Residential Tech Today -- Vol 5 Issue 1

DAVID COSTABILE

From Billions to Building a Sustainable Future at Home

RECORDING STUDIOS With Residential Aesthetics

RECORDING STUDIOS With Residential Aesthetics

SOUTH FLORIDA TECH

Integration Tips

Integration Tips

A NEW ‘DYMENSION’ in Def Tech Loudspeakers

A NEW ‘DYMENSION’ in Def Tech Loudspeakers

BRIDGING SMART

BRIDGING SMART HOME CONTROL

With the Bond Sidekick

With the Bond Sidekick

Sound + Style for Any TV

Leon offers the most options to add high-performance sound to any TV without compromising design. Explore all of our TV audio solutions at www.leonspeakers.com/tv

FrameBar ultra-thin soundbar in Beige for Samsung’s The Frame TV

Installation by Sounds Good / Oakville, ON

From the Editor

There’s a lot of value in having all stakeholders in the home construction process on board with smart home technology. As evidenced by the amount of smart home tech integration at the 2023 International Builders Show, home builders are beginning to embrace new opportunities for the addition and integration of sophisticated smart solutions in the homes and communities they construct.

According to the market research firm Parks Associates, consumers are more connected than ever before with an average of 16 devices in the home in 2022, which is up from 8.4 in 2015. Additionally, 38% of U.S. internet households have a smart home device, up from 18% at the end of 2015, 11% own a smart appliance, and 14% have a smart thermostat. Looking ahead, 25% of households report intentions to purchase a smart appliance in the next six months, while almost one-third plan to buy a smart light bulb (32%), smart plug (30%), and/or a smart thermostat (29%).

By building homes with integrated technology in mind, builders can help offer a single app solution that allows systems to interact. As an example, interaction between a smart doorbell and light can trigger a front-door light to turn on automatically when someone rings the doorbell after dark. It’s a message endorsed by the technology experts at Nice North America, home of the ELAN, SpeakerCraft, and Panamax brands.

“Incorporating proper technology infrastructure from the start creates a future-ready home that can support current IoT needs for the end user,” said Michelle Chesnut, director of builder services at Nice North America.

Builders have been providing three key pillars of infrastructure in the home for decades (HVAC, plumbing, electrical). But there’s a fourth utility today that builders need to focus on, which is the technology infrastructure. This includes wiring to key locations, incorporating a robust and professionally installed Wi-Fi network, and offering a future-ready hub that connects to smart devices.

There is also a need to help educate buyers on their options and what technology their home can support so they can make better, informed decisions in the home selection process.

The key reason for a builder to offer a standard is to provide the technology infrastructure for modern homes. This should cater to some of the most popular smart devices and features that end users want in their home, including a video doorbell, garage door opener, light switches, and thermostats.

Parks Associates reports that 60% of builders see smart thermostats as highly popular features for their production homes. Smart speakers, which are often the default control interface for home automation applications, have been selected as the user interface of choice by leading builders, such as Lennar, KB Homes, and Shea Homes.

Builders see smart home technology as a key benefit in the value of their homes — 82% are interested in offering whole-home energy management as a smart home use case — which is an important step for all parties — utilities, builders, and end users — to getting the solutions in place that deliver the energy services and data needed for a unified and comprehensive experience.

“By implementing a standard, builders can differentiate their new homes from those that don’t support smart devices,” says Bret Jacob, vice president, partnerships & business development at Nice North America.

When everyone partners and works in lockstep at the onset, it allows technology to be incorporated in the organic home selection process. Home buyers can choose customized smart home options alongside design decisions (i.e., flooring and counter tops). This synergy creates a more personalized experience for home buyers, while making sure all parties are working toward the same goal.

Builders see smart home technology as a key benefit in the value of their homes, which is an important step for all parties.

Executive Editor Jeremy Glowacki

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PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

MANAGING EDITORS

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Charles Warner cwarner@goipw.com

Shane Brisson shane@goipw.com

Jeremy Glowacki jglowacki@goipw.com

Jim Daws

Patricia Miller

Michael Heiss

Jay Basen

Henry Clifford

Dan Daley

Anthony Elio

Michael Heiss

Walter Joseph

Jennifer Kent

Anthony Leo

Lisa Montgomery

Angel Piontek

Tam William

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

DIRECTOR OF SALES

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

VIDEO/PODCAST PRODUCER

DISTRIBUTION

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SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Melissa Andresko, Carol Campbell, Clint Childress, Terry Coffey, Ashley Collazo, Sarah Cox, Veronica Esbona, Michael Farino, Maureen Jensen, Kimberly Lancaster, Brittany Loeffler, Caleigh McDaniel, Lucette Nicoll, Elizabeth Parks, Jess Passananti, Ron Pence, Peter Schuyler, Art Sesnovich, Micah Sheveloff, Laura Shubel, Payton St. Lawrence, Cat Toomey, Rosimely Ulpino

This publication is dedicated to the dreamers, the innovators, the collaborators, and the doers – who can’t be bothered by those saying it can’t be done. Nicholas and Aria, the future is yours!

HDR extender kits for 130’ or 330’

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Departments

38 David Costabile

Versatile actor David Costabile talks

26 Innovator Spotlight

Early insights led to success for Scott Sullivan president of SoundVision in Novato, CA.

28 Issue Focus: Shades

Shading Texas improves outdoor living space in Austin, thanks to Draper FlexShade technology

30 Issue Focus: Security

Installers are integrating more and more security systems on the network, even though they cannot always provide full, end-to-end control of Wi-Fi system performance.

32 Issue Focus: Video and Audio

There are many reasons that manufacturers are now updating their AVRs.

42 Featured

Home recording studios can integrate into residential aesthetics like never before.

48 Tech Zone: South Florida

Water, salt, high humidity, sunshine, and the outdoor living trend steer Integral Home Technology’s approach to tech integration in Tampa, FL.

54 Commercial Spotlight

Automation technology reduces operational costs and provides greater efficiencies in multifamily developments.

56 Review

Mitchell Acoustics uStream Go get an A+ for their musicality, build quality, and power efficiency, when used in a desktop or small room setting.

58 Review

Henry Clifford knows subs, so it was inevitable that he added the Sonos Sub Mini to his list of subwoofer conquests.

Contributors

Dan Daley is a widely published journalist covering the professional audio industry, with articles in every major journal in the industry globally, including Billboard, Mix, Resolution, and Sound on Sound. He also has written for a wide range of publications, including the London Daily Telegraph, Fast Company, The Wine Spectator, History Channel Magazine, and AARP The Magazine. Daley is the author of several books, including Nashville’s Unwritten Rules: Inside the Business of Country Music (Overlook Press, New York). On p. 42 he writes that the studio in the home is becoming analogous to what the home office has turned into postpandemic.

Angel Piontek is senior marketing manager at PointCentral, a subsidiary of Alarm.com that provides short and long-term residential property managers with an automation platform that monitors and controls smart home technology across all properties in their inventory. She is a 19-year veteran in the residential real estate industry and has extensive smart home expertise. On p. 54 she shares how automation technology can reduce operational costs and provide greater efficiencies for property managers.

Michael Heiss is a former product and marketing executive at Harman International, who was responsible for many breakthrough audio and video products. He also was a promotion manager at NBC and was key to the development of hotel in-room movies and created the first nationwide movie rental service for Beta and VHS cassettes. Heiss served two terms on the CEDIA Board and led their Technology Council. He is also a CEDIA Fellow, recipient of CEDIA’s Lifetime Achievement Award, a member of the TV Academy, the Society of Broadcast Engineers, and is a Life Member of both IEEE and SMPTE. On p. 20, Heiss reports Apple’s new HomePod Gen. 2 and on p. 32 he explores the many reasons why manufacturers are now updating their AV receiver offerings.

Jay Basen is retired from his 40-year career in professional software development, but he still keeps his tech skills sharp with special projects and product reviews. During his career, the Silver Certified Crestron programmer specialized in the design, development, and installation of automation, building management, and energy management systems for residential and commercial buildings. On p. 14, he shares how the Bond Sidekick keypad can bridge smart home control to overlooked household appliances.

Henry Clifford founded Richmond, VA-based Livewire in 2001 to meet the growing demand for technologically integrated homes and businesses. In January 2018, he co-founded Parasol, a remote service support company, and has served on the CEDIA Board of Directors. His most recent venture was the recent launch of IntegrateU, a professional on-boarding service for the custom integration industry. On p. 58, he adds the Sonos Sub Mini to his list of “subwoofer conquests.”

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Cutting-edge, control-platform-ready entertainment.

A look at the metrics shaping the technology market — and our lives

by theNUMBeRS

We may have seen the end of the age of “Peak TV,” according to Slate writer Sam Adams, who calls the next wave in content, “Trough TV,” when the networks that “once aimed for the stars now see how low they can go.” The halcyon days when streamers would “throw money at established creators and new talents alike” may be over, but that does not mean that we are about to turn our focus away from Netflix, Prime Video, and the various TV on-demand (TVOD) platforms and head back to the local megaplex. Here’s a look at the latest streaming stats and forecasts for the future of streaming and video-on-demand services.

According to Parks Associates,

377

independent OTT providers existed in the U.S. in 2022 and

88% of U.S. internet homes had at least one OTT subscription service.

Streaming Video on Demand (SVOD) revenue hit $30.3billion in 2022.

Source: Digital Entertainment Group

Users

Apple’s video rental store almost doubled its users from 7.1% in Q4 2021 to 12,6% in Q4 2022.

The Google Play store did not grow in users during 2022, while the YouTube store saw modest growth, from 11.8% to 13.3%.

Source: nScreenMedia

In 2022, sales and rentals across transactional VOD and disc and digital sales, brought in almost $6.3 billion

Source: Digital Entertainment Group

2016-2022

35% of Canadian and U.S. consumers use Prime Video to buy or rent movies versus 12.6% for Apple.

Source: nScreenMedia

ELAN, SpeakerCraft and Panamax are uniting to form one Nice solution with powerful, highly customized control.

Seamlessly integrate all smart home elements into a single, easy-to-use platform, with the exibility of one-touch control from multiple devices. Nice for you.

1:55

QUICK BITS

WE ASK INDUSTRY INSIDERS ONE QUESTION

What most excites you about custom integrators embracing the lighting fixtures business?

We’ve been focusing on lighting design, fixture specification, and controls for over 15 years now. And so while we’re not new to the game, the opportunity has grown immensely, especially in the fixture market with such a wide variety of step-up performance and luxury products. Lighting makes or breaks your space, and you really only get one chance to get it right. Lighting and audio also go so well together. Our comprehensive design solutions for both architectural lighting and audio are simultaneously aesthetically pleasing, as well as functional, dynamic, and emotional. The two together create the perfect environment for working, playing, relaxing, or entertaining. —

Jason Barth, The Premier Group, Carmel, IN

Integrators are all about “the experience” and that relates to lighting 100%. We know more now about the human body and how light affects it than we’ve ever known in the history of mankind, and who better to deliver on that than integrators? They offer clients more and better choices, and with better lighting we know clients can feel better, enjoy their homes more, and live better lives. —

Patrick Laidlaw, WAC & AiSPiRE Lighting, Hersey, MI

I’m really excited about the lighting category’s ability to help our company become more engaged with the design community. While our industry offerings have always needed to be integrated into the design of a home, lighting seems to be one that really sparks exceptional interest within the design community. And the more we can engage the design community, the more smoothly the project will go, and we find ourselves getting involved at a much earlier stage of the project. — Eric

Joy, GHT Group, Marietta, GA

I think we are most excited to fill the void that exists in this category. Many of the great projects we get involved with have a need for a better lighting plan, but they are hesitant to go to a traditional lighting designer that may hold up the project and add significant expense. I think we can provide a solution that results in a much better end result for a reasonable expenditure. The silver lining is that it lets us get involved and add value earlier in a project. This allows us to build credibility early and makes it more likely that they will engage in the rest of our services as the project progresses. — Scott

Sullivan, SoundVision, Novato, CA

I would say what excites me the most about adding and growing lighting fixtures in our business is the additional opportunity to be creative in designing our clients’ spaces.  When we get to work with low-voltage lighting in particular, there are so many ways that we can use it uniquely to completely change the mood of a space.  We can add color or vibrancy and because of our skillset with control, we can help them “paint” with light in a way that no other trade can! — Amanda Wildman,

TruMedia, Ada, MI

What excites me the most is enabling our team to offer end-to end lighting solutions to our clients, from the fixture to the full control of their system.  We are also excited about becoming better educated on fixtures, as a company, allowing us to guide our clients to decide the best lighting solutions for their homes. —

Patrick Hartman, Technology Design Associates, Carson City, NV

We’ve been working with fixtures for about three years now, and we feel that the opportunity is more significant than any other in the last 20 years for the CI channel. The ability to insert ourselves into a project further upstream is a significant benefit. Leading with lighting establishes us as more of a consultant than merely a subcontractor. Guaranteeing a result by helping suggest and/or specify fixtures that are knowingly going to dim properly within the lighting control system we provide is also a unique capability that our industry best facilitates.

— George Harrison, Harrison Home Systems, Lakewood, CO

Being able to control the lighting experience from the beginning to the end helps ensure fewer cooks in the kitchen and a finer product in the end. With fixtures becoming smarter, we have to know more — and control more — beyond the wallbox dimmer. — Jamie

Briesemeister,

Integration Controls, St. Louis, MO

From a rep perspective I would say that an integrator should be most excited about being more important to their clients. Being a trusted advisor for lighting fixtures makes the integrator a more important part of the job and the home. All of this allows a more meaningful conversation and a better result on all aspects of the job. It’s a win-win at a higher level. —

David Thomas, Momentum Group and Rio Grande Rep Company, Denver, CO

Integrating More of the Home

Olibra Bond Sidekick Keypad Bridges Smart Home Control to Overlooked Household Appliances

By Jay Basen

Smart home products manufacturer Olibra is focused on connecting often-overlooked household items, such as ceiling fans, fireplaces, and shades, to the rest of a smart home. Their first product, the Bond Bridge, allowed users to integrate fireplaces, shades, and ceiling fans that are controlled by RF (radio frequency) and IR (infrared) remote controls into a smart home. Then the Bond Bridge Pro removed the IR functionality, but expanded into motorized shades integration and offered increased RF range, more devices that could be controlled, and the ability to work with Bond Sidekick keypads.

The Bond Sidekick keypad seems very simple at first. It offers an eight-button keypad that comes in two versions: a Sidekick for Shades or a Sidekick Scene Keypad.

The engineers at Bond have done a really good job designing these keypads. First, they have a 10-year battery life. Second, the keypads are very thin and designed to fit into a standard Decora faceplate used for light switches in many homes. The keypad design, however, goes beyond just fitting in a standard faceplate. The keypads are so thin that when one is installed in a Decora faceplate, it sits flush with the back of it. This allows a Sidekick keypad to be mounted anywhere in a home.

Alternatively, a homeowner could change the faceplate of an existing light switch to one with one more opening. Then the Sidekick keypad can be mounted right next to the existing light switch where it minimizes its visual impact on the decor of a room.

The buttons of the Sidekick also can be custom, laser engraved (through Laser Engraver Pro) with text that describes their operation. This allows a smart home hobbyist to create a professional looking installation the likes of

which have been reserved for people who have paid an integrator to install professional smart home system.

In the near future Olibra will even allow the number of buttons on the Sidekick to be changed. So, for example, instead of the standard eight-button keypad configuration, a homeowner will be able to convert the Sidekick into a three-button keypad if that happens “cover” all of the smart home equipment controlled in that particular room.

The Sidekick for Shades is designed to directly control shades by sending RF commands to them in response to button presses. By sending commands directly to the shade, it makes the system very responsive so there isn’t a delay between a button on the keypad being pressed and the command reaching the shade to, for example, stop it precisely where it blocks direct light from causing glare in a room.

The Sidekick Scene Keypad enables integration with third-party ecosystems. For example, using the Bond’s local control API, I was able to expand the original Crestron-Bond driver that I wrote to include receiving events whenever a button on the Sidekick Scene

Keypad was tapped, double tapped, or held down. I found the communications time to be very speedy between when a button was pressed and when my Crestron smart home processor received notification of the event. Chowmain software has already released updates to their Bond drivers to support the Sidekick. I expect that you will see drivers for other smart home ecosystems updated in the near future as well.

Sidekick Keypads, as well as everything else related to the Bond Bridge Pro, is configured using the Bond Home app. I found the app very easy to use. It was a welcome feature that it even supported running on my iPad when the iPad was in landscape position.

Overall, the Bond Bridge and Bond Bridge Pro offer both consumers and professional smart home integrators a way to integrate fireplaces, ceiling fans, and shades into a smart home, which, in many cases, has been very challenging. The Bond Sidekicks, coupled with the Bond Bridge Pro, offers the convenience of adding keypads as smart home control points throughout a home. In addition, they provide a professional look to a smart home that has only been available to people who have paid a professional smart home integrator. x

The Bond Bridge Pro and Bond Sidekick Keypad

Detecting Household Water Leaks

Alarm.com Water Dragon Helps Protect Homes From Water Damage

By Walter Joseph

In Alarm.com’s homeowner survey, 84% of respondents said that would like to monitor water consumption more closely to minimize waste and reduce environmental impact. Consider that wish fulfilled.

At the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Alarm.com launched the Water Dragon, a new whole-home water protection solution that’s always on guard against potential leaks and unexpected water usage.

The Water Dragon, which integrates with Alarm.com powered home security systems, is a compact device that uses ultrasonic technology to detect and promptly alert homeowners about water issues before they become major problems.

Homeowners can also use the Alarm.com app to monitor water usage trends for the day, week, and month, which can help them conserve water and save on utility bills.

The Water Dragon is one of the first products offered by Alarm.com that was built using Z-Wave Long Range protocol, which promises to significantly extend the range and reliability of Z-Wave devices and eliminates the need for Z-Wave repeaters. It will be available for purchase through Alarm.com service providers in the U.S. and Canada beginning in spring/ summer 2023.

Like many home security problems, water damage can happen quickly, unexpectedly, and out of sight. According to a recent survey of 1,200 homeowners conducted by Alarm.com, 83% believe that an automated detection system would prevent or lessen the outcome of water damage in their home. Furthermore, the need for an integrated solution is apparent, with the

survey finding that 88% would like one app to control home security, provide water protection, and manage energy consumption.

“The Water Dragon is part of a comprehensive energy and water management offering that includes not only smart thermostats, water devices, and lights, but also solar and irrigation systems,” said Abe Kinney, senior director of product management at Alarm.com. “In the Alarm.com app, consumers can monitor and automate their energy usage to make smarter and more sustainable decisions that are better for their home, budgets, and reducing their carbon footprint.”

The survey also identified one of the top barriers for purchasing smart home connected devices is that they’re “difficult to set up.” But

with Alarm.com’s first “no plumber needed” solution and “clip and zip” installation, consumers can securely attach the Water Dragon to the main water line in minutes, making it ideal for residential and small commercial properties.

The compact device can monitor for leaks where a traditional water sensor can’t be placed and notify property owners of unexpected water activity such as running toilets or hidden leaks in the walls and floors. The Water Dragon also allows users to monitor the temperature of their pipes and sends alerts for potential frozen pipes, safeguarding against catastrophic water damage.

Alarm.com-powered systems are professionally installed and monitored and are customized for each home and family. x

The Alarm.com Water Dragon

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Introducing the CEDIA Smart Home Awards

Refreshed Program Includes Health, Sustainability, or Wellness Projects and Other Changes

By Wendy Griffiths, CEDIA Senior Vice President, Membership, and Global Development

The CEDIA Awards have been a cornerstone of the home technology industry for decades. Around the world, integrators, manufacturers, and visionaries are celebrated on a grand scale for exceptional work. That’s something that’ll never change.

But as the industry evolves, so must we, which is why we’re proud of the additions and expansions to the awards this year.

First, we’ve introduced a new category: Health, Sustainability, or Wellness. Integrators who approach projects with this mindset are truly carrying out CEDIA’s mission to enrich lives through technology. We want to recognize those integrators who are actively listening to their clients’ health needs, finding ways to reduce waste, and creating more mindful lifestyles.

Second, the Best Integrated Home category will no longer use monetary values to define its four levels given large variances in cost of living. Instead, we will take into consideration the surrounding areas in which a project was completed.

The Best Integrated Home category now includes:

Mass Market Integration: A project in a home with value near the average sales price for the area.

Mid-Market Integration: A project in a home with value well above the average sales price for the area but not considered part of the luxury market.

Luxury Integration: A project in a home located within a small subset of homes and estates in the most desirable areas.

Uber Luxury Integration: A project in a home located within a rare collection of the area’s most elite.

Inclusivity is important at CEDIA, and these new definitions allow us to better represent projects in different countries and reflect our global membership. For instance, a project in one location may have a vastly different price point than the same project in another location. This approach also enables us to recognize integrators who may be just starting out and are working their way up toward more luxury integrations. The expansion also avoids any ambiguity about projects that fall right on the cutoff of a price point or those that are just short of the entry level.

When entering “Best New…” companies will share information on where their product is available, so that it can be recognized across regions. As for the Product Hall of Fame and Training categories, the process remains the same.

Finally, as we work to build awareness of CEDIA among the general public, we must consider our place in the industry. One of our purposes as an association is to be a viable link between consumers and allied trades to CEDIA members around the world.

That’s why we’ve decided to change the name of the CEDIA Awards to the CEDIA Smart Home Awards. It’s a subtle change that we hope will have a big impact. As we continue our longterm goal to build brand awareness for CEDIA, a more descriptive name will help winners’ clients understand the significance of the award.

The new Health, Sustainability, or Wellness category and the newly expanded Best Integrated Home category join ten others in the Home Technology Integrator portion of the awards, including the five newly rebranded Excellence categories (formerly, Best of). Previously, the winners of these sub-categories were only chosen from the pool of entrants in the main categories. Now, integrators may apply directly for recognition in the Excellence category, which includes Documentation, Innovation, Lighting, Rack Building and Design, and User Interface Design.

As always, CEDIA will continue to recognize the industry’s most active volunteers and leaders through the Volunteer of the Year Awards, CEDIA Fellows, and the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Manufacturer Awards have remained relatively unchanged, although this section has been expanded to be more global.

As for the CEDIA Smart Home Awards celebration, we’re excited to be hosting our annual ceremony at CEDIA Expo once again and across the EMEA and APAC regions. The theme for this year is “The Art of Technology.” We’re continuing to work with our incredible events team to elevate the experience at the awards ceremony, so they continue to be an occasion that is highly anticipated year over year.

I encourage you to find out more about the CEDIA Smart Home Awards at cedia.net/ awards. Integrators may submit their projects now through April 21 for consideration and manufacturers now through May 19. If you’d like to share any feedback or ask a question about the awards program, please contact awards@cedia.org.

We look forward to seeing the latest innovations and high-quality workmanship from CEDIA members around the world. x

The Rebirth of HomePod

What You Need to Know About Apple HomePod Gen. 2 Smart Speakers

By Michael Heiss

With the original HomePod having been discontinued in March 2021, Apple’s new model is as much a rebirth as it is a new product. The general form factor and dimensions of HomePod Gen.2 remain almost the same as its predecessor with the addition of midnight as a color made with 100% recycled mesh fabric.

The real changes are what is inside and what the new unit can do. The speaker array is comprised of a 20mm high-excursion woofer and a beam forming array of five tweeters around the base of the unit. The older A8 chip in the Gen.1 model has been updated to a new S7 chip which, along with other system and component design updates over the original version.

On the hardware side, along with the new speaker components there is a built-in bass-EQ mic and a sensor to measure and report room temperature and humidity. However, as is the case with many Apple products, the true benefits come from the product’s software design.

On the audio side, the recognition of room reflections from nearby surfaces allows the HomePod to know whether it is freestanding or up close to a wall. Based on that, the beamforming array of the speakers may be controlled for better sound. As has been the case for the HomePod mini and the original HomePod, two units may be paired for stereo and immersive sound, but with the caveat that both paired speakers must be the same. You cannot mix Gen.1 and Gen.2 models in the same system for stereo. You can, however, take advantage of all of the HomePods in system for multi-room audio and intercom.

When it comes to smart home features, Sound Recognition (coming as a software update later this spring) will be able to listen for and recognize smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and notify a user’s iPhone when detected. Siri command request capability has been enhanced with a new confirmation tone that indicates when a command is made to a device in another

room or one such as a heater that may not be able to show a visible change.

It is important to note that there is support for both Matter and Thread in HomePod Gen.2. This further expands the capability of the HomePod to function as a smart home hub for expanded device control and more inclusive control scenes, particularly when used with the latest Home app on iOS devices. Control of other compatible AV devices with eARC support is possible when connecting the HomePod with an Apple TV 4K (2nd Generation) that is running the latest version of tvOS.

The new HomePod Gen.2 began shipping on February 3. It will be interesting to see and hear both the improvements from the earlier model as well as how the new Apple speaker holds up in the marketplace along with similar firstparty products from Amazon Alexa and Google Next as well as the many third-party products based on those two control and command systems. x

The new Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) has the capability to work in stereo pairs with spatial audio, and to use eARC communications in the latest Apple TV 4K to control video/audio products. (Photo: Apple)

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Smarter Decorative Lighting

Viro Launches Its Handcrafted Glass Pendant Lighting Collection for Smart Homes

By Jeremy Glowacki

Decorative light fixtures are now considered as part of the smart home experience, according to Viro, a Salt Lake City-based lighting brand that combines handcrafted design with smart technology. The company has officially launched its lighting collection that features hand-blown, lead-free crystal pendant lights that redefine the role of light in a modern living space.

The Viro lighting collection was designed by glass artist Emma Walters and award-winning industrial designer Robert John Morrison.

“Viro is setting a new standard in lighting design by pairing our beautiful hand-blown crystal glass with innovative smart lighting technology that’s easy to assemble, install, and re-use,” Morrison said.

Viro’s lighting fixtures feature modular designs and a patented spool system with an adjustable, cut-free cord. Users can easily move their light fixture from room to room, or home to home, making it a sustainable lighting option for renters.

A patent-pending tunable white LED bulb is hidden within the diecast cap and flattened in a unique form factor so the artisan glass can be fully appreciated without the distraction of a traditional bulb. Incorporating smart LED technology, the Viro app enables users to have complete control of color temperature, brightness, and automated circadian lighting directly from their smartphone. It is also compatible with Alexa and Google Home.

Viro’s Flare smart pendant light is a statement of modern organic style and Scandinavian sensibility. Flare blends crisp geometry with sweeping curves of lead-free crystal in a 13.5” diameter design. Popularized by mid-century

architecture and industrial design, the timeless look remains relevant to today’s interiors. Flare is available in Crystal and Smoke glass colors, and Carbon Black, Flint Silver, and Mica Gold metal finishes.

The Viro Fresnel smart pendant light was inspired by “the invention that saved a thousand ships,” elevating the optical lighthouse lens to a celebration of urban industrial style. Tiered concentric rings of crystal glass — weighing nearly eight pounds — create a prismatic display of contoured light that brings a fresh look to today’s interiors. The crystal glass globe has a 12-inch diameter and is available in Carbon Black or Flint Silver metal finishes.

Viro’s Lune smart pendant light captures the unadorned restraint of modern design and emphasizes the simplicity and elegance of a minimalist aesthetic. Derived from the Latin “luna” — meaning “moon” — the Lune design features over five pounds of luxuriously thick crystal glass that evokes the beauty of a reflective moon in a pool of water. It is available in Crystal or Smoke-colored glass and Carbon Black or Flint Silver metal finishes.

Measuring more than eight inches in diameter, Viro’s Pearl smart pendant light is a fusion of minimalist and nature-inspired design that evokes classic principles of mid-century modern style. The Pearl is available in Opal and Crystal glass colors and Carbon Black, Flint Silver, and Mica Gold metal finishes.

The Tetra smart pendant light is a celebration of geometric and modern design that captures the visual intrigue of two intersecting cuboid forms in beautiful artisan blown crystal glass. Inspired by the work of Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher, Tetra elevates the exploration of mathematical patterns to an art form. It is available in Crystal or Smoke-colored glass and Carbon Black or Flint Silver metal finishes.

Viro smart pendants range from $395 to $695 and can be purchased on the Viro website. They ship in 7-10 business days. x

Vira Flare, Pearl, and Tetra designs

A New ‘Dymension’ in Audio

Definitive Technology Unveils New Series of Bipolar High-Performance Loudspeakers

By Jeremy Glowacki

In a conventional speaker, the drivers (woofer and tweeter) are mounted on one board, facing one direction. A bipole speaker mounts speakers so that the sound emanates from the sides of the speakers, often enhancing the surround sound experience.

Building on its 25 years of experience in bipolar speakers, Definitive Technology has introduced the Dymension Series highperformance loudspeakers, featuring four bipolar towers, three center channel speakers, a height module, and a surround speaker for Atmos/DTS:X systems.

Dymension Series speakers, which select members of the AV media previewed at the brand’s Carlsbad, CA, headquarters in January, offer high performance audio and several room integration options. They also feature a minimalist design, expansive bipolar sound field, and built-in powered subwoofers.

All Dymension Series speakers have been timbre-matched to work together. Dymension Series speakers are wrapped in an acoustically transparent cloth so that as soon as you dim the lights, they virtually disappear into your room.

The lineup’s DM80 Flagship Tower Speaker features a fully balanced, adjustable bipolar array. Bipolar driver arrays direct more sound in more directions than traditional speakers for more depth-of-field and a more enveloping listening experience. This bipolar effect can be adjusted to optimize for room placement (for example, turning down the effect when the speakers are backed up close to a wall.)

The DM80 also features a built-in 12-inch subwoofer, powered by an all-new, highperformance 400W GaN FET amplifier. It was designed to deliver clean, detailed bass that blends with the mids and highs to feel consistent no matter where you sit.

The flagship DM80 models also feature four

5.25” mid/bass woofers with the brand’s patented Balanced Double Surround System (BDSS) technology.

BDSS is meant to improve midrange driver excursion and provide a wide, uniform soundstage with seamless bass/mid integration. A Linear Response Waveguide extends and smooths offaxis dispersion.

The DM80 also offers patented Intelligent Bass Control. This digital processing capability blends subwoofer output with mids and highs to provide more deep-bass performance without sacrificing midrange clarity. The goal is to increase bass without getting in the way of dialogue and other critical soundtrack elements.

Available separately, a DM90 Atmos-certified and DTS:X-compatible height module connects to the top of the DM80 to extend sound above you for total sonic immersion and hyperrealistic overhead effects. In addition to the DM80 flagship active tower, the Dymension Series also includes a large and medium active tower with built-in subwoofers and a slim passive tower.

The DM30 Flagship center channel speaker features four 5.25” BDSS midrange woofers and a 1” aluminum oxide tweeter that are designed to deliver ultra-clear vocals with realism. The DM30’s integrated 8” powered subwoofer adds further to the speaker’s full-range immersive sound and an integrated 8” powered subwoofer delivers clean, detailed bass that blends with mids and highs.

Also within the DM30, 3XR architecture, which was introduced in Definitive Technology’s flagship Descend Series, combines a subwoofer and two passive radiators for more effective low-end performance.

The DM30’s midrange woofers also feature Definitive’s BDSS to improve excursion and provide better midrange detail. The patented Linear Response Waveguide extends off-axis dispersion, as well.

In addition to the DM30 flagship active center channel speaker with built-in subwoofer, the Dymension Series also includes two passive center channel speakers, including one with a slim design for smaller spaces.

The Definitive Technology Dymension Series loudspeakers are now available in North America. Products in this series range from $699 to $2499 from local Definitive Technology retailers or the Definitive Technology website. x

The full family of Definitive Technology Dymension Series speakers

The Definitive Technology DM 40

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His ‘Why’ is Improving Lives

How Early Insights Led to Success for SoundVision President Scott Sullivan

By Jeremy Glowacki

Scott Sullivan earned his degree in economics from UC Santa Cruz, but just barely. During college, the future president of SoundVision in Novato, CA, preferred the early morning adrenaline rush of surfing over attending classes. Fortunately for him, however, his first job out of school provided just about every insight he would need to get a good running start into his eventual career in custom integration.

As national sales manager for power management products manufacturer, Panamax, in the 1990s, he blanketed the country, meeting with the owners of some of the most successful CI companies in the industry. With the knowledge he gained from this collection of entrepreneurs, Sullivan learned so much about running a CI company that he almost felt sheepish about it.

“It was so much fun that I almost would have done it for free,” he recalled. “I mean, all of the people were so nice and generous with their time. I didn’t go in and pitch Panamax. That wasn’t my strategy. I would just ask them about their businesses, and these guys would open up and tell me everything. I would take note of their size both in revenue and headcount and what their organizational structures and facilities looked like and study how their proposals and design drawings were done and how their people presented themselves.”

While still employed for Panamax, Sullivan added a side gig working with his brother at Pacific Satellite, installing Dish Network and Direct TV equipment. That experience, combined with the insights gleaned from leading custom integrators, eventually gave him the confidence to open up his own firm. The timing and location of that launch couldn’t have

been better. The San Francisco Bay Area around 2000 was in the midst of an unprecedented tech and financial boom.

“We inherited a group of potential customers here that loved tech, had virtually unlimited funds, and were looking for a partner to help them get creative,” Sullivan recalled. “If we were going to start a business in this industry, you could not have picked a better time and place in the history of the world.”

With that background for context, we wanted to learn more current insights from one of the most respected CI business owners in the industry. This portion of our conversation with Scott Sullivan, president of SoundVision in Novato, CA , has been edited for length and clarity from Episode 124 of the Residential Tech Talks podcast.

Residential Tech Today: Service has become a major focus in this industry as systems mature and technology evolves. What’s your opinion of offering service plans as a way to manage tech support requests?

What we do is design systems that aren’t nearly as vulnerable, so then you don’t need a

support plan. We do offer a support plan in our proposals, but it’s only for the first year. Our point with that is if there are any problems in the first year, then no matter what, it’s our problem. After that, our advice to customers is to buy service on an as-needed basis. We’ve got a service department that’s incredibly responsive. I’m not saying that this approach works for every CI company. I’ve got friends in the business who are serving high-end vacation homes, and that’s a different animal. When equipment sits unused, sometimes things lock up. Then the homeowner comes to town having not used the system on a regular basis, and they don’t remember how things work… I think that is when concierge-type services are necessary.

RT Today: How do you manage inevitable after-hours service calls?

One of the things that we’ve done is to create an “APB” [all-points bulletin] blast that goes out to all of our techs via text. Now that we’re using iPoint, these requests go to an app, where they can look it up and see all the information. The guys will know that if it is an after-hours request then the first one to claim it gets it. They call the customer immediately and schedule to take care of them. The next morning, when they come into the office, they get $500 in cash. Who isn’t willing to interrupt an evening or a weekend for $500 in cash?

RT Today: Tell us about the unique advice HTSA’s Keith Esterly gave to your service techs.

Keith has a great line that the service department is the referral department, and he’s right. He came out and trained all our guys on how to make sure that people we work with feel

Scott Sullivan is president of SoundVision in Novato, CA

like they’re the most important people in the whole world. In our company, nobody comes in contact with more people than our service techs. They go to three houses a day typically. So, with two of those guys, if you’re hitting six customers a day and making them feel like they’re the most important people in the whole world then, man, you’re just supercharging your referral base.

RT Today: How has that advice changed the way you interact with everyone on the jobsite?

I’m a big believer that clients don’t know how good the work we do is. I mean, if a customer goes and looks at the gear that we install, they don’t know if we did a good job or a bad job; they have no point of reference. So one of our mantras is that we want to do great work technically, but what is maybe more important is that we want to make customers feel like we recognize them, value them, serve them, like them, and just make them feel like they’re the most special people in the whole world. Once we do that, we create a team of zealots out there selling for us. Then, we take it further. We not only want our customers to feel amazing, but also the contractor we’re working with, the project manager, the onsite laborers… We want to know their names, give them a SoundVision shirt, and help them feel recognized and important. We also do that with the electricians, the painters, the plumbers, so that we get work referred to us from all of these people just because they know that we treat people kindly. It’s taken 22 years to do it [laughs] but it’s a really fun place to be. Our purpose, as we go through “The Why,” is to improve lives. It’s the lives of our customers. We want to improve their lives. We also want to improve the lives of our colleagues here and the lives of our vendors and

industry friends and partners and the lives of every other design/build trade professional that we interact with. The beauty of that is that at the end of the day, you just feel good because you’re out there not just trying to make a buck or to take advantage of anybody, but out there trying to improve lives for everybody we come in contact with.

RT Today: You’ve been doing this for a long time. How have you prepared for your eventual retirement?

As I was watching this industry from afar during my eight years at Panamax, I wasn’t seeing companies like ours getting bought regularly and guys walking away with neverneed-to-work-again money. I have my econ background and, and I’ve always been interested in investing, so my thought was, I don’t need to grow and build this company to sell it to retire. Instead, I want to make a professional income and live below my means and squirrel away money and learn how to invest. I was able to hit a few grand slams on investments in the stock market and then parlaying that into real estate. We also bought the building that we’re in now. We’re only using a small portion of the front of this building, so we were able to rent to tenants in the back of the building to cover all the costs associated with the building. My goal was to use those kinds of tools to set myself up for retirement because I just didn’t see this industry being that kind of a model where companies are getting bought and people are walking away with significant amounts of money. In a 20-year period of buying real estate in the San Francisco Bay area, again, I was in the right place at the right time. I’ve got to pinch myself, but at this point I’m good, barring some kind of an earthquake where we all fall into the ocean. x

SoundVision has designed and installed home entertainment and control systems since 1998.

The Modern Screened-In Porch

Shading Texas Improves Outdoor Living Space With Draper FlexShade Technology

By Anthony Leo

It’s not your grandfather’s screened-in porch. Exterior motorized window shades are becoming a new alternative for enclosing a fourseasons patio to keep out bugs or filter harsh sunlight, adding to the flexibility and comfort of an outdoor living space.

Matt Pierce, owner of central Texas-based Shading Texas, has found success selling and installing Draper’s FlexShade ZIP exterior shades, which combine convenience and ease of use with the simple touch of a wall switch or remote. The exterior shades can be raised or lowered quickly and quietly to the desired position, with side channels or cable guides keeping the fabric in place.

In one recent project in Austin, TX, the homeowner wanted to be able to use their outdoor space more comfortably, enjoying dinners or barbecues and even shuffleboard, without having to worry about the bugs.

“This project is a new build that we worked with the builder on to give them an enclosed patio effect,” Pierce said. “There are steel posts that we had to mount to, and there are three bays on one side and three bays on the other side, as well as a couple of entry points, as well.”

Pierce noted that the exterior shades can be used to cover anything from a single door window all the way up to multiple-opening patios. “We also do awnings and tension-zip

systems that can go on top of pergolas,” he noted. “So, there’s really no job that’s too small or too big that we can’t handle.”

Shading Texas’ Austin project is a good example of large screens that lower in place to enclose large bays while also allowing entry points. Pierce used Draper’s Phifer Tuffscreen fabric, which Pierce said, “does a really great job keeping out the bugs and also keeps out some of the particulates without losing the breeze or any of the view.”

Pierce particularly likes that the Draper exterior products are also designed with durability in mind. “This is not something that we’re selling to someone and then just walking away,” he said. “This is someone that we’re going to have a relationship with for a long time, so we need to make sure that the product actually lasts the length of that relationship. Other systems are just meant for a couple of seasons and don’t have that lifespan that you get with a Draper product.”

With work-from-home careers becoming more common since the start of COVID-19, Shading Texas is finding clients looking for new ways to get out of their “cooped up” home offices for a while to enjoy a fresh breeze and sunshine. And with vacation travel also getting more expensive, clients are looking to create a space for relaxation while still at home.

“This gives people the ability to enjoy their outdoor space the way they couldn’t previously, and that’s becoming just a more and more appealing thing with all of the different changes that are happening around the world,” Pierce added. x

Central Texas-based Shading Texas found success creating an outdoor living space for their Austin, TX, client using Draper’s FlexShade ZIP exterior shades.

A Smarter and

More Secure Home

Smart Home Consumers Indicate a Desire for Product Choice and Security

By Jennifer Kent and Tam Williams, Parks Associates

Wi-Fi is ubiquitous in U.S. internet households, and consumers rely now more than ever on reliable, high-performing connectivity at home. However, consumers continue to experience problems with range issues and loss of connectivity. At the same time, installers are increasingly integrating Wi-Fi devices into security systems, responding to growing consumer demand for video doorbells, network cameras, and many other Wi-Fi smart home devices. Unfortunately, installers cannot provide full, end-to-end control of Wi-Fi system performance.

Installing devices on a customer’s Wi-Fi network introduces several challenges, such as reliability, bandwidth, and speed issues with the home network, affecting the performance of the security devices on the network. Additionally,

dealers are called to support faulty Wi-Fi devices and networks, driving up operating costs. Maintaining users’ home networks is difficult and expensive. Further, the demand for better home networking support is on the rise, given COVID-driven lifestyle changes and work-from-home trends

Parks Associates research reports that dealers need more sophisticated products and services that make installing Wi-Fi products and maintaining security solutions with Wi-Fi components easier and more cost-effective.

After a strong increase between 2018 and 2019, the home security market continued slow-but-steady growth through the pandemic. Parks Associates’ research reveals that 35% of U.S. broadband households had a security system at the end of 2021. Additionally,

Home Security System Ownership

because customers want the simple, unified experience resulting from combining smart home capabilities with security. This is the top reason that dealers offer smart home devices, and like the proverbial duck working underwater, nothing is more difficult to accomplish than simplicity for complex actions. Dealers also offer smart home devices for additional RMR and increased customer stickiness. Creating stickiness is always top of mind for services, and security monitoring companies are plagued by high attrition, making growth a double-duty job: replace lost customers and then grow. Cutting attrition in half would add additional money (profit) to the bottom line, and a simple, reliable user experience with integrated smart home devices can help retain customers.

Users want Wi-Fi products as part of the safe and secure home and expect to be able to integrate Wi-Fi products into their systems. IP cameras and smart video doorbells — typically Wi-Fi based devices — are now the leading smart home device categories after experiencing strong growth over the past three years.

Security system owners are strong users of these products, adopting them at six times the average rate of all internet households. Onethird of security system owners own a smart camera, and 30% own a video doorbell. Security dealers also report a surge in video product installs. Dealers rank video doorbells as the #1 smart home solution sold by their company, followed by external video cameras.

Due to the need for high bandwidth data transfer, video products require dealers to rely on consumers’ home networks for connectivity, rather than protocols like Z-Wave that support low-bandwidth sensors and devices.

households have more smart home devices than ever: 37% of U.S. broadband households own a smart home device, up from 24% in 2018. Consumers’ desire for peace-of-mind solutions drives security product and system sales, and the availability of affordable DIY installation and self-monitoring systems give consumers more choice to meet their needs.

Security system owners are among the most enthusiastic technology adopters, and they want a smooth user experience. Seventy-six percent of security system owners have a connected home device, and security system apps are the

most common tool for controlling multiple smart home products. The increasing demand for seamless integration has created an opportunity for dealers to drive the entire device setup and integration experience — by controlling the network. It creates a new role for security providers as the source for new integration solutions and the support for any problems associated with them. This means an increasing number of support calls and truck rolls to resolve matters.

Parks Associates’ research reports that 59% of dealers say they offer smart home devices

Visit the Parks Associates website to download a new whitepaper “Control the Network, Control the Costs: Solving the Wi-Fi Problem in Home Security,” in collaboration with Johnson Controls. The whitepaper offers more information on the rise in demand for Wi-Fi devices integrated with security and smart home solutions, the current impact of poor Wi-Fi network performance on the pro install channel, and the opportunity for dealers to own and manage the Wi-Fi network remotely, reducing their cost of ownership and improving user experience.

Smart Camera and Video Doorbell Adoption by Security System Ownership

Security System Owners

Source: Parks Associates

U.S. Internet HHs with No Security System

Own Video Doorbell

Own Smart Camera

An AV Receiver Refresher

There are Many Reasons Manufacturers are Now Updating Their AVRs

By Michael Heiss

Make no mistake about it, the audio/video receiver (AVR) has been, and will remain, a critical ingredient in the home entertainment technology ecosystem. But, over the past few years, due to the pandemic, chip shortages, and supply chain delays, products in this category have been either difficult to find or lacking the latest features and capabilities.

That is changing already this year as both mainstream and custom/high-end centric AVR brands have begun introducing new models that keep the category viable in the face of the everchanging pace of technology. AVR manufacturers are catching up to the latest technologies and growing popularity of 8K video, HDMI 2.1 connectivity, immersive audio, and gaming.

Some people may believe that AVRs are no longer needed in a world dominated by

soundbars. Although soundbars have become a leading product in the home audio market, there are many places where they are not the best (or at least only) choice for enhancing audio coming out of the TV. For example, in my own home I am using a soundbar with wireless surround speakers and subwoofer in a room where the viewing and listening is causal. However, an AVR is used in my “main room” application because it is capable of doing things

that soundbars cannot and likely won’t do down the road.

In the early 1950s what were then called Hi-Fi enthusiasts needed three separate components to enjoy recorded entertainment. A preamplifier was used to select and control the input sources. A tuner served as an onboard source then only found in a separate product. An amplifier boosted the low-level signals and sent them to

The Denon A1H is that brands new flagship AVR.

speakers. Then, in 1952 Harman Kardon combined the three functionalities into one product, called the D-1000, which became the first “audio receiver.” Stereo models eventually followed, and by the 1960s the receiver was a popular product. With the arrival of video as a source and the spread of multi-channel sound, the AVR as we now know it came along later. The reason why all three of those functional blocks should be present tells the tale of why the AVR remains today.

Before going further, a bit of a disclaimer is in order. The things mentioned here are features of AVRs but, of course, they also apply to standalone surround processors. Indeed, processors typically have everything an AVR has, they lack internal amplification and tuner (which isn’t always needed in the streaming era anyway.)

Processors are great but, when combined with high power multichannel amplification, they are priced high above all but the most exotic AVRs. AVRs also take up less space, and they have the aforementioned tuner that processors lack. Most AVRs above the more modest price

ranges, now include streaming capability or Bluetooth to stream content from a phone or tablet. While some soundbars do include streaming, most do not, so having a tuner and/ or streaming on board is a top priority on a receiver.

Early receiver designers probably could not have imagined a world beyond just a tuner, a turntable, and a tape deck. Seventy years later, it is not uncommon to have to select between one or two streaming devices, a cable box or satellite receiver, a game console or two, and maybe even a DVD or Blu-ray player. On the audio side there may be a CD player with digital outputs and perhaps even a DAC or other connection to a server or other storage source. And, lest we forget the return of the turntable to the AV mix.

Managing that multiplicity of devices is one of the key areas where the AVR begins to really earn its keep. Even the best TVs typically have no more than four HDMI inputs. The best sound bars have only one or two, and many have none at all. Yes, ARC and eARC have made it easier to access audio streams from smart TV sets but count the number of input sources in

your typical installation and you will see that more than four are often the rule.

Taking things a step further, it’s not just the simple selection of an input, but how that source may be adjusted and controlled. Unlike most soundbars, and definitely for most TVs, with those products what you see, and hear, is what you get. Fine, but what if you need a different level of audio delay from one input to another? What if you want one set of video parameters applied to the input for a game and no video modifications at all to other inputs? That is something an AVR not only does but is typically able to as settings to individual sources to provide a wide range of audio and video adjustments you just don’t get elsewhere.

What those settings are is yet another reason why the AVR still has its place. At the start up there are a fuller range of speaker and delay timing adjustments that are critical for the best audio presentation. Some of these settings may sound daunting to the average listener/viewer, but these days all but the most basic AVRs include some sort of auto setup that is rarely found in soundbars.

These settings go to the next level with AVRs that include room correction and equalizer tools. This is where AVRs (and surround processors) shine in a way that simpler audio playback systems cannot. The proprietary systems from some AVR brands, such as Sony’s Digital Cinema Auto Calibration (D.C.A.C.), Yamaha’s YPAO (Yamaha Parametric room Optimizer), third-party systems such as the various versions of Audyssey use a supplied mic and specialized test signals to “read the room,” determine the adjustments best suited to make the room “sound best,” and implement them.

At the high end, some AVRs even match processors, but not sound bars, by including the more sophisticated Dirac Room Correction technology.

Another key optimization feature of AVRs is audio-to-video delay adjustment. Lip sync problems are one of the downsides of virtually every source starting as (or becoming) digital along the signal path. This is caused by digital

Sony’s flagship AZ7000ES AVR and more mainstream STR-AZ1000ES

processing of the video that makes it fall behind the audio signal. Even worse, the delay can vary widely and also from one source to another. AVRs not only offer more delay time to help glue things back together, but some models even allow a different delay time to be set for each source. If delay really throws you off, this is a key AVR feature.

The range of options provided in virtually any AVR with regard to surround is yet something that AVRs are best at in their price range. It’s not just the basic Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, but in some cases it is also higher end versions such as DTS:X Pro, Auro-3D, or IMAX Enhanced.

The more sophisticated DSP processors used in AVRs also make it possible to include a wider range of scaling options (such as Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization and DTS Virtual:X) to better present 2-channel music or older matrix surround content in a full multichannel system. On the other hand, some AVRs go in the

opposite direction with “stereo direct” modes that let an incoming signal bypass the DSP and go right to the output.

On the component side, AVRs typically use better ADC and DAC parts along with the DSPs that do the heavy lifting. The ADC, or analogto-digital convertor, transforms incoming analog signals from a tuner, phono preamp, or other legacy sources to digital. That makes it possible for the DSP to do its magic and make adjustments. Coming out of the DSP, you need a digital-to-analog chip or DAC. The better the part, with regard to its precision, means that you

will have a better signal-tonoise ratio (S/N). Higher end DACs make it possible to playback high-resolution audio sources and DSD content that simpler parts simply cannot handle.

In their beginning, AVRs handled multi-room audio with simple “Speaker A/B” functionality, which would let the same signal go to either or both of two rooms. The next improvement was AVRs incorporating a version of matrix switching that enable two or three sources to be selected simultaneously. One would go through the onboard amps to the main room while the others would be fed to amplifiers or powered speakers in other rooms. Now, thanks to a variety of IP-based systems, some receivers make multiroom audio even easier by offering compatibility with systems such as HEOS, Sonos, Play-Fi, and BluOS.

Lest we forget, part of the triad of AVR features is amplification. All-in-one systems can be terrific if you like the sound quality of the speaker, and many are, indeed, quite good.

The Integra DRX-8.4

However, for those who already have speakers that they like and don’t care to replace them, the amplifier capability of an AVR is essential. Yes, since the speakers in a soundbar or other all-inone system are fixed, that means the design engineers are able to tailor the characteristics and power of the amp to work best with the supplied onboard speakers. On the other hand, when the speakers or room size require higher power, the amps in an AVR are the best option. Depending on the price and brand, AVRs can deliver up to and over 140 watts for 8-ohm speakers and as much as 300 watts for 4-ohm speakers. If that is not enough, some AVRs offer preamp outputs so that you may use your own high-power amplifiers for some or all channels.

Other reasons why the AVR is still relevant in home entertainment systems include app control, more extensive menus and their associated options, front panel displays so that you may see what the AVR’s status is without calling up the on-screen displays, and compatibility with home automation systems such as Crestron, Savant, Control4, Josh.ai, and others.

Of course, not all brands and models have every feature, as is the case with any product category. The ability to choose the features and flexibility you want to meet a system’s needs at a price that fits a budget is a good way to capture the essence of the AVR.

The choice extends to a wide range of brands. Beyond the mainstream Denon, Marantz, Onkyo, Pioneer, Sony, and Yamaha offerings are specialty brands such as Anthem, Arcam, Audio Control, Cambridge Audio, NAD, Integra, Pioneer Elite, Sony ES, and Yamaha Aventage. Indeed, even Marantz, a classic high-end AVR brand has recently introduced an AVR.

No, the AVR isn’t always the right choice for everyone. However, that doesn’t mean that it is on its way out. For all the reasons described above and many more, AVRs (and, again, surround sound processors) have been and still remain the best choice as the command and control center for many home entertainment ecosystems. Receivers, going back almost 70 years to the first analog, tube-based, mono stereo receivers right up to today’s digital multichannel, immersive sound, high-res and high-def products have been, are today, and will remain for the foreseeable future the way to go.

The new McIntosh MHT300

The Marantz AV10 processor and companion AMP10 preamp

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Sustainability and Success

By Charles Warner and Aron Vaughan

Photo: Marc Hom/SHOWTIME

Actor David Costabile has become well-known for his work in television and film, particularly for his role as the licentious, foulmouthed, yet loyal-to-a-fault “Wags” on the Showtime series Billions

The show, which focuses on the power struggle between a hedge fund manager and a U.S. attorney, was an instant hit and quickly became one of the most popular dramas on television. Costabile’s portrayal of the brash and unpredictable Wags was praised by audiences and critics alike, and his performance was key to the show’s success.

Costabile’s acting career began on the stage, where he performed in numerous productions in regional theaters across the country. He made his television debut in 1999 with a small role in the series Law & Order. Over the next few years, he acted in several other television shows, including The Sopranos, The Wire, and Damages

After Damages, Costabile earned roles in a number of high-profile television shows, including Elementary and Flight of the Conchords. In 2013, he was cast as Gale Boetticher in the critically acclaimed series Breaking Bad, which added to his growing reputation as a talented character actor.

In addition to his work in television, Costabile has also appeared in several films, including 13 Hours, Lincoln, and The Accountant. He has also lent his voice to animated projects, such as the popular video game Grand Theft Auto IV.

Throughout his career, Costabile has established himself as one of the most versatile and in-demand actors in the industry. His role as “Wags” on Billions has solidified his place in television history and will undoubtedly continue to be one of his defining moments.

Residential Tech Today’s Editor-in-Chief Charles Warner sat down with Costabile to discuss the new season of Billions, his love of high- and low-tech, and how sustainable practices can build a better future for the next generation.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Residential Tech Today: How excited are you for the new season of Billions?

We’re right in the middle. You’ve caught me right smack dab in the middle of shooting, and it is both… It’s the moment where your legs are starting to get tired, but this is also the launching point to the end, which has been historically the moment when you’re like, “oh wow, this is going to be very exciting to get to this ending.”

One of the things that Brian [Koppelman] and David [Levien] who created the show don’t like to do is tell anybody what’s going to happen. And, so, you’re starting to piece it together, and you’re doing your own sleuth thing.

RT Today: You have been a part of some really iconic shows. I mean we’re talking LeBron James iconic. The Wire, Breaking Bad, obviously Billions, Damages, Flight of the

Conchords. I had several people say, “Tell David I absolutely loved him on Flight of the Conchords.”

Yeah, the Flight fans are very deep. They’re always the deepest cut, that’s for sure. I’m certainly lucky to be able to do what I love to do. And secondly, it was just one of those things like… I kind of feel like each one of us as a performer, especially as a performer, where do you fit? How does your puzzle piece fit?

I was trained as an actor to work in theater and part of that is to do with transformation. How can you transform yourself? But also how do you really listen to what the writer is giving you and to make certain that you are both inhabiting authentically what they’ve written, but also trying to elevate their language rather than diminish their language or take away their language in order to bring your own sense of yourself to it?

RT Today: The character that you play on Billions, Wags… he might not be Prince, he might not be Axe, but I feel like a lot of people, he’s their favorite. He’s one of the most fun characters on a show full of fun characters. What do you think that is? Is that your take on the character? Is it the writing?

Yeah, it is, absolutely. First of all, I have the most fun of anybody. Nobody gets to have more fun than me. I get to say the best shit all the time.

The response that you have, you look at it and you’re like, “That’s appalling. I can’t wait to do

Season 6 Cast: (L-R): Daniel Breaker as Roger "Scooter" Dunbar, David Costabile as Mike "Wags" Wagner, Corey Stoll as Michael “Mike” Prince, Asia Kate Dillon as Taylor Mason, Condola Rashad as Kate Sacker, Maggie Siff as Wendy Rhoades, Jeffrey DeMunn as Chuck Rhoades Sr., Paul Giamatti as Chuck Rhoades and Sakina Jaffrey as Daevisha 'Dave' Mahar in BILLIONS, Season 6. Photo credit: Mark Seliger/SHOWTIME.

that.” So, there is some joy in it. There is also the fact that I think the writers take a real joy (and this has been true for years) they take a real joy in really leaning into that for themselves, too.

When you get a plate of steak and fries, is the first thing that you eat a bite of steak, or is it the french fry? I’m going to go to the french fry.

Because you know the french fry is going to deliver. So, you’re just like, “Yeah, he’s a delicious plate of french fries. Who doesn’t want to eat that guy?” But I take an incredible amount of joy in playing it and the costumes and the jewelry and the places we go. And it’s just, it’s fucking awesome.

RT Today: Billions feels like a grown-up version of HBO’s Entourage where you see these people living a lifestyle — a lot of cameos, a lot of big fancy living, fast lifestyle.

They threw down the gauntlet when they named the show and you’re just like, “Ooh, I’m on the right show. That is perfect.” Because you’re not going to be rolling around in the dirt, and there’s not going to be any guns. There’s not going to be blood. I’ve been on those shows. Somebody’s going to get killed, and then you have to find another job.

RT Today: Do you ever get lines where they write for Wags that you just like are like, “Oh my God, this is pretty outlandish?”

The horse cock line and the Virgin Mary. You’re just like, “Oh, whoa. My God.”

RT Today: Why does every CEO need a Wags?

That kind of person brings the fun into a situation where you may be having to make a lot of decisions about a lot of different people all at once. And you forget that part of it’s a game. It can be a fun game even when you’re winning, [but] when you’re losing [or] when you’re in the middle, you’re just like, “Let’s play, let’s play.” Plus, you’ve got to have somebody who’s got good taste to go out to dinner with. If you’re the CEO, you finish the end of the day, and you haven’t looked up to figure out where you’re going to go, Wags has already figured it out. Well, at least I can go and have a drink with this guy, and it’ll be fun. Something fun’s going to happen.

RT Today: Are you a tech guy? Do you have any kind of tech that you have to have?

I do. I like tech, and I just bought myself a brand-new MacBook Air, which is very exciting. I had my last one for 10 years, which I was very proud of. Right now, the biggest tech I’m buying is that I’m about to buy a tractor. I mean, talk about low tech, high tech. I just ended up buying a 10-and-a-half-acre farm in western Connecticut, and we’re

“Cold Storage”

Photo credit: Christopher Saunders/ SHOWTIME.

Photo: Marc Hom/SHOWTIME

“The Big Ugly”

Photo credit: Christopher Saunders/ SHOWTIME.

going to build a second home and then an orchard and a vineyard. And, so, I’ve got to get out there and clear some brush.

RT Today: What about smart home tech?

Looking at building a home and then including the possibility of tech is absolutely fascinating. We’re first starting with the energy tech, so the solar [panels] and the batteries and the heat pumps. All of that tech is totally fascinating to me. And it’s all something that they’re now making so consumer friendly and accessible and understandable. The Ford Lightning, the F-150, the tech around that is incredible. You can reverse the current and charge your house with the battery of the car.

I spent all of my time thinking about which solar panels and where the solar panels would be and the amount of battery resources that you’ll need. And it isn’t just about saving money. It really is about the sustainability of not just your life, but your kid’s life and saying there is a way that you can create a sustainable circle around all of the experiences of creating a home or living off the land.

And then you’re trying to figure out how to save the water and regenerate the water that you’re using in the ag stuff. You’re really trying to make it go round and round rather than just taking and taking. And I think that is not only as a great lesson for an old guy like me but be able to give it to my kid and just be like, “Look, you’ve got to understand this. This is the beginning of your future. You’re going to have to sustain this and it’s only going to get better, because the stuff that we’ll be putting on our house now, in 25 years, people will laugh at.”

And I think, too, that because the government has gotten behind it and said to people, “Look, we want to incentivize you to be interested in it and learn about it and then put it on in a flexible way that isn’t going to cost you a mint.” I just think it’s going to explode.

RT Today: I also like the fact that on Billions there’s a lot of life imitating art and vice versa, a big focus on sustainable investing. To me, if I think about investing right now, that seems like a pretty smart place to go because like you said, the government’s encouraging it and there’s more and more of that technology. So it was kind of cool that the show took a turn toward that.

Billions season seven is currently in the production stage with a release date still to be determined. In the meantime, you can catch Costabile in several upcoming projects including a continuation of the Waco Showtime docu-series that debuted in 2018, Netflix series Obliterated airing in April, and independent film Snack Shack, which is yet to be given a release date. x

Photo: James Minchin/SHOWTIME

Homes of the Hits

By Dan Daley

Courtesy: Darren Edwards Photographs

The term “home studio” is due for a renovation. At a time when hit records are being made on iPhones and Keith Richards’ penthouse is grist for the mill in Architectural Digest rather than Rolling Stone, it’s becoming clear that the idea of the home studio needs to have as much emphasis placed on the first word as on the second, which had historically been the main focus.

Is it a recording studio in a home, or is it a home with a recording studio? Can style and creativity flow freely between the two? (Can the non-musical partner or spouse in the home be made to feel less intimidated — or annoyed — by a studio?)

In a real-estate market in which the median cost of the average home is approaching a half-million dollars, and music production having devolved from needing high-tech starships to fitting easily into a spare bedroom, the recording studio is being increasingly looked at, by homeowners and music moguls manqué, as an integral part of design and style rather than as a bolt-on appendage.

Studio designers — the architects who once specialized in the venerable but nowfading temples of sound in the world’s creative cities — have increasingly found their own new homes in actual homes, often in the suburbs and exurbs of those creative centers. Understanding the domestic dynamic is critical to making that work.

“I’m doing home studios for everyone from Taylor Swift’s guitar player to doctors and baseball players,” said Carl Tatz, whose portfolio includes home studios with aristocratic monikers like The Wine Cellar and High Point Manor, and who began his design career by selling his own commercial studio in Nashville to Sheryl Crow. “Some clients need a very professional space to work in at home, but others want a place they can hang out in with friends and make music. Ten years ago, those clients — hobbyists and talented amateurs — might have been happy with rehearsal space in the house, but the technology has gotten to the point, in terms of costs and complexity, where they can now have a full recording studio.”

This Southern California home studio, designed by John Storyk/WSDG, uses glass to both connect with the kitchen to the left and the family room to the right, as well as the Pacific Ocean beyond the huge picture window.

Crossing the Line

John Storyk’s first major studio design job was for what was supposed to be a personal recording studio for Jimi Hendrix. He did a good job: Electric Lady Studios in New York’s Greenwich Village remains in commercial operation to this day, over 50 years later. Since then he’s designed scores of commercial studios but noticed in recent years that many of his clients wanted the same thing, only in their homes.

“Over the last five years, the line between commercial and home studios has become very gray,” Storyk said. That trend has only accelerated, as household wealth at the upper end of the spectrum has exploded and more people hunkered down into ever-larger houses during COVID-19. “Those two trends were like pouring oil on a fire,” he suggested, and in the process in some projects it became harder to see where the home ended and the studio began.

An example of that is musician/ businessman Chris Huber’s home in Carlsbad, CA, overlooking the Pacific. Storyk’s Walters-Storyk Design Group used a combination of software-based acoustical modeling, treatments such as perforated-wood walls and lowfrequency absorptive acoustic ceiling plaster, and room-within-aroom construction to achieve a high degree of isolation for a glassenclosed studio that’s eye-catchingly integrated into the home’s main level.

A house in Bridgehampton (Long Island), NY, extends the studio throughout the home. Microphone cables snake unseen through walls and under floors from the den/control room and reappear as discreet wall plates in other rooms, allowing, for instance, the grand piano in the living room to have its own isolation space for recording. “We actually had to change the angle of a wall in that room to get the

acoustics corrected,” Storyk recalled.

Another project, in Sonoma’s wine country, uses high-end interior materials, such as wood from Spain manufactured with pinholes that allow sound to pass through, acting like the more typical absorption devices in studios, and such as fabric-covered panels, thus maintaining the room’s aesthetic veneer.

“As the technology has gotten smaller over the last few years, and as it increasingly uses everyday platforms like laptops and flat screens, we get to move away from the antiseptic, high-tech look that studios used to want,” Storyk added. “We now also have ways to take high-end materials and make them acoustically applicable for treatments like diffusion and absorption.”

Those materials, he noted, are also key to eliding the wariness of interior decorators and reluctant spouses. Also helping is the use of

more precise modeling and predictive software, which can help address the acoustical and ergonomic exigencies of a musicproduction space but still keep it within the aesthetic and architectural parameters of a home’s design.

Flipping the Switch

When Fred Paragano moved his Nashville-area home recording studio to Los Angeles in 2022, he added a small but significant toggle to what might otherwise have been a technologically intimidating production console to most people. Paragano, who has produced and supervised sound for television such as HBO’s Westworld and Fox’s The Resident, included an Apple Mac Mini to power the room’s alternate purpose as a family home theater. It acts as the processor for the 14-foot-wide screen wall on the main wall, which, combined with a Barco 2.35:1 short-throw projector, creates a home cinema

The Fairfield County, CT, home studio of a well-known music artist was designed, by Russ Berger, to make it inviting for both relaxation and creativity. The owner wanted to keep the feel of what had been a den before making it into a jam/rehearsal/recording space. (Center) The rear-illuminated bar and color-corrected overhead occuli add drama and light and are dimmable to match the use and mood of the space at any moment. The 45-degree-grain-slanted cut-out of wood on the floor provides a sense of motion. (Right) The technical part of the space is separate but still inviting.

Photos courtesy: Russ Berger

This television-scoring studio becomes the family home theater at the flick of a switch.

experience. He then created a preset that made calling up the projector and the Dolby Atmos audio — which includes the leftcenter-front assembly cosseted by the side and rear surround speakers and four overhead speakers (all various Meyer Sound models), as well as multiple Meyer X-400C subwoofers — reliably simple and unintimidating for his wife, using a Digital Audio Denmark controller.

“Once they access that video display, everything else can be controlled from the Apple infrared remote, as you would in any theater or media room in a house,” explained Mark Hornsby, an associate at Dallas-based Russ Berger Design Group, which created Paragano’s studio space in consultation with the homebuilder. That collaboration was critical, as the display wall and

its three main speakers is opposite the home’s kitchen. Acoustical isolation was integrated into the design and executed in its construction to avoid rattling the rest of the approximately 4,000-square-foot house of which the studio space takes up about 20%.

“When you can have a studio serve various other functions in a house, it makes the cost of it easier to accept,” Hornsby noted.

Berger, who has designed studios in homes for celebrities including Steve Miller, Whitney Houston, and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, says anytime you bring work into a house, you have to know how its residents live. “Tell me about your family, your friends; are there kids in the house, how do you relax?” he asks. “Are you married? Do you want to stay married?” he added

with a laugh. He’ll also look for ways to expose a production space to the rest of the house and to its outdoor areas as much as possible, but without sacrificing the key acoustical elements of the studio. That’s generally accomplished with the copious use of floor-toceiling glass — a Berger design trademark — which can let the workspace overlook a backyard patio or pool, or, in more than one instance, an adjacent golf course. The concomitant potential for increased acoustical reflectivity is mitigated by the liberal application of motorized curtains and other absorbent materials.

Another consideration is to make a space as self-sufficient as possible, including separate entrances from within and into the house, a dedicated bathroom, and perhaps a kitchenette, to avoid compelling clients or friends

having to go through the house. And lest those amenities seem like pure added cost, Berger points out that they also allow the space to be regarded as a mother-in-law suite or even a rentable studio apartment by any subsequent buyers of the house. “It’s important to emphasize ways to maximize the investment before you even start,” he said.

Musically minded realtor and high-end home-studio specialist Russell “Rozz” Gallaher, owner of LA Houses That Rock, in Los Angeles, says the studio in the home is becoming analogous to what the home office has turned into post-pandemic: ubiquitous, necessary, but accessible by the entire family.

“Set the boundaries as needed, with doors, but keep it available beyond just work,” he said. “Get creative.” x

The Albuquerque home of master engineer and military weapons technologist (quite a combination) Andy Rogulich was a winner of Mix Magazine’s “Class of 2017” feature and designed by Russ Berger. The pocket doors on either side of the room allow it reveal either the technology in the racks or the walled outdoor garden, giving the central space a balance.

The Console as Architecture

As much of music’s production now takes place in a computer, the crux to design in the home studio is where that MacBook Pro is sitting. Thus, the traditional recording/mix console, that battleship-sized and -priced centerpiece of the traditional recording studio, like the classic and massive SSL 9000 or Neve 8078, is far less necessary today. Yet those consoles are emblematic of classic recording studios.

One way to acknowledge that is to make the battleship console truly a piece of furniture. Designer Carl Tatz sells and installs a customized version of one of manufacturer Argosy’s workstations, sleek boxes and surfaces ready to be loaded with whatever the client prefers to work with. Just as the classic, massive Neve and SSL mix consoles were for commercial studios, these wood-crafted fabrications serve as what Tatz calls “the altar” of the studio space, an avatar of itself that he’ll dress with uplighting and surround with stone and wood.

“It has to have drama,” he said. — Dan Daley

An example of the Argosy workstation designer Carl Tatz uses as the central focus of studios, in lieu of the classic “battleship” consoles of an earlier era.

Smiljkovic

HOT TECH CLIMATE CHALLENGING FOR A

Water, Salt, High Humidity, Sunshine, and Outdoor Living Trend Steer Integral Home Technology’s Approach to Tech Integration

By Lisa Montgomery

Geographical location, climate, and topology have a huge influence on the technologies offered and the design and installation techniques employed by systems integrators to deliver the experiences and lifestyles that their target market demands. Well-established and in tune with the Tampa Bay area, where coastal waterfront estates dominate, Integral Home Technology caters to an elite clientele for which outdoor living isn’t just a pastime, it’s a way of life.

Integral’s comprehensive portfolio of carefully curated products and thoughtful installation practices reflect its customers’ need for smart, comfortable, effortless exterior spaces that withstand moisture, heat, intense sunshine, and the occasional serious storm that blows across the peninsula. Integral’s husband and wife team Paul and Melanie Niemerg shared with us some of the key components and strategies that have helped them build a thriving outdoor tech business throughout South Florida.

Storm-Ready Shades

One of the fastest moving products in Integral’s line card are motorized hurricane shades from Progressive Screens. Providing protection from hurricane-strength winds and

harsh UV rays, these highly specialized motorized shades are a must-have for the lanais, patios, gazebos, and other outdoor areas that pepper the South Florida coast. Despite being an absolute workhorse, built to withstand Category 5 hurricane winds and UV damage, “you can still see through them to enjoy the scenery,” Paul said. “This unique blend of practical protection and visual appeal makes this particular brand of outdoor shade hard for anyone to pass up.”

What’s more, by forming a self-contained barrier, the shades effectively create a space in which displays and other sensitive tech gear can safely reside. While weatherproof displays like those from SunBrite certainly have a place in outdoor living spaces, Integral typically recommends a standard TV when those areas are covered.

“Rather than selling our customers on something they really don’t need, we base our choice of display on the customer and the application. Most clients feel better about using a less expensive display in a lanai and upgrading to a newer model a few years down the road,” Paul noted.

Paul and Melanie Niemerg, owners of Integral Home Technology, Tampa, FL

Speakers that Beat the Heat

Outdoor speakers are another matter. Here, Integral looks for longevity.

“The housings of most outdoor speakers are made of materials that rust and deteriorate over time due to the intense sunshine and saltwater we deal with constantly,” Paul remarked.

To avoid call backs to replace and/or repair speakers, Integral’s go-to for outdoor audio is Coastal Source. “It’s proven time and again to be the most durable, reliable, high-quality outdoor speaker on the market,” Paul said.

However, for Paul and his team, there’s more to like about Coastal Source than the rugged yet visually attractive weather-resistant housings. The twist-and-lock cable connectors, which also happen to be IP68-rated, require no splicing of cable, which makes the installation easier for Integral installers and provides an airtight, waterproof, fail-safe connection to ensure peak audio performance for years. Another perk of this unique connector design: Adding speakers is a breeze, which for Integral’s largely retrofit customer base, is a fairly common exercise.

Cable Conduit and Wi-Fi Coverage

When you utilize outdoor areas as much as Integral’s clients do, you’re bound to eventually do some updating. “We often revisit projects to add speakers, modify the lighting design, change out a TV, or integrate a new water feature into the automation system,” Melanie related.

Plus, with the majority of Integral’s business stemming from retrofit projects, proper futureproofing is always front of mind. A consultation with their clients about current and future plans for the outdoors is standard practice, as is running plenty of conduit underground.

“Conduit costs just pennies on the dollar and prevents the expense and mess of trenching into existing yards to lay new cable,” Paul explained. “Our years of experience creating outdoor living environments and familiarity with the climate and terrain gives us the foresight to know what to put in now and what to plan for later.”

Integral extends the life and performance of outdoor environments further by deploying a well-designed and configured Wi-Fi network.

Coastal Source

One of the fastest moving products in Integral’s line card are motorized hurricane shades from Progressive Screens.

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“Bottom line: If you don’t have a good network, you’ll have issues, whether that’s inside or outside the house,” Paul explained.

Integral starts with a Pakedge router for the headend and outdoor-rated Wi-Fi access points from Araknis for the exterior locations. “No matter how the technology in an outdoor area grows, changes and evolves, a strong, reliable Wi-Fi umbrella will support it all,” Melanie said.

Mobile Apps for Snowbirds

South Florida has its fair share of part-time residents — “key candidates for app-based home control,” Melanie noted. Integral recommends this style of control to most customers — part-time or permanent — as it complements an active, outdoor lifestyle. No matter where they are — traveling to the state for the winter, on the golf course, by the boat dock or lounging by the swimming pool — a

mobile app puts Integral’s customers in control of their outdoor and indoor environments.

“As long as the Wi-Fi is stable, the speakers are well connected, and there’s a comfortable spot to get away from the sun, outdoor living doesn’t get much better,” Paul said.

By customizing their time-tested products, designs, and installation techniques to myriad residences along the coastline, Integral is helping homeowners enjoy the sun, surf, and climate that make South Florida such a great place to reside. x

South Florida Smart Home Manufacturers and What They Offer

Coastal Source (Marathon, FL): Outdoor speakers/landscape lighting designed with durable housings to fend off damage from moisture and UV rays and airtight, waterproof connectors maintain peak audio performance.

ADT (Boca Raton, FL): Provides residential, small and large business electronic security, fire protection, and other related alarm monitoring services throughout the United States.

Future Ready Solutions (Bonita Springs, FL): Advanced connectivity products with a focus on fiber optics for the delivery of 8K/48Gb HDMI and 10Gb networking and beyond.

Progressive Screens (Sarasota, FL): Motorized shading solution for parts of the country prone to intense storms and sunshine.

Straight Wire (Hollywood, FL): Develops and produces world-class cables and related accessories, predominantly made in the USA, primarily for consumer audio and video enthusiasts.

Rosewater Energy Group (Sunrise, FL): Creates an appropriate Power Plan for integration clients, managing the RoseWater product installation and providing remote monitoring capabilities for both the integrator and client user.

Why Reboot (Miami, FL): Provides commercial-grade networks that address the demands of advanced control and automation technologies in connected residential, commercial, and luxury marine environments.

Pakedge

Araknis

Multifamily Living Tech Trends

Automation Technology Reduces Operational Costs and Provides Greater Efficiencies

By Angel Piontek, PointCentral

Changes over the last three years have been profound, with COVID-19 accelerating how innovative technology is used in homes and with mass adoption of tech in the multifamily space. With today’s economic backdrop being so uncertain with raised interest rates, inflation, and rising prices, this adds additional pressure to the bottom line for multifamily building operators facing lower rental rates and rising operating costs.

Key themes for multifamily operators over 2023 will be considering how automation can help to address rising costs and provide greater efficiencies. In addition, an increased focus on resident retention will be essential with lowering rents and a more transient rental market. Technology use for evaluating the redeployment of staff within multifamily communities can offer maximum value, which will also be a theme.

Here is my take on the five smart technology trends we will see in multifamily building through 2023:

1) Automation vs. Economic Challenges

Economic pressures will continue to drive property managers toward technology that reduces operating costs through energy savings and efficiencies. The investment will include technology that automates day-to-day processes, such as communication devices, smart access solutions, and home monitoring systems (smart thermostats, HVAC, water, etc.).

According to a report from Zego, in 2021 the average cost of losing a resident was $3,850. Multifamily operators who invest in automation technology for access, home monitoring, and guest communication can reduce resident churn costs and energy costs. Investment in smart rental automation can free up time, allowing staff to focus on other high-impact tasks and scale the scope of their jobs across multiple properties.

2) Water Management

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, up to 10% of properties in the U.S. have water leaks that waste more than 90 gallons a day. In 2023, interest in connected, smart water management solutions will expand rapidly. Whether it’s a simple leak detection device, an automated water shut-off valve, or a monitor for water flow, operators understand the financial impact that these devices can have in multifamily buildings.

As the adoption of devices grows, the analytics from the devices will only improve, leading to more intelligent automation, reductions in water waste, enhancements in community billing, and more active participation of third parties, such as insurance providers, in quantifying the cost savings.

3) Resident Experience

In 2023, there will be a continued push toward elevating the resident experience through smart technology in the multifamily housing sector. In fact, according to the Zego report, “Modern

living features are the top reason renters renew their lease.” Desirable modern living features include the building’s technology, unit features, and facade of the community. The more outdated a community, the less likely it will retain residents who are looking for a seamless living experience.

Providing smart home options that have historically only been available in owneroccupied single-family homes will greatly delight residents and upgrade their experience. Eightytwo percent of residents want at least one smart home tech device in their rental, according to Rent.com.

4) Curated Tech Stacks

The multifamily industry is moving toward curated tech stacks to solve the difficulties which sometimes come up with tech integrations between various software platforms. Rather than just focusing on “point” solutions, having all IoT in one place will be critical. If the goal is to activate self-service leasing, a property’s tech stack may include access control, CRM solutions, and leasing AI.

Streamlining tech to optimize efficiencies and performance will be vital in 2023. Integrated IoT tech is the future and will allow operators to create a bespoke tech stack in line with their goals.

5) Consolidation and M&As

With the rapid increase in smart technology in multifamily properties in recent years, we’ll inevitably see an uptick in mergers and acquisitions between property tech companies as they consolidate solutions. Property managers will also seek to reduce solutions and refine their tech stacks as they face ongoing economic challenges.

Companies with solid balance sheets will look for value-buying opportunities, and companies with runway constraints or high growth dependence will look for stability. It’s more important than ever for property operators to consider the financial strength and longevity of the companies they partner with for technology solutions.

This year may be a little rocky as multifamily building operators face numerous economic challenges. More savvy property managers will invest in technology to reduce operating costs through energy savings and efficiencies, including communication tech, intelligent access solutions, water management, and home monitoring systems. As the multifamily tech market matures, more consolidation and M&As will occur, and property managers will refine tech stacks. Retaining residents will become center stage, meaning the technology will free up staff to focus on creating resident satisfaction. x

Desirable modern living features include the building’s technology, unit features, and facade of the community. The more outdated a community, the less likely it will retain residents who are looking for a seamless living experience.

Get Up and Go

Mitchell Acoustics uStream Go Stereo Speakers Sound Great and are Solidly Built

By Jeremy Glowacki

The mission of Mitchell Acoustics founder Paul Mitchell is to bring high-quality stereo sound to both casual and serious music lovers at an affordable price point. A British audio specialist and professional producer/musician, Mitchell partnered with audio engineer Alex Leung to add the uStream Go line of premier Bluetooth stereo speakers to their lineup of products.

The first thing I noticed after unboxing the Mitchell Acoustics uStream Go was that the pair of speakers, though fairly small in size (cubes measuring 4.5 inches in each direction), were very solidly built with all-metal cabinets and a seemingly impenetrable round front grill and rubber feet for stability.

Each Mitchell Acoustics uStream Go speaker ($449/pair) was fully charged out of the box. Following the directions in the manual, I pressed the power button on the rear of each speaker. Each speaker acknowledged the button press with an audible “Power On” voice in the British accent of company founder Paul Mitchell himself, followed by the word, “Bluetooth.”

Mitchell believes that the introduction of his company’s products into the U.S. marketplace gives the American audio consumer something they’ve been missing for a long time. “Many

consumers who stream music use the standalone mono speakers that are popular today,” he explained. “They are primarily used out of convenience, but there is no way they can produce true, high-quality stereo sound. Our uStream series retains the convenience of these standalone devices but produce beautiful stereo sound, reminiscent of what Hi-Fi was like years ago. They can exploit all streaming options and deliver sound much closer to what the artists and producers intended.”

I positioned Mitchell Acoustics uStream Go speakers at the far corners of the desk. With Spotify as my source, I was blown away by the musical dynamics of the speakers. The stereo imaging, even with only about four feet of distance between them, never fails to surprise me. As I sit typing at my computer, the phantom image seems to come directly from my monitor screen.

A true test of a smaller speaker is its ability to reproduce bass, and the Mitchell Acoustics uStream Go speakers are solid performers when it comes to low-end, thanks the bass reflex driver on the bottom of each speaker. The speakers are officially rated at 30W RMS (15w RMS per channel, 18w peak power per channel) with a frequency range of 50Hz-18kHz and an impedance of 4 ohms. While the bass is not

going rumble your windows, but the frequency range is more than healthy enough to meet the expectations I have for many familiar songs.

Buttons on the back enable you to increase or lower speaker volume directly on the device (though volume controls on the side of your phone will get used more often). A 3.5mm stereo jack socket allows wired source connections, if preferred, and play/pause can also be controlled by the back panel.

When the speakers go too long without music playing, a default setting turns them off automatically with an always-startling “Power off!” declaration from Paul Mitchell’s recorded voice. I haven’t officially timed the period of time before the automatic powering down, but it feels like about 15 minutes (or just when you’ve forgotten you left them on.)

I have absolutely no complaints about the musicality of the uStream Go speakers, their ability to quickly and easily connect via Bluetooth to my mobile phone, or the life of the 7.4V/8000mAh lithium-ion battery that can be charged via an included 5v USB-2.0 to twin USB-C “Y” cable after 30 hours of continuous use. My only complaint — and it could be a big one for many use cases — is the limited range of the Bluetooth signal between speakers.

As much as I love the “near-field monitor” setup on my office desk, when I’ve wanted to see what the speakers sounded like when placed farther apart in my office, the connection between the speakers quickly drops. Four feet is very limited range for Bluetooth, so this is likely a production flaw in my particular speaker samples. Just be warned that your mileage may vary when it comes to stereo separation with these speakers.

Otherwise, I wholeheartedly recommend Mitchell Acoustics uStream Go for their musicality, build quality, and power efficiency. They are a great desktop audio solution for your home office or in your teenager’s room. x

Clifford Knows Subs

Add the Sonos Sub Mini to Our Reviewer’s List of Subwoofer Conquests

By Henry Clifford

I’ve reviewed my fair share of subwoofers over the last few years. Maybe even an un-fair share? Maybe so many subwoofers that I could easily be accused of having a bass addiction? All true statements. While “Bo Knows Football,” “Clifford Knows Subs.” Of course, when I heard about the new Sonos Sub Mini, I knew I must add it to my list of conquests.

Sonos introduced the new Sub Mini to complement products like its Ray, One, and One SL self-amplified speakers. These younger siblings of mainstays like Arc, Five, and Amp have languished for years without a properly sized bass complement. The hefty Sonos Sub was always designed to pair with larger systems and performs admirably, tracing its roots back to an engineer who defected from Velodyne, a legendary manufacturer in the world of bass.

Unboxing the Sonos Sub Mini

Sonos seems to be embracing sustainability with the Sub Mini shipping in a recycled cardboard box encasing the boom box inside a wonderfully designed cocoon designed to biodegrade or recycle easily. Indeed, Sonos’ own Listen Better Report confirms this approach. The company even has its own cardboard called Sonos Custom Kraft paper. Anyone who has seen the floating debris fields in the Pacific Ocean can appreciate any attempt at sustainability here. Most of these green initiatives get lost in the shuffle for me. We’ve all gone nose blind to corporations committing to save the planet. It’s nice to work it from the

other direction, witnessing something good and tracing the cord back to the wall.

Installation

After liberating the Sub Mini from its sustainable sarcophagus and EULA sticker wrapped bag (see the photos — that’s a first for me and felt like taking something out of the honor bar at a hotel), I inspected it for the first time. First off, this thing has some serious heft. It’s heavy, sturdy, solid, well-built and all the other adjectives that go along with holding something that’s been well designed and put together (cue the Jony Ive voiceover). The basic design mirrors that of its older sibling with two opposing woofers firing at each other inside a cavernous ellipse resembling a wound left by some Pez dispensing Howitzer.

I plugged the Sub Mini into AC power and fired up the Sonos app. I scrolled over to Settings and then chose “Add Device.” The wizard fired up and I followed along, dutifully logging in to my account to ask Little Brother whether it was OK to use my new toy. This process feels a little Orwellian, but, in the words of Chris Rock; “I understand.”

Next, came something novel. Instead of the usual workflow involving the customer reaching for a magnifying glass to read 3-point type on the underside of a new piece of Sonos gear, the wizard instructed me to hold my phone near the Sub Mini for a little NFC action. This slick process smoothed out my privacy ruffled

feathers and set in motion a series of updates and interstitial screens letting me know that all would be well in just a moment. At last (this entire process took less than five minutes), the install completed, and I started thinking about the best songs with which to shake the room.

Configuration

I selected the Master Bathroom zone and paired the Sub Mini with an existing Sonos One in the room. I then decided to run Trueplay, the Sonos calibration routine that prompts the user to wave their phone around like a shaman ridding the room of evil spirits. I completed the prescribed antics and cued up Madness by Muse for a little bass check. Wow. My initial reaction resembled that of a certain towheaded girl getting to the porridge that was “just right.”

That’s my overall read on the Sub Mini. It’s the Goldilocks zone for the Sonos smaller speaker line. It’s more cowbell. It’s a “these go to 11” kind of subwoofer. Very seldom has a new product done exactly what’s advertised with no drama and then magically added just the right amount of midrange and bass to the existing audio profile. Amazing.

The Sub Mini is also small enough where my wife hasn’t even noticed it yet. Maybe we’ll finally find out if she reads my articles? I played a few more songs including Sure Shot by the Beastie Boys and Mad About You by Sting. Everything sounded amazing!

Sonos Sub Mini Final Thoughts

I love the new Sonos Sub Mini, and I think they’re going to fly off the shelves. At $429 retail, it’s a bargain compared with living a meaningless life devoid of decent midrange and LFE. Running Trueplay after adding the Sub Mini makes a big difference, and I highly recommend it. That might be the only feedback I have for Sonos here; a prompt to run Trueplay at the end of the Sub Mini installation workflow would be helpful. We’ve already added the Sub Mini to our lineup at my custom installation company, Livewire, and I recommend you order one right now. x

Origin Acoustics, the manufacturer of architectural audio, has announced the latest category expansion in their popular Surface Mount outdoor line of speaker solutions. The company will have three models available, with either a 5-inch, 6-inch, or 8-inch IMPP high-performance woofer, which delivers great low-end from a sealed enclosure. The woofer is accompanied by a 1-inch aluminum tweeter designed specifically for outdoor environments. The C Bracket combined with the screw-down end caps allows for maximum vertical and horizontal mounting options. These speakers carry an IPX6 rating with UV resistance to ensure reliability in any environment.

McIntosh has created the new XCS1.5K center channel speaker to match the company’s XRT2.1K and XRT1.1K floorstanding speakers. Rated to handle 1,500 watts of power, it is a hybrid of a 3- and 4-way speaker and can be used with a variety of McIntosh home theater processors and amplifiers. The XCS1.5K consists of 43 individual speaker drivers, four of which are 8-inch long-throw carbon fiber sandwich cone woofers housed in a vented bass cabinet. Fourteen of the drivers are 2.5-inch aluminum midranges and 25 are 3⁄4-inch dome tweeters.

Netgear Inc. has launched two new access points (WAX628 and WAX638E) tailored specifically for the residential custom integration market. These access points are bundled with four years of both ProSupport services and Netgear Insight, which is a cloud-based management platform that enables installers to remotely manage their customer’s network from a tablet, smart phone, or laptop. Integrators and custom installers can get access to network planning, design, and post-sales support services provided by a team of Ethernet and Wi-Fi experts.

Polk Audio has introduced two new flagship sound bar systems, MagniFi Max AX and MagniFi Max AX SR, featuring Dolby Atmos and DTS:X sound. The systems include 11-speaker arrays with dedicated center channels, upfiring height speakers, and Polk’s patented Stereo Dimensional Array (SDA) technology. Both models include wireless subwoofers for extended bass response; MagniFi Max AX SR adds two wireless surround speakers for total sonic immersion. Music streaming, custom sound modes, and eARC connectivity round out the features of these all-in-one systems.

Modus VR has launched Modus-as-a-Service to enable residential tech integrators access to their virtual-reality design software on a more convenient per-project basis from anywhere. Without any hardware investment, integrators and teams can now enlist the Modus VR platform and specialists to host live meetings anywhere, anytime. The Modus VR team provides turnkey, real-time, immersive VR design work and will output all accompanying project deliverables per dealer and client requests.

Proluxe Lighting has introduced its Warm Dim Downlights that offer the glow and ambience of traditional incandescent lighting with flicker-free and smooth transitioning. They provide color rendering at 90+ CRI and have a lumen output of up to 800 Lumens. Their color temperature starts at 3000K and dims down to 1800K. With aluminum housing, polycarbonate lens, and spring-loaded mounting clips for direct install, the Warm Dim Downlights are type IC and cETlus listed for damp locations with up to 50,000 hours of rated life.

The HDANYWHERE uControl

Remote, distributed in the U.S. by Apex Technologies US, is a slender handheld, hard button interface designed to control all the devices connected to an HDA system. This uControl Remote offers users a unified whole-home AV experience, with entertainment and scene-setting options, that’s meant to be more affordable than comparable solutions while still being an attractive proposition for professional installers.

Hisense has unveiled ULED X television technology, providing higher levels of brightness and realistic on-screen picture quality, along with the availability of UX, the First Generation of ULED X TVs. UX features Hisense’s Hi-View Engine X chipset that controls more than 20,000 Mini LED lights to deliver an ultra-bright picture. It allows the viewer to experience the best display standard through active intelligent backlight control and is equipped with Mini-LED X, 5000+ Local Dimming Zones, 2500 nits peak brightness, and Dynamic X-Display.

Draper has created a solution for an angled window that requires interior shading. The new Gabled Bottom-Up FlexShade from Draper means you don’t have to use a square shade and overlap the window opening. The shade can be sill-mounted in the window and can handle angles up to 45 degrees in either direction.The shade panel is kept under constant tension by thin cables that deploy from tensioned spring boxes and attach to a flexible hem bar. Draper uses a 0.06-inch (1.5 mm) low-stretch, high fatigue cable with a polyester jacket.

Legrand’s lighting control brand Vantage can now integrate its luxury lighting control solutions with Meljac and Forbes & Lomax push-button and toggle keypads. Via Vantage’s Design Center software, integrators can program the unique keypads to be part of any Vantage project, providing smart control of lighting and shading in the room. Programming the keypads is simplified using the latest version of Design Center. With Design Center, partner keypads can utilize the same programming as Vantage keypads to meet the needs of any project.

Dirac Live Active Room Treatment was created to address bass resonance and room decay time to produce a cleaner, tighter bass experience in home theaters and home entertainment spaces. Available now in all StormAudio AVRs through a firmware update, the technology moves beyond traditional room correction to reduce bass decay times digitally. It leverages Dirac’s expertise in MIMO mixed-phase impulse response correction technology to enable spatial optimization, whereby all speakers in a sound system cooperate with each other to accomplish what passive acoustic treatments struggle to achieve.

The Blustream NPA70DA Dante Networked Power Amplifier features a 2 x 35W digital amplifier (1 x 70W mono) or 70V/100V hi-level constant voltage output and Dante audio integration. It can be powered via PoE++ from a compatible network switch or locally should the switch not support PoE++. The unit also includes the ability to lower the amplifier power output subject to PoE capabilities, support for combined or independent LAN and Dante connections, DSP with a 31-band EQ, audio delay for lip sync correction, and control via front panel, IR, RS-232, TCP/IP, web-GUI or 12V trigger.

The Victrola Stream turntable line brings a wireless vinyl experience to music lovers with Sonos in their homes. The lineup requires no additional equipment for connecting to a Sonos ecosystem, allowing effortless setup and easy control with the Sonos app, adding a premium, elegant design synonymous with Sonos speakers. As a vinyl resurgence continues across the globe, Victrola Stream will deliver the best of physical and digital music experiences for Sonos owners everywhere as a new record player certified by the Works with Sonos program.

Screen Innovations’ Solo 3 motorized projection screen cassette is manufactured as a visually flawless unit with no typical demarcations of the end caps. Units come powdercoated in white, black, or painted to match the surrounding surface. Alternatively, when mounted above the ceiling, the entire cassette vanishes into the structure of the room. The new Solo 3 — available in 375, 575, and 675 cassette sizes — replaces SI’s legacy 3 and 5 Series motorized projection screen lines.

Savant Systems is expanding their Savant Power System to include additional modules, hubs, and monitoring tools. The new hardware is designed to expand installation flexibility as well as system and price scalability. The Savant Power System is capable of delivering the benefits of smart power to every home. Systems can be designed to control and monitor a few main use circuits or to manage all loads/circuits across the entire home. At the heart of this scalability is the Savant Power Module, which is installed in standard electrical panels, eliminating the need for an expensive proprietary load center.

JBL’s Stage 2 and Studio 6

Architectural series loudspeakers feature a discrete zero-bezel, paintable magnetic grille that installs flush to the wall for a clean look. Offering highperformance sound at a cost that won’t break the bank, Stage 2 loudspeakers feature acoustic components typically reserved for higher priced solutions, including 1-inch/25-millimeter aluminum acoustic lens tweeters, JBL’s patented High-Definition Imaging (HDI) waveguides, baffles with acoustic smoothing, and premium crossover components. A range of eight Stage 2 models is available in various configurations for both in-wall and in-ceiling installations.

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Coming to a Streaming Box Near You!

By Anthony Elio

The world of streaming has officially taken over traditional media! At least that’s what I’ve heard, I’m perfectly content with my DVD collection of seasons 4, 5, and 7 of Everybody Loves Raymond, thank you very much.

Every year, each streaming service releases a slew of brand-new shows looking to become the next big watercooler series. And, as a member of the media (and because I successfully blackmailed a few studio executives), I was able to get advanced screenings of some of these exclusive projects.

Hard Knocks: The Ontario Wombats

PREMISE: Mirroring the style of HBO’s NFL-centric series, Hard Knocks has expanded into the ruthlessly competitive world of the Canadian Curling Club, following the internationally praised Ontario Wombats in their quest to bring home their first title.

REVIEW: This is the Ontario Wombats like you’ve never seen them before, in a format that lets them show their raw emotions while putting everything they have on the ice. Watching star player Luke Leblanc’s return from potentially career-ending gout proves to be one of the most enticing storylines of the series.

That ’10s Show

PREMISE: Following the success of That ’90s Show, Netflix is launching a prequel of the Foreman family’s life in 1910’s America.

REVIEW: While the series might feature plenty of nostalgia for anyone that grew up in the era, it struggles to find comedy from the time with veiled

references to the Eighteenth Amendment and President Woodrow Wilson’s signing of the Jones-Shafroth Act.

Temptation Island: Going Solo

PREMISE: A new twist on the classic dating show, Temptation Island: Going Solo takes young, sexy singes and leaves them each on individual deserted islands to fend for themselves.

REVIEW: Although definitely an ambitious project, fans of traditional dating shows might be disappointed by the lack of romance in the program and disapprove of watching the aforementioned sexy singles face compete isolation and a slow descent into madness.

Max Rebo: A Star Wars Story

PREMISE: Fans of a galaxy far far away have been waiting 40 long years to hear the full story of the lead musician of the Max Rebo band from Jabba’s palace, and this Disney Plus series promises to explore the character in a nuanced (and often heartfelt) way.

REVIEW: Fanservice at its finest, giving Rebo his highly anticipated origin story while opening the door for future projects such as The Book of Bib Fortuna and Ben Quadinaros: The Next Chapter

Son of Sam: Dying of Laughter

PREMISE: Combining Netflix’s specialties of true crime programming and live comedy specials, Son of Sam: Dying of Laughter is a onenight-only comedic event featuring David Berkowitz himself.

REVIEW: Berkowitz might be serving at Shawangunk Correctional Facility for 13 counts of criminal violence, but I personally believe he should have an extra charge of first-degree amusement due to his unique, slice-of-life approach to comedy.

Anthony Elio is a writer and disgraced former child star living in Denver, CO. He currently plays drums in the band Television Generation and can be found on Twitter @AntsSweatsBets.

ONTARIO

ONT A RIO

Photos via istockphoto.com

Photo courtesy of starwars.com

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