow in-wall loudspeakers throughout the room. The media area features a 98-inch Samsung television with an L-Acoustics X8i coaxial point-source speaker below it, which acts as a center channel. The low end is handled by 34 SB10 subwoofers, while 6-inch X6i coaxial point speakers provide the height channels.
“It’s like a grid,” says Fichte. “You have constant sound coverage wherever you are in that space because you’re never far away from a loudspeaker, which means that you never feel as if you’re in a dark spot. The L-ISA Processor also allows us to change the orientation of the content to any position within the room, so when we are watching a movie on the big screen we want to hear that Dolby Atmos soundtrack just as the director intended it, maybe when we are listening to Atmos Music from the Apple TV without the screen we want to be seated in a different part of the room; a simple UI on an iPad means we can move sound, whether it be mono, stereo, or Atmos, to any part of the space.
“That’s something that we’re really trying to get across to people — like lighting design for a space, they need to make sure there are no dark spots with the audio. Especially with the systems integrators, they sell Lutron, they sell Crestron, they sell Vantage, and they’re used to talking to their clients for years about having different scenes for different times of day and how they want to use that space. This is exactly the same thing, but you’re doing it with sound. So, you can paint your room with sound and light and you can integrate the two systems. When you recall that scene for your lighting, you’re also recalling the same scene for sound.”
Driving the loudspeakers are three L-Acoustics LA16i 16-channel power amplifiers, which only take up a 2U rack unit each but provide 1300 watts per channel. “That’s mind-blowing,” Fichte enthuses. “There is nothing else on the market that can do that. They thump demos out all day long, and at the end of the day they’re cold to the touch.”
The amps are connected via Milan-AVB to the L-ISA Processor ii, which is the brain of the operation. “Within that processor, we have drawn the room layout — we say exactly where the loudspeakers and the subwoofers are, and then we recall them every time we’re changing a preset within the room,” explains Fichte. “Essentially, the sound can move to wherever it may be needed.”
The L-ISA Processor ii is then connected to a StormAudio ISP Elite MK III via L-Acoustics’ LC16D to convert AES/EBU to AVB, which in turn has the source devices connected to it, including an Apple TV, a Kaleidescape, and a Bluesound NODE. There is also a Mac Studio computer attached for bespoke content and an HDMI cable in the wall if users want to plug in their laptops and have the content displayed within the space.
“One of the main attributes of HYRISS is that it can take a traditional ste-
reo track and then, using a technology called Anima, spatialize it,” Fichte explains. “And I use the word ‘spatialize’ and not ‘upmix’ because it’s using machine learning and AI to pick apart whatever is coming into it live and literally separating each element of that music. There’s no center of the room anymore — wherever you are in that room, you’re in the sweet spot. The whole room becomes a sweet spot.”
ENHANCING LIVE PERFORMANCE
While the playback capabilities of the HYRISS system are impressive, it can also enhance a live performance in the space, which it did at the Highgate Experience Center’s grand opening with a pianist entertaining the guests.
“As well as Anima, HYRISS has another technology from L-Acoustics called Ambiance, which works using a grid of microphones in the ceiling,” says Fichte. “We have eight microphones in the ceiling that are connected to our P1 processors, which in turn are connected to the L-ISA Processor. By using a control system, you can recall different presets.
“Any room for listening to music playback should be a dry space — you walk into a home theater and it’s usually like walking into a vacuum. Same with a recording studio — the life is sucked out of the room acoustically. That’s because that’s how you can best hear everything. However, if you put a piano
in there, for example, as we did for the launch event, the pianist playing will sound lifeless — and that’s because the best place to hear a concert is in a big open space with lots of reflections. With Ambiance technology, we can recall a preset called ‘Concert Hall,’ and the technology will amplify the natural acoustics of the room. It can change completely how that space behaves. We have different signature presets — Concert Hall, Theater, Cave, Cathedral — and every single one sounds slightly different, and it plays with your mind completely, making you feel instantly like you are somewhere else.”
LONDON BOUND
With a system as sophisticated as HYRISS, hearing is definitely believing. However, you may need to get to London to experience it for the time being. “People ask us if we would ever do a demo like this at CEDIA Expo or ISE, but we can’t make this kind of experience there,” concludes Fichte. “And even if we tried to, it would be more cost-effective for us to fly everyone first class from around the world to come to Highgate!”
But if you can’t get to London just yet, hang in there — with the appointment-only Highgate booked and busy, L-Acoustics is looking to add experience centers around the world. Maybe even coming to a city near you!
For more information, visit www.l-acoustics.com.
Lessons Learned From Mittens the Cat
A little professional humor can go a long way in your marketing efforts.
BY KATYE MCGREGOR BENNETT
In the ever-evolving world of residential technology integration, the question of how to connect with your audience has never been more critical. Whether you’re designing state-of-the-art home theaters, outfitting spaces with cutting-edge automation, or integrating security systems that blend seamlessly into a home’s design, the challenge remains the same: How do you get clients to see you as approachable, knowledgeable, and, ultimately, the right partner for their project?
The answer may lie in the unassuming wisdom of Mittens the Cat — the star of a cartoon I used in a post for a client in the wine industry.
In it, a red-haired woman and her cat, Mittens, sit in cardboard boxes side by side. The woman observes, “You’re right, Mittens. Sitting in a box does provide comfort.” Mittens, exuding a mix of feline smugness and wit, replies, “You’ve got a jug of wine in there, don’t you?”
This simple but effective cartoon amassed more than 31,000 views and reached more than 27,000 people on Facebook alone! Ninety-six percent of those were not followers but over the next 45 days, the account gained more than 200 quality followers, and multiple posts after this one achieved similar stats.
What does this have to do with marketing for technology integration firms? Quite a lot, actually.
Humor: The Secret Sauce for Relatability
Humor is a universal connector. It humanizes brands, breaks down barriers, and makes complex or intimidating topics — like residential technology — more approachable. The beauty of the Mittens cartoon lies in its relatability. Who hasn’t sought comfort in something simple, only to laugh at themselves a moment later? Humor, when done thoughtfully, draws people in. It shows your audience that you’re not just an expert in your field but also someone who understands the human side of things.
For residential technology firms, humor can bridge the gap between the technical and the emotional. While your clients may not understand the intricacies of wiring for a whole-home audio system, they do understand the frustration of fighting with a device that refuses to cooperate. A touch of humor can turn a potentially dry or intimidating topic into one that feels relatable and engaging.
Why Commit to Humor in Your Marketing?
Including professionally appropriate and relatable humor in your marketing campaigns can yield significant benefits, including:
1. Memorability: People are more likely to remember content that makes them laugh or smile. When your brand creates that connection, it
becomes a go-to name when they’re ready to take the next step.
2. Shareability: Humorous content is more likely to be shared, expanding your reach organically. A funny post about the challenges of balancing work-from-home life with smart tech interruptions could resonate widely, bringing new eyes to your brand.
3. Approachability: Humor breaks down barriers and positions your firm as friendly and easy to work with. Clients want to feel at ease when discussing their dream projects, and a little humor shows them they can trust you to deliver without taking yourself too seriously.
Making Humor Work for Your Brand
Humor is a powerful tool, but it’s also one that requires careful handling. Here are a few tips to ensure your humor enhances rather than detracts from your brand:
• Know Your Audience: The Mittens cartoon works because it taps into universal themes of comfort and self-awareness. Similarly, your humor should align with your audience’s experiences and values. For instance, jokes about the chaos of family movie nights could strike a chord with homeowners considering a new home theater.
• Stay Professional: Humor should never come at the expense of professionalism. Avoid controversial topics, and make sure your humor supports, rather than undermines, your brand’s credibility.
• Be Consistent: Commit to incorporating humor into your content calendar, making it a recurring theme rather than a one-off experiment. Consider dedicating up to 25% of your marketing content to humor and joy into your social media posts, newsletters, or blog articles.
The ROI of Laughter
Incorporating humor into your marketing strategy isn’t just about making people laugh; it’s about building relationships. It’s about showing your clients that you understand their world and that you’re here to make it better — not just with innovative technology but also with a little joy along the way.
As you plan your marketing campaigns for the coming year, take a cue from Mittens and the red-haired woman in the box. Embrace humor, commit to it as a strategic pillar, and watch how it transforms your brand’s connection with your audience. After all, if a cat can inspire my wine bar client to reimagine their marketing strategy, imagine what a little laughter can do for your business.
If you want to discuss ways to expand your communications efforts or what type of wine was in the box, drop me a line at katye@kmbcomm.com. I’m here to help!
Building the Financial Foundation
A look at the professionals who will help you count the money and enhance your decision-making process.
BY MATT BERNATH
Managing the financial side of a business often feels like a secondary concern for small business owners, who are typically more focused on operations and sales. Yet, the success of your company depends on a solid financial foundation. Inspired by a recent episode of The Flywheel Effect podcast, this article explores the importance of hiring and managing accounting talent, while clarifying misconceptions about roles like CPAs and CFOs. By taking a balanced and strategic approach to financial management, you can drive both stability and growth in your business.
Why Financial Talent Is Key to Growth
At its core, accounting is more than just bookkeeping and compliance — it’s the lifeblood of a business’ decision-making process. From tracking cash flow to analyzing profitability, strong financial oversight ensures that your company is not only compliant, but also primed for growth.
Small business owners who invest in financial expertise can see direct results. Even implementing something as simple as a financial scorecard can increase profitability by 1% to 3% of revenue. For a $2 million company, this translates to $20k to $60k in additional profit — funds that can be reinvested into growth opportunities or used to stabilize operations during leaner periods.
Despite these benefits, many business owners struggle to hire the right accounting talent, often defaulting to over-reliance on a CPA or failing to establish a balanced financial team.
Clarifying Financial Roles: CPA vs. Managerial Accounting
One common misconception is that a CPA can fulfill all financial needs. While most CPAs excel at compliance and tax preparation, they are not typically equipped to provide insights into the day-to-day metrics or strategic planning that drive growth.
To effectively manage your business’ financial health, you need a wellrounded team:
• CPAs: Focused on tax compliance and regulatory requirements. They ensure accurate filings and help you avoid penalties but are not always involved in managerial or operational finance.
• Bookkeepers: Manage the nuts and bolts of financial tracking, including accounts payable and receivable, booking transactions, and expense reporting.
• Managerial Accountants, Controllers, or Outsourced CFOs: Provide big-picture insights, such as analyzing profitability, fixing errors, setting budgets, and forecasting cash flow. These roles help you make strategic decisions based on operational data.
Relying too heavily on a CPA for financial advice can leave gaps in your decisionmaking process.
For example, a CPA might help you file your taxes accurately, but they’re unlikely to assist with creating a KPI dashboard, annual financial budget, or advising on cash flow allocations for a major capital investment. Without accurate managerial accounting, you will miss opportunities to optimize your business for profitability and growth.
Risks of Over-Reliance on a CPA
Relying too heavily on a CPA for financial advice can leave gaps in your decision-making process. While your CPA ensures compliance, they may not provide the hands-on insights needed for managing operations effectively.
Consider a business owner preparing to expand their company by adding a new location. The CPA might focus on the tax implications, but a CFO would analyze the cash flow impact, forecast revenue potential, and model different financing options. Without this additional expertise, the owner might take unnecessary financial risks or miss an opportunity to maximize their return on investment.
Building a balanced financial team ensures these gaps are filled, giving you the confidence to make informed decisions.
Matching Accounting Roles to Business Needs
Hiring the right accounting talent isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. Your needs will change as your business grows. Here’s a breakdown of when and why to hire key roles:
1. Bookkeeper
a. Handles day-to-day tasks like tracking transactions and managing accounts payable/receivable
b. Often limited in deep accounting knowledge, but adept at day-to-day tasks
c. Ideal for businesses under $1.5 million in annual revenue
2. Staff Accountant
a. Prepares financial reports, oversees tax filing, and provides deeper insights into financial health
b. Deeper understanding of accounting principles and able to diagnose and fix accounting issues
c. A great addition for businesses approaching $4 million in revenue
3. Controller
a. Oversees the entire financial process, potentially manages staff, and ensures compliance
b. Suitable for businesses targeting growth over $8 million in revenue
4. Outsourced CFO or Full-Time CFO
a. Focuses on strategic financial planning, capital investments, and long-term financial health
b. Consider an outsourced CFO for businesses above $2 million and a full-time CFO for revenues exceeding $20 million
To avoid the risks of over-reliance on a single role, aim to create a balanced financial team that leverages the strengths of different specialists:
• CPA for Compliance: Tax filings and regulatory requirements
• Bookkeepers for Accuracy: Day-to-day financial tracking and reporting
• Managerial Accountants, Controller, or Outsourced CFO for Strategy: Long-term planning, KPI analysis, and operational metrics
This division of labor ensures you’re covered across compliance, daily operations, and big-picture strategy, reducing the risk of costly oversights or missed opportunities.
Practical Tips for Hiring and Managing Financial Talent
Finding and managing the right talent is crucial for building a solid financial foundation. Here are some actionable tips:
1. Write Clear Job Descriptions: Define the specific responsibilities for the role you’re hiring. A vague description leads to mismatched expectations.
2. Leverage Test Projects: Evaluate candidates with real-world scenarios to ensure they can handle the unique challenges of your business.
3. Seek Expert Input: If you’re unsure how to assess financial skills, bring in a recruiter, CFO, or financial consultant to assist with hiring.
4. Set Clear Expectations: Establish KPIs, reporting cadences, and
metrics to track performance. Regularly review financial reports like P&L statements, balance sheets, and cash flow forecasts.
5. Foster Growth: Encourage professional development by providing opportunities for training or certifications.
Avoiding Financial Abdication
Many small business owners fall into the trap of abdicating financial responsibilities entirely. This often occurs when an owner lacks confidence in their financial knowledge and hires someone else to “handle everything.” While delegation is essential, complete abdication — where the owner has no visibility into financial operations — can lead to disastrous outcomes.
At a minimum, every owner should understand the basics of their financial statements:
• Profit and Loss (P&L) Statement: Shows your revenue, expenses, and profitability.
• Balance Sheet: Provides a snapshot of your assets, liabilities, and equity.
• Cash Flow Statement: Tracks where your money is coming from and where it’s going.
If you’re not comfortable reading these reports, consider taking a basic accounting course or working with a trusted advisor to build your confidence.
Conclusion: Strengthen Your Financial Foundation
Your business’ financial success depends on more than compliance — it requires a strategic approach to accounting and financial management. By understanding the distinct roles of CPAs, bookkeepers, controllers, and managerial accountants, and building a balanced team, you can make smarter decisions and unlock new opportunities for growth.
For more insights into building a thriving business, check out The Flywheel Effect podcast, where topics like these are explored in-depth to help small business owners succeed. Because when your finances are strong, your business is unstoppable.
Fueling Growth
An introduction to EOS and how it helps companies establish a stronger foundation for future success.
BY HALEY PATTERSON
Our industry thrives on constant innovation. Passionate professionals continuously push the boundaries to deliver exceptional experiences. However, what many fail to realize is that in the rush to rise to the occasion, they are leaving stakeholders scrambling behind the scenes to meet the demands of the day with little time to focus on the future. We have so many industry leaders who are busting at the seams with innovative ideas and dreams of bringing their businesses to new levels. The reality is, from sales to operations to HR to customer service, it never stops. It’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day and lose sight of long-term goals. That’s where I step in to help leaders run on EOS, and get everything they want from their business and life.
EOS Gets You “Unstuck”
With more and more industry leaders recognizing the importance of working “on” the business rather than feeling stuck “in” the business, EOS has steadily become a popularized people operating system that harnesses human energy through a simple set of tools and principles.
With the EOS-proven process, I help leadership teams see their business in a whole new light and show them how to execute using a set of simple tools and principles. You’re able to solve issues before they become problems, get the right people in the right seats, make meetings so productive that you actually look forward to them, and build a culture of accountability.
Running on EOS has helped tens of thousands of entrepreneurs and leadership teams around the world address the six key aspects of their businesses by getting better at three things: Vision, Traction, and Health. Vision is about getting everyone 100% on the same page with where the organization is going and how it’s going to get there. Traction is about helping your leaders become more disciplined and accountable so they can achieve every part of the Vision. Healthy means creating a functional, cohesive team that enjoys working together.
Solving Problems at Their Root
“Whether in business or life, I believe in getting to the true root cause of an issue, not just treating the symptoms. When implementing EOS, I am also holding leaders accountable for being open and honest with one another, bringing the team to a deeper level to overcome foundational issues that are preventing them from solving issues and seeing results.”
Having seen both sides of EOS — as a stakeholder first and now an implementer — I have experienced poor communication as a common hurdle in the CI industry. EOS opens up dialog, encouraging teams to address issues openly, honestly, and collaboratively.
Noah Kaplan, co-founder and president of Leon, describes EOS as essential for success. “Entrepreneurial businesses need a ‘Sherpa’ to keep them on course as they work toward their goals,” Kaplan says. Since applying its guiding principles of EOS across the organization more than a decade ago, Leon has established a remarkable presence in the industry and follows a structured path toward a unified end goal — audio that blends technology with art. With the help of EOS, they’ve been able to accomplish this without missing a beat on the business front. “We’ve grown our company tenfold across products, staff, and revenue,” Kaplan adds.
Building Cohesive and Healthy Teams
The benefits of EOS aren’t limited to manufacturers. Integrators often find business processes taking a back seat to their technical skills. This was the case for Admit One Home Systems, which implemented EOS in early 2024 after 20 years of business.
“There was a learning curve and some skepticism,” says Kristin Reinitz, general manager and co-owner of Admit One Home Systems in Edina, Minn. “But the improvements have been significant. Communication is better, decisions are made faster, and everyone is contributing to our goals.” A recent showroom update illustrates this impact: Instead of executives making all the decisions, the sales team led the project, budgeting and prioritizing updates based on their daily needs. “They were engaged and enthusiastic,” adds Reinitz, “and their insights led to more informed choices.”
When an organization is running on EOS, everyone is working toward the same goal, team members know exactly how they contribute to the Vision, and they are usually having more fun.
EOS is designed for industries, organizations, and teams of all shapes and sizes to achieve rapid growth and a more balanced life. In today’s fastpaced world, EOS provides a structured path for companies to not only lead with innovation but to drive forward with purpose. EOS is a proven business operating system that has helped thousands of entrepreneurs around the world break through ceilings to achieve personal and business growth. EOS provides results regardless of current size or tenure, making it a compelling consideration for any entrepreneur invested in intentional growth.
For more information about EOS and learn how it might benefit your company, reach out to Haley Patterson by emailing haley.patterson@eosworldwide.com.
The EOS Six Key Aspects of Business
The Two Types of Luxury
You need to know which of the current perceptions of luxury your client is using.
BY SAM CAVITT
“Luxury” is a term so loosely applied that knowing who is using it is vital it to understanding precisely what they mean. This understanding may well make the difference between winning a project or experiencing a lost opportunity.
The traditional luxury designation indicates a product, service, or experience that, due to the quality of materials, workmanship, and intellect, is clearly superior to alternative choices. However, some futurists identify a new definition of luxury values that prioritizes the feeling of luxury rather than the substance of a product or service. This definition of luxury is more about consumer accessibility and perception than substance and focuses on a time-saving buying experience, an enticing e-commerce environment, and recommendations from popular influencers that elicit a feeling of trust, well-founded or not.
For artists, artisans, and vendors of luxury products and services that adhere to the former, time-honored definition, understanding which viewpoint a client embraces is key, as the latter type of accessible luxury is not well-suited for the luxury private cinema industry. Alarmingly, products and services aligned with the newer value system offer no objective evaluation of the comparative quality of their products or services, yet they compete with brands that offer traditional luxury values.
A more applicable set of luxury values for high-end private cinema clientele include…
• Superior Quality and Craftsmanship — Luxury is synonymous with the highest standards of quality, using the finest materials and expert craftsmanship.
• Timelessness and Heritage — Luxury products often have a long history that reflects craftsmanship and tradition. They transcend trends and are perceived as timeless.
• Aesthetic and Creative Appeal — Luxury items are often associated with artistry, design, and beauty, reflecting creativity and innovation.
• Exclusivity and Rarity — Luxury goods are rare and not easily accessible to everyone. This can be due to limited production, investment, or exclusivity in distribution.
• Desirability — Luxury products, while often non-essential, are highly desirable, p roviding pleasure, indulgence, and a sense of reward.
• Experience and Emotion — Luxury is experiential. The buying process, ownership, and even the anticipation of owning luxury goods evoke strong emotional responses.
• Status and Symbolic — Luxury products provide social recognition and elevate the owner’s status. They signify wealth, taste, and sophistication.
The stark contrast between these, traditional luxury values and the changing values identified by the futurists brings into focus the differences in what is considered luxury today. On the one extreme, the futurists’ definition supports more of a “form or feeling over substance” point of view. In contrast, the time-honored traditional definition places
the principle of superior quality and craftsmanship above all. In fact, the tradition of luxury goods representing superior quality is the foundation that the emotional benefits of acquiring luxury items, be they products, services, or experiences, stand on. There would be no good feeling of acquiring luxury items that do not uphold the traditional principles of luxury. As an industry, we must differentiate from the lesser standards.
The futurists speak of time, truth, and trust. The luxury private cinema industry has a deeper definition of these values that serve to maintain the status of luxury private cinema as one of the highest representations of a high-end amenity. This definition also serves the luxury consumer by assuring that they are acquiring one of the finest examples of extravagance to be had. Time is honored by luxury private cinema professionals when they work diligently with each client to ensure their appreciation of what an excellent cinematic experience can provide, then fulfilling these heightened expectations. Every beautiful, shared moment spent within a completed luxury private cinema will bring greater than expected joy and satisfaction.
Truth is manifest in a luxury private cinema team’s professional process of ensuring the technical considerations of the system and acoustical engineering, construction, and interior design — as well as quality assurance and performance verification — are performed impeccably. Trust can only be earned, and luxury private cinema professionals are those willing to be held accountable to our clientele and, in fact, encourage them to demand proof of our performance. The result of such a relationship of trust will be a market that demands our services at a higher level and an industry that will soar to those heights rather than sink to the level of a commodity.
Luxury consumers are exposed to both extremes of the luxury market, very likely shopping online for purchases that would be appropriate in such channels. However, this same luxury clientele, when acquiring a fine Bugatti motorcar, a limited edition Audemars Piguet timepiece, or commissioning a yacht by Feadship, would expect a higher standard and a greater luxury experience.
Which definition of luxury should we have our clientele embrace? Which will come to define the luxury private cinema?
A luxury private cinema is one of the highest representations of a high-end amenity.
INVISIBLE LUXURY
This high-end home required entertainment everywhere, but demanded that it not take away from the interior aesthetics.
BY ANTHONY SAVONA
The Highview Residence is a magnificent three-story home nestled in the mountains of West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Its owners recently completed a full, from-the-studs renovation to make sure the interiors of the house matched the exterior in terms of its high style and design — and also added a ton of technology that had to provide the family with all sorts of convenient automation and entertainment options, but not be seen.
Taking on this massive task was Premier Automation and Design and its owner Kevin Qualtrough, who reveals that his company was brought on by the project’s original builder. “The first builder was a friend of the family who took the project as far along as he could,” says Qualtrough. “He left and they brought in a second builder, but we stayed on to complete the project.”
Premier Automation and Design is a family business that specializes in luxury installations and is celebrating its 25th year. “Our philosophy is pretty simple — we lead with service and follow-up,” says Qualtrough. “A big part of our job is understanding what the clients need because most of them don’t know what it takes to make this one button do whatever they want. They just want it to happen, and they don’t care how. So, we spend a lot of time just trying to figure out their needs so we can put a package together that will deliver everything they’re after.”
In this case, the tech-savvy client had already visited the Crestron Design Studio in California before Premier was brought on. He knew he wanted Crestron’s control system, window coverings, and AV distribution — and he knew he didn’t want any of it to be seen.
Hidden Treasures
When you first look at a picture of the outside of the home, one of the first things that leaps out is…that is a lot of windows. “About 50,” says Qualtrough, “and every one of them has Crestron motorized shades or drapes, or both.” And in keeping with the hidden-tech theme, all the shades and draperies are housed in recessed tracks.
Whole-home audio pervades the residence, with Stealth Acoustics invisible speakers and subwoofers located in the ceilings of each floor of
the house and Crestron’s DM NAX system handling the audio distribution. Although not every part of the audio system is hidden: The client has an attention-grabbing self-playing Fazioli grand piano that is also part of the DM NAX system and can have its music sent throughout the house — something used quite often for parties.
Video distribution is handled via Crestron’s DM NVX system, but the televisions are not hidden — except for the ones in the gym. “We placed two TVs behind mirrors in the gym, so you can’t see them until you turn them on,” explains Qualtrough. “The mirrors are custom-made to have two-way glass in the center, where we have placed Samsung televisions. The clients wanted their Peloton sound to play through the ceiling speakers in the room, as well, so we hooked up everything — Samsungs and Peloton — to the NVX system.”
All the tech is controlled through Crestron Home, and the entire system is run through to three racks, arranged by category, that are placed in the basement. “We are controlling roughly 17 zones of heating and cooling in the house through Crestron, as well,” adds Qualtrough. “They have both radiant and HVAC in the house.”
Stylishly Seen
Of course, not everything can be hidden, so Premier made sure that anything that could be seen fit into the home’s décor. “We have 26 Crestron touchscreens in the house — all concealed with Wall-Smart mounts, so they all sit flush to the wall,” says Qualtrough. “We also have Basalte luxury keypads with Cresnet chips throughout. There are Josh.ai units in the ceiling for voice control, which are also recessed into Wall-Smart mounts.”
The home does not have a dedicated theater, but the family’s media room includes an 85-inch Samsung TV, 5.2-channel surround sound from invisible speakers, and a karaoke machine.
Did Someone Say “Scene”
While Premier did not provide or install any of the lighting fixtures, they did provide lighting control through Crestron Home OS — as well as a number of scenes.
“For starters, we have motion controls in all utility rooms and bathrooms for lighting control,” says Qualtrough. “When they walk into these spaces, lights come on, shades go down, music turns on — whatever they wanted. That is in the laundry room, pantries, all bathrooms, walk-in closets — anywhere where you need a light every time.
“We created around 100 scenes for them after extensive interviews with them just to find out how they use the system and what they want it to do for them. His entertainment scenes are the bigger ones — a single scene could activate more than 100 different settings. He’s got Summer and Winter entertainment scenes and they fire up the piano and set all the lighting so his shades are perfect and it ties in with whatever playlist he wants. It’s pretty cool.”
Results and What’s Next
From start to finish, this project took about three years for Premier Automation and Design, but the clients are very happy with the results — and it was a Crestron Award winner in the category of Best Entertainment Everywhere Solution.
This was a massive job of wiring and placing gear in the ceilings and walls. Qualtrough credits his team for the job’s success: “This project would not have gone so well without a really solid technical team,” he says. “I would credit the award and the house and all of it to our installers and our tech guys for putting in the time to deliver exactly what this uber-high-end, very technical client wanted with no problem at all. I don’t think many teams could have done it, to be honest.”
So, while this client is extremely satisfied with the inside of his home, he has big plans for the outside. “Right now, we have audio on all five of the outdoor decks,” Qualtrough concludes. “But they are in the process of generating a landscape plan that will include pool and tennis court audio, as well as outdoor TVs. That’s the next phase. They’re still working with the city for permits. I would say we will be back out there in Spring 2026.”
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Why audio processing power is worth paying for. THE PRICE OF LUXURY SOUND
BY ARNAUD LABORIE, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, TRINNOV AUDIO
Many luxury technology hallmarks are highly subjective: elegant design aesthetics, visceral sensory experiences, frictionless usability. The specific elements that achieve these results will vary from customer to customer, and it takes an artist’s touch to create the experience your client is seeking. However, some building blocks of the luxury experience are objective, quantifiable, and undeniable. When it comes to immersive audio, processing power translates directly into quality and capability.
Processing power and chip architecture can account for a 10x difference in the price of an AV processor, so it’s important for CI pros to understand what they’re asking clients to pay for. This article is going to dive into silicon design, computer memory, giga floating point operations per second (GFLOPS), and some other fairly esoteric mathematical and computational considerations, but never forget what it’s all for: an utterly unforgettable immersive audio experience, for music, movies, or anything else, from any position in the listening area. That goal is worthy of just about any amount of math.
Why Processing Power Matters
With the introduction of immersive sound and high channel count, processing power has emerged as the most critical feature of a high-performance AV processor. Today’s high-end processors must simultaneously support highresolution audio (96k and 192k) and high-channel-count rendering and upmixing (up to 34 channels), as well as advanced room correction and active acoustics features.
Without sufficient processing power, these extreme processing demands can degrade audio quality. Depending on the AV processor’s chip architecture, the device may have certain implementation trade-offs baked in to allow all these intensive requirements to run simultaneously. Typical limitations designed to mitigate for insufficient processing power include:
• Limiting the number of rendered immersive sound channels to 24 or fewer, reducing the spatial resolution.
• Limiting the FIR frequency resolution, degrading low-frequency resolution and time domain control.
• Giving up the ability to
process high-resolution audio at native 96 kHz or 192 kHz audio frequencies.
• Using 32-bit floating point processing operations instead of 64-bit, potentially introducing audio artifacts.
• Excluding some loudspeakers from digital room correction or active acoustics processing.
When determining audio system design and budget, ask the client which of these sacrifices they’re willing to make. Exceptional audio isn’t the priority for every project, but if the customer wants a true no-compromise system, they’re going to need a lot of computational horsepower.
Chip Architecture Options
Raw computational power is measured in giga floating point operations per second (GFLOPS). A device’s theoretical processing power is determined by the type and number of chips within — though, in practice, architecture and implementation are a massive part of the equation.
It’s worth exploring some specific examples here for an apples-to-apple comparison. The widely used ADSP-214xx Sharc series (4th generation) from Analog Devices, such as the ADSP-21489, runs at 450 MHz and can achieve a sustained processing power of up to 1.8 GFLOPs on average, and up to 2.7 GFLOPs peak. This chip is frequently deployed on its own in cost-effective DSPbased AV processors.
Higher-end processors rely on arrays of two or four DSPs, offering a processing power of up to 6 to 12 GFLOPs peak. These include the single-core ADSP-21569 and the ADSP-21593, a system-on-chip (SoC) composed of an ARM processor (cortex-A5) and a dual-core Sharc+ DSP. These DSPs and SoCs are a common choice for AV processors with audio post-processing features like digital room correction.
At the next tier, the Texas Instruments K2G (66AK2G12) is among the most powerful embedded audio DSPs. It includes two ARM Cortex-A15 cores and a C66x DSP core operating at up to 1.2 GHz, offering up to 19.2 GFLOPs of audio processing. You can find this chipset in high-end processors designed for high channel count, immersive sound decoding, and upmixing.
DSP-based arrays do face limitations compared to a single-chip solution, however. A DSP array requires complex interconnections, communication protocols, and synchronization between two or four separate DSP chips. Communication between multiple DSPs can introduce latency and overhead, impacting audio processing performance. There is another approach: implementing a single, high-performance CPU chip instead of an array of DSPs. To be transparent: A high-powered CPU typically costs ten times more than
a DSP chip, but it also has ten times the processing power. Conservatively, the Intel Core i3-12100 CPU (12th Generation i3), a 4-core, 8-thread processor, delivers a peak performance of around 211 GFLOPs. Its big brother, the Intel Core i5-12400 CPU (12th Generation i5), a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, has 240 GFLOPS of available processing power, and a peak processing power of 422 GFLOPs at 4.4 GHz with Intel turbo boost. These chipsets have more than enough processing power to handle an array of demanding simultaneous tasks — and with the single processor architecture, the internal memory is shared among all the internal processing cores so that every piece of data is instantly available to all the cores, eliminating any latency and processing overhead.
Though precise MSRPs vary over time and by manufacturer, Charts 1 and 2 offer a rough estimate of processing cost for common chip architectures. If you look at audio processor costs in terms of price per GLFOPS, singlechip CPU architectures will always measure as a massive bargain.
Memory: Internal Versus External
Internal and external chip memory also have a significant impact on processor performance. Internal memory is key to effective real-time processing speed. Put simply, it doesn’t matter how much raw processing
power a chip has if it’s waiting around for data and program instructions. The chipset’s internal memory, also known as cache memory, provides a high-speed storage layer that temporarily holds frequently accessed data and instructions, thereby reducing the time needed to fetch this information from the main memory. In real-time audio processing, cache memory ensures smooth and uninterrupted signal processing. This is especially crucial in the specific case of long FIR filter processing. All the FIR filter coefficients, all the audio samples to be processed, and all the processing instructions must be entirely available in internal memory for maximum performance. If there is not enough internal memory, the processor will waste a lot of processing cycles waiting for the missing data to be fetched from external memory.
External memory allows the processor to execute complex algorithms with many instructions. Often, processors also use external memory to implement computation accelerators — for instance, by creating look-up tables of precalculated results, minimizing computation time.
Investing in the Future
No matter how you calculate it, a high-end audio processor is a significant portion of your client’s AV investment. It’s therefore extremely important that the processor you select has the memory and computational headroom to accommodate future processing-intensive technologies. Sound reproduction is not settled science. We’ve made incredible breakthroughs in active acoustics technology in the past two decades, and we anticipate many more to come in the next 20 years. Planned obsolescence is categorically not part of the luxury experience. Your processor recommendation must leave room for future upgrades, which, not incidentally, will drive future room-tuning service and upgrade opportunities for you.
HIGH-END AUDIO TECH SHOWCASE
A collection of recent products to please the eyes and ears, but might strain the wallet.
Whether or not it is profitable for your company, high-end audio is a category that offers a lot of interesting possibilities with its diverse range or products. Here, we take a look at some of the more recent entries to the market, including speakers, amplifiers, turntables, and more — all designed for the luxury market.
1. JBL Synthesis SMA Series Multichannel Power Amplifiers
The new JBL Synthesis SMA-4750 and SMA-8300 Class D amplifiers, featuring built-in DSPs for custom loudspeaker tuning and system configuration, are designed for residential cinema applications with a CI-focused UI, balanced XLR inputs, and binding post speaker terminals. Packing flexible high-power output into a 2RU chassis, these amplifiers are core of the JBL Synthesis electronics lineup, complementing the SDP processors and SCL and SSW loudspeaker systems. With advanced features like bridgeable channels, full input and output Hi-Resolution DSP suite, and Dante/AES67 digital audio networking, these amplifiers are designed for powering large LCR, surround, and height channel loudspeakers, as well as subwoofers in JBL Synthesis immersive audio systems.
2. Pro-Ject Audio Systems The Classic Reference Turntable
Pro-Ject Audio Systems’ The Classic Reference turntable uses the EVO 9 AS HG tonearm. High-precision ABEC 7 bearings are housed in an aluminum gimbal for frictionless, resonance-free operation. An internally damped S-shaped aluminum armtube makes way for a removable headshell so that cartridge enthusiasts are empowered to swap transducers to their liking. The high-mass aluminum alloy record platter is damped with TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer), eliminating unwanted resonance. The Clamp it record clamp and Leather it record mat are included in-purchase for additional resonance control.
3. McIntosh PS1K Powered Subwoofer
The McIntosh PS1K powered subwoofer includes two 13-inch drivers that feature McIntosh’s proprietary Low Distortion High Performance (LD/HP) Magnetic Circuit Design, which reduces distortion and improves power handling. With advanced Finite Element Analysis (FEA) ensuring extreme linearity, the PS1K’s
woofers also incorporate multi-layer carbon fiber cones for superior rigidity and sound clarity, resisting flex even at high outputs. The PS1K’s dual 13-inch woofers are driven by two 500-watt Class D amplifiers, combining for 1000 watts of output. Whether playing music or movies, the PS1K’s bass is tight and clear, effortlessly filling large spaces. A sealed box design and nearly 1.5-inch thick enclosure baffle eliminate port noise and vibration, ensuring a precise, clean bass response.
4. Focal Diva Utopia Wireless Speaker
The Focal Diva Utopia is the company’s first wireless, connected, active loudspeaker. This 3-way bass-reflex floorstanding loudspeaker is simple to install and use, with no need for cables to connect the pair or external amplification. Ultra Wideband, a unique technology co-developed with a partner company, enables wireless music playback that surpasses CD playback and approaches the high-resolution audio of a professional studio. For convenience, the Diva Utopia can be controlled via a dedicated app, the supplied remote control, or voice assistants. Diva Utopia combines Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Google Cast, and UPnP protocols for connectivity and access to a wide range of streaming platforms, such as Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Qobuz, and QQ Music (China).
5. Lyngdorf Audio FR-2 Floorstanding Loudspeaker
The Lyngdorf Audio FR-2 high-performance floorstanding loudspeaker has been designed for placement against the wall to ensure a visually and acoustically ideal room integration. The speaker has been tuned for best sound performance close to a wall, while the very shallow cabinet shape and the choice of colors and fabric covers allow a space-saving integration in modern homes. The FR-2’s drive units are integrated into an unusually shallow speaker design that takes
advantage of room acoustics instead of working against them. The FR-2 has been specifically tuned for wall placement, with the woofers located as close as possible to the wall behind the speaker. This leads to an ideal impulse response in the low frequencies and results in a surprisingly tight and powerful bass.
6. Arendal Sound 1528 Speaker Family
Arendal Sound’s 1528 speakers employ a new driver configuration featuring a proprietary 28mm tweeter and dual 8-inch mid-woofers. The high-frequency driver, designed and manufactured in-house, utilizes a unique waveguide technology that minimizes distortion and provides a wider dispersion. A custom carbon-graphene mid-range driver joins an exclusive lithium magnesium tweeter. The mid-woofers are crafted from a specially formulated
fiber material that balances stiffness and lightness, enabling them to produce a deep, controlled bass response without sacrificing the midrange clarity. This results in a speaker that can handle complex musical passages and dynamic movie soundtracks with equal finesse.
7. Monitor Audio Gold Series 6G
The Monitor Audio Gold Series 6G comprises six distinctive loudspeakers. The Gold Series has a long history of introducing innovative acoustic technologies, and this sixth generation is no different. Gold Series 6G boasts a totally new metal cone technology in the form of Hexagonal Diaphragm Technology (HDT). HDT draws on the RDT III cones utilized in the Hyphn and the flagship Platinum Series 3G, which consists of a Nomex honeycomb layer sandwiched between aluminum and carbon fiber skins. The HDT cone employs a new hexagonal pattern to disrupt symmetries in the cone breakup, creating a cone that shifts the frequency up by 10% compared to the RST II cones found on the Silver Series 7G.
8. SVS 17-Ultra R|Evolution Subwoofer Series
SVS’ flagship subwoofer series, 17-Ultra R|Evolution, is the most powerful, sophisticated, and user-friendly SVS subwoofer ever introduced to the consumer market. Starting with the driver, it was a ground-up process engineering the largest, most formidable driver ever deployed in an SVS subwoofer. To ensure stable transfer of electro-magnetic current from the dual mono-amplifier to the 55-pound toroidal ferrite magnet motor, SVS designed the first-ever dual 8-inch voice coil, resulting in effortless output with exacting control over the 17inch driver. Copper-clad aluminum voice coil wire combines the best properties of both elements, yielding ideal thermal capacity and magnetic field strength in the motor. An all new high-excursion 17-inch driver features a glass fiber composite cone, long-throw catenary SBR rubber surround, and toroidal ferrite electromagnetic motor. This combination generates massive sound pressure levels well below the threshold of human hearing (15 Hz for SB17-Ultra and 12 Hz for PB17-Ultra) with frequency response accuracy and acoustic linearity.
9. Luxman L-505Z Integrated Amplifier
The Luxman L-505Z integrated amplifier is intended to replace the L-505uXII and completes the Z Series, joining the L-507Z and 509Z. Upgrades from its predecessor also include an improved moving magnet/moving coil phono preamp, LECUA-controlled LR balance adjust function, 12-volt triggers, and parallel headphone output jacks, including a “Pentaconn” balanced type and 7-segment LED volume level-VU meter display. The L-505Z combines high power and superb linearity thanks to bipolar transistors in triple-paralleled Darlington push-pull configuration.
10. Grimani Reflectance Center-Channel Speaker
The Grimani Systems Reflectance System is a center-channel speaker system that redefines dialog clarity and soundstage precision for large video displays. It works by reflecting sound waves off the screen to create a virtual center-channel image. This system is designed specifically for media lounges and home cinemas equipped with large video displays, including video walls, making it the perfect complement for high-end AV systems.
11. Marantz Model 10 Amplifier
The Marantz 10 Model 10 reference integrated amplifier is the most powerful one-box amplifier Marantz has ever made. Model 10 is built around a newly designed dual-mono symmetrical amplifier topology and uses a completely new copper-plated, triple-layered chassis with a compartmentalized design structure designed to provide complete engineering separation of each critical internal function. Two internal compartments plus strategically placed shields isolate high and low power circuits from each other and prevent internal interference from limiting performance.
12. MartinLogan Dynamo Foundation Subwoofers
The MartinLogan Dynamo Foundation Subwoofers have been engineered to deliver superior audio quality, combining advanced technology with sophisticated design to enhance home entertainment experiences. They feature a 200 MHz DSP engine with 56-bit processing, typically found only in highend audio systems, and is equipped with MartinLogan’s exclusive Magnitude 400 or 700 amplifiers, delivering up to 400 watts and 700 watts peak power, respectively. The 10- or 12-inch Ultra-Rigid Polypropylene (URP) woofers are tuned to perfection, delivering robust, deep bass with minimal distortion, even at high volumes.
13. Sonus faber Concertino G4 Speakers
Sonus faber Concertino G4 is the fourth edition of the brand’s Concertino speaker. The two-way, passive high-end loudspeaker blends heritage and innovation to take audio performance to new heights while capturing the true essence of Sonus faber. The design of Concertino G4 includes learnings from advanced acoustic research, cutting-edge materials, and technological improvements. Building on the success of previous Concertino models, this edition blends technology with the timeless principles of Natural Sound and artisanal quality — even leveraging a patented, plant-based leather alternative material from Italian startup Ohoskin in its finishings. Sonus faber has placed a strong emphasis on reducing the use of non-sustainable materials in this project. Significantly, the cork used is derived from a recycling process and the duct, usually made of plastic, is now constructed from a combination of paper and solid wood.
14. Theory Audio Design DLC Platform
The Theory Audio Design DLC distributed loudspeaker controller platform includes three models: DLC-250.4d, DLC-1500.4d, and DLC-250.8. Designed for residential or commercial installations, the new models offer between 4 and 8 channels of intelligent power, full DSP matrix, and TCP/IP control through a
wired connection or directly via its on-board Wi-Fi access point. Two of the three models, the DLC-250.4d and DLC-1500.4d, also add Dante and AES67 audioover-IP digital I/O compatibility. The small but mighty DLC-250.4d 4-channel loudspeaker controller is designed to be at the core of every Theory distributed audio system. With channel-pair power sharing of up to 250 watts, each DLC250.4d offers the flexibility to power any system size. The half-RU DLC-250.4d ships with a rack kit to allow mounting of one or two units in a single rack space. An optional surface mount kit is also available if hiding the DLC-250.4d under a table or behind a TV is desired. The DLC-250.8 is ideal for surround and distributed audio systems where Dante and AES67 are not required but when more channels per chassis is desired.
15. L-Acoustics HYRISS
L-Acoustics’ HYRISS (Hyperreal Immersive Sound Space) is an audio solution that redefines how we experience spaces through sound. This system combines L-Acoustics’ cutting-edge hardware, software, and services to create adaptable, high-quality sound environments suitable for a wide range of applications, from luxurious residences and yachts to high-end hospitality and corporate settings. HYRISS enables complete control of the sonic environment, from creating serene atmospheres for relaxation to transforming spaces into dynamic entertainment venues. It eliminates the need for dedicated media rooms by allowing a single space to effortlessly become a concert hall, sports stadium, or cinema. HYRISS supports a wide range of audio formats, from mono to expansive Dolby Atmos soundscapes and beyond. Its high-resolution, three-dimensional network of loudspeakers provides exceptional listening conditions and absolute acoustic comfort. By integrating discreet in-wall speakers, high-power amplification, and advanced spatial audio processing, HYRISS delivers concert-level sound quality while maintaining aesthetic elegance.
16. Paradigm Founder Speaker Series
Every component of Paradigm’s Founder loudspeakers, large and small, was scrutinized down to the tiniest detail. Every component has been thoroughly researched, designed, and engineered exclusively for Founder Series. The Founder’s tweeter is a 1-inch (25mm) Aluminum Magnesium Ceramic (AL-MAC) dome with a proprietary Oblate Spherical Waveguide (OSW), and a Perforated Phase-Aligning (PPA) Lens. The Founder’s midrange is a 6-inch (152mm) Aluminum Magnesium (AL-MAG) cone with PPA Lens, Advanced Shock-Mount Isolation Mounting System, and a 2-inch high-temp multi-layered voice coil with ventilated Apical former. Founder Series cabinets are offered in a variety of premium-grade finishes: Walnut and Black Walnut have a smooth satin finish with distinctive wood figuring. The exclusive Midnight Cherry and Piano Black feature a luxurious hand-rubbed, high-gloss finish.
THE INTEGRATION GUIDE TO
MOTORIZED SHADES
FUNCTIONAL STYLE
The versatility of motorized shades design and functionality continue to make them a high priority for clients.
By Karen Mitchell
Why should your clients pull and tug when they can raise or lower the shades remotely? As motorized shades grow in popularity, integrators are becoming more comfortable with selling, ordering, and installing them. And the demand is there.
“Honestly, I think a lot of the uptick in demand comes down to the price conversation, which may be surprising to hear,” says Ryan Williams, director of design and sales, Cinegration, a Hunter Douglas dealer. “When clients see the cost difference between manual and motorized options, they often realize that motorized shades aren’t dramatically more expensive, but they add an exponential amount of convenience and value to their home.”
Imagine, he suggests, a space with five large, staggered windows; the thought of manually adjusting each shade every day becomes tedious pretty quickly. “With motorization, clients get a sense of simplicity and uniformity that just makes sense. Plus, when you’re already investing in a high-end home, motorized shades feel like a natural addition — they’re an elegant solution that aligns with the rest of the smart home experience.”
When the Cinegration team leads design conversations with clients, they’re the ones advocating for motorization, Williams says. “That’s because we understand how it simplifies life and elevates the user experience. While interior designers focus on aesthetics, ensuring the shades match the room’s design language, we’re the ones pushing for functionality and ease of use. It’s about creating a space where design and technology complement each other effortlessly.”
With the increased adoption of smart home technology, demand for motorized shades accelerated at a rapid pace within the CI market, says Chris Lynch, nation business development director, Nice North America. “One of the key trends we’ve observed in 2024 is the tremendous growth in the adoption of motorized exterior shades. The reason is that homeowners are increasingly giving a high value to outdoor living space, and the motorized exterior shades offer that perfect blend of comfort, convenience, and energy efficiency through better sunlight, heat, and privacy control.
“The growing interest in motorized shades is largely driven by functionality
A Draper At Home shade installation.
SUBWOOFERS MOTORIZED SHADES
and convenience,” he adds. “Homeowners still want seamless integration of their shades with the rest of their smart home technology, so they can even control hard-to-reach shades remotely. Advancements in shade motors and fabric options have also made these solutions more palatable for consumers. This demand has also been tied to overall whole-home design requests, where motorized shades become an extension of a connected home, with the ability to tailor shading solutions to match specific design aesthetics. More so, to us, motorized shades are not just a functional add-on but an enhancement to a design that can give innovative ways for a homeowner to improve energy efficiency, furniture and interior protection, and elevate one’s lifestyle.”
And that request for motorized shading has been steadily increasing year over year, driven by the growing popularity of smart home integration, says Maryellen Oswald, partnerships business development manager at Somfy North America.
“With motors powered by Somfy, window coverings can be controlled remotely via smartphones or seamlessly integrated into home automation systems. Additionally, more homeowners are seeking both interior and exterior window coverings that regulate indoor temperature and reduce energy consumption.
“Somfy is proud to offer a wide range of innovative products and technologies that meet the needs of both residential and commercial customers,” she notes. “In 2024, several solutions resonated strongly within the industry, including Somfy’s Zigbee ecosystem of products and the Power over Ethernet solution, among others. The Zigbee 3.0 protocol is an interoperable, globally adopted and secure IoT solution used to connect smart home devices to a consistent network and language. Zigbee creates an ecosystem of products that work seamlessly together, and that ecosystem now includes products from Somfy North America, easing the integration process and increasing comfort for end users.
“We have also released two professional tools that make it easier to configure motors, as well as provide after-sales service and support,” Oswald adds. “The TaHoma pro app is designed for OEMs and Installers to simplify the configuration and management of the Somfy Zigbee network. The second tool is Serv-e-Go, an all-in-one remote monitoring and troubleshooting tool for the Somfy Zigbee ecosystem. This app allows dealers to securely access installations in order to provide remote service to clients.”
At Nice, motorized shades offer a range of features that can be customized to meet the specific needs of each end-user, Lynch explains. “In addition to the ability to control your shades remotely, motorized shades can autonomously interact with a home’s environment to optimize comfort and energy savings.”
The biggest challenge that Nice sees in this industry is ensuring that partners and their customers have a strong understanding of the full variety of features and solutions that motorized shades provide so that they can truly optimize the shades for their homes, he says. “To equip our partners with the knowledge they need, we offer comprehensive support, including hands-on training and in-field assistance.”
The Hunter Douglas PowerView Gen 3 has made things so much easier for Cinegration from an installation perspective, Williams says. “The setup is faster, the communication between the shades and the system is more reliable thanks to the use of Bluetooth Low Energy, and it’s just a much smoother process overall. You don’t need a perfect Wi-Fi setup to get the shades online anymore, which used to be a sticking point in some homes. With Gen 3, we
can now essentially walk into a project, bring the entire house of shades online, and get everything set up quickly without a lot of backtracking or troubleshooting.
“It’s easier for the homeowner as well, so it’s a win-win,” he adds. “Gen 3 has simplified the handoff to the client. Once we’ve completed the installation, transferring ownership of the system to the homeowner is incredibly clean. From there, it’s intuitive and allows clients to easily control their shades, set schedules, and make adjustments. Of course, every new technology comes with its own challenges, but Gen 3 offers a better user experience. So, the challenge is less about the technology itself and more about ensuring clients understand its full potential.
“We also can’t talk about the latest and greatest offerings from Hunter Douglas without talking about Aura Illuminated Shades; they are such a cool innovation because they go beyond what people typically expect from shades,” Williams notes. “It’s not just about raising or lowering them anymore, it’s about having control over the lighting in your space in a whole new way. The built-in LED lighting creates this beautiful, soft glow that can completely change the feel of a room. What’s really unique is how the light comes in at eye level rather than from an overhead source, which makes the space feel warmer and more inviting. Whether it’s brightening up a gloomy afternoon or setting a cozy ambiance in the evening, Aura lets you fine-tune both the natural and artificial light in your home. It’s an elegant solution that adds another layer of sophistication to the overall experience. We just added Aura shades to our
Hunter Douglas Aria shades.
Nice Sun shades.
showroom, and we are excited to show them to clients. They’re really one of those products that wows but you have to experience it to fully understand it.”
At Draper, the latest introduction, the FlexStyle Cassette shade, was a result of requests from integrators, says Tabitha Quick, national director of CI, Draper At Home. “The shade arrives pre-installed inside the cassette, so all the installer has to do is attach mounting brackets with a single screw each then pop the cassette into the brackets. The FlexStyle Cassette is a great option for integrators because it is so versatile. Standard voltage, low voltage, and battery motors are available. RTS and Zigbee protocols provide plenty of control options. The cassette itself can be square or curved, and we can even cover it with fabric to match the shade panel.”
TO THE MAX
With shades, it is important to “work with a manufacturer who treats you like a true partner,” Quick advises. “Find a domestic manufacturer with a wide product line, real and personal customer service, and that will help educate you and your customers. Listen carefully to what your clients want and offer custom solutions to meet their specific needs; this makes it even more important to partner with the right manufacturer. Start with a curated selection of fabrics and styles but have the capability to offer expanded choices for special high-end customers who want something different or unique. Ensure that the motorized shades you offer are compatible with existing smart home systems.”
Maximizing efficiency in our motorized shade projects comes down to the way the team approaches each installation, Williams says. “We prioritize a thoughtful, methodical setup process, ensuring that everything is dialed in before we even begin. Efficiency starts well before the shades are installed. It’s in the preparation, the planning, and the way we communicate with clients about their needs and expectations.
“We start with an understanding of what the homeowner wants from their space, then guide them through the options to make sure they’re getting exactly what they need,” he adds. “A lot of people come in with a specific idea from a fabric color or a shade they’ve seen, but they don’t always think about how it’s going to perform in their home, especially at night when privacy comes into play. That’s where our team steps in. We’re not just there to install shades; we’re there to advise, to guide, and to make sure they’re making choices they’ll be happy with long-term choices. And we take the time to explain things like opacities, how different shades will look in various lighting conditions, and whether they’ll provide the level of privacy the client expects.
“Homeowners get the best results from their motorized shades when they are integrated with a whole-home automation system,” Lynch notes. “This
allows the shades to interact with other factors of the home, like temperature, voice, or centralized control and more to ensure the shades are optimized for the homeowners’ needs. Integrators should also encourage their customers to take advantage of all the features of motorized shades. While convenience is a key driver for adoption, motorized shades can also offer significant energy savings if installers program the shades to automatically adapt to factors like lighting, room occupancy, and time of day.”
“When specifying, installing, and programming shade projects, the focus is on brands with the technology and offerings that ensure a smooth and robust experience for our clients and for us,” says Patrick Coleman, president/CEO, Future Automation & Design, a Somfy dealer. “Not all homes are wired for shades, and when they are, more often than not, they aren’t using the brandspecific wiring that many shade companies need to work with their products, so integrators will use wireless battery-powered shades in those areas, which isn’t always optimal due to the need to be charged every six months to a year, depending on use.
“One of the reasons we are big fans of Somfy’s new PoE shade solution is that most of these homes that are wired with just Cat5 or Cat6 can now have a PoE shade connected back to a network head end using the existing wiring with only a PoE switch needed for power and communication,” he adds. “With the new Somfy PoE shades, we can effectively cut our install and programming time in half. It’s a game changer and allows for more hardwired shades and easy pre-wires using the cabling we already have in abundance.”
A Somfy shade installation.
Arc Ultra Dolby Atmos Streaming Soundbar Sonos
When I last wrote about the Sonos Arc bar in 2020, I opened with the fact that Sonos practically blew up the AV world by sending out an email announcing there would be an upcoming version of its app that would no longer work with legacy products. Fast forward four years, and we’re talking about a new Arc soundbar, the Ultra, and the Sonos app is still in the news for not-good reasons.
I’m not going to beat up on the app here; Sonos has promised to continue to work on and improve it and ultimately restore its full functionality, and they’ve been true to their word so far. In fact, they’ve done this to the detriment of delaying the launch of two new products, the Sonos Arc Ultra and Sub 4. Both products were supposed to be released shortly after the new Sonos Ace headphones (review available online), which were (apparently) a big part of why the new app was needed. But after the initial brouhaha over the app debacle — and subsequent stock market crucifixion where the company’s value plunged from a 52-week high of $19.76 to $10.23/ share — the new products are here. And, damn, they were worth the wait!
The Arc Ultra and Sub 4 also reflect an expedited release cycle in Sonos’ product launches. The original Playbar, released more than a decade ago back in 2013, was in the lineup for seven years, while the Arc had just a four-year run. And short of just throwing a “2” on the name the way Sonos likes to do, the Ultra moniker
indicates this is a new beast rather than just a follow-on. And, by God, it is
First Impressions
Out of the box, the Arc Ultra retains virtually all of the Arc’s industrial design, even keeping the same discreet tone-on-tone logo in front, though the dimensions have been nipped and tucked a bit. The Ultra is almost a half-inch shorter (2.95 inches vs. 3.4) and slightly shallower (4.35 inches vs. 4.5) than the Arc, and a bit wider (46.38 inches vs. 45). But unless you pull a tape, they basically look the same. Whether you loved or hated the way the original Arc looked, the Ultra is unlikely to sway you one way or the other. For the record, I think the smooth, rounded edges help to soften its look, and the matte finishes are less prone to light reflection than glossy ones.
Visually, the biggest difference is the flattened “shelf” on the top and back of the Ultra. The top now houses the same capacitive touch slider volume control as found on the Era and Move 2 speakers, along with basic transport (Play/ Pause, Skip +/-) controls and a microphone On/Off button with accompanying tiny, white LED indicator.
Where the original Arc was essentially elliptical all the way around, the new Arc Ultra has this flattened area on top for the controls and on the back where the wall mount attaches. (A note about the mount: While the old Arc mount will work, Sonos says, “Given the different dimensions of the products, the
[original Arc] mount may be visible from certain angles.” Hence, there is a new Arc Ultra-specific wall mount.) The perforated metal grille also wraps much further around and under the Arc Ultra, allowing “sound to travel to every inch of your room.”
Around the back is a recessed area for making connections, which includes a single HDMI eARC, power, and Ethernet. Also in this connection bay — and new for the Arc Ultra — are a Bluetooth pairing button and a physical microphone On/Off switch. Ultra supports Amazon Alexa and Sonos Voice Control, and the far-field microphone array was adept at hearing my voice.
Arc Ultra was designed with a slimmer profile to minimize screen obstruction when sitting on a tabletop and to look a bit more discreet when wall-mounted beneath a display. At under 3 inches tall, it shouldn’t interfere with most displays sitting on a stand, including not blocking the TV’s IR receiver. At 46.38 inches wide, the Arc Ultra might look a bit crowded beneath a 55-inch set (which typically measures around 48 inches wide), but it has the right sense of dimension to sit below larger screens. Even sitting beneath an 85-inch display at my showroom, the Ultra didn’t look out of place.
Whereas the original Arc had 11 speakers and was described as a 5.1.2 configuration, the Ultra ups the ante with an all-new acoustic architecture that includes 14 drivers powered by 15 Class-D amplifiers in a configuration Sonos
By John Sciacca
800-680-2345
SONOS.COM
KUDOS
Improves on original Arc in every way; impressively deep bass; terrific dialog intelligibility; fantastic immersive audio when paired with Era 300s
CONCERNS
Full system on the pricey side
PRODUCT SPECS
9.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos-capable streaming soundbar
14 drivers, including five angled silk-dome tweeters, two dedicated upfiring silk-dome tweeters, six woofers for midrange, a four-motor Sound Motion woofer with 15 individual Class-D digital amplifiers
HDMI ARC/eARC input (optional adapter for Toslink optical digital audio)
Far-field microphone for Amazon Alexa or Sonos Voice integration with physical On/Off switch
Wi-Fi (2.4/5 GHz, Wi-Fi 6) and Ethernet connection to a network
Supports numerous streaming services; Apple AirPlay2, Bluetooth
Capacitive touch slide control for volume up/down, previous/next track, play/pause, microphone on/off
Dimensions and Weight: 2.95 x 46.38 x 4.35 inches (HxWxD); 13.01 pounds
describes as 9.1.4. This includes seven silk-dome tweeters, including two dedicated up-firing and two side-firing drivers to create the height and width required for spatial audio, along with six woofers, and the new Sound Motion woofer, which I’ll go into later.
The Sonos Sub Gen 4 receives a cosmetic makeover in that it now ditches the glossy finishes and comes in matte white and black to match the modern Sonos family look. Externally and performance-wise, the Gen 4 sub is identical to the previous sub, using the same dual woofers in a force-canceling array with the same amplification. However, it has received some internal upgrades in the form of increased
memory and processing power (“to support future innovations”), and new Wi-Fi radios that deliver a stronger wireless connection to other Sonos speakers. The sub is also more “green,” with an updated enclosure, faceplate, and cable cover to reduce unnecessary waste. It also uses halogen-free printed circuit boards and boasts a nearly 50% reduction in idle power consumption compared to previous generations.
To complete a full Sonos Atmos speaker array, Sonos also sent two Era 300s (review available online). Now that the Eras have been out for a while, there are a variety of mounts and stands designed for them.
Compatibility-wise, the Arc Ultra can pair with any generation of Sonos subwoofers. If you want to use two subwoofers, you’ll need to use a Gen 3 and/or Gen 4 in any combination. For surround speakers, the Ultra works with the Sonos Amp, Era 100, Era 300, Five, and One (Gen 1, Gen 2, and SL), along with some SYMFONISK speakers available at IKEA. However, as the Era 300 is the only speaker that has an up-firing driver element, it should really be the go-to choice.
New Sound Motion Tech
One of the keys to the Ultra’s performance is the introduction of a new technology that Sonos is branding “Sound Motion.” Mayht, a Netherlands-based company, had been developing this revolutionary audio transducer technology since 2016, but Mayht had no intention of manufacturing its own drivers, instead looking to license the tech. Enter Sonos,
which acquired Mayht in 2022 for approximately $100 million.
Sound Motion is said to deliver far greater bass output in a significantly smaller, flatter, and lighter footprint. Traditional transducers use one large, heavy motor and single membrane to displace sound, whereas Sound Motion uses four lightweight motors and two forcecanceling membranes to deliver greater audio performance. This allows for the development of products that can deliver bigger, fuller sound while retaining a small form factor — up to three times smaller than traditional transducers.
The resulting design is a rectangular “pack” that uses high-performance plastic suspension and aerospace-grade aluminum ribs housing the motors, magnets, voice coils, and cones that sit to the right of center, with accompanying electronics and amplifiers taking up space on the left side. The system employs four pairs of opposing magnets that power four voice coils in opposing corners, allowing the cones to create more magnetic force, which displaces more air and creates more bass. These dual cones move in opposing directions for a force-canceling effect (similar to that employed in the Sub) to eliminate mechanical vibrations.
The Arc Ultra is the first Sonos product to incorporate this technology, and Sonos claims the Ultra delivers twice the bass as the original Arc from a single Sound Motion module.
Setup
The Ultra can connect to your network either wired or wireless (now supporting both 2.4 and
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5 GHz, including Wi-Fi 6). I went Wi-Fi, as I figured most installs would.
While the Ultra is a full-fledged Sonos product that can do all the music streaming, AirPlay2, and now even Bluetooth, its primary purpose is improving TV and movie audio, and this requires a connection — preferably eARC — to your display. (Sonos still offers the HDMI-to-optical adapter, but it is no longer included.)
While being limited to eARC was a bit frustrating back in 2020 when the Arc launched, this connection is now ubiquitous on modern displays and seems to work reliably nearly 100% of the time. Plus, it has the benefit of being able to pass full-resolution, lossless Dolby TrueHD Atmos audio. Sonos sticks with just providing a single HDMI connection, making you run everything through your display, which also simplifies the user experience by eliminating another source requiring input switching.
As you add in Sonos devices — in my case the Era 300s and Sub — you are prompted to pair them with the bar to create a full system. Once installed, connected, and updated, the app prompts you to run Trueplay, Sonos’ version of room correction. If you’re an iOS user, you’ll want to select the Advanced tuning option that uses the microphone in your iOS device and takes readings around the room. Android devices are still not supported due to the wide manufacturing variances; however, a Quick Tune mode is also available in the app that uses the microphones in the Ultra to perform a basic calibration. Like the Arc, the Ultra uses an extra step in the Trueplay process where you take an initial measurement at eye level at the primary seating location, followed by a minute where you walk around the room, slowly waving your phone around.
Usually, one of my big complaints is that companies don’t properly implement (or even include!) room correction with their soundbars. Many take measurements from the microphones built into the bar, which don’t reflect what is happening at the seating position. Others measure the bar and surrounds but not the subwoofers. Then they don’t allow you any way of toggling the correction on/off to see what it is actually doing.
With Trueplay, Sonos does literally everything you would want a soundbar’s room correction to do (provided you have an iPhone). A radial button in the Sonos app lets you toggle the Trueplay correction on/off so you can immediately compare before/after
results. With it engaged in my room, bass was noticeably tighter and more cohesive, the front soundstage was a bit more expansive, and the audio from the surround speakers was more focused. Obviously, results will vary in a given room, but it is definitely worth spending the couple of minutes required to perform this calibration, with the ability to instantly compare the results.
Within the app, you can also finetune the volume levels of speakers, such as the height volume of the Ultra, the volume of the surrounds (both separately for movie and music listening), and the subwoofer.
Performance
I installed the system in stages so I could experience the Arc Ultra on its own, then paired with the Era 300s, and finally as an entire system with the new Sub Gen 4. The Ultra sat on a tabletop in front of my 65-inch Sony TV, with the Era 300s on stands to the left and right of my listening couch, and the sub in the front-right corner of my room.
My immediate impression was that the Sound Motion tech is legit and that the bass response in the Ultra is fantastically upgraded over the Arc. With music listening, the Ultra on its own produces all but the deepest bass drops, and in most rooms, the Arc Ultra can probably stand on its own without a sub.
I need to emphasize how high that praise is.
With nearly every soundbar, I’d consider adding a subwoofer a must. But with the Ultra, I’d argue that most people would be totally happy with the standalone performance. In fact, the Ultra produced some of the best standalone audio performance I can recall, bested only by how great I remember the Sennheiser Ambeo Max sounding. (A review I wrote over five years ago, so it's certainly possible my audio memory is hazy.) However, the Arc Ultra does this in a much sleeker and more elegant housing — and at a significantly lower price — adding all the Sonos music streaming options and offering the ability to upgrade by adding rears and a sub (or two!) for a more compelling solution.
Actually, the Sound Motion driver is so impressive, the only nit I might have is that occasionally some deep male voices would have a bit of bassy chestiness with the extra low-end the bar can produce. If this is an issue, you can temper this by going into the Ultra’s EQ settings and dipping the bass down a couple of clicks.
Speaking of dialog, I must also give the Ultra
props for its intelligibility, as I never felt myself straining to understand what was being said. And, unlike the original Arc, the Ultra now comes with four levels (off, low, medium, high) of Speech Enhancement to assist if you are having difficulty. I found that Medium, which Sonos describes as, “An improved version of our traditional Speech Enhancement feature that makes it easier to hear on-screen dialog, addressing mix, environment, and listener issues,” did the best job when I needed it, and that it really amplified just the speech and none of the music or effects that were going on. The Speech Enhancement (and Night Audio mode) are both easily accessible in the Sonos app.
I also remember thinking that the original Arc’s height audio performance was lackluster. Sounds felt like they were more coming above the bar, raising the height of the presentation for sure, but rarely ever delivering a convincing illusion that the sounds were actually coming up overhead or from out wide of the bar. With the new drivers and tuning in the Arc Ultra, this is definitely no longer the case. Watching Pixar’s Brave (the first film to feature Dolby Atmos, for you trivia buffs), I was impressed with how wide sounds traveled outside the bar, hearing Merida’s arrows whiz in from offscreen, as well as how immersive the atmospherics were, with forest sounds swelling overhead and filling the room.
Now, there is a practical limit to how much surround info a single bar in the front of the room can do, no matter how many drivers it has or where they are pointed. And while the Arc Ultra is a potent performer on its own, adding a pair of Era 300s for surround takes it to the next level, delivering truly immersive, convincing, Dolby Atmos height and 360-degree performance. The “It’s Just an Illusion” scene from Spider-Man: Far From Home, where Mysterio is taunting Peter with his projectors, is filled with voices that happen overhead and all around the room. With the Arc Ultra on its own, voices appear high above and outside the bar, but when augmented with the 300s, it becomes a completely different, room-filling animal with voices clearly coming from up overhead in different locations.
This combo also produced some of the most immersive, exciting, and compelling surround sound I’ve ever heard from a soundbar system while watching the Ready Player One “The First Challenge” demo scene. Starting with the airhorn and fireworks blast that streaked up overhead into the center of the room, this truly sounded like speakers were installed in my ceiling. Add in the cacophony of cars racing, crashing, and smashing all around you, planes flying, and Kong jumping overhead, and the system delivers
all the intensity and excitement of a traditional standalone surround rig.
The opening scene from Kong: Skull Island is another of my favorites for listening for powerful overhead effects as it starts with a dogfight with planes zipping overhead and blasting away at each other while the credits roll, followed by a plane streaking overhead and then smashing into the beach in front of you. The Ultra system did a fantastic job of portraying the position and travel of planes overhead and around the room, with the scene concluding with the massive bass of Kong’s hand smashes and deep roars.
One curious thing is that the front-firing tweeter on the Era 300s is disabled for music or movies when they are paired as surrounds. Sonos claims internal testing concluded it sounds better with this driver off, but I think giving users the ability to toggle this on/off in the surround settings would be a better option, similar to the Tripole array M&K used to offer. But, to be fair, I never felt like the surround info was lacking, so perhaps it truly does sound best with this tweeter disabled.
Finally, I went all in and added the subwoofer. I was surprised to find that the bass from the Arc Ultra was so impressive, I daresay that adding the subwoofer is optional. Does the system sound better and more cinematic with the Sub in the mix? On content with lots of loud, deep bass, yes. But is adding the subwoofer absolutely necessary and game-changing, as it is with other soundbars? No.
For example, in the “Falling Debris” scene from Underwater, there is a near-constant barrage of heavy equipment smashing around, and with the Arc Ultra playing solo I could feel the weight of the bass punches in the floor with my feet, but then with the sub added, I’d feel it in my body as these tactile thuds traveled through the couch. Another place where the sub plumbs just that extra bit deeper was the opening scene from Unbroken. Here, the explosions of
flak around the plane, the reverb of the bomb exploding, and the steady low thud of the .50 caliber cannons couldn’t quite hit those lowest, tactile, thunderous notes on the bar alone.
Don’t get me wrong, the Sub 4 brings out that lowest octave of tactile bass, and if you want the truest theater experience, it definitely sounds more cinematic with the Sub 4 in the mix. Heck, add two of them! But with the bar and surrounds playing, unless the scene was filled with lots of really low-end bass, toggling the sub on/off didn’t produce that dramatic missinghole-in-the-sound-floor effect you’d get with other soundbars.
It is also a potent performer, delivering plenty of output and sharp dynamics. Gunshots from the SEAL raid on Bin Laden’s compound in Zero Dark Thirty were sharp and powerful, while still producing the sound of nighttime atmospherics on the city street and the bullhorn announcements echoing off the city walls with a ton of reverb. And watching Tenet with the volume set at 70 (out of 100), I was getting SPL peaks above 102 dB at my seating position. This is a massive sound that will fill all but the biggest rooms.
The Sonos app's “Now Playing” screen displays what type of audio is being decoded, including Dolby Atmos, letting people know it’s doing its thing. Interestingly, DTS Digital Surround is listed as a compatible audio format, with a “**” that denotes, “This is not an indication of a licensed decoder.” (I reached out to Sonos for a comment on what that meant, but didn’t get an answer.) However, be assured that the Arc Ultra does play DTS audio soundtracks. If the format is plain-vanilla DTS 5.1, then the Sonos app displays “DTS Surround 5.1.” And the opening “Surprise Attack” scene from Master and Commander sounded as great as it always does.
If you are sending any other flavor of DTS to the Ultra, say DTS-HD or even immersive DTS:X, the app displays “Multichannel PCM 5.1” but still plays the audio with no issues. The good news is that if you happen to have any content that is only encoded in DTS surround (not totally uncommon in my Kaleidescape library), or if Disney ever gets around to using the DTS:X flavor of IMAX Enhanced audio with some of its content, you’ll be able to enjoy it on the Arc Ultra. Without question, the Arc Ultra is a huge improvement on all fronts when compared to the original Arc. If you’re looking for a one-anddone soundbar, this is a tough proposition to beat. If you are looking for a truly immersive surround experience, add a pair of Era 300s and I daresay you’ll never regret it.
Audio for Life
Erin Phillips, VP for Pro Audio Technology and Theory Audio Design, discusses her new executive role in the companies and offers a preview of what’s to come.
BY ANTHONY SAVONA
I try not to get personal when I write these kinds of stories, but I am going to make an exception in this case, as Erin Phillips was one of my earliest and most consistent contacts when I first entered this industry full-time. Not only was she instrumental in my CI education, but she also always came through no matter how ridiculous my request or how tight the deadline was. And if she wanted to kill me for it, she hid it amazingly well!
So, when compiling the CEDIA Shares blogs for this year’s Expo, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Pro Audio Technology/Theory Audio Design entry came from Erin herself — as VP for the companies. Here Erin reveals her whole-life association with audio, discusses her new executive role in the companies, and offers a peek into Theory’s and PRO’s plans for 2025.
Growing Up Audio
Erin’s involvement in audio was seemingly fated from birth, with a father who was mechanically inclined and a musical mother who were close friends with Scott Bagby, the co-founder of Paradigm Electronics. “A lot of the original Paradigm products were built out of garages and in my parents' unfinished basement in the early days," she says.
“I played classical piano from the age of six, so I was musical, as well. So, there was the musical connection and the Paradigm connection, which goes even deeper — eventually, my dad left the aerospace industry to oversee the construction and implementation of the enormous facility Paradigm, Anthem, and MartinLogan operate out of today.”
Erin got her Bachelor of Commerce degree with a major in marketing management and worked in that role as well as in product development for Paradigm for nearly a decade after college. In those early days, PR for Paradigm, Anthem, and MartinLogan was handled by Caster Communications, and firm owner Kim Lancaster — who has a ridiculously keen eye for talent — brought Erin on as her company’s first remote employee.
“I told Kim I would take the job as long as I could have some audio clients, since that was my bread and butter,” says Erin. “She kept her promise, and PRO was one of my first clients. I brought immediate success to PRO and went on to launch Theory Audio Design into the residential market in 2019. I also got immersed in the rest of the AV industry through my other client accounts, and that was eye-opening. Without a doubt, I learned the most in those five years at Caster than in my career leading up to that point. Working for Kim and with the talented Caster Communications team was a valuable experience that set me up for success.”
However, public relations can be a stressful career choice, and, in late 2020, Erin decided to take a breather from Caster and the industry as a whole to begin a family, which she did with the birth of her son. The break did not last long, as Caster was parting ways with Theory and PRO, and Lancaster knew who the right person would be to take over the account.
“Working with PRO and Theory has always come so naturally to me — I just believe in it. The proof is in the pudding. There is no higherperforming audio brand out there,” says Erin. “Plus, I clicked with Paul [Hales, owner of PRO and Theory] and bought into his philosophy and work ethic.”
The Road to VP
Unsurprisingly, once she started at PRO and Theory, it did not take long for her role to increase. “If you know Paul, you know he doesn’t do anything halfass,” she says. “He’d say to me, ‘There’s almost nothing I can throw at you that you can’t handle — can you take on more hours and responsibilities?’ He thought I could add value in the product development process or on the operations side of things. So every month I took on a little bit more. Before I knew it, I was full-time. At that point my title no longer fit the role — and to honest, it was confusing our partners. So, Paul assigned a title that better matched and gave credit to my responsibilities — VP for the companies.”
So, her being named VP didn’t mean an increase in responsibilities — it more matched all the roles she had taken on over time at PRO and Theory, including co-hosting the popular and very memorable demos with Hales at CEDIA Expo.
“Our goal with the demos, which matches our philosophy, is to prove that whether you’re buying an ic6 6-inch in-ceiling speaker from Theory or a full-range SR-28212ai from PRO, which is $15,000, it doesn’t matter. All PRO and Theory products sound spectacular and can be used and incorporated into any environment in whatever way works for the space and the client’s needs,” Erin explains.
Coming Soon
So, what’s next for PRO, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary, and Theory? “On the product development side, we have a lot in the pipeline,” says Erin. “The announced ic6 and iws12 bollard landscape speakers will start shipping mid-year, as will the sb210aw — big brother to the popular sb25aw all-weather surface mount speaker. We also have a 5-inch ic5 inceiling speaker coming from Theory that we’ve been talking about for a while, but in keeping with our brand promise to only bring products to market that are the best-performing in their given product category, it’s taken some time to perfect. Due to popular demand, we are also developing an infrasonic subwoofer and entering the sound reinforcement segment of the market. We have quite a lot of exciting innovations planned for 2025 and beyond, but I can’t give it all away this soon. You’ll have to stay tuned for more details."
For more information, visit www.theoryprofessional.com and www.proaudiotechnology.com.
Erin Phillips
