HOME AUDIO - Electronic House

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AUDIO

SPECIAL

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WHOLE-HOUSE

MUSIC SYSTEMS:

WIRED AND WIRELESS

·

HOME THEATER ACCOUSTICS

FOOTBALL LEGEND AHMAD

RASHAD'S LISTENING ROOM

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SMART LIGHTING TIPS FOR EVERY ROOM

HOME MONITORING SOLUTIONS

SMART TVS FOR GAMERS

CONTENTS

HOME LIGHTING

Smart Lighting Tips: Transform the look of every room of your house with these time-tested tricks

HOME THEATER

Acoustical Treatments: 9 ways they can make your home theater sound its very best

HOME SECURITY

The Best Home Protection: Should you monitor your home yourself or leave it to a professional?

We break down the pros and cons of each security solution

SMART HOME GALLERY

n

Football Legend Ahmad Rashad’s Media Room:

Stellar sound system, a huge vinyl collection, plus dual big-screen TVs n

When Steel & Smarts Collide: Enterprise-grade networking system ensures reliable command over a

Breckenridge vacation home n

8,000 Square Feet of Automation: 70+ speakers, 23 4K

TVs, 17 home control iPads, and more turn this country home into a modern marvel of smart technology

HOME AUDIO SPOTLIGHT

n

Hardwired vs. Wireless: Sonos and Autonomic ontrols s uare o in a debate over hich solution is best n

Shopping Advice: The features that matter most when selecting a music system n

Directory of more than 20 wired and wireless whole-house music systems: costs, features, installation requirements, and more

SMART TV

A Gamer’s Guide to Smart TVs: Features, technologies, and innovation to look for

SMART HOME

Smart Home Hubs (the brains of your home’s operation): ips on finding the right one for your house

HOME ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Whole-House Energy Monitors: Calculate your household energy consumption and savings with these handy tools

NEW PRODUCTS & SYSTEMS

6 top products and systems for your smart home

IN EVERY ISSUE

Editor’s Note Music to Your Ears. Your stereo system never had it so good, thanks to a wealth of great audio innovations.

Expert Commentary Don’t be blinded by the automation possibilities.

Featured Installers electronics installers

Featured custom

Cover image courtesy of Erskine Group

ELECTRONIC HOUSE November 2015 ELECTRONICHOUSE.com

EDITOR'S NOTE

Music to Your Ears

WE’RE RIGHT IN THE THICK of football season and, for many people, there’s nothing better than the sound of a solidly fought game on the gridiron. Oh, and getting a good visual from the 50-yard-line helps, too. But let’s face it. Without the awesome audio we’d lose the real impact of a good tackle.

Sportscaster and football superstar

Ahmad Rashad feels passionate about the importance of good

LIKE US and share your own home technology stories and photos. Tell us about your favorite products and how you've gone about making your home more intelligent.

FOLLOW @electronichouse as well as editors @geclauser and

@LMontgomeryEH for the latest tech tidbits and links to check out. Got a cool smart home theater to show off? Tweet it at us!

audio, as you’ll see in our inside look at his specially designed sports “analysis” room. Great speakers and dual displays deliver the game-day action, but its Rashad’s collection of vinyl that evokes some serious nostalgia. With records dating back to his college

VIEW more stunning high-tech homes and home theaters at pinterest.com/electronichouse.

days and a design reminiscent of his dorm room, the media space conjures football, audio, and video at its finest.

Good music—be it from a favorite album or a streaming music service—is even better when you can share it with others, and in this issue we’ll show you how to do just that. Our comprehensive directory of more than 20 whole-house music systems includes all the details you need to know—price, installation requirements, capabilities—to choose a system that can share music from a single set of components with speakers and listeners all over the house. Of particular importance is whether the system delivers music to speakers over cabling or wirelessly. Each approach has its merits, which can make it difficult to choose which route to take. Rather than get mired in the minutiae, we invited whole-house audio system manufacturers

Sonos and Autonomic to spar over which is best: wireless or hardwired. Be sure to read their standoff.

However, there’s only so far a great audio system can bring your music to perfection. As Krissy Rushing explains in 9 Things You Need to Know About Acoustical Treatments, the room environment can throw a huge monkey wrench into the audio reproduction. Thankfully, acoustical treatments can fix most environmental ailments. They’re fairly easy to install, and can actually add decorative interest to a space, while rendering clear, crisp audio—and that’s music to our ears.

—Lisa Montgomery lmontgomery@ehpub.com


NEW PRODUCTS


Listen to Your Speakers

In A New Way

Wi-Fi Streaming Audio

Makes a House a Home

Don’t let your existing wired loudspeakers miss out on high-resolution streaming audio.

Paradigm’s new PW AMP delivers 200-Watts of Ultra Class-D power and lets you wirelessly stream high-resolution

Paradigm’s Premium Wireless Series streams high-resolution audio (up to audio to existing loudspeakers over your home

24-bit/192kHz) using advanced Paradigm

Wi-Fi network. Set-up is simple, app control is easy, engineering and DTS Play-Fi ® and your options are unlimited. Go wireless, with

Our exclusive Anthem Room Correction

Paradigm-level performance.

(ARC™) technology uses a digital to quickly and easily optimize speaker

Exclusive Anthem Room Correction (ARC*) technology uses a digital microphone with advanced performance in any space. You’ll actually

DSP algorithms to correct for room distortions in any hear the difference ARC makes.

space. You’ll actually hear the difference ARC makes.

No other wireless streaming amplifi er has ARC.

Wireless Freedom. Paradigm Performance.

A Better Audio Experience.

PW 600

PW LINK ™

PW 800

PW AMP

Stream music to any Paradigm Premium

Wireless Series product using your Android,

PC or iOS device. Only Paradigm delivers wireless performance that is truly on par with traditional non-streaming audio systems.

ARC ™ Digital

Microphone

Room Correction Technology Visit paradigm.com

for more info.

HOME LIGHTING

SMART

LIGHTING TIPS:

Room by

Room

Transform the look of every room of your house with these time-tested lighting tricks. BY LISA MONTGOMERY

EVERY HOME NEEDS a good dose of lighting. You need it to see your way to the bathroom in the middle of the night, to fix dinner in the kitchen, to pay bills at your desk—basically to live comfortably in your home.

However, you can take your home’s lighting to a whole new level by adding a few affordable pieces of technology. Controlled by smart dimmers and switches, the lights in your house can enhance the appearance and functionality of each room—and all you have to do is touch a button. Not sure where to start? Pick a room and follow these suggestions.

Kitchen

¡ Create lighting scenes for different activities that take place in the kitchen, like cooking, cleaning, eating, and entertaining. For each setting, certain lights can be grouped together and programmed to illuminate at specific intensity levels.


HOME LIGHTING

¡ Set the lights to turn on and off automatically at various times of the day. In the morning, you can walk into a perfectly illuminated kitchen; at night, go to bed knowing that the lights will automatically turn off at 11 p.m.

¡ The kitchen may be the first place the kids hit after school. Ditto for you and your spouse after work. Touch a button on your smartphone as you Cameo Express wireless in-wall dimmers from Crestron stroll into the house, and the kitchen lights can welcome you by illuminating the lights over the breakfast bar or wherever you like to hang out.

¡ Your need for lighting will change throughout the course of a day, so have the lights self-adjust according to the amount of sunlight that’s available to the space.

Suggested System: Pyng Hub and Cameo Express wireless in-wall dimmer (CLW-DIMEX-E) from

Crestron

Cost: $599 for Pyng Hub and $180 for Cameo Express dimmer

Bedrooms

¡ A keypad by the nightstand can provide convenient control over the bedroom lights—plus other lights in the house. You can even shut off lights in the entire room or the entire house by pressing a Good Night button.

¡ From the same keypad, a Midnight Snack button can provide you with just enough light so that you can find your way to the bedroom door.

¡ Have the lights slowly fade as you drift off to sleep and gradually brighten as you wake up in the morning.

¡ Create lighting scenes for reading, romance, relaxing, and Vivido Lighting System from URC other activities that happen in your bedroom.

Suggested System: Vivido Lighting System and TKP-Series Keypad; Optional: TRF-ZW Z-Wave Gateway and MRX-8 Advanced Network System Controller (to synch the lights with other electronic devices) from

URC

Cost: $699 for Vivido Lighting System, $199 for TKP-Series Keypad, $250 for Z-Wave Gateway, and $599 for MRX-8 Advanced Network System Controller


HOME LIGHTING

Family Room

¡ If your family room doubles as a media room, use an appcontrollable dimmer switch to fade the lights to black when you press a button on a mobile device.

¡ Use the lights to accentuate the room’s artwork and architecture, and assign a button on a keypad to illuminate each element individually, or have a button that commands all the lighting to activate at once.

¡ Alter the mood of the room instantly by touching a button on a keypad, a handheld remote, or a smartphone or tablet: bright when the kids are playing board games; soft and subtle when you’re hosting a cocktail party.

¡ Have the lights flash to notify you when someone has

Caseta Wireless system from Lutron pulled a vehicle into the driveway, is standing at the front door, or that any door has been opened (the latter is a great way to keep track of toddlers).

Suggested System: Caseta Wireless from Lutron

Cost: $229 for one Caseta Wireless Smart Bridge, two Caseta Wireless Dimmers, two handheld remote controls, and two pedestal remote control stands

Bathrooms

¡ Dim lighting can evoke a spa-like vibe and is a lot easier on your eyes first thing in the morning.

¡ Forming groups, or zones, of lighting can illuminate each individual area to the most eye-pleasing level; for example, soft around the whirlpool tub and bright by the vanity.

¡ Protect your privacy by setting the lights to a level that lets you see out the windows but prevents people from seeing into the room.

Suggested System: ClareVue Lighting System from Clare Controls

Cost: $800 for a CLIQ Controller, a few dimmers, and a keypad

Closets & Other Storage Spaces

¡ Use occupancy sensors to trigger the lights to turn on when you enter the closet and off when you leave (sensor-triggered lights are also good for kids’ bedrooms).

¡ Or, put the lights on a timer. You turn them on manually; after a certain amount of time the lights turn off automatically.

Suggested System: Compact Fluorescent Ceiling Lampholder with

Occupancy Sensor from Leviton

Cost: $28.59

Compact Fluorescent Ceiling

Lampholder with Occupancy

Sensor from Leviton


HOME LIGHTING

Hallways

¡ Motion sensors can activate the lights in a hallway so you don’t have to fiddle around for the wall switch.

¡ Even cooler, the lights can turn off automatically as you pass through.

¡ Have the intensity of the lights change according to the time of day: off during the day, bright in the evening, dim in the middle of the night.

¡ Turn a hallway into an art gallery by using the lights to showcase paintings, photography, and other wall art.

Suggested System: Maestro Motion Sensors from Lutron

Cost: $55 for Maestro C-L Dimmer Sensor; $29 for Maestro Sensing Switch

Exterior

¡ An astronomical timeclock can signal the landscape lighting to turn on at sunset and off at sunrise.

¡ Have a great looking garden, beautiful ornamental trees, or fantastic finishes on the exterior of your house?

Play up the positives of your yard with lighting that you can activate right from your smartphone.

¡ Establish individual lighting zones so you can illuminate one area, like around the swimming pool, while the other areas remain dark.

¡ Have the exterior lights flash when triggered by your home’s security system. This will help emergency responders find your home quickly and can deter vandals.

¡ Motion sensors can activate the exterior lights, creating a pathway from the back door to the outdoor seating area, the driveway to the front door, and from the patio to the garden shed.

Suggested System: Vantage InFusion Controller (IC-DIN-LITE-II) with companion Equinox mobile app

(EQ-App-5), RadioLink Scenepoint dimmers for four zones (4 RD13TEAWAYA) with four faceplates, RF

Enabler (RFE1000), and three motion sensors (EM-Motionsensor40)

Cost: approximately $3,200 EH


Happiness is…

A comfortable, energy-efficient home.

Peace of Mind

Maximize natural light control with Somfy-powered motorized window coverings. Seamless integration with a home automation system adds even more convenience.

www.somfysystems.com/eh

© Copyright Somfy Systems, Inc. 8/2015 Images: Arnaud Childeric

HOME THEATER

Give Your Home Theater a Sonic Edge

9 Things You Need to Know About Acoustical Treatments.

BY KRISSY RUSHING

YOU’VE SPENT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY on a handsome new home theater, complete with comfy theater chairs, a bright, vivid video projector, huge screen, powerful surround-sound system, and all of the of the complementary audio/video components. So when you touch Play, why doesn’t your system sound out-of-thisworld amazing? It could be because one of the biggest factors in a room’s audio performance is the room itself; if it isn’t designed and treated for proper acoustics, it won’t perform like a champ no matter how much highperformance gear you buy.

When building the theater or media room of your dreams, you need to devote a percentage of your budget to the acoustical design, treatment, and calibration. The design of the room is the first step on the path to great sound. It’s much easier to create the ideal acoustic situation for your home theater if you talk to an acoustician or professional home theater installer before the room is built. According to


HOME THEATER

When Erskine Group designs an acoustical space, it creates a room-within-a-room structure to eliminate having to pierce the original structure for elements like keypads and light fixtures. This minimizes the amount of sound that is able to leak out of the home theater.

Nyal Mellor, owner of Acoustic Frontiers, of Fairfax, Calif., a company that does residential acoustical design and calibration work, a typical budget for acoustics might be 10 to 15 percent of your overall home theater budget. The design portion of this would include creating a sound-isolated shell for the theater, determining how many speakers and subwoofers will be necessary and where to put them, locating acoustical treatments, specifying equipment, and even planning for things like heating and cooling ducts— which can introduce unwanted noise into the home theater space.

After the room is properly laid out and constructed, the equipment will be installed along with acoustical treatments, which are available in two basic types—diffusors and absorbers, usually made from fiberglass, molded plastic, or wood. Like their names imply, diffusors diffuse sound and absorbers absorb sound. An overly absorptive or “dead” room is one in which too much sound is absorbed, making the room feel uncomfortable and overly quiet. An overly reflective or “live” room is one in which audio reflections bounce all over the place, like on a basketball court or in a house without furniture. At a very basic level, an acoustician or a knowledgeable home theater designer will employ a combination of diffusive and absorptive materials to create the ideal acoustical environment that is comfortable and sounds fantastic. “It’s a bit like Goldilocks’s porridge:

You have to use a combination of treatments to create a room that is just right,” says Mellor.


HOME THEATER

Acoustics can be incredibly complex, so instead of delving into complicated science that would make most readers’ eyes glaze over, we geeked out for an hour or two with two acousticians to report back the following nine things you need to know about home theater acoustics.

1. Your home theater is like an aquarium. The first issue addressed in acoustic design is the room structure itself. “Imagine an aquarium with a hole in it. It doesn’t matter where the hole is; all the water is still going to leak out,” says Dennis Erskine, an architectural acoustician and owner of Erskine Group, of

Marietta, Ga. “Your theater is the same. The sound isolation is only as good as the weakest leak. You can have isolation clips, a HAT channel (also called a resilient channel, which is a thin metal channel that isolates drywall from the framing studwork), and two layers of drywall with damping

Decorative panels can hide acoustical treatments or speakers, or both, while adding to the room's overall visual appeal. material, but cut a hole for a light switch with a drywall saw, and all the money you spent on sound isolation is pretty well wasted.”

According to Erskine, a properly isolated room is completely sealed and mechanically isolated from the structure of your home. This is accomplished via a combination of damping and mass to reduce the amount of sound entering the room.

2. Your home is louder than you think. The average background noise level in a really quiet home is 33 to 35 decibels. However, the softest sound on a movie soundtrack is 22 decibels. This means that at normal volume levels, you can’t hear those soft sounds. “Whispers, the rustle of grass, leaves in the wind…those sounds disappear,” says Erskine. “Turn the volume up, and now the people on the screen are yelling at you.

When a train wreck occurs, everyone will get up and leave the room. This is the sort of thing that makes theaters fall into disuse.” Sound isolation is imperative to keep sound out of the theater and the noise floor low enough so that you can hear those quiet passages without having to adjust the volume.

3. It’s nearly impossible not to wake the baby. The common misconception about sound isolation in home theaters is that it is used to prevent sound from leaving the room. “The public has been told that you need sound isolation so that you don’t wake the baby, but to achieve this will cost you more than it will cost


HOME THEATER to build your home,” Erskine says. That’s because the loudest sounds from a home theater are up to 115 decibels, a massive amount of sound energy to prevent from leaving the room. “It’s nearly impossible to achieve completely.” While sound isolation certainly helps, it’s primary objective is keeping sound out of the room and not the other way around.

4. With the introduction of new spatial surround-sound formats like DTS:X and Dolby Atmos come

new acoustical considerations. Traditional surround "channel" speaker systems, like 5.1- or 7.2-channel arrays are different than new "object-based" spatial surround-sound formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, and therefore require slightly different acoustical design considerations. “In my opinion, the acoustical treatment design for reflection control is different for the new spatial audio formats. With a traditional 5- or

7-channel system we believe that the ceiling should not be overly absorptive. But when using discrete ceiling speakers for Atmos and DTS.X we advise keeping the ceiling more absorptive so as to not corrupt the spatial cues in the surround field,” says Mellor. Of course, some Atmos and DTS:X speakers are designed to reflect off the ceiling, so it’s important to talk to your acoustician to determine the right treatments for your ceiling based on the speakers you are using in your Dolby Atmos or DTS:X surround setup.

5. Acoustics make expensive gear perform like it should. While some homeowners may not want to devote money to acoustical treatments and design, it’s important to know that they essentially enable your expensive speakers and components to operate to their maximum performance potential. “When you consider that 80 percent of sound in a home theater is a reflection and not coming directly from the speakers, you can understand why acoustics are so important. They will have a greater impact on the sound quality in the room than a better surround-sound processor, cables, or speakers,” says Erskine. “With the proper acoustics, $40,000 worth of gear will sound like $400,000 worth of gear.”

6. Acoustics make your bass sound tight. Bass energy from subwoofers can be especially tricky to manage, with uneven bass response across a home theater noted as a very common problem. Bass traps are super-thick absorbers designed to absorb longer low-frequency audio wavelengths. “Controlling the bass in the room and having the bass decay at the same rate as the rest of the sound in the room is important,” says

Mellor. “Home theaters that have bass issues will have big bumps and dips in the frequency. Bass trapping is always required, but should be complemented by multiple subwoofers to reduce seat-to-seat variability, as well as DSP equalization.”

7. You can hide acoustical treatments or use them as design elements. If you are thinking an acoustically treated theater will look unattractive, think again. Generally, you can hide absorptive products behind an acoustically transparent fabric wall. Absorptive panels themselves are usually finished in fabric, so they can also be designed to match the room and simply hung on the wall surface. There are also paintable panels that can match the room’s shade exactly. Meanwhile, a ceiling can double as both a design element and an acoustical element. Erskine’s breathtaking ceiling millwork diffuses sound, while a fabric-stretched star ceiling with fiber optic lighting functions as a great façade behind which to hide acoustical absorption materials. Some diffusors—those made from wood especially—are so beautiful, they can be left exposed like artwork.


HOME THEATER

8. Acoustics aren’t just for theaters. Did you know that acoustical treatments can help with taming noise in other areas of the home? For example, treatments can help reduce air-conditioning compressor noise by directing sound away from the home. They can also help minimize the sound generated by equipment inside a utility room from seeping into bedrooms above. “Look at what Frank Lloyd Wright does in his homes. He puts carpets on the floor, uses soft furniture and decorative tapestries, and designs cantilevered bookcases at strange angles to either absorb or diffuse sound,” says Erskine.

9. You need an expert. When you are embarking on a new home theater project, make sure that your home theater design firm has acousticians on-staff or has the necessary experience to properly design your room. Many companies outsource this part of the home theater design. “Acoustics are an engineering problem; you can’t read a book or simply Google it. To get it right, it’s a four-year degree plus experience in the field,” says Erskine.

To find a find a professional who specializes in acoustical design check out our list of home systems integrators, the Acoustical Society of America website or the CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design and

Installation Association) website. Your ears will thank you for it. EH

KRISSY RUSHING is an A/V publishing industry veteran whose experience spans more 15 years. From her early days as executive editor of Home Theater magazine, Ultimate AV , and Audio Video Interiors , to her more recent work as a freelance writer,

Krissy specializes in making technology understandable to anyone.


HOME SECURITY

THE BEST HOME PROTECTION:

Professional Monitoring or Self-Monitoring?

The SwannOne hub from Swann allows you to monitor your home from a smartphone; you can also pay a monthly service fee to have your home professionally monitored.

Remote monitoring technology brings (sometimes free) peace of mind to busy homeowners, but is it worth the savings?

BY LISA MONTGOMERY

YEARS AGO WHEN PEOPLE BOUGHT A SECURITY SYSTEM for their home, a monthly service contract from a professional monitoring company was tacked onto the package price. For a fee, the trained personnel at the monitoring station would watch 24/7 for emergencies like break-ins and fire, and dispatch the appropriate emergency responders, when necessary. While professional monitoring of a home security system is still important today, more and more homeowners are augmenting it with technology that enables them to monitor their homes themselves.

Built into numerous residential security systems, the remote monitoring technology allows homeowners to keep tabs on all sorts of conditions in and around the home: inspect which doors are unlocked; review a log of who entered the home and when; review the status of motion, water, and other sensors; and access real-time video from surveillance cameras (see Popular Remote Monitoring Scenarios below). All a user needs to do is log on to a smartphone app (usually a free add-on to the monitoring service) to get the


HOME SECURITY full scoop. And should an emergency happen—like a house fire or burglary—the security system is able to immediately notify homeowners with a text message. It’s a widespread trend leveraged by the growing availability of security systems intended to be installed by homeowners themselves.

Wake Up and Smell the Smoke

So does this shift to DIY security mean that professional monitoring is no longer necessary? Should you save some money by monitoring your house yourself? Absolutely not, says Duane Paulson, senior vice president of product and market development at Nortek Security & Control. “Say you’re asleep or don’t have your phone. You may not always be available to take care of a critical issue at home, but a professional monitoring station is.” According to Paulson and other manufacturers of security systems, self-monitoring should be thought of as an adjunct to professional monitoring, and to be used mainly as way to be aware of what’s happening on your property. “Self-monitoring capabilities provide property awareness, but there’s no substitute for professional monitoring when it comes to security,” adds Jay Kenny, senior vice president of marketing at Alarm.com.

Straddling the Line

Still, there are no hard and fast rules about whether to invest in a security system you can monitor yourself or one that’s professionally monitored. “With only 25 percent of Americans owning a traditional, professionally monitored security system, there’s a huge market of people who’ve never embraced the return-on-investment of the professional monitoring model,” says Jason Domangue, vice president of Piper, a subsidiary of iControl Networks. That’s why iControl Networks, which has supported the professionally monitored security industry for more than a decade with its cloudbased operating platform, has recently developed a self-monitored, self-installed security solution for consumers called Piper. With the introduction of the affordable home security and video surveillance system, iControl Networks is straddling both sides of the monitoring field, and along with another home security system manufacturer, Swann, hopes to blur the line between professional and homeowner monitoring even more by giving consumers the flexibility to pay for professional monitoring when they need it and skip the expense when they don’t. Swann’s SwannOne system is one of the first home monitoring solutions to offer on-demand professional monitoring. For example, you can choose to monitor

Piper is a self-installed, self-monitored home security solution that lets you visually inspect what's happening at home.


HOME SECURITY the system and its connected sensors, surveillance cameras, and other equipment yourself, and when you go on a weekend getaway, pay $7.95 to have your house professionally monitored. There are also options to pay for a week’s, a month’s, or a year’s worth of professional monitoring.

Capitalizing on Control & the Cloud

The ability to patrol a home from a mobile device is only part of the remote monitoring equation. Connected security systems also enable homeowners to respond conveniently and appropriately to alerts, data, and other information. A common scenario: You receive an alert on your smartphone when a motion sensor by the front door is triggered. By logging into the system, you can access a surveillance camera to see that the motion sensor was set off by the UPS delivery person. You can then respond by using the security system’s smartphone app to unlock the electronic deadbolt on the front door, wait for the package to be deposited in the foyer, then relock.

Setups like this utilize the automation capabilities common of most of today’s security systems, which are relying more and more on the cloud rather than their own internal processors to facilitate communication between devices inside the home and with mobile devices outside the home. Another big reason for the shift to the cloud: prevention against hacking. As the number of remotely accessible, IP-enabled security devices (and other types of smart home devices) continues to grow, so does homeowners’ concerns over cyberhacking. It’s tough to set up VPNs and firewalls in the home level to impede Internet threats; it’s much easier and effective to do so in the cloud where providers like Alarm.

com and iControl Networks perform routine maintenance and upgrades to maintain a safe, secure communications platform for professionally monitored security systems. (Alarm.com uses a cellular connection into the home for greater reliability and enhanced security.)

In addition to safeguarding the integrity of an Internet-connected security system, the cloud simplifies remote monitoring features by

POPULAR REMOTE

MONITORING

SCENARIOS

Thanks to the proliferation of Internet-connected devices, nearly every facet of home security can be monitored remotely from a smartphone app. Here are some of the most popular scenarios, according to Jay Kenny, senior vice president of marketing at Alarm.com.

¡ Making sure all of the doors are locked after the security system has been armed

¡ When a motion sensor is triggered, viewing a video clip of the action

¡

Receiving alerts when doors and windows are open

¡ Checking the status of the door locks to see if the kids have made it safely home from school enabling homeowners (and professional security installers) to easily set up their own rules and routines from a smartphone app and store those rules, as well as other security related data (such as video clips from surveillance cameras, entry and exit logs from electronic door locks) in safe, accessible, virtual repositories. Changes to any stored rules can be easily made by a homeowner or installer through that cloud. In addition to being a convenient way to keep a security system up to date, it’s a moneysaver, as no new hardware is necessary to add to the house.


HOME SECURITY

The Final Word

Despite the financial appeal of being able to sidestep a professional monitoring service by watching over your home security system from your own smartphone, for many households, it’s an unwise approach. Think of self-monitoring as a feature that enriches your lifestyle— one that brings awareness, efficiency, and convenience to everyday activities that happen in your house. Professional

THE CAR-TO-HOME CONNECTION

Now, even the condition and whereabouts of your car are no secret, thanks to monitoring innovation by security manufacturers. Honeywell, for example, recently added a vehicle location tracking system to its Total

Connect line of products and services. A GPS dongle provided by a Honeywell security dealer plugs into the

OBD port of a car (like your teenager’s car) to communicate with smartphones assigned to the system. Should the car travel beyond a certain predefined boundary, a rule, which is set up in the phone app, directs a text message to be sent to specified smartphones. monitoring, combined with the cloud, continues to provide the ultimate in home protection. EH

FALSE ALARM CRACKDOWNS: ONE MORE REASON TO KEEP YOUR

PROFESSIONAL MONITORING CONTRACT

DIY-installed and -monitored security systems are on the rise, but the trend doesn’t seem to be hurting professional security dealers and monitoring companies.

Besides the fact that self-monitoring through a smartphone app provides spotty home protection at best (what happens when you’re on a plane and can’t use your smartphone?), your local emergency responders may not be as quick to react to a call from a homeowner as they would from a professional monitoring station. Certain jurisdictions in North America are cracking down on emergency calls received by private homeowners. In Canada, Toronto police are considering not responding to such calls, arguing that the overwhelming number of alarm calls are resource-draining false alerts, according to the Toronto Star. In 2012, just 300 o the 20,000 private alarm calls fielded by Toronto emergency services turned out to be legitimate.

Elsewhere, jurisdictions are re uiring video verification or witness verification be ore dispatching emergency personnel, which has dramatically reduced wasted resources.

Security industry analyst Jeff Kessler o Imperial Capital cites places like Salt Lake City, where police responses to alarms went from 10,500 in 1998 to 323 last year, due to the city’s crackdown on false alarms. The result: improved response times for actual emergencies.


CALL FOR ENTRIES

Electronic House magazine is now accepting entries in its

2016 Products of the Year Awards, which recognize the best technologies, products and services for today’s Electronic House.

Submit your entry today at ehawards.ehpub.com

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HOME AUDIO SPOTLIGHT

Hardwired vs Wireless

Whole-House Music Systems

Autonomic Controls and Sonos s uare off in a debate over which solution is best for homeowners.

THERE ARE TWO SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT when it comes to installing a whole-house music system into a home: you can run no wire at all, relying on your home’s wireless network to deliver music from audio components to speakers, or you can utilize low-voltage cabling as the mode of transportation for your music. Both have their merits, which can make it difficult to decide which route to take. That’s why we asked Michael de Nigris, CEO at Autonomic Controls, and Kostas Reissis, Director of AV and Specialty Sales at Sonos, to battle out the finer points of wireless vs. hardwired whole-house music systems. — From the Editor

HARDWIRED WHOLE-HOUSE MUSIC SYSTEMS RULE

By Michael de Nigris, CEO, Autonomic Controls

HOME SYSTEMS INTEGRATION FIRMS predominantly use wired solutions as the foundation for whole-home audio systems. By in large, they are not transporting audio wirelessly to loudspeakers as part of their primary solution set. They do, however, rely on music sources

(such as an Autonomic MMS music server) to give consumers access to and control over their music wirelessly from a handheld iOS and/or Android device. These sources, although accessed and controlled wirelessly, operate most reliably when they are wired and integrated into whole-home audio systems or larger global home automation systems that include multi-zone amplifiers and loudspeakers. And, just because a whole-house audio system requires wiring, does not mean that it will be an eyesore to look at.

Most consumers want everything neat and hidden away, and are often misinformed that wireless technology is the only way to achieve this outcome.

The drawback of using wireless hardware to transport the audio signal is a potential sacrifice in both sound quality and reliability, despite the growing number of wireless solutions that support higher resolution digital formats. A wired solution serves all brands of hardware equally, while a wireless solution often relies on signal compression and is at the mercy of the home network, as well as external RF factors that could


HOME AUDIO SPOTLIGHT impact performance. Although Wi-Fi networks have evolved, their reliability and performance is not equal to that of a structured wiring solution. An additional benefit of going with a wired whole-house audio system is that most can be easily integrated with a variety of home control systems. This means, for example, that from one system you can access and control music, operate the lights and thermostats, and monitor a security system. It’s usually more difficult to fuse a wireless whole-house audio system with a home control system.

And you can’t talk about whole-house audio systems without commenting on loudspeakers. Wireless speakers provide the benefit of easy, flexible installation, but when compared cosmetically to hardwired speakers, they simply don’t stack up. Hardwired, architectural speakers are visually stunning, offering consumers beautiful options for their homes. Architectural loudspeakers serve as the eye candy of a wholehouse audio system and give consumers the opportunity to make their whole-house audio systems unique while leveraging the power and reliability of a hardwired solution.

Systems like the Autonomic Mirage Audio System and Mirage Media Server address a different market than wireless systems that are designed to be sold to DIY consumers. While do-it-yourselfers may find self-installation and configuration appealing, nothing beats having a professional handle the set-up. With a professionally installed hardwired whole-house music system, you’ll reap the rewards of audio that’s been calibrated for listening perfection in each room, controls that are tailored specifically to your family’s needs, and components and speakers that are integrated beautifully into a your home’s design and architecture.

WIRELESS WHOLE-HOUSE MUSIC SYSTEMS

ARE THE BEST SOLUTION

By Kostas Reissis, Director of AV and Specialty Sales, Sonos

A SILENT HOME IS YOUR FOE. This is true for wired and wireless solutions alike. We see a wireless solution as the way out of silence with its flexibility, future expandability and most importantly, superior music experience.

Today’s music lover needs the flexibility wherever they want to listen to music: family room, bedroom, media room, bathroom, even the garage. They have to be able to place a speaker where they want it to live.

But not everyone is building a new home nor is able to afford cabled solutions. Nor does anyone want to have contractors pulling wires and cutting holes in the walls and ceilings of their homes. This does not mean that they won’t do so in future, but their current needs are the ones that must be solved. A wireless solution allows for the music fan to play music in more rooms based on the same budget as a wired solution. We know from years of experience that a customer with more than


HOME AUDIO SPOTLIGHT one room of music is far more satisfied than a customer with only one room of music.

One of the other key advantages of connected wireless smart speakers is future expandability. At Sonos, our speakers are built to stand the test of time (we want them to be in customers’ homes for 10+ years) and are purposefully designed to improve over time. Regular software updates ensure that our speakers get better and better with each new version we provide our customers. Wired products generally do not allow for simple and regular software updates. We know that the product you buy today will bring pure musical joy now and in the future.

Flexibility and expandability are very important in creating a music-filled home; also key is having an enjoyable music listening experience. This means that every single person in a home must be able to quickly, simply, and routinely play the music they need at the moment they want it to play. This music has to keep playing without dropouts, and today’s routers and powerful wireless mesh networks are up for the task, providing music fans with a skip-free music listening experience.

Wireless speakers must also be controlled by a simple app that is on a phone, iPad, tablet, or desktop, which allows any listener to effortlessly manage any music. If Miles Davis is needed in the kitchen and the living room while The Bare Naked Ladies blast in the kid’s room, anyone should be able to make this happen. If the whole house needs to bump Macklemore for a dance party, then it should only be a couple of clicks away. And once it starts playing, the music needs to be rich in tone and detailed in clarity. The sound quality of the music must draw the listener in, not push them away. Wi-Fi based speakers offer the robust connection needed to allow for lossless streaming of a family’s favorite music.

The future of music enjoyment in the home is clearly rooted in a wireless solution and its superior flexibility, expandability, and experience opportunities by everyone in a home. Wireless speakers are the only growing category in home audio and is why wireless speaker customers are the happiest music fans around.



Whole-House Audio:

Features that Matter Most

BY BRETT STOKKE, Director of Communications, RTI

AUDIO SPECIFICATIONS: Specifications used to differentiate whole-house audio systems, such as the ones described below, provide a baseline to compare the sound quality of the various products on the market. These specs only tell part of the story, however. It is the system in its entirety—the sound quality, as well as convenience, ease of use, and reliability—that will ultimately determine the level of your satisfaction. Still, these specs provide a good starting point when shopping:

POWER OUTPUT (WATTS) Measured in watts, this is the amount of power an audio component’s amplifier will output. This may be one o the most important yet most misunderstood o the specifications to consider. Although the power output o a component is important, more power does not mean higher uality, even though in many cases you will pay more or that extra power. There are certainly high- uality components that output only 20 watts conversely there are low- uality products that output 120 watts. There ore, it may be less expensive to have a system that has lower power in most rooms, but the exibility to add an amplifier in rooms that need it, such as the great room or outdoor area.

EASE OF USE The exibility provided by openplat orm engineering is a big separation actor or multi-zone audio systems, as they can be integrated with and operated rom a pro essionally installed home control system. ou can control every aspect o their environment rom audio and video, to lighting, heating and cooling, security, and more rom one control device.

INTEGRATION hile an all-in-one or wireless audio system provides some conveniences, a pro essionally installed multi-zone audio system offers the ability to choose the components that best suit the needs o each installation. In act, many home systems integrators are finding great success blending the streaming audio capabilities o popular wireless audio systems with pro essionally installed hard-wired distributed audio systems.



AMPLIFICATION In addition to powered outputs for speaker connections, does the system have preamp outputs or a connection to an external amplifier Again, your expectations and the scope o the project will determine how much sound needs to be delivered to each zone. aving a system that allows or additional amplification where needed is beneficial.

FREQUENCY RESPONSE This measures how uni ormly a device reproduces sounds, typically across the range o re uencies that most humans can hear 20 z to 20K z .

A lower decibel dB is better, indicating a smaller variation in the volume level rom the lowest tone to the highest.

CROSSTALK Measured in dB decibels , this is the amount o audio signal that is leaked across the le t and right channels o an amplifier. The larger the negative number urther rom 0 the better.

TRIGGER OUTPUTS AND INPUTS This allows the integration o external audio devices and can help keep the control system aware o the status o the audio devices at all times.

SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO Measured in dB decibels , this is the amount o background noise generated by the component compared to the level o audio output. Most audio components will produce some background noise due to power supplies, electrical uctuations, heat, and wiring. Look or a higher number.

SPEAKERS Room types and sizes, such as bathrooms, great rooms, playrooms, and outdoor areas, determine the speaker re uirements. A traditional hard-wired multizone audio system has the advantage by offering a tremendous amount o exibility in speaker types, placement, and uantity in each zone.

QUANTITY OF INPUTS Consider not only how many inputs are needed today but also in the uture to determine the number o inputs your system needs. The ability to add music sources essentially utureproo s the system.

STREAMING SERVICES hile sound uality via a higher bitrate may be a selling point or some streaming services, you may be willing to compromise some uality or greater selection o songs.



DOORBELL/PAGING INPUT Separate inputs for the integration o paging systems, doorbells, and phones allow external systems to mute the audio system. This lets the listener know when other events in the home may re uire their attention.

AUDIO SOURCES The type o components you use to listen to music will determine the type o whole-house audio system that ll work best or you. It is important to actor in both current and uture needs when determining the ideal system.

TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION Measured as a percentage, this is the amount o sound degradation or distortion caused by a component. Look or lower percentages usually less than 1 .

EQUALIZER ADJUSTMENTS This gives a home systems integrator the ability to customize the sound to fit the acoustic space. These settings will be different or every room.

QUANTITY OF OUTPUTS For hard-wired multizone audio systems, the number o zones rooms determines the number o outputs needed in the system.

THE “SAVVY FACTOR” ow tech-savvy are you Most networked wireless systems re uire users to set up devices within their home network.

CONVENIENCE ill an app su ce or would you benefit rom having a control system that also provides dedicated control using in-wall touchpanels, keypads, and wireless remote controls in one cohesive system

“PARTY MODE”/SCENE CONTROL I using the system or entertaining is key, distribution o music to different areas needs to be easy, intuitive, and on-the- y, especially during a party.



Whole-House

Audio System Showcase

Wireless, hardwired, DIY, or professionally installed? All of the options for spreading music housewide are highlighted here.

IF YOU LIKE MUSIC, and who doesn’t, there’s no better smart home technology to add to your house than a whole-house audio system. It’s probably one of the most affordable upgrades you can make, and with many wireless systems available, even old homes can be blessed with beautiful music. With options galore, your only challenge will be choosing which system to buy. You really can’t go wrong with any of the systems in our showcase, but you’ll be able to pick out a few favorites after reading about the features, installation guidelines, and streaming capabilities.

(Editor’s Note: Some of the manufacturers contacted to participate in the showcase chose to not provide details about their systems; in these cases, only basic information is published. Also, most systems can be easily expanded to support additional listening zones, audio components, and music streams. The figures provided in the showcase are a baseline.)

AUTONOMIC CONTROLS www.autonomic-controls.com

System: Mirage Audio System (comprised of Mirage Media

Server-MMS-2A or MMS- A and Mirage Media Amplifi erM-400 or M-800)

Network: Hardwired from a central location to speakers throughout the house; wireless control from Apple or Android phones and tablets

Cabling Needed: Category 5 Ethernet cabling, traditional speaker wire

Communications: Wi-Fi-based control of the system from Apple or

Android phones and tablets, as well as from in-wall keypads (KP-1)

MSRP: $3,795 for a 4-room system

System Includes: Server, mplifier, and eypads

Installation: Requires a Professional

Number of Listening Zones Supported: 4 to 96 (the latter will re uire additional amplifiers

Number of Audio Components Supported: 2 components if using the MMS-2A; 5 components if using the MMS-5A

Number of Music Streams Supported: 2 streams if using the

MMS-2A; 5 streams if using the MMS-5A. Additional third (for the

MMS-2A) and sixth (for the MMS-5A) simultaneous streams are available via USB

Streaming Services Supported: iTunes, Windows Media,

Pandora, Internet Radio, Rhapsody, TuneIn Radio, SiriusXM, Slacker, apster, idal, Murfie, eezer, Spotify, and iHeartRadio

Controlled by: Wi-Fi-based wireless control from Apple or Android phones and tablets, as well as from in-wall keypads (KP-1 provides basic control; KP-iOS provides control and displays full metadata about songs)

Special Features: he Mirage udio System o ers an e clusive feature called une -

Bridge, a complete music discovery and exploration tool that is dependent on what's playing at the moment. Users can quickly jump sources to search for artists’ complete discographies or ic o a Pandora station based on artist or trac .

The Mirage Audio Systems also supports high-resolution audio playback, so users can enjoy everything from MP3 and streaming services to the highest resolution digital music formats.

f a homeo ner ants to start o ith a standalone hole house music system but is interested in full home automation at a later date, the Mirage Audio System will easily integrate with popular home automation platforms.

BOSE www.bose.com

System: SoundTouch

Network: Hardwired or Wireless


Communications: i i . b g n dual band . Hz and Hz

MSRP: Starts at $349.95

System Includes: Speakers and infrared remote control

Installation: Can be installed by a professional and do-it-yourselfers



Number of Listening Zones Supported: N/A

Number of Audio Components Supported: N/A

Number of Music Streams Supported: Unlimited over wiring; 6 typically via Wi-Fi

Streaming Services Supported: Pandora, iHeartRadio, Spotify, eezer, stored music on a computer or S

Controlled by: smartphone, tablet, computer, or included remote control

Special Features: The SoundTouch series of products lets you preset as many as six playlists or stations, so you can access them quickly at the touch of a button.

usXM, iTunes, Slacker, plus any other service through Apple AirPlay

(through Apple TV) or Bluetooth plug-in device

Controlled by: ClareHome app running on iPhones, iPads, and

Android phones. The system also integrates with select RTI and URC remote controls

Special Features: obra et uncompressed audio, preamplifier outputs, and a single unit that houses the audio matrix switch, three streaming nternet sources, and amplifier all of this fits easily into a single-bay wall enclosure.

CASATUNES www.casatunes.com

System: CT-3

Network: Hardwired or Wireless, or a combination of the two

Cabling Needed: Category 5 Ethernet cabling (if keypads are used), traditional speaker wire

Communications: Wi-Fi via Airplay. Plus, a homeowner can play music wirelessly from any music app on his or her iOS device through

CasaTunes to any combination of wired and wireless speakers

MSRP: $1,295

System Includes: Preamp outputs for every listening room, irPlay capability for up to five rooms e pandable , and storage for local music (up to 50,000 high-quality lossless songs)


Number of Listening Zones Supported: 3 wired rooms and 5 wireless rooms

Number of Audio Components Supported: 3

Number of Music Streams Supported: 3

Streaming Services Supported: Pandora, TuneIn Radio, Sirius M, idal, eezer, Spotify, SHO cast, and many others

Controlled by: iOS or Android phone or tablet, keypads, and various other types of control devices when integrated with a home automation system

Special Features: Users can stream any music service to any room or room groups in the home from the native app on their iOS devices. There is no need for users to learn a new application. The system supports separate (and multiple) wake-to-music schedules in each room.

CONTROL4 www.control4.com

The System: Control4 Multi-Room Audio

Network: Hardwired and Wireless

Cabling Needed: Speaker wire

Communications: irplay,

MSRP: Starts at $2,200

, Bluetooth, i i

System Includes: Control4 HC250 Home Automation Hub (with 2 zones of audio output , zone udio Matri mplifier, and ontrol

Wireless Bridge


Number of Listening Zones Supported: 6



Streaming Services Supported: Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio,

Rhapsody, Rdio, Beats Music, eezer, idal, Songza, iHeartRadio, oogle Play Music, mazon loud Player

Controlled by: Control4 in-wall and tabletop touchscreens, handheld remotes, mobile devices running iOS and Android operating systems, and Control4 wireless keypads and switches

Special Features: The Multi-Room Audio System doesn’t stop at delivering a great music experience to all of your rooms; it is the building block of an entire smart home that will scale with your needs. Once you get used to your new system you may want to integrate a smart doorbell/door station so that an audio message plays through the speakers when someone arrives on your porch.

Or, you may want to integrate your smart security system to play an alarm over your audio system if a break-in is detected.

CLARE CONTROLS www.clarecontrols.com

System: Clare Controls Whole-House Audio System

Network: Hardwired

Cabling Needed: Ethernet cabling, traditional speaker wire

Communications: Wi-Fi (for the user to control the system via the

ClareHome mobile app)

MSRP: Starts at

System Includes:

per listening zone

.e press controller and a or zone

Streams iMR amplifier. ach piece can be purchased separately and can include any combination of Omni 10 and Omni 20 loudspeakers


Number of Listening Zones Supported: 4 to 36

Number of Audio Components Supported: Two local sources plus 3 streaming sources per iMR


Streaming Services Supported: Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn, Siri-

DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY www.definitivetechnology.com

System Definitive Technology

Wireless Collection

Network: Wireless

Cabling Needed: N/A

Communications: S Play i technology hich connects over a

Wi-Fi network

MSRP: $399 to $1,299

System Includes: W Amp, W Adapt Music Streamer, and a variety of speakers (components are sold a la carte)

Installation: o it ourselfers

Number of Listening Zones Supported: depends on the number of speakers purchased

Number of Audio Components Supported: varies

Number of Music Streams Supported: varies

Streaming Services Supported: Pandora, SiriusXM, Spotify Connect, Songza, as ell as nternet radio stations and personal music libraries, such as iTunes



Special Features: efinitive echnology is no n for a high standard of quality engineering in each and every speaker it manufactures. From the W Studio soundbar, which supports 5.1 channel surround sound, to the agship loudspea er that has a tri-polar speaker array, each product in this wireless line supports high uality materials and audio. dditionally, S Play i allo s the products to work on an open ecosystem versus a closed platform as is the case with some wireless, multi-room loudspeakers. This allows users to mix and match speakers within the home and still stream over Play-Fi.

Number of Audio Components Supported: 6 streaming services embedded in the Omni app


Streaming Services Supported: Supports bit, Hz Studio uality H audio streaming of Mi Radio, eezer, idal, obuz, Rdio, u e, Rhapsody, une n, oogle Play, i unes Radio, Spotify, ou ube

Controlled by: smartphone or tablet

Special Features: The Omni’s BT re-streaming feature allows you to access all of your favorite music from any music account. Any incoming Bluetooth signal can be redistributed to three other Omni speakers wirelessly.

DENON www.denon.com

System: HEOS by Denon


Cabling Needed: Ethernet

Communications: Wi-Fi

MSRP: $199 to $2,499

System Includes: Products are sold a la carte

Installation: Can be installed by a professional or do-it-yourselfer, depending on the components selected

Number of Listening Zones Supported: as many as 32

Number of Audio Components Supported: N/A

Number of Music Streams Supported: N/A

Streaming Services Supported: Various (see website)

Controlled by: iOS and Android phones and tablets, Kindle Fire

FUSION RESEARCH www.fusionrd.com

System: Ovation Wireless System


Cabling Needed: Standard networking cabling


MSRP: per listening zone

System Includes: Single standalone zone player, hich functions as a complete audio streaming source



Number of Audio Components Supported: as many as 20


Streaming Services Supported: all major services, including

Pandora, Spotify, Sirius M, oogle Play, Slac er, and eezer

Controlled by: smartphones, tablets, web browsers, and major control systems

HARMAN KARDON www.harmankardon.com

System: Omni

Network: Wireless

Cabling Needed: N/A


MSRP: $129.95 - $299.95

System Includes: Each piece can be purchased separately and can include any combination of Omni 10 and Omni 20 loudspeakers

Installation: o t ourselfers


KORUS www.korussound.com

System: Korus Wireless Speakers

Network: Wireless

Cabling Needed: N/A

Communications: SKAA, a standard used by pro musicians for wireless mics and guitars

MSRP: Speakers range from $199 to $449

System Includes: Korus speakers and three transmitter Batons to create the SKAA wireless network

Installation: o t ourselfers




Streaming Services Supported: Any streaming service

Controlled by: iOS and Android phones and tablets, plus Windows and Mac computers

Special Features: Korus is the portable wireless speaker that expands to a four-speaker wireless system. Korus does not need

Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. It uses SKAA, a standard used by pro musicians’ wireless mics and guitars to deliver the best possible wireless stream. Works up to nearly 60 feet within a home even around walls, and over 200 feet line-of-site outside.

LENBROOK www.bluesound.com

System: Bluesound


Cabling Needed: Category 5 Ethernet cabling

Communications: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX

MSRP: verage price of per listening zone

System Includes: ach zone has a choice of digital, line level, or spea er level amplification, as ell as spea er combinations in small, medium, and large sizes

Installation: Professional installation recommended


Number of Audio Components Supported: igital and analog local sources, along with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi that extend to a broad array of local and cloud-based sources


Streaming Services Supported: TuneIn, Slacker, iHeart, Spotify,

Rdio, idal, H trac s, Murfie, HighRes udio

Controlled by: iOS and Android phones and tablets, Kindle,

MacOSX, and Windows desktop apps, as well as any Control4 (home automation) control device



Special Features: High-res audio streaming up to 24/192, along ith audiophile grade s, amplifiers, and spea ers co developed by sister companies and PSB. Bluesound uses a uni ue, propri etary operating system called BluOS that has been specially designed for music, and gives Bluesound complete autonomy to integrate new features.

Special Features: The Nuvo Player Portfolio can stream audio at up to bps near uality to up to zones simultaneously with no additional compression (this is dependent on the bit rate of the original source content).

NILES AUDIO www.nilesaudio.com

System: Niles Auriel

Network: Hardwired


Communications: Over cabling

MSRP: , . for source, zone system

System Includes: MRC-6430 Controller and support for mobile device-based control



Number of Audio Components Supported: 6, including wireless streaming


Streaming Services Supported: Pandora, Spotify, eezer, Siri usXM, and TuneIn—all through a Sonos interface

Controlled by: iOS and Android phones and tablets, Windows and

Mac computers, Niles Auriel 4-inch and 7-inch touchscreens, and

Niles nHR200 handheld remote

Special Features: The Niles Auriel system delivers seamless one-chassis integration of home theaters with whole-house audio while accepting streaming sources through its Sonos integration.

Auriel enables an easy “one touch to music” for homeowners, and its izard based configurator cuts installation time to a fraction of other systems.

LEVITON www.leviton.com

System: Leviton Hi-Fi 2 Distributed Audio System

Network: Hardwired with Bluetooth inputs


Communications: Bluetooth wireless from devices such as tablets and smartphones, to audio source input modules

MSRP: , for source, zone system

System Includes: mplifier, istribution Hub, remote audio input modules, 4 volume controls, handheld remote

Installation: Requires a Professional; also can be installed by doit-yourselfers




Streaming Services Supported: Any streaming or stored music can be shared with the system

Controlled by: Smartphone, in-wall keypads, handheld remote, optional in-wall touchscreens

Special Features: The main processor of the Hi-Fi 2 is mounted in a structured media center (typically between two studs in a wall) and the speakers are designed to be recessed into a ceiling or wall, o ering an incredibly clean appearance. han s to the systems wiring backbone, homeowners can plug in whatever audio components they wish or may already own. Also, free standalone apps are available for Android and iOS devices, or the system can be tied into a larger automation system.

LEGRAND www.legrand.us./nuvo

System: Nuvo Player Portfolio

Network: Hardwired and Wireless


Communications: ual band i i the system also employs

MIMO (Multiple-In-Multiple-Out) transmission technology to ensure the integrity of the signal for optimal performance

MSRP: $479 to $1,295 for Portfolio Player; speakers are sold separately starting at $275

System Includes: Portfolio Player and speakers

Installation: Requires a Professional; the wireless version can be installed by do-it-yourselfers




Streaming Services Supported: iTunes, Windows Media, iHeart-

Radio, SiriusXM, TuneIn, Spotify, Pandora, Rhapsody, as well as any music that can be transmitted via Bluetooth from a portable device

Controlled by: iOS and Android phones and tablets; can also be integrated with and controlled by a variety of home automation systems

PEERLESS-AV www.peerless-av.com

System: PeerSound™ Wireless Audio System

Network: Wireless

Cabling Needed: N/A

Communications: . Hz Spread Spectrum i i et or

MSRP: $699 to $2,854

System Includes: Hub, Transmitter, Antenna, Rack Ears, Receiver, mplifier and Mounting Hard are





(4 stereo or 8 mono)

Streaming Services Supported: N/A

Controlled by: The audio source that’s connected to the system

Special Features: The PeerSound Wireless Audio System supports uncompressed audio at a bit depth of 16 bits and a sample rate of Hz. he amplifiers are Plenum Rated and can be mounted in-wall or on-wall, creating a clean look. The system boasts a wireless range of 140 feet. Plus, unlike many other solutions, the

PeerSound Wireless Audio System interfaces with any audio component or speaker, giving homeowners the freedom to use the brands


HOME AUDIO SPOTLIGHT and equipment they like. Additionally, the PeerSound Wireless Audio

System creates its o n independent . Hz i i net or ith adaptive frequency hopping and error correction so it does not affect any existing wireless data network service. mounted touchpanel, or smart device to activate music anywhere in a home. For even more convenience, control can be extended to lighting, heating and cooling, home security, and more. Accessories are also available to further e pand the capabilities of the

audio distribution systems.

POLK AUDIO www.polkaudio.com

System: Polk Audio Omni Collection

Network: Wireless

Cabling Needed: N/A

Communications: S Play i technology, hich connects over a

Wi-Fi network

MSRP: $179 to $699

System Includes: Omni S2 speaker, Omni S2R portable speaker,

Omni SB1 soundbar, Omni P1 preamp, and Omni A1 amp (all sold a la carte)

Installation: Can be installed by do-it-yourselfers

Number of Listening Zones Supported: Varies

Number of Audio Components Supported: Varies

Number of Music Streams Supported: Varies

Streaming Services Supported: Spotify Connect, Pandora,

Sirius M, Songza, eezer, as ell as nternet radio stations and personal music libraries like iTunes

Controlled by: Smartphones, tablets, and PCs that are running the

Polk Audio Omni app

Special Features: Polk Audio combines its heritage and traditional speaker engineering into a new evolution of wireless speakers.

Between carefully crafted drivers, tweeters, and passive radiators, homeowners get a great sounding system at the best values in wireless, multi-room loudspeakers. dditionally, S Play i allo s the products to or on an open ecosystem versus a closed platform like other wireless, multi-room loudspeakers. This allows users to mix and match speakers within the home and still stream over Play-Fi.

RUSSOUND www.russound.com

System: Russound XStream X5

Network: Wireless

Cabling Needed: N/A


MSRP: $599

System Includes: The XStream X5 hub and a power supply

Installation: Profession installation recommended


Number of Audio Components Supported: 2 digital inputs, 1

Bluetooth, 1 internal music streamer


Streaming Services Supported: Spotify, iTunes, and others

Controlled by: Touchpad, MyRussound app on iOS and Android devices, and third-party remote controls

Special Features: The XStream X5 is a small but powerful device that is app or keypad controlled. The X5 includes built-in popular streaming services, including Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio, and vTuner. (Additional services will be added over the course of the year.) With the X5, users can stream their iTunes library and other audio content from any Airplay-enabled device and enjoy it throughout their home. The external Bluetooth option—Russound’s

BTC-1X—makes it easy for the installer to situate the receiver for the best Bluetooth reception in every room.

RTI www.rticorp.com

System: AD-4x and AD-8x

Network: Hardwired



MSRP: $899 and $1,799, respectively

System Includes: The audio hub handles audio switching, amplification, and distribution R processors and user interfaces handle the control and feedback of the system


Number of Listening Zones Supported: 4 and 8

Number of Audio Components Supported: 4 and 8


Streaming Services Supported: A standalone music streamer can be connected

Controlled by: iOS and Android phones and tablets, in-wall touchpanels, keypads, and handheld remotes

Special Features: he provide the audio s itching, amplification, and distribution functions, hile R central proces sors and user interfaces manage the audio source control, user input, and status feedback. This allows a handheld controller, wall-

SIMPFONY LLC www.simpfony.com

The System: Simpfony

Network: Hardwired

Cabling Needed: Category 5 or 6 Ethernet cabling, traditional speaker wire

Communications: Over wiring

MSRP: Starts at , for an zone system

System Includes: Streaming sources, audio, built in music library, 1 input, 1 output



Number of Audio Components Supported: No limit

Number of Music Streams Supported: for every zone

Streaming Services Supported: Pandora, Spotify, vTuner Internet Radio, AirPlay

Controlled by: iPad, iPhone, iPod, Windows desktop, Android devices (coming soon)

Special Features: tilizes standard hard are spea ers, amplifiers, etc. for e ibility in design.

ble to add a ne zone as simply as plugging in an additional

USB sound device.

Can select from hundreds of sound devices, from economy to studio-quality options.



SONOS www.sonos.com

System: Sonos

Network: Primarily wireless, but can be hardwired

Cabling Needed: Ethernet cabling

Communications: edicated i i Mesh net or and a homes

Wi-Fi network

MSRP: Starts at $199

System Includes: A variety of speakers and components

Installation: Professional installation or installation by do-ityourselfers




Streaming Services Supported: More than 60 music services orld ide also supports lossless and files, as ell as most lossless files stored on a computer, smartphone, tablet, or network storage device

Controlled by: Free Sonos app on iOS and Android devices, plus

Mac and PC

Special Features: Sonos has long been noted as the wireless home audio category creator and leader. Its great sound, simplicity, robust playback, regular software updates, and versatile expansion options are often cited as reasons for its continued advocacy by music fans around the globe.

SPEAKERCRAFT www.speakercraft.com

System: SpeakerCraft MRA-664

Network: Hardwired



MSRP: Starts at , for source, zone system

System Includes: MRA-664 controller

Installation: Professional installation required


Number of Audio Components Supported: 6, including wireless streaming


Streaming Services Supported: Pandora, Spotify, eezer, u neIn, SiriusXM—all through the MRA-664’s Sonos interface

Controlled by: SpeakerCraft 4-inch and 7-inch touchscreens, sHR200 handheld remote, iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, and Windows and Mac computers

Special Features: The award-winning SpeakerCraft MRA-664 ecosystem integrates multi-room audio and home theater with a izard based configurator thats as easy to install as it is for home owners to enjoy. Easy access to streaming sources through its

Sonos interface means there’s more to enjoy than ever before.


SMART HOME GALLERY

Ahmad Rashad

Reconnects with Vinyl

Football legend creates a sports viewing room full of audio nostalgia and dual video displays.

BY LISA MONTGOMERY

FORMER PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYER and notable sportscaster, Ahmad Rashad, can’t help but analyze and critique every play on the field. It’s in his blood—so much so that he created a special spot in his home for just that purpose.

Two 46-inch Samsung TVs mounted side by side, and a slick RTI control system let Rashad scour multiple matchups at once. He just grabs the iPad that rests on a table next to one of the two chairs, taps a few buttons to access a sportscast from any of several DirecTV receivers, and lets the RTI processor and amplifier do the rest.



The overall aesthetic of the room was as important to Rashad as the dual-screen setup . “He requested that the room evoke the same feel as his college dorm room had,” says Anthony Petrone, whose Wellington, Fla.-based company, Petrone Technology Group, was hired to recreate this vibe with a decidedly high-tech twist. Cinder blocks would support simple wood shelving to hold Rashad’s impressive collection of vinyl—exactly as Rashad had done in his college dorm room, except for a slight difference. Petrone shored up the shelving arrangement by fastening it to the wall and incorporated Rashad’s existing turntable into its design. Another big improvement over the dorm-room audio delivery: Today, Rashad’s audio system pipes through high-end, reference-grade

Martin-Logan ESL speakers, which are manufactured specifically for two-channel music listening. In addition to vinyl albums, most of which date back to—you guessed it—Rashad’s college days, Sirius XM, Pandora, and other music services can be streamed through the system. With such a wide variety of formats and genres, music pervades even while Rashad is engrossed in a game on the two TVs, and can be shared with other speakers in his home at the touch of a button in the iPad.

And those two old-fashioned rattan chairs? Although fairly basic, they were purchased by Rashad with his first paycheck as a professional football player. They’re just part of the nostalgia that makes this outwardly simple space so special to the gridiron legend. EH



When Steel & Smarts Collide

Enterprise-grade networking ensures reliable command over Breckenridge vacation home.

BY LISA MONTGOMERY PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE ARNOLD

IF THERE’S ONE THING that can compromise the reliability of a smart home system, it’s steel. So when the home systems integrators at ListenUp, of Denver, Colo., were hired by the owners of a 7,000-square-foot Breckenridge getaway to design and install a soup-to-nuts Savant home automation system, their first order of business was dealing with the steel beams that stretched across the ceilings. “Otherwise, wireless Wi-Fi signals from the homeowner’s mobile devices and computers would literally be hitting a brick wall,” says ListenUp senior project manager Evan Stinson. “Since the owners would be controlling music, video, and other aspects of the Savant system from their iPhones and iPads, we decided to install an enterprise-grade wireless networking system from

Ruckus to ensure that every command would get to where it needed to go.”



The Ruckus system is comprised of three indoor wireless access points and a zone controller that manages and directs the busy Wi-Fi traffic in the house so there are no dropouts, dead spots, or finicky connections. Bottom line: Managing the Savant whole-house audio and video distribution systems, as well as the home’s Lutron Radio RA lighting system, Honeywell

Vista security system, Kwikset electronic door locks, and Chamberlain MyQ garage door opener would happen for the homeowners without a hitch.

A solid Wi-Fi network afforded by the Ruckus system is complemented by a high-speed wiring infrastructure installed by ListenUp during the construction of the home. This internal highway of Category6 Ethernet cabling would enable any smart home device that’s plugged into an Ethernet jack to also be monitored and managed by the Savant home control system.

The consolidation of dozens of wireless and hardwired electronic systems under a single, unified home control system appeals to the homeowners for a number of reasons. They can easily monitor the status of the systems remotely from a smartphone or tablet and make adjustments if necessary. “From their full-time residence in Denver they can check on the temperature, and even unlock the door for service people, like our ListenUp crew, who may need to come into the home,” says Stinson. “If there’s a problem, like the possibility of frozen pipes, the Savant system is notified by a FloLogic detector and responds by texting the homeowners a message and immediately shutting off the main water valve to prevent flooding.

Placing all of the essential smart home components in a rack inside a closet was crucial to keeping the home uncluttered by technology.

MAKING A SCENE

Although ListenUp configured numerous light ing scenes or the amily, the Savant app allows them to create their own scenes on a whim. They simply set the lights the way they want them, capture those settings, and press one button to save it as a scene that can be enacted via a mobile app or keypad.



Unified control through the Savant system is just as helpful to the homeowners when they’re relaxing at their smart vacation getaway. As they pull into the driveway after the three-hour drive from Denver, they can “wake up” the house by tapping a single Welcome Home button on the Savant mobile phone app. In perfect order, the garage door opens, lights in the foyer and kitchen activate to preset intensity levels, the temperature in the main living areas adjusts (the home has 15 independent heating and cooling zones), and the security system and door locks disarm and unlock. The same series of events unfolds when the homeowners press a button on a controller that’s hooked onto the car visor. From there on out, they can use the Savant mobile app to tweak the settings and summon as many as five different streams of music from a Savant SMS005A music server to any or all in-ceiling

Bowers & Wilkins speakers in 15 independent listening areas. If they’d rather unwind with a movie, the same

Savant smartphone app lets them choose video from six cable boxes and six Apple TVs to watch on any of nine



WHAT'S ALL THE

RUCKUS ABOUT?

ou can t hear it or see it, but the Ruckus wireless networking system in this 7,000-s uare- oot home plays a crucial role in its unctionality. ome systems integrator Evan Stinson o Lis ten p, Denver, Colo., explains,

The Ruckus one Director allows the home s three wireless access points APs to act as one, so commands issued rom wireless control devices, like the homeown ers iPhones and iPads don t have to hand off rom one access point to another, as is the case with other APs. These access points also acilitate better signal range and per ormance through the use o BeamFlex technology, which di rects signals to the intended smart home devices.

Samsung TVs. All of the audio and video components are tucked away in a rack inside a utility room, leaving every room uncluttered by black boxes.

Clean lines continue to the walls of the home, where stylish

Lutron keypads are used in lieu of traditional light switches. In this home a single keypad can do the work of several light switches, and in a much more elegant manner. Programmed into the Lutron

RadioRA lighting control processor by ListenUp, and engaged by the Savant system and Lutron keypads are special lighting scenes that illuminate each area of the house with precision and elegance.

An Entertain button on a keypad in the family room, for example, adjusts the lighting to the perfect level and pipes music to all of the speakers in the main listening zones. The scenes that get the most use for the on-the-go family, however, are All On and All Off. Press either, and the Savant system sweeps through the house either prepping the place for their arrival or departure. And no matter where they are—in Denver, in their car, or settled on the couch in their smart house, the ability to control the myriad electronic devices is never more than a smartphone app away. EH

THE SCOREBOARD Innovation 777 77

Aesthetics 777 77 Customization 77 777

Cool Factor 777 77 Affordability 77 777

THE PLAYERS

S ystems Design & Installation

ListenUp, Denver, Colo., listenup.com

A rchitect

Michael F. Gallagher, Breckenridge, Colo., michaelgallagher.com

B uilder

Arnie Surdyk of Double

Diamond Property & Construction Services, Frisco,

Colo., doublediamondproperty.com/home

L ighting Designer

Denise Robert of Lilli’s Lighting & Décor, Frisco, Colo., lillislightinganddecor.com

EQUIPMENT

Automation & Control Savant

Media Server Fusion Research

S peakers Bowers & Wilkins, Canton and Sonance

Displays Samsung

Networking Linksys and Ruckus

Shading & Lighting Control Lutron

Surveillance Cameras ICRealtime



8,000 Square Feet of Automation

Sprawling country home transforms into the ultimate smart house with 70+ speakers,

23 4K TVs, 17 home control iPads, and more.

BY KRISSY RUSHING

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEX KANE

THERE ARE HOME REMODELS and renovations that involve simply taking a home and updating its aesthetic, but for this home renovation absolutely nothing about the original 8,000-square-foot country home was retained. “Everything on the inside and the outside was completely changed,” says Amer Dim, general manager of home systems integration company Casaplex, of Kensington, Md. “Everything was torn out and rebuilt, giving new meaning to the term gut renovation.”



Top: A 75-inch

Samsung 4K

TV can pull content from multiple media servers, cable boxes, and other components hidden away in the basement.

Bottom: Control over everything electronic in the home is possible even from the master bathroom, thanks to an in-wall Crestron touchpanel.

In addition to the expert construction by Howard Kandel and interior redo by Skip Sroka, the home was updated to a technological masterpiece, with a Crestron automation solution at the heart of it. Casaplex, a company recommended for the project by Crestron, likes to give its customers a variety of ways to control their home’s electronic systems, and on this massive project, this became even more important. “It would not do for our clients to be running around the grounds, searching for a lone iPad to turn the lights on,” says Dim.

To make sure control was always at the ready, the Casaplex team outfitted this home with a collection of handheld and in-wall Apple iPads (17 total; four of which are mounted to the wall) along with four in-wall 10inch Crestron TSW touchpanels. Through the unique and totally custom Casaplex floorplan-based user interface,


SMART HOME GALLERY which depicts the layout of the house and landscape, the homeowners have the ability to view the status of the electronic devices in those areas and control those devices if necessary; for example, instantly turning off a light in a bedroom that might have been left on. They can also use the touchpanels and iPads to view the property in real time from six Axis IP surveillance cameras, which can be panned, tilted, and zoomed from the iPads and touchpanels for a better look. The camera views can also pop onto the screen of a touchpanel or iPad automatically when the button on the intercom station at the front gate is pressed. “Our goal for every user interface is for anyone to be able to control the system without any training. That’s why we test our programs in-house before we install them. That’s why this particular system is extremely intuitive,” says Dim.

Given how easily it is to manage their estate through the Crestron system, the homeowners find that they have more time to relax, and much of this happens in their well-appointed master bedroom. Here, they can use the Crestron control app on an iPad to access video from a variety of different components (stored elsewhere in a equipment rack) to play on a 75-inch

Samsung 4K TV and Sonance in-ceiling stereo speakers. This could be anything from an Audrey Hepburn movie stored on two Kaleidescape M-class media servers, programs from two Apple TVs, sports from six cable boxes, or live video streams from the half-dozen surveillance cameras.

Top: These two TVs are just two of several in the sport's viewers media room (see the rest of the media room pictured above).

Right: A Crestron matrix switcher (tucked into an equipment rack with other smart home components) gives each TV access to several different components, allowing the homeowners to watch four different sporting events at the same time.

Another favorite spot of the homeowners’ to settle in for a show is their 15-by-25-foot media room. Here, a multi-display video wall comprised of four 55-inch TVs and a Crestron matrix switcher, caters to the homeowners’ love of sports by enabling each of the four TVs to display a different broadcast. “He can watch four different sporting events in this room, and there


SMART HOME GALLERY are two more displays in the adjacent bar area. The biggest challenge isn’t controlling it. It’s figuring out what to watch,” says Dim.

And it’s not just the bedroom and home theater that are blessed with outstanding entertainment options.

Thanks to a Crestron multi-room A/V system, sources from a hidden centralized rack in the basement can go to any of 23 Samsung 4K TVs or more than 70 speakers throughout the home. When the speakers aren’t playing the audio to complement the chosen video, they are usually pumping out music from an Autonomic Controls MMS-

5A music server (a Crestron Sonnex digital audio distribution system directs the audio traffic). The tunes extend into the yard, where 10 Sonance landscape speakers and two in-ground subwoofers leave no area untouched.

Complementing both the indoor and outdoor music are elegant lighting effects. To make it a cinch for the homeowners to set the lights—both indoors and outdoors—for any mood, situation, or occasion, the Casaplex team integrated a Lutron HomeWorks QS lighting control system with the Crestron PRO3 home automation system. The tie between the two systems means that from any Crestron interface the homeowners can control over

280 lighting loads. And thanks to the custom programming of the HomeWorks

QS system by Casaplex, the homeowners can activate special lighting scenes, sweep through the entire house to turn off the lights before bedtime, or operate lights individually. While they’re at it, they can monitor and adjust the temperature in four heating/cooling zones, operate the swimming pool and spa, unlock and lock a gate at the entrance to the property (when the gate intercom button is pressed, a nearby IP camera view pops up on the screen), and manage a 150zone GE Concord alarm system. For even greater peace of mind that their home is secure, Crestron RavaSIP technology lets them access and manage all of the electronic systems in the home remotely.

Of course, with a system this massive and all-encompassing, there are bound to be a few homeowner questions. For these clients, Casaplex customized a support portal ticketing system within the interface to allow them to enter tickets or simply communicate 24/7 with the support team in case there are any issues.

“In the end, this might seem like a pretty standard home automation system. It’s the type of system that integrators do every day,” says Dim. “However, the fact that the property is totally manageable despite grand-scale electronics is what makes it unique. Now the clients can enjoy their large estate to its fullest, thanks to the conveniences and entertainment that the smart home provides.” EH

THE PLAYERS

S ystems Design & Installation

Casaplex, Kensington, Md., casaplex.com

I nterior Designer Sroka Design

Incorporated, Washington, D.C., srokadesign.com

B uilder Kandel Construction

Group, Potomac, Md., www.kandelconstruction.com

EQUIPMENT

Home Automation: Crestron

Lighting Control: Lutron

M ulti-room Audio/Video System:

Crestron

Flat Panel TVs: Samsung

Loudspeakers: Sonance

A /V Sources: Autonomic Controls,

Kaleidescape, Apple TV

Smart Thermostats: Crestron

Security System: GE

Surveillance Cameras: Axis

Networking: Cisco, Ubiquiti

Intercom: Holovision

THE SCOREBOARD Innovation 777 77 Aesthetics 7777 7

Customization 7777 7 Cool Factor 777 77 Affordability 777 77

KRISSY RUSHING is an A/V publishing industry veteran whose experience spans more 15 years. From her early days as executive editor of Home Theater magazine, Ultimate AV , and Audio Video Interiors , to her more recent work as a freelance writer,

Krissy specializes in making technology understandable to anyone.


SMART TV

Get in the

GAME!

A Gamer’s Guide to Smart TVs: features, technologies, and innovation to look for. BY DENNIS BURGER

THINGS WERE SIMPLER 30 years ago. Back then, any article that included the words “gaming” and “television” in its headline would most likely have been a two paragraph blurb about which was better: your Nintendo Entertainment System’s RF adapter output or those fancy looking new RCA video connections. And the question of how to choose the best display for video gaming was easy to answer: Go for the big color TV in the den.

Needless to say, things are a bit more complicated for today’s gamers. While the denizens of the PC

Master Race have their pick of all sorts of specialized monitors—professional models, models designed specifically for photo editing and, yes, monitors aimed squarely at the hair-trigger needs of hardcore gamers—big-screen console video gamers don’t have it quite so easy. The quest for the perfect gaming TV can be downright epic, and as perilous as any of the dankest dungeons in Dark Souls II.


SMART TV

Lag Kills

If you ask most hardcore gamers, the one TV specification they care about most is input lag. What, exactly, is input lag? Simply put, it’s the amount of time it takes for an incoming digital video signal to pass through all of a television’s video processing and actually appear on the screen. Of course, there are all sorts of other delays that fall under the heading of "input lag": the amount of time that passes between pressing a button on a wireless controller and the acknowledgment of that signal by the gaming console; the time it takes for the game to respond to that button press; and the time it takes for the outgoing A/V signal to pass from the console through a surround-sound receiver and onto the HDMI input of your TV.

But the TV itself can often be the worst offender in the signal chain these days. While many TVs boast input lag as little as 10 to 30 milliseconds (which is imperceptible to even the most competitive gamer), others create a video traffic jam of 110 milliseconds or more, which is enough lag to slow up even your father’s Frogger flow.

So, the solution is simple, right? If you’re serious about gaming, just shop for the TV with the lowest input lag. Not so fast, though. Scour the specification sheets of the TVs at your local big box store for input lag ratings, and you won’t find it. Amazing as it may seem, this is one aspect of a television’s performance that manufacturers simply don’t put in big bold stickers on the side of the box, leaving gamers at the mercy of reviewers or online databases to find the most lag-free TVs.

Less Is More, but Also Less

Even those numbers, though, don’t always paint a complete picture. Measuring and reporting the input lag of a TV isn’t always straightforward. If you find a TV with less than 30 milliseconds of input lag, chances are good that the measurement was done with the display in Game Mode, which isn’t the same as the Game picture preset you find on many displays (along with Movie, Dynamic, Sports, and Standard, etc.). Game

Mode is generally a wholly separate setting that turns off all, or almost all, of the TV’s picture processing. So in Game Mode, you won’t get Motion-Compensated Frame Interpolation (aka MotionFlow, Auto Motion

Plus, Clear Scan, or TruMotion), which is good, because these settings usually don’t play well with video games. But you’ll also lose a lot of the other video processing that makes modern TVs look so great: color processing, video scaling, and noise reduction, as well as advanced features like depth enhancement.

The other aspect to consider is that Game Mode tends to be buried deep in the menus of many new TVs, so if you use your display for movie- and TV-watching as much as you do for gaming, you’ll probably want to invest in a display that makes switching into and out of Game Mode quick and straightforward.

The good news is, with this year’s slate of Ultra HD displays, input lag is starting to trend in the downward direction, thanks to the higher frame rate capabilities afforded by HDMI 2.0. So, even if this generation of video game consoles doesn’t support 4K gaming, it may still make sense to save up your pennies for a UHD TV.


SMART TV

Does Any of This Matter for Casual Gamers?

Granted, most of the above advice is targeted at the hardcore gamer looking for every competitive advantage he or she can afford. But what if you’re a more casual player? What if you haven’t even snagged one of the latest-generation video game consoles yet? This doesn’t mean video games shouldn’t play any part in your TV purchasing decisions. In fact, with some of this year’s models, you don’t need a game console at all to enjoy a huge library of on-demand games. For example, Sony recently launched its PlayStation Now service, which is effectively Netflix for video games. It’s available on select 2014 and 2015 Sony TVs, as well as—oddly enough—select 2014 and 2015 Samsung Smart TVs. All you need is a subscription to the service and a

DualShock 4 controller to tap into an ever-expanding catalog of the best PlayStation 3 games. And since the games are rendered inside the TVs themselves, you won’t have to worry about input lag. The only lag you’ll have to worry about is that of your Internet and local home network. And that’s a subject of another article altogether. EH

DENNIS BURGER is editor in chief of HDLiving.com. He also contributes regularly to The Wirecutter , Home Theater Review , and

Residential Systems .


SMART HOME

1. Insteon Hub

2. On Controls Hub

3. Staples Connect

D-Link Hub

4. Lowe's Iris

Smart Hub

2

1

SMART HOME HUBS:

The brains of your home’s operation

4

Tips on finding the right hub for your house.

3

A SMART HOME SYSTEM TYPICALLY CONSISTS of several devices, including sensors, light switches, surveillance cameras, and more, which all speak to a central controller, or hub. To understand the role of a smart home hub, consider what happens with simpler, single-function approaches to smart home technology: For example, you might install an electronic lock on the front door and a smart thermostat on the wall in the hallway, each with its own complementary app that lets you control each device from a smartphone or tablet. Later, you might add a smart light switch, which is also able to be controlled from an app. As you add more smart devices to your home, jumping from one app to another can become a tedious exercise and affords none of the conveniences you’d expect from a smart home.

By tying all of these individual products to a central controller, though, you can automate the process so that unlocking the door signals the lights to turn on and the thermostat to adjust. A smart home hub also offers the benefit of managing the operation of all your smart devices all on its own. You can put down your smartphone and let the hub do the work. Based on parameters you (or your professional installer) specify,


SMART HOME schedules and settings can be programmed into the hub from a phone or computer. The hub then dispatches commands to the appropriate devices. A hub can also receive signals from connected smart devices (either wireless technology or physical cabling) and can react to these signals in a meaningful way. For example, when it receives a signal from a motion sensor, a smart home hub can respond by switching on a light and sending your smartphone a text message.

Wireless technology is a big trend in the smart home hub category. By employing any number of different wireless communications protocols, a smart home hub is able to send and receive signals to and from individual devices without needing to be physically connected to them. It all happens wirelessly, which makes these types of hubs easy to install and appealing to the DIY contingent of homeowners.

There are a number of wireless communications protocols, each with certain advantages and disadvantages (see the chart below). A smart home hub can employ one type of protocol or several. The more languages it can speak, the more versatile (and usually expensive) a hub becomes, as you’ll be able to mix and

WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS PROTOCOLS

NAME

Z-Wave

PROS

¡ Very low power; batteries can last a year or more

¡ Mesh networking

¡ Over 1,000 devices available

CONS

¡ ses different re uencies in different countries

¡ Can't handle video

ZigBee

Wi-Fi

¡

¡

Low power; battery power is possible

Mesh networking

Bluetooth ¡ Communicates directly with

433-Mhz

¡

¡ a smartphone without a controller

Low power with Bluetooth Low energy

Biggest signal range up to 600 eet indoors)

¡ igh bandwidth suitable or use with video cameras and audio

¡ Communicates directly with a smartphone or tablet without a controller

¡ Many different avors make compatibility challenging

¡ Not as many devices as Z-Wave

¡

Can't handle video

¡ More limited range

¡ Lacks the advantages o mesh networking

¡ Limited device availability

¡ Lacks the advantages o mesh networking

¡ Power hog and re uires AC adapters or other power schemes or devices

Cannot use batteries

¡

Lacks the advantages o mesh networking

The Technicalities of Smart Home Tech: The Wireless Protocols


SMART HOME match devices from various manufacturers, choosing the products you like best.

However, there is a benefit, beside lower cost, to using a hub that speaks a single language: mesh networking. Mesh networking is a feature of Z-Wave and ZigBee communications protocols, both of which were created specifically for smart home applications. In a mesh network, some devices (usually those that plug into an AC outlet) act as repeaters for the signals from other devices, creating better overall signal coverage and longer signal range. It’s important to know that a repeater only works for its own signal type.

For example, a Z-Wave repeater cannot extend ZigBee signals or vice-versa. So even if your smart home hub is capable of communicating via Z-Wave and ZigBee, there’s an advantage of sticking to a single wireless protocol for all of the sensors, switches, and other devices you add to your house. EH

DIY SMART HOME HUB MANUFACTURERS

There are a number o companies that offer DI smart home hubs, and the list keeps growing. Check these out be ore you invest, ensuring that the hub can support all the different types o products you d like to automate in your home.

Belkin WeMo www. eMo.com

iRule Automation System www.iruleathome.com

Fibaro Home Center2 www.fibaro.com

JDS Technologies

HomeRunner RBI www.jdstechnologies.com

Icontrol Networks Piper www.getpiper.com

Lowe’s Iris www.lowes.com iris

On Controls Hub www.oncontrols.com

Resolution Products Helix resolutionproducts.com

SmartThings Hub www.smartthings.com

Insteon Hub www.insteon.com

Nexia Home Intelligence www.nexiahome.com

Zonoff Staples Connect www.zonoff.com

www.staplesconnect.com


HOME ENERGY MANAGEMENT

The Energy

Detective system

WHOLE-HOUSE ENERGY MONITORS:

Calculating the Cost Savings

BY LINDSAY BULL

KNOWING HOW MUCH ENERGY you’re using in your home can be difficult. Often, you don’t have any idea how much juice your house is consuming until you get your utility bill at the end of the month, and the best thing you can do to improve is to make little adjustments to see if the next bill is lower. Obviously, conserving our planet’s resources is a top priority, but so is saving your hard-earned money, and there are plenty of variables to be tested when you’re trying to find the most efficient method for energy conservation and savings. This is why a whole-house energy monitor can be a good investment for carefully monitoring and maximizing the efficiency of your home’s energy usage.

Many whole-house energy monitors are capable of converting your energy usage directly into dollar amounts and some can even show you how much each of your appliances is costing you to run. Adjustments are easier to make when you know exactly where you can make them, and this type of technology can provide the information you need to do so. A whole-house energy monitor will provide you with feedback almost


HOME ENERGY MANAGEMENT instantly, allowing you to maximize your energy usage. Granted, you will still have to manually adjust your appliances in order to change their energy consumption, but at least you will know where to focus your attention.

There are a variety of different products on the market that offer the ability to track energy usage. Many are capable of telling you how many kilowatt hours an individual appliance is using, but this information is often hard to analyze, and can only be applied to one appliance at a time. Whole-house energy monitors typically attach to your home’s energy meter and can provide a much more dynamic form of information than can a simple monitor that’s plugged into an AC outlet.

So how much money can you expect to save? It’s hard to say exactly, but many companies boast a 15 percent savings within the first month. Depending on how closely you monitor the device, you could save even more. Depending on the size of your electric bill, a whole-house energy monitor that costs between

$200 and $1,000 could easily pay for itself within a year.

If you’re considering a whole-house energy monitor for your home, these options offer exceptional technology and advanced capabilities:

Energy Joule by Ambient Devices

Energy Joule by Ambient Devices

The concept behind the Energy Joule is simple—if you, as a homeowner, knew how much it cost to run certain appliances throughout the day, you’d know where and when to cut back. Each month, energy companies provide homeowners with information about kilowatt hours and usage. This information can be hard to understand, making it virtually useless to the average homeowner. The Energy Joule translates this data into meaningful, understandable metrics so homeowners are able to make an informed decision when it comes to energy usage. In fact, Ambient Devices has taken an extra step to simplify the data with a color indicator on the back of the display, which shows green or red to reflect when energy costs are at a low or high, making it easy to identify the best times to consume power. The ultimate goal of the Energy

Joule is to inspire homeowners to run their appliances at the optimal energy-wise times. www.ambientdevices.com


HOME ENERGY MANAGEMENT

The TED Commander calendar

The Energy Detective (TED)

The Energy Detective is the oldest energy monitoring company around, having been established in 2001, and experience definitely shows. With the ability to collect information about each of your home’s appliances and deliver it in terms that are easy to understand, The Energy Detective is worth the investment. For example, the refrigerator compressor has just turned on. Using a TED device, you can quickly see how much money it’s costing to run in realtime and compare it to how much money it cost to run the refrigerator yesterday, last week, or even last month. With TED, making a better-informed decision on energy savings becomes possible and simple. www.theenergydetective.com

Power Wise Systems

Geared more toward the energy management of commercial buildings, Power

Wise Systems offers a great solution for tracking energy consumption. The system’s user interface delivers comprehensive feedback about energy usage that is organized in charts and graphs. Power Wise products are also capable of metering the use of water, oil, and natural gas/propane. www.powerwisesystems.com

PowerCost Monitor by Blue Line Innovations Inc.

Blue Line Innovations Inc.’s PowerCost Monitor provides real-time data about energy usage in homes and businesses. Access to the information is securely available from an iPhone, where you can view real-time as well has historical energy-usage data. Charts and graphs display all the information, providing

PowerCost Monitor by

Blue Line Innovations


HOME ENERGY MANAGEMENT hints on how to minimize your household energy consumption. DIYers will love the fact that Blue Line

Innovations series of energy management products are designed to be installed by homeowners. www.bluelineinnovations.com

When it comes to smart energy usage, there’s really no better way to accomplish it than by having a whole-house energy monitor installed. While electric companies continue to jack up the prices on utilities, many homeowners don’t know just how much they’re using until it’s too late. Information is power, and whole-house energy monitors are the best way to stay informed. Whether you’re trying to save money or the environment, or just want to know how much your electric bill is going to be before it shows up in your mailbox, a whole-house energy monitor is definitely the type of investment homeowners should be considering. EH

LINDSAY BULL is the marketing coordinator at Vantage Controls, where she writes SEO web content, blog posts, and print copy. She has a bachelor's degree in English from Utah Valley University.


NEW ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS & SYSTEMS

6

TOP PRODUCTS FOR

YOUR SMART HOUSE

SONOS PLAY:5 WIRELESS SPEAKER

The newest in the lineup of speakers from Sonos is the wireless

Play:5. These speakers crank mids and lows via three mid-woofers with six synchronized, custom-designed drivers, while another three tweeters handle the highs. Promising a wide soundstage, the Play:5 can be used alone in a horizontal orientation or can be paired to produce true stereo sound.

Available in matte white and black, the Play:5 will be one of the first Sonos speakers to eature a new speaker-tuning so tware called Trueplay. This allows you to tweak the sound based on your room and whatever is in it.

Trueplay uses the Sonos app, the microphone on an iPhone or iPad, and a special tone emitted by your

Sonos speakers. The app analyzes how the sound re ects off walls, urniture, glass, and other sur aces and adjusts the sound of the speakers accordingly.

The Play 5 also boasts better wireless per ormance and new touch controls or ipping through tracks, as well as playing, pausing, and cranking up (or down) the volume. And like all Sonos speakers, the Play:5 will work with other speakers in the company’s lineup.

In addition to the Play:5, Trueplay will be also be available on Play:1 and Play:3 Sonos speakers, as well as iOS controllers. The company plans to add it to other Sonos speakers in the near future.

MSRP: $499

NYRIUS SMART LED LIGHT BULBS

A few months ago, Nyrius introduced a Smart Outlet that uses wireless Bluetooth technology. Now, the company has another bright idea: Smart LED Light Bulbs. Like the Smart Outlet, Nyrius Smart LED

Light Bulbs use Bluetooth 4.0 technology. This means you can control the bulbs wirelessly, but only bulbs in the same room as you.

Designed to screw into most existing light sockets, a bulb can be paired with any smartphone or tablet in seconds via Bluetooth.

However, Nyrius also has iOS and Android apps, so you can tweak color options, set daily lighting schedules, sync bulbs with music, set the lights to deliver a wake-up call, and much more. The app can even group up to eight Nyrius Smart LED Light Bulbs so you can


NEW PRODUCTS control multiple lights with one click. There s even an option to have the lights ash green when there s an incoming phone call.

Being able to set schedules doesn’t just mean that you’ll never have to walk into a dark house. It can also save you a few bucks on your energy bill, if you have someone at home who is constantly leaving the lights on.

Also, scheduling lights to go on and off at certain times o the day can deter the t, because it always looks as i someone is home even when youre out o town.

MSRP: $39.99 each

LENNOX WI-FI THERMOSTAT

If you love your tablet, the Lennox iComfort S30 may be the perfect smart thermostat for you. This Wi-Fi thermostat looks a lot like a tablet, combining temperature tweaks with a beautiful, big screen that displays all sorts of things, including the current temperature of the house, as well as your local 7-day weather forecast. It even has animated screensavers that are designed to match outdoor conditions.

Besides looking pretty, the iComfort S30 is a smart thermostat, so it should be able to save you a few bucks on your monthly bills. For instance, it has a Smart Away mode that can detect when you’re home or away, based on the GPS on your smartphone. If the iComfort S30 senses you’re away, it will go into an energy-saving mode and ip back to your avorite set temperature when you re almost home.

It even has a Feels Like temperature setting that takes indoor and outdoor temperatures and humidity into account to make the home feel its most comfortable. In other words, you can set the desired temperature to 72 degrees and the iComfort S30 will make it feel like that year-round.

Of course, because this is a Wi-Fi thermostat, you can monitor and adjust temperature settings from inside or outside the house via most iOS and Android devices. Other features include scheduling, pollen and air quality monitoring, moisture control, diagnostics to predict potential problems, and a 7-inch highdefinition color touchscreen.

MSRP: Contact a Lennox dealer

GENIE SMART GARAGE DOOR OPENER

Instead of worrying about whether or not you left the garage door opened for unwelcome guests, Genie wants to make all of your high-tech wishes come true with the new Aladdin Connect.

Designed for smart houses in need of smart garages, the Aladdin Connect allows you to check the status of the garage door from anywhere in the world. Even better, it can provide access to that door so you can open or close it from almost any smart device.

This garage door controller features a Wi-Fi-enabled control module with the SimpleLink Wi-Fi CC3200 wireless MCU from


NEW PRODUCTS

Texas Instruments (TI). It can be used with or in place of the opener’s standard wall console. In addition to the door control module, the setup includes a door position sensor that attaches to the garage door. The sensor can detect the position of the door and relay that message to the module.

The Genie Aladdin Connect, which works with a wide range of garage door openers, comes with one sensor, but you can purchase additional sensors to monitor up to three doors.

In addition to audible and visual notifications, the L 325-compliant system can deliver alerts when there’s a change in the garage door’s status. Genie plans to add a scheduling option in the near future.

MSRP: N/A

APPLE SIRI VOICE CONTROL FOR NEW APPLE TV

As i you needed another reason to yell at the TV Siri is going to be part of the new Apple TV.

The all-new Apple TV will include all of the apps you enjoyed on the old Apple TV. However, the new model allows you to navigate through those selections by using your voice and the

Siri Remote. This system uses Apple’s popular voice assistant to search TV shows and movies across iTunes and popular apps, by title, genre, cast, crew, rating, or popularity. All you have to say is

“Show me Game of Thrones” or “Find me movies with Brad Pitt.”

Siri can even put sports, stock, and weather information right on the screen.

In addition to the voice capabilities, the remote includes a glass touch surface, a built-in accelerometer, and a gyroscope, so you can select, scroll, and navigate through content with ease. The compact set-top box also features the new tvOS operating system, which is based on Apple’s iOS. Most likely, this means that at some point, we should expect to see tons o new apps and games specifically designed or the

Apple TV. Each one of those will be available through the new Apple TV App Store.

Other features include the new Apple-designed A8 chip, Metal technology for more detailed graphics, and a new Game Center.

MSRP: $149 for 32GB model; $199 for 64GB model

KWIKSET SMART Z-WAVE-ENABLED DOOR LOCKS

Looking to add a little extra security to your front door? Consider something like a deadbolt. Of course, you may not want to add another key to that already crowded pocket. Thankfully, Kwikset just started shipping its Signature Series smart locks.

The Signature Series is a new lineup of deadbolt locks embedded with Home Connect technology. This enables you to access and control these smart locks via Z-Wave communications from almost anywhere by using a smartphone or tablet.

Just know that to use the Z-Wave and other high-tech perks,


NEW PRODUCTS you will need to pair this lock with a third-party Z-Wave hub or controller. This connection will also allow you to sync the lock with other smart devices in the home. Once connected, you can check in on the door status and even receive alerts via email or text.

Other features include SmartKey re-key technology so you can re-key the lock without having to remove it from the door, BumpGuard technology to prevent lock bumping, and full 128-bit encryption security.

The Signature Series smart locks are also easy to install. Designed to replace existing door hardware, all you need is a screwdriver and four AA batteries. No wiring is required and the batteries should last for about one year.

The locks are available in a traditional round style and a contemporary square model in brass (traditional only , nickel, and bronze finishes.

MSRP: Starting at $149


EXPERT

BY KEVIN LOTTO

COMMENTARY

Don’t be Blinded by the Possibilities

With all the advances in home automation, it’s tempting to take them too far. Here’s why restraint is a far more useful tool.

REMEMBER THE SCENE from Back to the Future where Doc Brown has set up an automated breakfast maker that consists of clocks, robotic arms, and typical household appliances? What a way to simplify life: wake up in the morning and breakfast is already made, even for the dog! But then we see the downside: Doc was away, but the timer on the system didn’t know that, so it ran through its routine like it was programmed to do. We see toast burning, coffee being poured out of the maker, and dog food piling up. What a mess. Seems like things were a bit too automated.

It’s easy to get caught in the automation trap. Our clients (homeowners) regularly ask us if an action-based object (like lighting or shades) can be triggered by a clock or motion. They might ask, for example, to have the shades lower every time they turn on the TV, and rise back up when they turn it off. They’d like a sound to be played through the home’s audio system when a delivery truck arrives, and a different sound to be played when it leaves. Each of these ideas can be implemented, but evaluation of each possible scenario is key.

As an integrator of technology, the temptation is constantly there: If you have two devices that can “talk” to each other, why not hear what they have to say? If the system has a motion sensor, why not have it trigger the system to turn on the home theater equipment? If a weather app predicts warm weather, why not have the thermostats adjust accordingly? This all sounds convenient and cool, but it’s important to take a step back and think about the potential consequences of “over automation.” Such as:

¡ Is having the feature more important than having a robust and serviceable system?

¡ Will the environment be dynamic? Temperatures fluctuate, pets move around, and light conditions change. These variables could cause unexpected results.

¡ Should the automation routines happen every time?

¡ Will people unfamiliar with the system—such as visitors and guests—be unpleasantly surprised by the action?

Even having control over certain actions when away from home can cause undesired results. It may seem like a good idea to be able to turn on the fireplace when you aren’t home so that you can impress your house sitter. But if you aren’t there in person, can you be sure that the flue is open? Or that Fluffy the cat didn’t decide to take a nap in the fireplace? These are potentially hazardous consequences and significant liabilities.


EXPERT COMMENTARY

In other words, just because you can accomplish something, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily a good idea. To paraphrase the brilliant Dr. Ian Malcom in Jurassic Park: Your integrators were so preoccupied with whether or not they could do something that they didn’t stop to think if they should.

As integrators, we must be consultative, consider the request, and evaluate the possibilities and consequences. It’s in everyone’s best interest to let homeowners know that their requests have the potential to cause harm or unreliable results, and to have an alternative plan at the ready.

It’s also very important to provide a method for the homeowner to turn a feature off. For instance, if an outdoor motion detector is used to turn on some lights, make sure that the homeowner has the ability to override that feature when it’s raining or windy outside. Otherwise, the lights may turn on and off constantly, keeping the whole family awake.

Still, it’s nearly impossible to anticipate every scenario. That’s why the best integrators will allow extra time in the project to verify their implementation even after the homeowners have started using the system.

This ensures that homeowners learn how they live and interact with the systems, allowing home systems integrators to create the best possible experience.

The bottom line? Automated systems can be transformational, certainly, but only when done thoughtfully, reliably, and with as much foresight as possible. EH

KEVIN LOTTO is director of Smart Home Projects at OneVision Resources, a consumer services firm based in Boston, Mass., that specializes in designing, installing, and servicing technology for the modern family.


FEATURED INSTALLERS

Featured custom electronics installers who provide infrastructure wiring, lighting systems, security, home automation, a/v systems and more. For more professional installers in your area, go to the Find Installers website.

ALABAMA

Interscapes

4740 Woodmere Blvd.

Montgomery, AL 36106

334-395-6555 bholt@interscapesonline.com

www.Interscapesonline.com

Sound Advice

4008 N. Federal Hwy

Ft Lauderdale, FL 33308

954-526-8458 ajstockton@soundadvice.com

www.soundadvice.com

ARIZONA

LMC Home Entertainment

15507 N Scottsdale Rd., #135

Scottsdale, AZ 85254

480-616-2043 mike@lmche.com

www.lmche.com

GEORGIA

Atlanta Audio & Automation

631 Miami Circle STE 15

Atlanta, GA 30324

770-977-9110 cheryl@atlantaaudio.com

www.atlantaaudio.com

CALIFORNIA

Modern Home Systems

7007 Carroll Rd.

San Diego, CA 92121

858-554-0404 danielle@modernhomesystems.com

www.modernhomesystems.com

ILLINOIS

Audio Video Interiors of Chicago

1 S 550 Route 83 Unit C

Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

630-425-4893 noah@myavsource.com

www.myavsource.com

Monaco Audio Video

350 S Lake Ave #112

Pasedena, CA 91101

626-460-1842 larryw@monacoav.com

www.monacoav.com

MASSACHUSETTS

Creative Entertainment

Systems, Inc.

Berkley, MA 02779

508-824-0212, Fax: 508-824-0212 info@cesberkley.com

www.cesberkley.com

Music Lovers Audio & Video

2116 Blake St.

Berkeley, CA 94704

510-671-1293

Info@musicloversaudio.com

www.musicloversaudio.com

Shelley's Stereo Video Center

22102 Clarendon Street

Woodland Hills, CA 91367

818-798-3469 shelleysstereo@sbcglobal.net

www.shelleysstereo.com

Crown Consulting Firm

7025 CR 46A Ste. 1021

Lake Mary, FL 32776

407-333-4621 nael@crownaudio.net

www.crownaudio.net

Q Audio

5 Brookline St.

Cambridge, MA 02139

617-702-4256 info@qaudio.com

www.qaudio.com

MISSOURI

The Sound Room

18167 Edison Ace. Unit G&H

Chesterfield, MO 63005

636-875-7869 info@thesoundroom.com

www.thesoundroom.com

FLORIDA

Behrens Audio-Video

6711 Beach Blvd.

Jacksonville, FL 32216

904-721-1860, Fax: 904-724-6287 bill@behrensav.com

www.behrensav.com

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Audio Video Therapy

216 Daniel Webster Highway

Nashua, NH 03060

978-226-1760 john@avtherapy.net

www.avtherapy.net

NEW JERSEY

Sawyers Control Systems

133 County Rd. 513

Frenchtown, NJ 08825

908-996-6903, Fax: 908-996-6958 tcallahan@sawyerscontrols.com

www.sawyerscontrols.com

NEW YORK

Premier Audio Video Designs

16 McDougal Dr.

N. White Plains, NY 10603

914-509-5360 damondg@premieravdesigns.com

www.premieravdesigns.com

PENNSYLVANIA

Current Concepts—

Home Automation Specialists

4610 Pleasant View Dr.

Coopersburg, PA 18036

610-791-4458, Fax: 610-791-6539 glen@cchas.com

www.currentconceptshas.com

Rowe Photo Video and Audio

1737 Mt. Hope

Rochester, NY 14620

347-915-7821 rowefoto@rochester.rr.com

www.rowephoto.com

Kozi Media Design, Inc.

201 Penn Center Blvd. Ste. 400

Pittsburgh, PA 15235

877-746-5694, Fax: 724-334-4696 info@kozimediadesign.com

www.kozimediadesign.com

Stereo Exchange

627 Broadway

New York, NY 10012

347-915-7821 audiodw49@aol.com

www.stereoexchange.com

TENNESSEE

Phoenix Unequaled Home

Entertainment

6949 Appling Farms Parkway,

Ste. #101

Memphis, TN 38133

901-624-0940 info@pccmem.com

www.pccmem.com

NORTH CAROLINA

Audio Advice

8621 Glenwood Ave.

Raleigh, NC 27617

919-351-2931 leon.shaw@audioadvice.com

www.audioadvice.com

Convergence Technologies

207-A West Hanover Rd.

Graham, NC 27302

919-568-8095, Fax: 919-869-2160 brian@rgcontech.com

www.convergence-technologies.

com

Signature Home Theater

6911 FM 1960 W

Houston, TX 77069

281-720-7531 kylie@sigtheater.com

www.sigtheater.com

OHIO

Jamiesons' Audio/Video

5421 Monroe St.

Toledo, OH 43623

419-491-4929 david@jamiesonsaudiovideo.com

www.jamiesonsaudiovideo.com

Sound & Vision

750 Howe Ave.

Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221

330-790-5335 mike5146@aol.com

www.soundandvisionohio.com

TEXAS

Home Theater Technologies

6100 Colleyville Blvd. Ste. 140

Colleyville, TX 76034

817-631-3819 pscott@homewiresolutions.com

www.homewiresolutions.com

UTAH

AVWORX

1090 Cambridge Circle

Layton, UT 84040

801-317-8832

Sales@avworx.net

www.avworx.net

VIRGINIA

IQ Home Entertainment

10890 Fairfax Blvd

Fairfax, VA 22030

703-543-9736 info@iq-av.com

www.iq-av.com

OREGON

Fred's Sound of Music

3760 Se Hawthorne Blvd

Portland, OR 97214

503-912-8648 stevel@fredsoundofmusic.com

www.fredsoundofmusic.com

WISCONSIN

Suess Electronics

2520 W. Wisconsin Ave.

Appleton, WI 54914

920-215-1399 tim@suess.com

www.suesselectronics.com

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HOME AUDIO - Electronic House

HOME

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SPECIAL

WHOLE-HOUSE

MUSIC SYSTEMS:

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FOOTBALL LEGEND AHMAD

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SMART LIGHTING TIPS FOR EVERY ROOM

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CONTENTS

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NEW PRODUCTS & SYSTEMS

IN EVERY ISSUE

EDITOR'S NOTE

Music to Your Ears

Listen to Your Speakers

In A New Way

Wi-Fi Streaming Audio

Makes a House a Home

Wireless Freedom. Paradigm Performance.

A Better Audio Experience.

SMART

LIGHTING TIPS:

Room by

Room

Transform the look of every room of your house with these time-tested lighting tricks. BY LISA MONTGOMERY

Happiness is…

A comfortable, energy-efficient home.

Peace of Mind

Give Your Home Theater a Sonic Edge

9 Things You Need to Know About Acoustical Treatments.

BY KRISSY RUSHING

THE BEST HOME PROTECTION:

Professional Monitoring or Self-Monitoring?

Remote monitoring technology brings (sometimes free) peace of mind to busy homeowners, but is it worth the savings?

BY LISA MONTGOMERY

POPULAR REMOTE

MONITORING

SCENARIOS

THE CAR-TO-HOME CONNECTION

FALSE ALARM CRACKDOWNS: ONE MORE REASON TO KEEP YOUR

PROFESSIONAL MONITORING CONTRACT

CALL FOR ENTRIES

Electronic House magazine is now accepting entries in its

2016 Products of the Year Awards, which recognize the best technologies, products and services for today’s Electronic House.

Submit your entry today at ehawards.ehpub.com

Audio

Home Control/Automation

Home Theater

Lighting

Security

Video

Hardwired vs Wireless

Whole-House Music Systems

Autonomic Controls and Sonos s uare off in a debate over which solution is best for homeowners.

HARDWIRED WHOLE-HOUSE MUSIC SYSTEMS RULE

By Michael de Nigris, CEO, Autonomic Controls

WIRELESS WHOLE-HOUSE MUSIC SYSTEMS

ARE THE BEST SOLUTION

By Kostas Reissis, Director of AV and Specialty Sales, Sonos

Whole-House Audio:

Features that Matter Most

BY BRETT STOKKE, Director of Communications, RTI

Whole-House

Audio System Showcase

Wireless, hardwired, DIY, or professionally installed? All of the options for spreading music housewide are highlighted here.

SMART HOME GALLERY

Ahmad Rashad

Reconnects with Vinyl