Essential Install November 2022

EI Has been thinking this month about the power of new experiences. The last few years through necessity, and up to a degree habit, has perhaps made us less inclined to travel and seek out new experiences and face to face encounters. Now, there is certainly an argument for reducing travel for business and pleasure to help reduce emissions and before COVID there was certainly some travel that could easily have been swapped for some form of other communication in EI’s world. It is true that many of us have assessed our travel habits and replaced some of the unneeded journeys with other forms of communication. This, to some degree, has been a boon for our industry as homeowners and businesses have sought to either improve in-home entertainment and communications or as businesses have sought to keep up with evolving working practices. This is happening across many sectors. EI was recently informed by a leading ‘high-street’ bank, that despite closing many of its branches it had in fact taken on more staff (not let people go) as a revolution in home video banking is coming. Lets see if that in truth does materialise, but it is likely that more and more businesses will follow this model, it costs less and is more efficient in some ways - and of course cuts down on travel.

All of this had EI thinking about how to decide when it’s a good idea for a face to face and when is it not needed? Looking around the internet there is plenty of advice and models that individuals can use to gauge this, some useful, some not so much. Its one of those things that there is no easy one-size-fits-all sort of scenario for. Apart from the obvious stuff like travelling to site for work, performing demos for clients and the like, it’s really only specific groups of people or individuals in a given situation who can make that judgement effectively. We use our experience and judgment to make those calls, and really no outside help with substitute will ever trump that.

Having said all of that, there is always the joy of taking a punt on something and being pleasantly surprised at the result, ‘We don’t know what we don’t know’ as the saying goes, and new experiences, new people and new places stimulate and educate in a way that staying in familiar surroundings never can.

A fine example of this was the visit EI paid to Barco HQ recently (read all about it in this issue on page 44). Having written about the company extensively, EI felt knowledge about the brand was pretty high, so whilst delighted to be invited to the company to take a look around, how much more could really be learnt? well it turns out, a whole lot! Thinking hard about when and why we travel is now just a part of modern life, but its also great to meet face to face, its how we grow and learn.

GETTING IN TOUCH

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Daniel J Sait, dan@allthingsmedialtd.com

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Beatrice Lee, beatrice@allthingsmedialtd.com

SALES DIRECTOR

Ian Kitchener, ian@allthingsmedialtd.com

GROUP AD MANAGER

Claire Talty, claire@allthingsmedialtd.com

PUBLISHER

David Kitchener, david@allthingsmedialtd.com

STUDIO MANAGER

Mark Weller, mark@allthingsmedialtd.com ACCOUNTS susan@allthingsmedialtd.com

Essential

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BRING SPATIAL AUDIO

As major streaming services race to promote spatial audio and livestreamed concerts and festivals, L-Acoustics Creations offers immersive sound spaces and high-performance sound systems ideally suited to these exciting formats. AV professionals know that content is only as impactful as the technology used to play it. Designed by L-Acoustics, the world leader in premium professional audio, Island Prestige provides an unrivaled 360° spatialized experience. With a visionary plugand-play acoustic design, Island Prestige immerses the listener in music, movies, or gaming in luxurious comfort and style. Visit l-acoustics-creations.com to learn more or book an appointment in London, Paris, or Los Angeles.

ISLAND

ASSA ABLOY GROUP ACQUIRES BIRD HOME AUTOMATION GMBH (DOORBIRD)

The ASSA ABLOY Group, the global operator in access solutions, has acquired 100% of the shares in Bird Home Automation GmbH. The aim is to further expand and scale the business in the coming years with view of changing market requirements.

Sascha Keller, CEO of Bird Home Automation, commented, “Having founded DoorBird in 2014 and continuously developed it since then, we have

had an incredible journey and built a very successful business. To continue to grow and scale the company, we concluded that it was time to find a new owner to take the company forward and help it thrive in the years to come. ASSA ABLOY emerged as the best candidate to acquire DoorBird. They bring a wealth of technology, resources and capabilities to support the continued success of our business.”

“I look forward to welcoming DoorBird and its employees into the ASSA ABLOY Group. DoorBird is a strategic technological addition to the ASSA ABLOY Group and will reinforce our offering with IP door intercom and provide complementary growth opportunities,” said Nico Delvaux, President and CEO of ASSA ABLOY.

ASSA ABLOY stated it has the size and scale to further invest in the relevant market sector and further expand the DoorBird brand as part of its smart home and access control offering.

Bird Home Automation develops and manufactures high-quality IP-based video door intercoms, access control devices, indoor stations, and accessories under the trademark ‘DoorBird’. The company’s headquarters and production plant are in Berlin, Germany, with a sales office in San Francisco (CA) and Jacksonville (FL).

Being part of the ASSA ABLOY Group offers both companies the opportunity to better serve their customers and develop new opportunities for the future through the complementary capabilities of both companies.

ASSA ABLOY Group assaabloy.com

KNX UK - PARTNERING WITH FUTUREBUILD TO TAKE A STAND FOR FREEDOM OF CHOICE

KNX UK’s Freedom Of Choice campaign aims to educate specifiers on how KNX takes personalisation and flexibility to the next level to provide a future-proof solution.

“You don’t have to limit yourself to one solution if you want to benefit from all the new technological developments that will enable you to optimise automation and sustainability,” commented Paul Foulkes, KNX Business Manager for Theben UK and Co-Chair of the KNX UK Association.

“We’re delighted to be partnering with Futurebuild to highlight some of the key issues of proprietary building automation and raise awareness of the freedom that comes with an open protocol system to help us achieve a sustainable future.”

Futurebuild is a premier event for the built environment industry, taking place March 2023.

Considered an ‘industry stage’ among industry professionals, the show cultivates collaboration and knowledge sharing. KNX UK is partnering with Futurebuild to take a stand for Freedom of Choice.

Futurebuild’s mission is to build a better future for the built environment by showcasing innovative solutions to the challenges faced by the industry. This year the show mission is to help propel the industry

towards a more sustainable future, driving sustainable construction to help reach the goal of net zero.

As the UK organisation representing professionals who work with the KNX open protocol, KNX UK enables specifiers and end users to enjoy futureproofed smart building technology and powerful commercial BMS, with over 8,000 products to choose from over 500 manufacturers and with over 100,000 certified Integrators worldwide.

The KNX UK Freedom of Choice campaign kicked off on 13 October with a webinar entitled ‘The language of the free and future-proof smart building controls’ in conjunction with Futurebuild.

This webinar covered: An overview of what KNX is and how it works; freedom of products through interoperability; supply chain resiliency; freedom of design; design led solutions; freedom for the future; sustainable technology and system security.

Futurebuild futurebuild.co.uk

A new event for the built environment industry is coming in March 2023

Movement in the world of high-quality home security and comms

Gira, one of the world’s leading full-range suppliers of intelligent system solutions for building management, exhibited at Light + Building Autumn Edition 2022: the trade fair for lighting and building services technology.

Light + Building Autumn Edition 2022 took place on 2-6 October at the Frankfurt am Main Exhibition Centre in Germany. The show concentrated on intelligent, futurefocussed solutions and current design

trends – very much in keeping with the Gira philosophy.

Gira aims to be a pioneer in smart home technologies and set global trends. Creating and implementing innovative systems so that complex tasks can be managed simply is an integral part of the brand’s ethos. Following extensive product development, Gira debuted its ‘Smart Home. Smart Building. Smart Life’ collection in the Gira Cube, Hall 11.1, Stand B16.

Visitors got to browse its latest products and services in an impressive 1383 m² dedicated area, in partnership with its UK arm, the Wandsworth Group. In addition, Gira offered its thought leadership and commentary in an exclusive lecture programme at the show.

Light + Building Autumn Edition 2022 saw Gira unveil a host of intelligent solutions including the brand new Gira One high-performance Smart Home system. The future-proof Gira One allows everything to be sourced from a single supplier, making installation easy, and enables hassle-free KNX programming using the Gira Project Assistant app so that electricians no longer need to use ETS software.

Another hero product is the new Gira IP flush mounted radio which tunes into internet radio stations from all over the world for end users to enjoy in every room, including the high-traffic family bathroom, for the ultimate in connected home entertainment.

Gira gira.com

IN NEWLY FORMED ‘GLOBAL MOUNTS GROUP’

Neomounts, known for its wide range of mounting products for AV and IT hardware, and pro AV-mounting specialist B-Tech AV Mounts, have joined forces. Together, the parties aim to accelerate growth by further strengthening international markets and creating synergies. The newly formed Global Mounts Group is an all-round mounting specialist, with an extensive portfolio and worldwide distribution. By sharing and further developing expertise, together the two companies claim they will become the strongest partner in AV and IT mounting systems. Both Neomounts and B-Tech will continue to operate independently under their own brand, identity, and management.

Neomounts is a growing presence, primarily in IT but also in AV markets, active in both B2B and B2C channels. B-Tech’s speciality is in professional AV, where it has grown to be one of the top mounting brands in this field. When it comes to geographical distribution, the two companies also complement each other. Neomounts’ focus is on Europe whilst B-Tech has built a strong network and reputation throughout EMEA, Asia and more recently in North America. As part of Global Mounts Group, the companies can share each other’s distribution networks and strengthen their global presence. Integrated warehouses will help secure availability and optimise logistics. In addition, the combination will gain greater financial strength to meet the further growth ambitions of both companies.

Neomounts Managing Director Dick van Baarlen will lead Global Mounts Group as CEO, he

commented, “Both Neomounts and B-Tech are growing and making significant progress. The companies complement each other seamlessly on crucial themes. Together we are even more powerful, especially when it comes to product development, our supply chains and geographical expansion. That is what will make Global Mounts Group a major player in the international mounting market.”

Matt Bennett, Managing Director of B-Tech added, “Two are stronger than one. Our companies

know their markets and together we can continue to do what we do best – and more. With more financial power, Global Mounts Group provides the perfect foundation for further growth. Not only in distribution and cost-effectiveness, but also in innovation. A true win-win solution for both brands, as well as our distribution partners.”

Neomounts neomounts.com

All

Neomounts Managing Director Dick van Baarlen and Matt Bennett, Managing Director of B-Tech

CEDIA celebrated the work of its members by announcing the winners of the 2022 EMEA Awards during a black-tie ceremony at The Brewery, London.

Almost 400 industry professionals joined CEDIA for its 17th awards event, with attendees coming from countries including Belgium, India, Pakistan, Cyprus, Germany, France, South Africa, the USA, and the UK.

The evening began with a pre-dinner drinks reception in the King George III room, which was sponsored by Meridian Audio. Guests were then welcomed to their tables by Rob Sutherland, CEDIA Board of Directors Past Chair, and enjoyed a three-course dinner in The Porter Tun, one of the largest and oldest unobstructed event spaces in London. Following an address from CEDIA Global President and CEO, Daryl Friedman, the awards ceremony got underway, with Matt Nimmons, Managing Director of CEDIA EMEA announcing the winners alongside the event sponsors.

UK members, Intuitive Homes and Ultamation were the success story of the night, walking away with a total of four awards for the Cooper House installation. Homeplay and Cinema Lusso also had reason to celebrate, as both companies were presented with a Global Award by headline sponsor, Monitor Audio.

Several individuals were also recognised including Peter Aylett as a CEDIA Fellow, Mark Warburton and Andy Baker as CEDIA Volunteers, and Chris Pinder, who received the Special Recognition Award. The event concluded with after-dinner drinks reception, sponsored by Sonos.

CEDIA EMEA AWARD WINNERS 2022

Home Cinema Level I

Winner: BNC Technology (South Africa) – King Home Cinema Level II

Winner: Cinema Lusso (UK) – The Expanse Media Room

Winner: Homeplay (UK) – Crazy Golf Integrated Home Level II

Winner: Intuitive Homes & Ultamation (UK) –Cooper House

Highly Commended: Automated Spaces (UK) –Project Olympus

Integrated Home Level III

Winner: NGC Systems (UK) – Palladio

Highly Commended: Synergy Technologies (Pakistan) – SS Residence

Integrated Home Level IV

Winner: Woelf (Belgium) – House BE Multi Dwelling Unit Design

Winner: Macbee (India) – DLF – The Camellias

Highly Commended: Lifestyle Technologies (Cyprus) – Limassol Del Mar

Showroom

Winner: Synergy Technologies (Pakistan) –Synergy Townhouse

Highly Commended: Potters Home Digital (UK) –The Smart Home Garden

Excellence in Innovation

Winner: Potters Home Digital (UK) – The Smart Home Garden

Highly Commended: Homeplay (UK) – Crazy Golf

Excellence in Documentation

Winner: Synergy Technologies (Pakistan) –SS Residence

Highly Commended: Homeplay (UK) – Crazy Golf

Highly Commended: Macbee (India) – DLF –The Camellias

Highly Commended: Woelf (Belgium) – House BE

Excellence in Lighting

Winner: Intuitive Homes & Ultamation (UK) –Cooper House

Life Lived Best at Home Winner: Intuitive Homes & Ultamation (UK) –Cooper House

Technology Meets Design

Winner: Intuitive Homes & Ultamation (UK) –Cooper House

Global Integrated Home Winner: Admit One (USA) – Stanley Park

Global Media Room

Winner: Homeplay (UK) – Crazy Golf

Global Home Cinema Winner: Cinema Lusso (UK) – The Expanse Best Hardware

Winner: Rako (UK) – Modular Keypads Best Software Winner: Cindev (USA) – Agent Bundle Best Training Winner: Snap One (UK) – Automation Programmer Best Trade Supplier

Winner: Gallo Acoustics (UK)

CEDIA Fellow

Winner: Peter Aylett (UK) – Officina Acoustica Volunteers of the Year Andy Baker, Certification Volunteer of the Year (UK) Mark Warburton: Volunteer of the Year (UK) Rob Hileman, Education Volunteer of the Year (USA) Jake Fuller, New Volunteer of the Year (Australia) David Tkachuk: Standards Volunteer of the Year (USA) Lifetime Achievement Award

Winner: Carol Campbell (USA) – Technology Insider Group

Special Recognition

Winner: Chris Pinder (UK) – HDAnywhere and One AV

Alongside Monitor Audio, Meridian Audio, and Sonos, the event was also supported by assosiate sponsors, JBL Synthesis, KNX, LG, Sonance, Sony, and Trinnov Audio.

APEX-TECH UK REDUCES LEAD TIMES WITH QUICKSHIP

APEX-TECH UK underlines that one of the major challenges that integrators have faced over the last two years is the availability of stock. The company says that it is no secret that even the best resourced manufacturers are quoting lead times well into 2023 and this severely impacts on an integrator’s ability to plan their workload and ability to deliver a project in a timely and profitable fashion.

Apex-Tech UK, helped by the company’s manufacturing partners, is pleased to launch it’s ‘QuickShip’ programme of popular models available directly from local stock to minimise waiting times.

The programme launches with Display Technologies, giving dealer partners fast access to popular SKUs of screens and projector mounting solutions. Delivery times can be as little as three days on 16:9 and Cinemascope Frontier projection screens

ESSENTIAL PEOPLE

Matt Emberson has been promoted by UK-based integrated sensor specialist Faradite to the new position of Sales and Marketing Director a change from his former position as Sales and Marketing Manager. Matt will now be leading the company’s ambitious global sales effort including appointing and managing new distributors. Chris Turner, Managing Director, will now focus on other aspects of developing the business.

Two key individuals who have been integral to Robe Lighting’s international sales team for many years will be taking on new roles in the company. At 70 years young, globe-trotting industry maverick and sales guru, Harry von den Stemmen, announces that he will be taking life slightly easier in the immediate future as he steps back from his post as International Sales Director to continue working as a global key account manager as well as taking an ambassadorial role within the company.

Harry said: “I celebrated my 70th birthday last month and after 50 hardworking years in this amazing industry, the last nearly 20 as a public face of Robe, I felt it was the right time to adjust my work-life balance, turn in a few less hours and air-miles every month, and spend more time with my grandchildren and the many other hobbies and activities I enjoy in addition to work!”

Stepping up as International Sales Director is Ingo Dombrowski, who has been with the company for 18 years and also played a significant role in Robe becoming a worldwide player.

Well known for his technical acumen, lateral thinking and organisational skills, Ingo will initiate,

from 270cm to 330cm wide and on VMMv2 mirror mounts, CM ceiling mounts and PHG portholes.

ATUK’s Alan Briggs, said, “Planning headaches and project delays are easily solved by using QuickShip. Integrators now have fast access to high quality, off the shelf projection screens and mounting solutions that are currently taking up to 12 weeks to source from other manufacturers. All DT screens are still shipped in robust crates that never exceed 3m thus simplifying delivery and reducing the risk of transit damage, another important factor when it comes to maintaining profitability.”

Contact the company for full terms and conditions.

Apex Tech apex-tech.uk

co-ordinate and spearhead international business together with the international sales force and Robe’s subsidiaries.

“I’m very honoured that Josef and Ladislav (Petřek, co-founder and co-owner of Robe) are putting so much trust in me, and I look forward to dealing with the challenges and work ahead, and to proudly continuing the Robe success story!” he noted.

Peerless-AV appoints new French Channel Account Manager. Rémi Escobar joins the growing Export Sales Team, increasing the headcount in France to three and bringing with him extensive experience in key account management, strong integrator and resellers connections, as well as indepth knowledge of Peerless-AV products to be able to hit the ground running in the region.

“Hiring Rémi is a strategic move to gain further brand strength and increase adoption of our core and emerging products in France; a market seeing year on year growth and huge opportunity for our dvLED mount offering in particular,” said Keith Dutch, Managing Director – EMEA, Peerless-AV. “Rémi is a great fit for our existing sales team with his combined knowledge, skillset, experience and resultsdriven mindset.”

Rémi said, “Peerless-AV is a highly respected and growing global AV brand. With my channel connections and experience of working with the sales team while in my distribution role, I feel I can start at full speed and look forward to exciting times ahead.”

Matt Emberson

Ingo Dombrowski

Harry von den Stemmen

Rémi Escobar

THE GAME CHANGER

NetworkHD

is

For almost as long as the need for multiroom AV has existed, Wyrestorm’s been leading the drive to support it. Founded in 2010, the company has developed an unrivalled product ecosystem, embracing HDBT, HDMI, and AVoIP with a vast array of compatible cable, switch and matrix hardware, collecting over fifty innovation awards on the way to addressing every AV distribution challenge.

Today, Wyrestorm’s global reach co-opts the power of the Internet to deliver state-of-the-art VC and UC solutions in corporate and enterprise environments, or energise the best retail and hospitality experiences with compelling video walls, digital signage and astonishing high resolution AV. And at home, Wyrestorm has kept abreast of soaring AV resolutions, delivery platforms and consumer preferences to connect content room to room, boosting range, quality and convenience with entertainment and home office solutions that are powerful, reliable and simple to deploy.

And now that cloud-based AV distribution is everywhere and becoming mainstream in

CI and commercial installation, you’d expect Wyrestorm to have that covered as well. In fact, it’s been leading the field in AVoIP since 2016 with its NetworkHD product line. No surprise then that Wyrestorm’s latest AVoIP platform, NHD500, is set to empower the technology with game-changing video performance, range, speed, and plug-and-play simplicity.

AVOIP IS ALL AROUND US

The arrival is perfectly timed because Audio Video over Internet Protocol is fast becoming the go-to distribution technology in AV install.

It has so much going for it. For instance, AVoIP removes the need for dedicated cables, converters and adaptors by allowing audio, video and control signals to travel over standard ethernet through existing IP network infrastructure, reducing cost and simplifying design while introducing unrivalled flexibility, scalability and range. What’s more, it has evolved in step with multi-GbE network technology and higher bit rate video transmission to support 4K UHD, high frame rates, 4:4:4 and HDR with ultra-low latency. Measured by every metric you’d care to deploy, AVoIP is today, and tomorrow, the engine of true AV convergence. Which is why its latest evolution, in the form of Wyrestorm’s NHD500, will deliver all of this technology’s enabling potential to your door.

AND IT NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD

The NetworkHD 500 series is a full HDMI 2.0 AV over IP solution with a big advantage. Unlike competing products, Wyrestorm has enhanced superior encoding technology with a larger, faster memory - as big as 8Gb - for the most pristine JPEG2000 performance I have ever experienced. The results are simply stunning. We AB’d NHD500 against a direct video feed and found them to be visually identical. Then we compared NHD500 with a well-known competitor and discovered Wyrestorm’s rendering superior in every way: as clean as a whistle with no pixel scatter or image gradation, even when viewing 4:2:0 content. NHD500 squeezes every last scintilla of performance

Build video walls up to 16x16 and control them with the NetworkHD

Wyrestorm’s new NetworkHD 500 series is changing the face of AVoIP, and it’s available today, says Habitech’s Video Solutions BDM Jay Brand.

from JPEG2000 compression for ultra-low latency encoding and visually lossless results up to 4K60 4:4:4 8bit, together with support for high framerate Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG content up to 12bit 4:2:2 at 60Hz over a 1GbE network at a range of up to 100m.

FIBRE TO 550M!

New range-busting fibre outputs extend the reach to 550m using typical OM3 MM links while a powerful routing engine allows audio, video, USB and control signals to be sent discretely to any endpoint. ARC capability supporting up to Dolby Digital Plus (including Dolby Atmos) and DTS 5.1 formats makes the same journey, and on top of all this, advanced processing delivers ultra-fast switching, as well as the ability to build imaginative video walls of up to 16x16 (256 screens) with bezel correction - even on rotated screens - and control them with the NetworkHD Touch control app.

LIBERATING TOUCH CONTROL WITH REAL-TIME VIDEO PREVIEWS

Completely free of charge with NetworkHD and available for iPad (iPad iOS 9.3.6 or newer) and Android (Android 9 (Pie) or newer) devices, the NetworkHD Touch app places all NetworkHD systems at your fingertips for single screen and video wall applications. Presenting a zero learning curve experience, the app works in tandem with a NetworkHD controller to offer you effortless system management using familiar gestures. Preview all source and display selections in real time; switch sources with simple drag and drop gestures or group displays into rooms, areas or video walls; save preset switching configurations for individual screens and groups of screens; change, save and recall video wall layouts at the touch of a button or send a single source selection to all screens and order all displays on/off with similar ease. In addition, you can add graphics or images to group buttons for easier zone/venue identification when selecting sources to displays, and effortlessly integrate with third-party control apps by using the QR code scanning of application URLs. There’s even an interactive demonstration feature, which showcases the key benefits for dealers and clients. Best of all, device discovery and configuration is automatic when connected to a NetworkHD controllerlike the new NHD-CTL-PRO, purpose built for the NHD500 series.

Working together, the NetworkHD Touch app and NetworkHD controller make NHD 500 one of the simplest AVoIP systems on the market to configure and control

THE PRO CONTROLLER

The new brain for NetworkHD reimagines how a system should operate. Wyrestorm’s NHDCTL-PRO controller allows all configurations to be made intuitively from a single user interface. Its powerfully unified setup environment, which can be accessed from any device with a web browser, includes a setup wizard for easy stepby-step success in adjusting IP addresses, naming endpoints, creating video walls and running firmware updates for instance. This, in conjunction with the Touch app, makes NetworkHD 500 one of the simplest AVoIP systems on the market to configure and control.

And if you need to design custom control interfaces, the powerful NetworkHD API is easy to use and understand. What’s more, dual power supports both PoE or a local AC power connection while dual network interfaces allow the NHD-CTL-PRO to bridge AV networks and enterprise/control networks, keeping multicast AV traffic separated from managed IT systems.

POWERFUL. RELIABLE. SIMPLE. AVAILABLE

And you can trust Habitech to support the NHD500 ecology end-to-end with the best cost compatible IP network infrastructure. Scale up your AVoIP systems simply by adding a switch from our new Netgear range of powerful and

affordable Gigabit PoE+ designs and connect to a cosmos of high performance endpoints within our range - including Dahua cameras, JVC projectors and Samsung TVs - using Habitech’s complete cable offering. We’re ready when you are!

If you’re familiar with AVoIP, the clear cost/ performance advantages that Wyrestorm’s game changing NHD500 series delivers will leap from the screen, but if you’ve yet to appreciate what the latest AVoIP tech can bring to residential and commercial AV distribution, NHD500 is a great place to start - especially when, as competing supplies dry up, it’s in stock right now at Habitech.

For further information, please contact the sales and support team on 01256 638500; sales@habitech.co.uk

The new brain for NetworkHD, Wyrestorm’s NHD-CTL-PRO controller reimagines how a system should operate

BRIGHT IDEAS FROM LUTRON AND PULSE CINEMAS

Oliver Deakin-Faux, Lutron Brand Ambassador at Pulse Cinemas explains, “When you invest in Lutron, you are accessing a heritage and knowhow that stretches back decades, coupled with our in-house expertise, it’s the best combination in the market for smart lighting and ambient light control systems. Lutron offers over 15,000 different products, wired and wireless, there literally is something for every application or need that can be conceived of.

“Whatever type of execution is necessary for your next project, we have the team and the expertise to help you take full advantage of the world’s best intelligent lighting and window treatment system. We are evangelists for the way this platform can transform homes and invite dealers to join us on a special journey into the light.”

Kapes Patel, COO for Pulse Cinemas adds, “Providing your customers with sensitively designed smart lighting and blinds is of course

nothing new, but advancements in technology and our understanding of how the presentation of artificial and the control of ambient light impacts on human behaviour and lived experience, means our deployments can have power like never before. Well delivered schemes can literally make people happier, more fulfilled, relaxed, and satisfied, what a beautiful thing to create!

“Whatever your level of expertise with Lutron, Pulse Cinemas can give you the keys to this exciting next level world and in turn offer your customers something they have never experienced before.”

Oliver adds, “Around 80% of our Lutron business is away from the world of home cinema, so if you thought our expertise in lighting was only based in this part of the market - think again. When it comes to Lutron, Pulse is a full blooded, ‘every part of the home’ proposition with the ambition to go way beyond just suppling the products.

“Take Lutron HomeWorks for example, this system is sometimes seen as too expensive for some deployments, but with expert support you would be surprised how far this expansive technology can reach, and with our help you will be able to include Lutron’s highest performing technology in more of your projects.

Pulse Cinemas says its long experience in the lighting and ambient light control market means dealers can take their Lutron deployments to the next level. The company argues partners can create truly exceptional projects that nurture, excite and enthuse every customer filling their home with beautiful, bespoke and efficient lighting schemes that work in harmony with the rest of the house.

“Lutron RA 2 Select is way more than just an affordable route into the Lutron world. Work with us and we will show you how to unlock the full potential of this system, a fantastic 21st century application that suits all sorts of all projects and properties.”

Kapes identifies another key area of recent development, “The control of ambient light in recent years has become just as, if not more important in some cases, than the creation and control of artificial light. From energy harvesting to efficiency improvements, not to mention the aesthetic value and appeal to the design community this sector of the market delivers, unlocking the full potential here can offer huge benefits to your business and of course the bottom line.

“Our support does not end when the project is finished and handed over to the customer. We continue to supply you with all the technical and (if necessary) on-site support that you need, however, we go even further and offer full marketing packages to our most supportive dealers. We create case studies, news stories and social media presence helping you to promote your business to the wider world. The marketing materials we create reach far beyond our own sector and consistently reach potential customers, related trades and consumer facing magazines.”

THE PULSE CINEMAS SECRET WEAPON

Kapes and Oliver are both very keen to underline that demonstration is a very powerful tool when it comes to the lighting sector and this is where Pulse has a powerful proposition on its side in the form of its HQ and showroom.

Oliver explains, “Every type of solution that Lutron products can be seen in a real-world related scenario at our showroom. Whatever aspect of artificial light or ambient light control is relevant to your next project, your team, related trades and your customers can come here and experience it. Like any type of system in our sector, upselling is so much easier when customers can look, feel and experience how good the systems are.”

Kapes adds, “We had a visit recently where an interior designer who had also visited the excellent Lutron Experience Centre in London.

However, she gave ours showroom the edge for having so many solutions in a very relatable and very stylishly presented space.”

Kapes also underlines, “Don’t forget we are also experts at lighting entertainment spaces. As well as the rest of the home, nobody can support you in lighting a media room or home cinema like Pulse Cinemas, we really can do it all, so give us a call!

Pulse Cinemas pulsecinemas.com

Pulse Cinemas are experts at lighting all areas of the home including entertainment spaces

POCKET BRACKET

PENDING

For 20+ years, shade pockets, which are the aluminium enclosures that get installed flush with the ceiling in new construction projects to hide motorised shades, never had any sort of mounting bracket. This forced the AV and shade dealers to rely on the builder/framer to essentially build them a custom mount for every location or even mount the pockets for them. To give you an idea how big this is, Crestron sells about 300,000 shades per year and 80-90% of them are installed in shade pockets. Lutron is probably three to four times bigger as is Somfy. I started my company Digitronic 14 years ago in Los Angeles. We provide all the various sub systems that are considered part of the low voltage trade including motorised shades. Our main market has been new construction in the more affluent areas in Los Angeles and we have a great network of architects and custom builders that use our services on their projects. This is a very complex business with a low margin of error and to survive you must develop a keen sense of what works and what doesn’t.

Four years ago we booked a project with a new custom builder in LA. We were only contracted to do the pre-wire and the shade pockets at the time, with the hope of getting the remaining portion of the project once things progressed further. The project was a 18k sqft home in Bel-Air and required my company to install about 60 shade pockets. We set up a meeting with the builder and his lead framer and went over what we needed for our pocket installation, namely a framed support header installed exactly 6 1/4in spaced

above the ceiling rafters with a level consistency over large spans throughout the home with an acceptable margin of error of less than 1/4in.

If you are familiar with rough framing in new construction, that is hard to achieve consistently and is usually best done by finished carpenters that do not normally come into projects until later. The framing contractor went to work and a couple of weeks later the builder calls me and said that the framer was done. I sent my guys out with the pockets and they started to install them. A few days later I get a call from the builder telling me that some pockets were protruding out more than others, some weren’t levelled and we needed to come back to fix it. I go out to the site and look at the work and pocket protrusion was anywhere from 1/2in to a full 1in - where as should have been 3/4in everywhere, which is the thickness of drywall plus mudding. I requested another meeting with the framer, and I sent my guys back to remove the installed pockets with issues so the framer could have his guys try to either shave pocket headers full of nails evenly over long spans or remove and reinstall the pocket support headers. This went back and forth for weeks until the builder said it looked ok but not great and we never did another job for that builder again.

This was not a good experience, and I was thinking why is there so much work with these shade pockets all the time? There are good margins on selling shades and are easy to install but if I have to constantly deal with shade pocket issues on these jobs, was it worth installing shades? I spoke

Fredrik Bystedt, President of Digitronic, introduces a new concept that he argues will revolutionise the installation of window treatments - achieving a repeatable install in five minutes.

to a few other dealer friends in Los Angeles about the issues and they had similar experiences. One of them said that he would rather turn down the work than to have his company install the shade pockets themselves.

Another dealer referred me to AWS (www.awshades.com) in Los Angeles. They manufacture shade pockets and a lot of other shade related items but they also provide installation services, and they have a team of four guys in two vans whose only job it is to drive around to projects and provide shade pocket installations for the dealers. I spoke to the person who leads the team at great length and even though they have a slightly refined system, they are basically dealing with the same problems. I also spoke with other dealers and also concluded nobody had a smart way around the issues. I asked myself, why are we putting up with this? imagine if all in-ceiling speakers didn’t have rough in rings, dog ears and were actually trim-less, kind of like today’s shade pockets but a lot smaller and a lot lighter. How would you mount them?

THE PATENT FILING

It became obvious to me that getting there first is everything. Window Shade manufacturers would want to use our innovation so their pockets that are sold to dealers could be mounted in a simple and consistent way and it needed to be protected.

Legal Zoom set me up with a lawfirm that specialises in business litigation and patent filing. They conducted a thorough patent search looking for similar innovations and when nothing remotely similar came up, they quickly filed for a preliminary utility patent, giving me a one year breathing room.

More work was put in, CAD drawings were created with the innovation to describe the functionality of the mounting system and soon after a non-preliminary utility patent application was filed and once granted will be valid for 20 years. A separate PCT patent application was filed as well covering the rest of the world.

OUR REVOLUTIONARY MOUNTING SYSTEM

Our mounting system does not need a precisely framed support header, just a 6in wide ceiling rafter void.

• It provides perfect levelling and 3/4in protrusion of the shade pocket every time.

• It lets you install any length of shade pocket just as easily in minutes without any return visits.

• It provides mounting support for the actual shade when it gets installed.

• It allows you to adjust the pocket protrusion in minutes even after drywall is done if the finish changes.

Since the pocket will never bow using this method, there are no closure plate install issues later.

The bracket is mounted 10in away from the corner to be out of the way when mounting the shades later and that makes it also possible to corner mount two pockets together without the brackets overlapping.

Our method allows for mounting the pocket right against a slider as well by cutting off one of the bottom mounts and using one of the side holes instead.

My company has installed over 800 pockets on our own projects in the last three years using the brackets and it has been a complete game changer for us and we are beginning to build sales in our local area, but have ambitions for this product to become global. It is clear to me that in a few years, the current way of installing shade pockets will be a thing of the past and all shade pockets will be mounted this way. Get in contact if you want to find out more!

DESIGNING TIMING-AWARE NETWORKS - A WIN FOR AV

David Meyer, CEDIA Technical Knowledge Manager, examines the increasing importance of timing in networks.

Designing distributed AV systems is a core competency for CEDIA integrators. Like many other subsystems, distributed AV continues to increasingly utilise the IP network. Networking is highly matured and will inevitably be a core part of any home system because it unifies the cabling and communications, and has been proven robust. There are many things to consider, but the network requirements intrinsic to any networked AV system design underpins overall compatibility and performance.

Networking standards are composed of hundreds of documents from organisations like the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). We can credit their efforts over many years to evolve the technologies that afford us the high reliability and low latency we take for granted today. That said, most of today’s home networking applications are still primarily concerned with ensuring the integrity of delivered data, not necessarily with its timing – knowing precisely when data will arrive at its destination.

If there’s one thing AV streams increasingly have in common, it’s the need for synchronisation. Whether it’s for syncing picture and sound, or multiple channels or zones of audio, it’s necessary to build timely delivery into any distribution system. When that system is on the network, the timing capability needs of the network must also be considered and understood. Sometimes the demands might be for real-time applications for delivery within a few milliseconds, with timing accuracy counted in mere microseconds. In other cases, it might not matter so much if there’s some modest delay, provided it is known and can be reliably predicted and synchronised according to expectations.

Whatever the case, applications for timingaware networks are growing. Some network AV distribution systems already use a combination of standards-based protocols and proprietary technologies to achieve synchronisation over the network. Leading examples in audio distribution include Audio-Video Bridging (AVB) and Dante Audio, respectively. Meanwhile, standards are evolving to broadly transition

networks to become inherently timing-aware and deterministic, namely with the IEEE’s Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) standards.

This is what CEDIA’s Designing TimingAware Networks for AV white paper is all about. It explores the basis, scope, and direction of synchronous and deterministic networks in the home. It examines what it all means and how the main standards interrelate, with insight into system design and implementation requirements that are key to achieving predictable and reliable performance. What it is not is a guide to choosing a networked AV system, such as Dante Audio, AVB, or one of the plethora of AV-over-IP systems – that is a matter for manufacturers and integrators alike. However, knowing the fundamentals of when and how to design a timing-aware network on which to install such a system means that whichever is used, it can be optimised for best performance. And that’s a win all around.

To download CEDIA’s Designing TimingAware Networks for AV white paper for free as a CEDIA member, visit cedia.net/whitepapers

HIDDEN TALENT?

Well, you’d think it would be lacking, wouldn’t you? After all, most of us have grown up believing that a good loudspeaker is box-shaped and sits on a stand, a shelf or on the floor. And contrary to that, custom installation speakers that fit in a chopped-out hole in the wall or ceiling are a compromise, a stripped-back version of a real loudspeaker.

The thing is, there’s an advantage that speakers installed like this can have over a typical HiFi speaker, and it’s all about the bass, and predictable results! Imagine a traditional speaker with a tweeter and woofer drivers in the front baffle, and both have the same sensitivity rating - i.e. they give you 90dB output, for 1W of power. A phenomenon occurs, whereby the bass signal leaves the box-shaped cabinet of the speaker omnidirectionally, but the mid and high frequencies are more directional and fire towards the speaker. The designer has to build in something called baffle-step compensation into the crossover network, which effectively

brings down the mid and high levels in line with the bass or LF levels. This could be as much as 6dB of attenuation.

But how much compensation should be allowed for? The designer can only guess at where the speaker will be placed in a room, and if it’s close to a rear wall, there’ll be more bass anyway, thanks to the boundary effect.

If the speaker is brought out further away from the wall, then the perceived bass output will reduce. So, as you can see, its very hard to produce a speaker that will sound good in all living rooms, in various positions. And especially if the customer or installer doesn’t have the time to find the perfect position or is simply unable to because of interior design limitations.

A DIFFERENT OPTION

Now, in steps the custom install speaker, which will be placed in a wall or a ceiling, period. As long as the surface area around the speaker

is nice and flat, 1-2m away from corners or dropped-ceiling edges, then this surface is beginning to act like an infinite baffle, the speaker is firing into half space and all bass, mid and highs are heading forward, only towards the listener. If sound is leaving the in-wall speaker from behind, it doesn’t get to interfere with the sound we hear at the front, because there’s a wall surface surrounding the CI speaker.

The speaker performance matches that which was measured and intended by the manufacturer, plus the designer has not had to incorporate baffle step compensation into the crossover network. We get a predictable result with the direct sound from the CI speaker, that’s repeatable as you place more speakers around the property.

CAVD supplies a wide array of advanced loudspeaker systems for CI along with design support services.

T H E SP I T FIRE S E RI ES

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of Dolby

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on the foundation of the A4 and A6, combinations can

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EMOTIONAL AUDIO

As a manufacturer of Glass Design loudspeakers, we apply many technologies to ensure that our chosen material is delivering uncompromised sound quality, the use of glass (once you remove the potential resonance problems), is excellent as it is a very dense material which ensures minimal sound coloration due to vibrations.

Design is playing a very important role in a customer’s decision today as more and more customers use interior designers for their homes, so it is a very important point to consider for manufacturers when launching a new speaker.

Remember that the sound quality depends on a few different parameters and elements, such as materials for the drivers and for the enclosure, design of the drivers and execution/ manufacturing, various components and architecture of the cross-over.

It is all calculated according to strict rules of physics and then only really delivers at the end after a lot of tweaking to get the right imaging and the sound signature you want your customers to hear. Also, it is important to deliver a similar sound signature across a full range of speakers and have them timber matched for ease of configurations.

As a design option, a transparent speaker like ours will just disappear in a room and drivers will appear to just float in the air, letting customers enjoy their favourite views, art pieces, furniture or textured walls.

Having speakers that will fit in all styles, whether contemporary or classic, is very important. New technologies allow floor standing speakers to be connected and because of all the streaming platforms delivering uncompressed music, songs and music, pieces can be listened to in a pure and perfect way from mobile phones throughout the house.

Again, in this comparison we should ask whether we are talking about Hi-Fi two-channel, home cinema or multi room audio distribution. All different applications, but for a living room home cinema style, floor standing speakers are the best, with a centre channel below the TV, and in this case surrounds and ceilings speakers should be in walls to lessen the impact on the room’s looks.

Regarding an audiophile comparison between in-wall and towers, I will say that towers are thought to be the better sound performers, they offer full range sound, and often there is no

need for an external subwoofer. A subwoofer is only needed if connected in home cinema configuration with a center channel and surround speakers.

Floorstanding speakers are said to provide a wider image and more bass pressure, but again Hi-Fi/Audio is really something that is so emotional and subjective, it needs to be tested in your own room, with your own music, or films.

Another parameter to take into account in your decision to purchase tower speakers or in wall speakers is the room size and budget.

Floorstanders will be easily positioned in a room that is quite large and re-positioned if needed, whereas when your in wall speakers are fitted in the walls, there is no more choice. Floorstanders are also known to give a better panoramic soundstage.

In the end your need to let your own ears and eyes be the judge and trust your own personal feelings. Always remember that in Hi-Fi audio and video, we are driven by emotions.

Music is designed to elitist an emotional response, so when installing a system use emotional intelligence to judge performance

Nadine Aubriot, Export Manager at Waterfall Audio, examines the emotions encountered when listening to different speakers.

BEAUTY AND BRAINS

In a line-array column, identical loudspeaker elements mounted act together as a single, coherent source to send out powerful sound pressure waves with a wider and more evenly distributed dispersion pattern than traditional point-source drivers. In the Soka design, this translates to a super-wide 140° horizontal dispersion pattern, controlled 26° vertical dispersion and an exceptional 130 dB maximum SPL using the dedicated residential preset. This performance comes from a cabinet just over 1m tall and is discreet enough to work in even the most aesthetically sensitive installations.

Combined with the new SB6i subwoofer, Soka offers strong dynamics and an exceptionally broad sound field to create a wide sweet spot in the room, says the maker. The narrow vertical dispersion pattern reduces inroom sound colouration from floor and ceiling reflections and the maximum SPL capability brings all the visceral and emotional impact of live music to media in the home, adds L-Acoustics Creations.

Having demonstrated its Syva colinear source loudspeakers at EI Live! last month, L-Acoustics Creations has recently unveiled Soka, a more compact and affordable colinear model, designed for residential and smaller commercial installations where interior design considerations and the ability of speakers to be heard but not seen are top of mind.

Colinear speakers are derived from the pro audio world where line array loudspeakers rule in larger venues. “These loudspeakers are ideally suited to premium domestic and commercial audio applications, particularly those installations juggling restricted space and cosmetic considerations,” affirms Nick Fichte, Global Sales Director at L-Acoustics Creations.

L-Acoustics larger Syva colinear source loudspeaker provided the technological inspiration for Soka, an ultra-shallow column loudspeaker for on-wall or in-wall installation. At just 99mm wide and 99mm deep, Soka sinks handily into the dimensions of standard construction materials. The design leverages the proven expertise of L-Acoustics in line source loudspeaker technology, integrating nine 3.5in midrange drivers and three 1in highfrequency transducers into a vertical column.

Source First

Musical information lost at the source is lost forever.

No matter how good the amps and speakers further down the chain are, you can’t retrieve that which has already been lost.

At Linn, we put the source first.

Kustom DSM incorporates our proven, best-in-class streaming technology, and is hand-built by one of our skilled engineers.

Providing up to 8 zones of high-quality audio from a single, rack-mountable product – it measures just 1U thin.

Put the best source possible at the heart of your systems –because every inch of your installation deserves Linn-quality sound.

Linn’s Whole Home range delivers unrivalled, impactful sound quality throughout any space.

Our products are configurable, reliable, easy-to-install, and integrate seamlessly with smart home automation systems.

Find out more: linn.co.uk

The compact SB6i utilises two state-ofthe-art 6.5in neodymium LF drivers and the L-Acoustics Laminar Vent technology found in the company’s concert-grade reference subwoofers, makes SB6i one of the most powerful ultra-compact subwoofers on the market. The 4ohm enclosure can operate down to 29Hz and produce as much as 114dB.

The company argues and SB6i are ideal as the main music system in residential, commercial, luxury, and hospitality spaces, combining pro audio performance with audiophile sound reproduction. Their footprint and elegant form factor combined with concert-grade dynamics are well adapted to vocal and music reinforcement in architectural settings, corporate spaces, churches, museums, or artistic performances. The ultrawide horizontal directivity and throw capacity of up to 35m also make Soka a strong solution for L-ISA Immersive or other spatial audio deployments such as an Atmos compliant media room.

Soka installation can be as simple as on-wall mounting using L-Acoustics range of dedicated accessories, or integrated into the wall for flush surface fitting. Both Soka and SB6i are rated IP55 for ingress protection, ensuring that they can be installed indoors, outdoors, or in areas with challenging environmental conditions.

Compared to traditional on-wall or in-wall loudspeakers, a colinear loudspeaker and subwoofer combination offers a much wider sound field and considerably higher maximum SPL, in a much more compact and easy-toinstall form factor, argues the company. The benefits of colinear loudspeaker technology have long been established in the pro audio and commercial installation sectors, and argues L-Acoustics Creations, the new Soka and SB6i combination brings the technology, performance and ease of installation benefits to an ever-wider range of audio projects.

SONOS EXPANDS SUPPORT FOR THE INSTALLED SOLUTION CHANNEL

Tell us about your recent event in London?

SR: Last month, we welcomed 20 of our top installed solutions partners to an exclusive event at the incredible DC-inspired venue, Park Row, in London. This was the first installer event Sonos has hosted in the UK since the pandemic, providing an opportunity to get feedback from the IS community and share our plans for strengthening the professional business of Sonos installers.

As a well-known consumer brand, why is the installer community so important to Sonos?

SR: Sonos is a respected audio brand with a powerful appeal to consumers, but the professional installer channel is where Sonos actually started. For 17 years, installers have been a key partner on our journey to becoming the leading sound experience company, which is why the developments that we are working on – specifically for the benefit of professional installers – are so exciting. This is a market that is incredibly important for us.

Take AMP, for example. Four years ago, Sonos completely redesigned AMP based on direct conversations and feedback from installers. This feedback allowed us to deliver a product that is twice as powerful as its predecessor and fits perfectly into standard AV racks. HDMI and line-in ports make it easy to bring TVs, turntables, Blu-Ray players, CD changers, and other audio sources into the Sonos system - as well as enabling installers to incorporate AMP into integrated smart home set-ups, including smart lighting and centralised control systems.

How else is Sonos supporting installers?

SR: We’ve already started to roll out our open developer platform, making it easier than ever for partners to innovate on the Sonos listening experience. We provide access to the tools, documentation, and support our partners need to drive faster innovation, enabling partners like Control4 to develop new ways to control

Sonos speakers and interact with the Sonos system. As part of this platform, partners can secure the ‘Works with Sonos’ certification so Sonos owners can be assured that companies building and innovating on the platform deliver experiences that meet Sonos’ high bar for quality.

In addition, we recently announced ‘MultiProduct Setup’, the first installer-driven feature on the S2 app. The new setup experience allows installers to defer individual firmware updates for newly added products. Once all new Sonos devices are on the network, a single firmware update and registration process can be performed to cover all newly added products at once, reducing set-up time.

We’ve just introduced the much-anticipated Sub Mini, a wireless subwoofer that delivers bold bass in a more compact size - making it ideal for smaller room applications. Dual custom woofers face inward within the unique cylindrical design to create a force-cancelling effect that neutralises distortion. Advanced processing generates deep, dynamic low-end bass for a

richer, more immersive sound without any buzz or rattle, while Trueplay technology adapts the bass to the acoustics of the room – even when placed against a wall.

What’s next?

SR: We’ve built a strong portfolio of solutions that are quick to install, simple to use and built to last for installers and their clients. From TV rooms to architectural sound and home cinema, the Sonos ecosystem can be applied to almost every residential application. We have you covered in terms of product, but we know there is work to do, and that’s why feedback from our IS community is so valuable. Right now, we’re talking to installers and working on professional tools to better support them and their businesses. Watch this space!

If you would like to learn more about Sonos for Installers or wish to become a dealer, please go to Sonos.com and visit the professional section for more information.

At a recent UK installer event, Sonos revealed its drive to strengthen its position in the installed solutions (IS) market. EI sat down with Stephen Rhead, Sonos Professional Manager, Sonos UK & Ireland, to find out more and discuss what the brand has planned for professional installers.

LET’S HEAR IT FOR HIDDEN AUDIO!

The team at Redline identify a key driver from the world of audio that the company feels will deliver major benefits to end-users and installers in the immediate future.

Martin Morecroft, Managing Director for Redline, says, “The world of hidden audio has come on leaps and bounds in recent years. The technology broadly falls into two categories. We have DML panels (Distributed Mode Loudspeakers) supplied by Amina and Nakymatone, and Hybrid Invisible with a more conventional bass unit driving a large diaphragm, and DML Mid-HF supplied by Sonance and Stealth. There are also a plethora of less well known brands in the market. In recent years, all the major players have made significant improvements in the quality of their audio delivery, specification flexibility and ease of the installation. Both design approaches have pluses and minuses, and integrators need to consider when and where to deploy the correct product and technology.

“In our experience, when customers get to hear just how good these systems are now, it’s a genuine win-win. They want the aesthetic advantages of hidden audio and now they can have them with no compromise.

“Clearly these systems need to be correctly specified, well installed and properly voiced to deliver on the promise that hidden audio really deserves its place in the quality AV market. This is what our industry should be

thriving on. Specialist systems and concepts that nobody but professional integrators can and should deliver. It’s what sets our industry apart and makes us special. There is a wealth of excellent guidance and training on how to install hidden audio, with technical on-site assistance becoming a more popular phenomenon with some suppliers.”

Warren Woodhouse, Marketing Manager, adds, “Clearly, it is true that in the past there were some compromises involved in hidden audio. However, this did not hinder the development of the sector. The aesthetic advantages were such a big plus for many customers, that invisible audio became an essential part of the end result. Now we find ourselves in a more mature position - technically. Hidden audio has come of age because now we can deliver quality audio performance as well as the essential invisibility.”

So what has changed in terms of the technical delivery of hidden audio for Redline to be this confident?

Martin argues, “Today’s invisible systems deliver a really attractive ‘big sound’ from their wide dispersion room filling approach. The wide dispersion sound is very engaging and ensures far better off-axis performance than with conventional technology speakers. Consider the

context of a dedicated cinema. Invisible audio is not required and people often talk of the ‘best seat’ in the house. That obviously means some seats are not as good! With the characteristics of hidden audio systems, everyone gets all the detail, dynamics, scale and steering without the need to be in a specific place in the room.”

Martin adds, “Because they are not visible and produce such a wide sweet spot, placement options are far more lenient, allowing more flexibility with the design of the space. Hidden audio is a genuine ‘real world’ solution that can deliver unrivalled results for a wide variety of audio and audio-visual projects.”

Warren adds, “Picking up on Martin’s point about real world solutions. Imagine the potential market out there for high-quality family entertainment spaces. If we remember our own home life, do families sit statically and attentively simply watch what is on screen? or do they move around, sometimes chat whilst enjoying content? We see the evolution of hidden audio, matching precisely the needs of modern life. People want a genuine multimedia experience in their living space, watching, gaming, interacting online. They want to do it all and they want to do it together. Hidden audio can deliver all of that and do it exceptionally well.”

THE CONNECTED HOME LIFE SAFETY SOLUTION

CREATING SMARTER , HOMES

Aico with HomeLINK offer a network of alarms and sensors to improve the health and safety of homes throughout the UK.

Fire and Carbon Monoxide (CO)

Our 3000 Series offers full circle Fire and CO protection, wirelessly connecting to the SmartLINK Gateway via Radio Frequency for remote wholesystem data monitoring.

SmartLINK Gateway and App

The SmartLINK App enables quick and easy installation of alarms and sensors with SmartLINK technology, while the Gateway is the central hub for data, extracting information from connected devices.

HomeLINK

Environmental Sensors

Monitor temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide to gain insights into indoor environmental conditions to create better maintained, healthier, energy efficient homes.

The HomeLINK Portal

Data is extracted from all connected alarms and sensors with actionable insights presented on the portal, segmented by high, medium and low risk.

The HomeLINK App

With the HomeLINK App, residents are provided with a healthy home rating, handy advice on how to improve the quality of their home, and Fire and CO alarm testing reminders.

Martin concurs, “Use cases for invisible panels are as wide as their dispersion! How many installers have had issues with bright sounding audio, in areas with hard surfaces?

“Hidden audio has a solution here as well. These systems (primarily DML based invisible products) work better in pools and areas with hard surfaces because they generate an incoherentphase wave form across their entire bandwidth. This type of wave form is less reactive to room reflections than a conventional speaker. These wave forms give a clearer, more audible sound with reduced harshness and reverberation.”

But what about bass, is this still a weaker part of the package?

Martin responds, “It’s true, they don’t dig as deep as conventional speakers. Hybrid panels are a little stronger in this area than DML panels at the moment. This is in part due to the size limitation of the panels and also the amount of movement produced in relation to the type of surface finish to be applied. However, this is not really an issue as there are now many high quality semi-hidden and hidden bass delivery options, this mean the low end and LFE is not compromised at all.”

Martin also argues for another advantage. “If we are aiming to install many more family entertainment systems we want those customers listening to their systems for long periods of time. The great news here is that hidden audio systems produce a noticeably non-fatiguing sound, even at louder levels. “Both DML and Hybrid DML panels deliver an unforced and generous sound when compared to most speaker systems, allowing longer listening time with far less chance of audio fatigue. A by-product of the panel technology also means that audio is crystal clear at normal volumes. The ‘presence band’ reproduction is excellent, not just for the all-important dialogue channel in entertainment systems, but a great solution for restaurants or any kind of meeting spaces where audio should not interfere with conversations.”

Returning to the use cases, Warren points out, “So we have all these wonderful technical advances in hidden audio giving people a genuinely qualitative experience. But it’s not just in terms of the audio that technology has

improved. In recent times it has become possible to install hidden speakers behind a variety of different types of materials, not just standard plaster or dry-wall finishes. DML panels are especially strong in this area. Alternative surface materials including, wood veneer, leather, natural stone veneer, laminates, wet skim plaster, stucco and polished plaster, are now all on the room finishes menu. This really is an interior designer’s dream.

“And this is another key area for this technology. We in the custom install sector have sought for many years to build better relationships with the design community. In almost every case installing audio will compromise the look of their space. Starting a conversation and relationship on the back foot will result in conflict and unnecessary compromise. Today, designers have customers who actively request high-quality audio solutions. With modern invisibles, systems can be designed that have no visual footprint in the design space, meaning the design ambition remains intact and the customer gets the sound they want and the designer delivers their project unhindered, everybody wins.

“The same applies to period properties. These can also be a challenge. Almost any type of

audio system that is visible in the building fabric is regarded as unacceptable. There is however, far greater planning flexibility when considering the installation of hidden audio systems.”

Martin adds, “Also don’t forget the ‘wow factor’ of entering a room with no visible form of delivering audio and hearing voluptuous room filling high quality sound. People really do respond to this so well.

“Many consumers would not install an immersive system because of the limitations on speaker placement and also because having 11+ conventional speakers in their room is just a visual non-starter. Using invisibles starts a new and positive conversation with people who would have initially discounted a full system like this. Ultimately this technology offers previously untapped channels to market and we are convinced it’s a key part of where the CI market goes next. We distribute Amina hidden audio systems in the UK, and in conjunction with Amina offer a full design and consultation service. We will also officially launch our ‘white glove’ installation service for invisibles in Q1 2023. Give us a shout and find out how we can help you towards an invisible future!”

Supported with Reps from

BRILLIANT

CINEMA

The Dorset Children’s Foundation (DCF) is located in Boscombe, just outside of Bournemouth, Dorset.

The DCF was set up to improve and enrich the lives of children with disabilities and their families who are experiencing difficulties related to the impact of disability, including physical health, emotional strain, and social isolation through a range of provisions.

It was at EI Live! in September 2021 that I was approached by Luke and Wayne Crutcher from Living Home Technology in Dorset, asking if I’d be interested in TFC helping at the DCF. Clearly this was a local charity that they had an empathy with and wanted to help as best they could.

The first meeting with Patsy Hallmey and Adrienne Coles at the DCF could not have gone better, and their energy and enthusiasm for what we proposed was so infectious that we were committed to help in the best way that we could. Very simply, we had the option to install a cinema style facility in their charity retail outlet in Boscombe. A very

different styled installation for both Living Home Technology and Together For Cinema, but one that we knew would make a huge difference to the children and families in the Dorset area. Cinema afternoons and nights were discussed, private viewings etc…, and it became apparent that this would be used on a regular basis to help bring the magic of the cinema to those that either physically would struggle to go to a cinema or simply couldn’t afford to.

With the area being a retail outlet, we were conscious to make the installation ‘transferable’ in case it needed to be moved to another unit in the shopping centre. With this in mind, a kit list was drawn up that would suit the needs of the installation.

We were fortunate enough to had an offer of a CHiQ Laser TV system from Chris Pinder of One AV. This had been offered to us several months before and seemed to be a great solution for the space that was available to us. Chris also kindly donated the cable that was needed from his company, HDANYWHERE.

Along with this, Function Control from Scotland had donated some excellent secondhand equipment. This was in perfect working order, and we were able to utilise the Marantz AVR, the Panasonic Blu-Ray player and the REL Sub-Woofer. Some of the speakers were donated by Crestron, and Living Home Technology had a couple of Triad speakers that made up the ‘5’ of the 5.1. We were also hugely grateful to Pulse-Eight for a last-minute call for some Baluns, which they kindly supplied. Another all-round great effort by the industry to help make this room happen and ultimately bring some magic moments to the children of Dorset.

THE INSTALL

Luke Crutcher, Director, Living Home Technology, comments, “We can remember going to the cinema for the first time as kids, and having grown up to build cinemas for a living (no pun intended!), that magic clearly hasn’t gone away for us! It was such a special moment for each of us when we took our children to the cinema for the first time, but realising that this isn’t possible for families of children with serious medical conditions, we looked for a way to help.

Amazing audio in any space

“We sought out Ian Morrish of TFC, and teamed up to create a very special cinema room for the Dorset Children’s Foundation (DCF). Installing the immersive cinema into a retail space posed a unique set of challenges, and we designed the space to be transferable in case it needed to be moved to another unit, to meet the demands of the charity and their day-to-day running and care for the children.

“We really wanted to make a difference and help this local charity. We’ve loved being involved – Together For Cinema do such amazing work and it’s been an honour to contribute to their projects and bring joy to children who might not otherwise get the chance.”

Adrienne Coles, Head of Marketing, Dorset Children’s Foundation, adds, “Having our very own cinema installed is wonderful and has opened up amazing opportunities for the families we support, who often are not able or are not comfortable accessing mainstream cinemas. In many instances, the cinema environment is just too noisy for a disabled child. Also having to sit still and not make noises to disturb others, for example, is not always possible. So having our own accessible and inclusive cinema means so much as they will not be stared at but accepted and accommodated, able to enjoy the performance as a family. We have purchased some large bean bags so wheelchair users can be hoisted out of their chairs and sit in comfort.

“The cinema experience will be part of our ‘Accessible for All’ programme of events and activities and is a fantastic addition to this, which won’t cost us anything to provide as its on our premises. Not only that, we can use the equipment in the shop for key messages, birthday parties, sing-a-longs, themed days in the shop and Polish and Ukranian story time films to involve further members of our community. We can also arrange intimate family days for a special treat, especially for those going through a hard time who may be able to forget their troubles for a moment.

“The team that installed the equipment were lovely to work with and made it all so easy for us. We really can’t thank everyone involved enough. This will go on to put so many smiles on so many faces, and for a small independent charity like us it’s really incredible to have.”

An opening reception was held on Monday 3 October at The Treehouse retail outlet of the Dorset Children’s Foundation. We were delighted to welcome some important local guests, some children and parents and of course Luke from Living Home Technology and some of the companies that donated products. Thanks go to Mike Lavelle from Penn Elcom and Michelle Ellis and Marc Waple from Pulse-Eight for joining us.

This was certainly not our ‘normal’ children’s hospice opening day. Being held in a retail outlet in a shopping centre was a very different style of opening for us, but it certainly didn’t detract from us all understanding the impact that this new facility will have in the community.

Adrienne Coles, the DCF’s Head of Marketing enthusiastically outlined some of their plans for future events and we were delighted to hear of the range and extent of these. It may not be our ‘normal’ install but it’ll be used and enjoyed as much, if not more, than many of our other installations.

Luke Crutcher (left) and Ian Morrish celebrate another successful TFC installation

BARCO HOME CINEMA AND TECHNOLOGY BONANZA

EI was recently treated to a trip around the highly impressive Barco HQ in Belgium, including an exclusive look at the recently created high-end home cinema demo space.

The trip was hosted by various members of the Barco team - providing EI and a group of invited installers a full tour of this highly impressive HQ. The trip was arranged by Apex-Tech UK, a distributor for Barco Residential in the UK, so integrators could experience the updated Barco Experience Centre and residential cinema demo. Even before you enter the building known as One Campus, the scale and ambition of what Barco strives for is underlined by this futuristic building, created by renowned Belgian architectural firm Jaspers-Eyers, the co-author of the design was Pierre Lallemand. The building won the prize for Best Office Development at the International Property Awards and was nominated for Best Office Building. Barco is a big believer in providing an inspiring workplace and this building certainly does that. The environment fosters ‘chance encounters’, meaning it is has been designed so people can meet and talk to each other freely and in an informal way. Acting as the company’s official HQ, Campus One has approximately 1,200 people work there, with a further 3,100 worldwide, spread over 90 countries.

ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?

The highly knowledgeable Liesbet Soenens, Customer Engagement, Inside Sales and

Experience Centre Manager, led our group around the company’s recently updated Experience Centre, which was first opened in May 2016. In September, Barco refurbished the experience centre in order to further its mission of winning trust, convincing a faster upsell/cross-sell to customers for both partners and end users alike. The Experience Centre comprises of a series of impressive demonstration areas, complete with revolving room sets to fit even more equipment and information into the tour. The wider aims of the initiative include strengthening business relationships and loyalty, uncovering new opportunities for upsell, providing an immersive full brand experience and to capture the ‘voice of the customer’ helping to create a common language.

The Experience Centre boasts many hightech demo areas, including a 160-seat movie theatre, state-of-the-art home cinema (more about this soon) enterprise rooms which show the company’s abilities in control rooms, large video walls, meeting room solutions, virtual reality and learning solutions. There is also a healthcare zone which underscores Barco’s offering in diagnostic imaging, clinical review and pathology, dermatology and surgical imaging. The Experience Centre also showcases

the company’s involvement with immersive experiences and simulation, and image processing. Tours and special events put on at the Experience Centre serve as a way to engage with a mix of partners, distributors, resellers and consultants, but also many end-users. Ambassadors, government, C-level leaders and education establishments are also all regular visitors. If a visitor was not aware of the vast scope of Barco’s reach, and expertise, they are left in no doubt by the end of the tour. From EI’s perspective, the performance attained by Barco Residential is more fully appreciated when the full scope of Barco‘s technologies is explained.

THE NEW HOME CINEMA SHOWROOM

The main event for our tour was of course the newly created home cinema demo space and Bart Devos, Business Development Manager, EMEA, Barco Residential, was on hand to bring everyone up to speed.

So how did the project come about? Bart explains, “Initially the plan was to update the existing Barco Residential demo space as part of the overall revamp of the Barco Experience centre. Eventually though the decision was made to move to a larger space.”

This initial ambition, however, changed considerably once the project got underway. Bart explains, “One could say it changed alright. The refresh was mainly going to consist of some cosmetics/design work and an upgrade of the projectors in that room. Eventually we went for a completely new room, to be designed and built from scratch, which is quite a bit larger than the old one. It was to feature both our Pulse Series as well as our Cinema at Home Series products since we wanted to demonstrate different performance levels, including the ability to watch DCI content in the comfort of your own home. To meet those requirements we selected our Njord Cinemascope and Freya+ projectors. Both are projecting onto a Display Technologies 4.5m wide, acoustically transparent two-way masking cinemascope aspect ratio screen.”

Neil Davidson, Managing Director of ApexTech UK, responsible for many aspects of the build explains, “Apex-Tech UK are a specialist distributor of home cinema and invisible sound. ‘Specialist’ means that we can assist our dealers to deliver the highest-level systems and leverage the wider capabilities of my group of companies that make it as easy as possible for the dealer to deliver to their customer. One example of this is our involvement in creating and constructing this wonderful new facility, incorporating several of our own brands.”

This laudable new ambition was however bought sharply into focus when the original deadline of 8 September remained in place leaving very limited time to get the project done.

Bart explains that interiors specialist IN3, Apex Tech and the Barco Facilities team deserve huge praise for meeting this deadline. Together, they made sure that over a period of only a few weeks the required change in project plans was dealt with. The whole construction of the room and the installation of the equipment was executed in just 12 days. That meant very long working days, including working two weekends straight. Bart explains, “If it’s not some sort of world record then surely it must rank up there with the best!”

Neil adds, “The room features an INT3 New Orleans room design which was tailored exactly to the Barco requirements and features a full modular isolated room system and acoustic treatment behind fabric. We really wanted those present to understand the flexibility and performance levels this system can deliver.”

Creating such a high-performance demo space of course cannot happen in a vacuum, the room still has to adhere to all the necessary requirements of any commercial space; power, fire safety, HVAC and so on. On the other hand, Barco wanted to make sure that the Residential demo space effectively felt properly residential.

Bart says, “At the end of the day, the idea is that it should be all about the experience. We want people who sit down for a demo to actually forget about the world outside for 10 to 20 minutes. That means a nice looking and comfortable space and no noise from outside the room leaking in, which would disturb the experience of course.

“Looking at the end result and the reactions so far, we like to think that we managed both sets of requirements very well with the only small concession made - being the sprinklers. But even those have been integrated very well into the actual cinema room.”

Just a few of the technological aspects of the space include the two projectors residing in a separate air conditioned equipment room on a Display Technologies electronic lift mechanism, allowing them to remain entirely separate to the viewing space, but also easily accessible. The equipment rack also resides in the same equipment room and includes a madVR Envy Video Processor, a Kaleidescape Compact Terra 12TB movie server and Strato C 4K movie player as well as a Barco ClickShare. The design team decided to locate the game consoles and Blu-Ray player in a credenza inside the cinema for ease of access.

Bart expands on the aims of the space, “One thing we were very conscious of was striking the right balance between performance and design. Of course, we wanted to make sure that the video quality was at the highest level possible, and likewise we wanted to provide a great immersive audio experience too, which thanks to the powerful 9.4.6 configuration we’re able to do. But we did not want a completely blacked out room – it needed to be a pleasant space where you want to spend time and not want to get up and leave at the end of the demo.’’

Neil adds, “The biggest challenge is always to deliver the result that the client dreams of. In this case even the room housing the cinema needed to be constructed. The int3 Modular

Isolated Room System was perfect for this and a key factor in the incredibly fast build program. The interior of the room was implemented using the int3 Adorno solution with no tuck fabric install fitted over the Adorno acoustic panels.

The particular design chosen by Barco included Light Walls dynamic lighting which brings both functional lighting of different brightness levels and fully pixel addressable coloured scenes. Everyone notices when the interval lights come on as a moving fade from the top of the wall down.

Audio is at the heart of great cinema and the space features a fantastic TPI Cinema speaker system which delivers exceptional power, dynamics and envelopment. For image, it was essential to preserve the perfect image of the Barco Freya+ and Njord CinemaScope projectors. Display Technologies Port Hole Glass 2 was used to isolate the seating area from the equipment area and a Dynamic2S screen with ATPro image surface retains projectors sharp and impactful images. ”

So, there is always a favourite aspect, right? Bart says, “It’s the fact that the room ultimately delivers on what we set out to achieve: a great private cinema demo experience. Since the opening for our Capital Markets Day, we’ve had a huge variety of people sitting down for a demo: lots and lots of Barco colleagues from across our organisation, but also investors, journalists, a first group of integrators as well as a few end clients. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive with many commenting they’ve ‘never experienced anything like it before’.

Which just happens to be one of the things Barco Residential’s been saying for a long time: we show you content you know like you’ve never experienced it before.”

Barco is very keen to underline the impact a space like this has outside the inner circle of the AV world.

Bart argues, “As professionals in our industry, it’s sometimes easy to go down the rabbit hole in search of ‘the last word’ in audio and/or video performance – a lot of us have had the good fortune of being able to see or hear some of the best equipment on the planet (at any price level) multiple times over the years.

“But for lots of (potential) end clients setting foot inside a space like ours, it may very well be the first time ever that they’ll have such an experience. We believe that a lot of potential clients still don’t know that they can have this type of experience at home should they choose to. And in a lot of cases, all it takes is just one demo that can make the change from ‘We never knew this existed!’ to ‘We need this in our house/vacation home/yacht/…!’.

“Lots of those first visitors had in fact never seen what 4K HDR content can and should look like when you’re doing it at 50fL (post calibration) with accurate colors, sublime uniformity and phenomenal ANSI contrast.”

So, are the main business benefits Barco hopes to gain from the project?

Bart comments, “We hope that beyond ourselves, our entire industry will benefit from this project. By showcasing what is possible, we’re confident that more integrators will propose these solutions to clients, and likewise we believe more clients will be demanding this level of performance and execution from their integrators when discussing their next video entertainment requirements for their homes.

“Thanks to this new demo space we’re now able to show visitors how fantastic private cinema can be when executed properly. As for type of visitors, we’re looking at distributors, integrators, end clients, architects, interior designers. It is all about exposing people to what is available and what can technically be achieved. Seeing is believing, so what better way for people to see it than at our own headquarters?

A highly impressive visit, and a real eye opener into the wider world of Barco and how it achieves the levels of performance it does for its home cinema partners.

apex-tech.uk barco.com displaytechnologies.co.uk tpi.co.uk int3.ltd lightwalls.co.uk

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PULSE-EIGHT

UK based innovator in signal control and delivery, Pulse-Eight has plenty to say on the future of the sector.

Marc Waple, Global Director of Sales at PulseEight, argues, “The last few years have shown that the residential AV industry has had incredible growth despite its challenges. The pandemic in many ways forced people to re-evaluate their priorities, the importance of spending time with their loved ones and to upgrade their properties accordingly; whether it is installing a new sound system in the garden, or installing a home cinema room; our industry has been there to enable people’s new visions of their homes.

“There have been some well-documented challenges with supply constraints that have affected everyone (manufacturers, installers, end-users) but this has enabled companies, with a strong control of their supply chain and good long-term planning, to capture part of this growth. Installers have had to evaluate a wider

range of suppliers and not just rely on one or two sources to be able to get all the required equipment to finish an installation.”

Marc adds, “As we enter the last few months of 2022, the rising cost of goods and worldwide inflation are signalling that there will be some strong headwinds, while at the same time, the rise of the ‘smart home’ will continue and opportunities will present to those flexible enough to adjust according to customers’ new demands and needs, rather than follow a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Viewing habits and the way that we consume video content has changed dramatically in the last few years; streaming is the dominant force now. Although we might start to see some consumers cutting back on the number of subscriptions, the trend for streaming video content is here to stay.

“Most homes today have 4K resolution on every screen and streaming services are now pushing towards HDR content ahead of any move to 8K resolution, as the benefits of picture quality for HDR content tend to outweigh an increase of resolution. 8K will come one day, but it is unlikely to make a significant impact in the next few years.”

A particular area identified by the company in the current market is the need for audio speakers to deliver that true ‘AV experience’ to the end-user.

Marc points out, “However, consumers are becoming more demanding in requesting highquality, elegant speakers that meet the aesthetics of the property. Not only is it important they ‘sound good’ but the must also ‘look good’. Other changes in audio are the type of sources and how that affects the wiring architecture.

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With most televisions now able to stream content directly, the TV must become the audio source as well, therefore employing new ways of extracting the multi-channel audio from the TV back to the surround system is imperative.”

PULSE-EIGHT AWARD WIN

Pulse-Eight also underlines that the company is very proud to have won the Best Matrix Signal Distribution at the recent Smart Building Awards with the neo:X3.

Marc explains, “Recently, we attended EI Live! in Farnborough, UK and the subsequent Smart Building Awards. Alongside a fantastic dinner with some of the finest colleagues in the AV industry, the awards is a great platform to shine a spotlight on the best products and installs. We very graciously received the award for our neo:X3 HDBaseT3 Video Matrix which we announced earlier this year.”

Pulse-Eight points out that HDBaseT3 allows completely uncompressed 4K at 60Hz 4:4:4 and argues that the neo:X3 utilises the best of this new technology allowing users to transmit ‘bit-perfect’ 4K at 60Hz, 4:4:4 from eight HDBaseT3 outputs, alongside two HDMI outputs, eight HDMI inputs and HDMI audio extract ports. As with all neo matrix products, the neo:X3 allows multiple control method options, cloud monitoring and comes with a five-year warranty as standard.

Marc says, “Pulse-Eight were the first manufacturer to announce a video matrix utilising the state-of-the-art HDBaseT3. By designing and manufacturing the neo video matrix range inhouse, Pulse-Eight are able to react quickly to the latest technological advances and HDBaseT3 is a perfect example of this.”

In terms of technological development, Pulse-Eight underlines that HDBaseT3 will form part of the HDBaseT evolution. This new generation will push for better quality video, zero compression and faster ethernet speeds

especially for delivering Internet Protocol content which is going to be key.

Pulse-Eight is very keen to ally itself with this latest advance as all the benefits of the previous generation of neo matrices, the neo:X3 reaches new distances allowing uncompressed 4K at 60Hz 4:4:4 over a CAT6A cable. With native support for Dolby Vision, installers can guarantee the best transmission without any compression of the original source.

Marc says, “By having a no compression approach, you are less likely to run into edge cases with a particular resolution not being supported – after all, it is ‘bit perfect’ and what goes in, comes out. A perfect example of this

is that with HDBaseT 3 we are now able to support Dolby Vision at 4K@60Hz, something that wasn’t possible with previous versions of HDBaseT.”

HDBaseT3 will form part of the new HDBaseT evolution Pulse-Eight actively supports and nurture is in its role as a contributing member of the HDBaseT alliance.

BEYOND THE MATRIX: SIGNAL DISTRIBUTION –THE STATE OF THE SECTOR

‘Beyond the Matrix’ sounds like it could be an installment in a famous movie franchise, but it accurately reflects the state of signal distribution in 2022. As a manufacturer, we’ve gone beyond the matrix – although there are certainly use cases and legacy installations where matrix switches can still be found (in fact, we’ve seen 14-year-old matrixes with the ability to pump out 4K 60 4:4:4 – something that’s frankly amazing.)

But the flexibility and versatility of AV-over-IP solutions are unmatched by previous technologies.

Crestron went live with its first DM solution in 2008, and the ever-evolving DM NVX arrived in 2017. There have been literally millions of systems deployed since then. And, as was promised, the beauty of network video distribution is that you are now not tied to a fixed matrix, which might be eight in, eight out, 16 in, 16 out. You could install a one in, 52 out, for example, and the amount of hardware you’d need for such a configuration is reduced dramatically from older solutions.

From our perspective, here’s where things stand with each segment when it comes to distributed media.

Phillip Pini, Director of Residential Sales (UK) at Crestron, takes a look at the state of play in the matrix and signal distribution sector.

COMMERCIAL TRENDS

Video distribution in the commercial sector has been, and remains, huge. There are reasons for this beyond the obvious needs one might think of, such as moving content from building to building in an enterprise campus, for example.

Some time ago, we established a transatlantic solution for a very large (and very famous) record label. When that label was releasing new material from one of its leading artists, they needed a showing of a music video that could not be leaked before its premiere. No physical media. No delivery via USB. They required complete control of that file, the ability to manipulate who was viewing it, and how they were viewing it. The answer: Send that signal via DM NVX from Berlin to New York.

MARITIME TRENDS

Any form of video distribution on a yacht is still in high demand. But caution is key here: signals on a vessel need to be extremely reliable. Space is very limited, so one will need to confront all manner of potential issues, such as noise and crosstalk. That’s why higher-end systems such as ours will always be in demand.

RESIDENTIAL TRENDS

On a yacht, you’ll generally find a main comms room housing the head end of these systems. That may be true in a single-family dwelling as well, but more often than not, the dealer is likely contending with a smart TV and an (ever-growing) cluster of apps and inexpensive

dongles and plug-ins. Many would think then that matrix or video distribution as a whole would cease to exist, but it does not. This patchwork of ‘smart solutions’ actually drives demand for something better, something much more reliable.

HOSPITALITY AND MDU TRENDS

Unfortunately, this is one segment where demand for AV-over-IP isn’t terribly great. Hospitality systems generally feature lowquality, mass broadcast solutions – many guests will resort to BYOD systems for their content. The same holds true for most apartment developments – only luxury developers are interested in this kind of investment for prospective buyers.

AUDIO OVER IP

Both DM NAX Audio-over-IP and DM NVX AV-over-IP can work independently of each other or harmoniously, which is wonderful. What’s really marvelous about this solution? We at Crestron have some incredibly clever engineers that managed to get both of those signals – including USB HID devices – down a one-gig pipe, which is quite an accomplishment. We’ve long had solutions that deliver terrific multichannel audio or two-channel stereo, but our DM NAX actually takes things one step further with streamed-based audio such as Tidal, Spotify, and other music providers. Add to that DSP updates such as Crestron’s Certified Audio Profiles, mix in unmatched wattage, and Crestron’s new speakers made in partnership with Origin Acoustics, and you’ve got a system that would make any audiophile jealous.

The Crestron lab where the DM NVX platform is tested

SAY GOODBYE TO SERVICE CALLS

Luke Newland, Owner, New Land Solutions, explains, “From the outset, it was clear this home cinema installation was going to be one of our most ambitious to date. We were installing the entire smart tech system across our client’s 1500sq ft new build, at the heart of which was to be a stunning basement home cinema.

“The bar for performance was extraordinarily high on all counts. Having shown the client a range of demos, Meridian Audio’s largest demo theatre was the one that truly bowled him over. He tasked us to match the quality and scale of the demo room and gave us a significant degree of creative freedom to do so.”

Luke underlines, “Being tasked to match the quality of one of our most respected partner’s

flagship demo theatres on a private project was a dream commission for us. Given our oversight of the entire property’s smart tech, his trust in our expertise and significant project budget - we considered it feasible to match or even outstrip this highest of standard of audio-visual performance.

“Naturally, a demo theatre showcases the finest available products in conditions carefully controlled to optimise their output. The challenge was to bring this calibre of AV in line with the comfort, convenience and usability expectations of the smart system of an ultramodern, high value new build. For us, this project wasn’t just about meeting our client’s high expectations; it was about pushing the limits of what can be achieved with private home cinemas.”

Luke explains, “The only constraints we had were the four walls of the room we had to work with, and the clients’ preference for control via a remote rather than an iPad. But, with our passion for simplifying state-of-the art tech, this was really no constraint at all. The resulting installation is comfortably one of the most luxurious, elaborate and technologically capable home cinema projects we’ve had the pleasure to observe.

“The lavish carpet, curtain, custom red seating and brass finished furniture contribute to an opulent retro-cinema feel; but there’s nothing retro about the cinema tech itself. With subtly concealed Atmos 9.4 loudspeakers

accompanying the authoritative Meridian Audio DSP8000 SE twinned behind the screen, the home cinema boasts one of the most powerful audio systems achievable in private cinema.”

To match, world class image quality is projected via a mirror mount from a Barco Loki projector, suspended in the ceiling. The meticulously treated room is illuminated by KNX lighting, with six circuits for separate scenes, complete with row lamps, LED strips and step lights to lead the owners out of the room. All controllable from just the Savant Pro remote.

New Land Solution newland.solutions

SONOS SUB MINI: REVIEW

Designed most specifically to partner the company’s range of soundbars and speakers, the Sonos Sub Mini has been created to offer a more affordable, perhaps better-looking solution when compared to the existing Sonos Sub. The Mini comes in at £429, around half that of its bigger brother. The only Sonos products it cannot partner are the portable offerings of Roam and Move, and its performance curves are aimed mostly at partnering the company’s soundbars (reviewers are supplied with one to use when testing the Sub Mini to underline this fact).

The size and shape of the product has received some attention, with some suggesting that it does not really look like a sub, that’s no bad thing as the cylindrical design means it feels at home in quite a few different environments, and the dimensions (23cm wide and 30.5cm tall) mean it is a strong option for when space is at a premium in smaller living spaces such as apartments or if the product is destined for somewhere such as a home office. The performance means it can be placed more or less anywhere in the room with similar results and its Wi-Fi connectivity (helped by an embedded NFC tag) also promotes flexibility.

All it needs is a power socket and you are good to go. One slight caveat, the unit supports 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4), not the more recent Wi-Fi 6, but this did not present us with any issues during use. As usual, set up is via the Sonos app. If convenient and desired, the unit can also connect via ethernet cable.

THE PERFORMANCE

Following the familiar simple set up procedure, partnering the Sub Mini with the most recently introduced soundbar (the Ray) delivers a decent and very obvious uptick in performance. EI tried the product in a living room context and threw at

it some streaming services using some familiar content such as Amazon’s Rings of Power as well as Andor from Disney+’s Star Wars family. Atmospherics are much better than with just the Ray alone, which offers decent clarity but obviously lacks the range to underline audio such as the drone of a Tie fighter or bass rumbles during the battle scenes of the Tolkien series. What is on-screen tightens well with the audio, with more dynamism and control being the main features. Music concert footage is always a good test of any type of home cinema set up and a well-worn favourite at EI towers is the Blu-Ray of AC/DC Live At Donnington

mission accomplished for the new Sonos bass solution?

recorded in 1992 and released as a Blu-Ray in 2007. This surprisingly well captured footage, has loads going on with different angles from the 26 cameras used in the recording and is presented in three audio options of 48kHz/24bit PCM stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps) and PCM 5.1 48kHz/24bit. Comparing the listening experience to Sub Mini and Ray to just Ray, the standout improvements include Chris Slade’s drumming, a behemoth of a performance and the sheer confidence and power of Angus Young’s guitars. The Sub Mini definitely adds a new level of rawness and atmosphere. Capable of going down to 25Hz, in the context of where this product is aimed at, a definite plus to audio reinforcement for smaller rooms and systems.

This little product can get down to those levels by employing its pair of ‘force-cancelling’ 6in woofers, backed by sealed chambers that deliver audio inwards at each other, which is sent into the room via the Sub Minis’ curved cavity.

Away from the more impactful worlds of rock music and big bold cinematic TV series’, the Sub Mini is also subtle enough to add something to more calming choices. Mortimer and Whitehouse Gone Fishing on the BBC iPlayer is about as calm as it gets and here it’s nice to let the Ray do all the work in the mid and higher frequencies whilst the Sub delivers the low end - offering some more clarity to the dialogue and a more pleasingly complete atmosphere. What about music only playback though? Surely an area this Sub must perform well in considering its likely target audience and use context. As you might expect the Sub Mini copes really well with bass heavy material cutting a fine rug when

presenting a Love Like Blood by Killing Joke or something more dance/ambient like Metallic Spheres by The Orb. Taking the foot off the gas a little, there is also decent improvement when tackling something a little more subtle with tracks from the Grateful Dead’s Aoxomoxoa album enjoying more reach and an improved rounded tone to their scatological approach to music making. Offering the Sub Mini lots of different thing to do is enhanced by the unit’s ability to be adjusted by 15 points up or down to give either less or more impact in the room, so most users should be able to find a level that suits them.

Also present is night mode, important as this product is going to end up in many flats and MDU situations. Also on-board is Sonos’ ‘room correction’ software, Trueplay. Being an Andriod user, EI could not test this aspect. The company’s reason for not expanding beyond

iPhone is the mics on all iPhones are basically the same and are a known quantity, not so with Andriod. A valid point, but perhaps something for the clever people in RnD to look into at Sonos HQ?

THE VERDICT

So clearly the Sonos Sub Mini has, like all its cousins, been born to live and breathe within a Sonos world and it does that very well. You can really hear the work that has gone into matching this product with all the others, meaning that many of the existing speakers like Ray and Beam are set free to reach their full potential as the bass end is competently taken care of by the Sub Mini. In short, a positive addition to the family that will enjoy use in many different contexts, able to cope with many types of content.

Sonos has worked hard to make the Sub Mini an agile and worthwhile addition

A triple-motorized incline mech anism allows the user to operate the footrest, backrest and headrest INDEPENDENTLY from one-another. This allows the user to ensure maximum comfort by fine-tuning their preferred seating position.

benchmark

LARGO - image courtesy of ExperienceCyberGroup.com

Palladiom

CONTROL4 LEADS THE WAY

According to recent CEDIA research, Control4 is ranked as the #1 most specified and installed brand by 50% of UK integrators and is placed in the top 3 by two-thirds of integrators for wholehouse integrated control systems. It’s the goto control solution for excellent performance, professional support and reliability.

Control4 Smart Home OS 3 is the latest operating system for Control4 smart homes, offering a personalised and unified smart home system to automate and control connected devices including lighting, audio, video, climate control, intercom, and security.

Launched in May 2019 and significantly upgraded since, Control4 Smart Home OS 3 is the operating system for smart homes, designed to unify hundreds of connected devices within the home into one intuitive, userfriendly experience.

The latest enhancements to OS 3 have further simplified the Snap One offering by bringing Control4 into the OvrC ecosystem. This streamlines maintenance, facilitating 24/7 remote management and enabling more partners to offer service contracts to clients.

In the last 12 months, Control4 OS 3 has seen a host of new capabilities, including: time-saving shortcuts in Composer Pro, support for Apple Watch, audio streaming platform Ryff and the highly anticipated lighting colour wheel UI. Also, Control4 apps for iOS and Android were updated to enable faster connection speeds for customers using the app while on the go, providing access to their systems up to 40% faster than before.

Ryff is a high-res native audio streaming platform which integrates with 12 popular streaming services; with decoding at up to 192kHz sample rate, at full 24 bit-depth, and MQA support. It includes network-based audio synchronisation to prevent echo and lag across multiple simultaneous zones, including those connected wirelessly.

A new native colour wheel UI brings fast and intuitive control of tuneable white and colour lighting. Partners can create colour pre-sets that customers can personalise and include lighting temperature as an element of lighting scenes and programming.

Meanwhile, a brand-new line of Control4 CORE Series Controllers boast faster processors, more zones of built-in audio, higher quality Digital to Analogue Converters, and a 4K on-screen user interface. With three versions for different sized projects that require varying features and functionalities.

Control4 integrates with thousands of smart devices as well as ‘dumb’ devices that can be connected via IR readers, and can be installed with hardwire, wi-fi or combined connectivity. And being easily scalable, Control4 is suitable for homes of all sizes.

Control4 is a Snap One brand, only available to Authorised Partners. Existing Partners can learn more on the Control4 Dealer Portal, those interested becoming a partner can scan the QR code below.

One’s ecosystem is anchored on its technology platforms, Control4 Smart Home OS 3 and OvrC Remote Management, which are at the forefront of investment and innovation plans to provide the best foundation for integrators to build brilliant end-to-end control projects.

Fun highlights within this exemplar of easy-touse Control4 home automation project includes a grand piano that’s linked to the network and plays live performances when people arrive in the house’s main entrance, and an 18th century portrait in the cloakroom which – thanks to a tablet hidden behind the canvas – has moving eyes and might occasionally wink at guests while they’re washing their hands.

These aren’t the only surprises in-store for visitors – there’s a secret 1920s-style cocktail bar, a wine-tasting room and, in the gents’ WC, a faux pull-cord fades a bowler hat light fitting up and down accordingly, while triggering a pre-selected playlist from a Kaleiedescape player. There’s also a games room in the basement, with a full nightclub

audio system, vintage arcade machines, a flight simulator and table sports.

Maven had worked with this client – the owner of the home – for around six years, installing

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The Control4 system that’s been deployed automates and integrates a range of subsystems including lighting, video distribution, multiroom audio, shading, security, comms and a data networking system, with multimode fibre to all locations for future technologies and increasing bandwidth requirements.

Three full-height Future Automation lighting panels (one per floor) contain all the Lutron modules for the 140+ lighting circuits, and each floor also has a designated FA relay control panel for the 42 Silent Gliss curtains and blinds around the property. All can be controlled using either Lutron keypads or any one of the 12 Control4 touchscreens, or 22 Control4 handheld remotes used in the property.

The technology actually kicks in before people enter the property – outside the gates, which have Control4 intercom panels, there are CCTV cameras that are connected to each touchscreen and TV in the home, as well as each users’ personal device. There are 19 cameras at present, but this number will increase to 38 when the project is completed. Once in the grounds, visitors can enter via the front door or the main entrance lobby, where more Control4 intercom panels relay a chime over the speakers.

The cinema won the best Home Cinema Over £50K at the Smart Building Awards

Maven worked closely with the project’s designers and architects – each room or area was themed and approached as a totally different system design, however, the overall idea was to achieve a consistent technology experience for the client throughout the property. To satisfy the interior designer, the majority of TVs were hidden from view by automated artwork within picture-frames or automated brackets/TV lifts while speakers located in each room were colour-matched with corresponding room colours.

Maven says this project is the best it’s ever had the pleasure to work on - not only for the quality of equipment used and the extensive integration on Control4, but also the attention to detail the company was able to achieve. The integrator likes the fact that every room has an individual theme and believes that each space offers an award-winning system in its own right. Maven managed to install a huge amount of technology in this home, offering the ultimate experience, but without impacting on the interior design and offering the homeowner a feature-rich, intuitive and simple to operate user experience.

Every area of the home had it’s own exciting and unique theme

This was intended to keep all parties happy – including the ones that will be held in the impressive conservatory space, which is overlooked by a Juliet balcony, and has a DJ input for providing some serious sounds. Let’s just hope that the noise doesn’t disturb the stuffed polar bear and the dinosaur that are stood nearby, keeping a careful eye on the guests.

Maven AV maven.uk.com

AudioControl is celebrating 45 years of serving the CI channel by introducing a complete line of 8K home cinema products

AudioControl has announced the introduction of 8K home cinema preamp/processors, which made their debut at the 2022 CEDIA Expo in Dallas. The maker says these new ultimate performance cinema solutions are perfect for discerning consumers, and represent an important opportunity for specialty dealers and integrators.

AudioControl has introduced new versions of the lineup X-Series immersive processors and receivers that feature HDMI 2.1 with HDCP2.3 support and accept 8K signals. These ultrapremium 16-channel immersive audio preamp/ processors and AVRs enable home theatre specialists and AV integrators to create systems that deliver new levels of precision, power, and control. They also support the most sought-after immersive surround formats, such as 9.1.6 Dolby Atmos, Auro 3D, DTS:X and IMAX Enhanced, with 16-channels of balanced and unbalanced output.

AudioControl’s 8K products offer the latest in audio and video processing technology, featuring Dirac Live room correction with bass management to overcome acoustic anomalies in any space and ESS Sabre DACs that ensure strong levels of detail and clarity along with an authoritative

bass response. Enthusiasts will enjoy easy-touse app-based control, Google Cast, Airplay 2, aptX Bluetooth and Wi-Fi streaming connectivity options, and integrators will appreciate the intuitive web-based configuration along with control drivers for popular smart home platforms. All these features and technologies have been wrapped within an attractive, modern industrial design.

AudioControl 8K preamp/processors can be combined with AudioControl’s newest G4 Series and RS Series amplifiers, including the sevenchannel Savoy G4, five-channel Pantages G4 and versatile 4/3/2-channel fully bridgeable Avalon G4 to achieve top line performance.

AudioControl audiocontrol.com

A BIG NAIM IN AUDIO ADDS CRESTRON COMPATIBILITY

Favourites menu that allows quick selection of a wide variety of most used content. Other highlights offer search on streaming services, connection with a Naim Uniti Core hard-disk music server or UPnP server and full switching control of digital and analogue inputs, including HDMI-ARC.

Naim Audio has added Crestron driver support to its range of music streaming speakers and systems. Joining existing Control4 driver support, the new software gives installers more ways to integrate award-winning Naim performance.

The new drivers allow installers to control connected Naim products from Crestron’s range of touchscreens, remote controls and apps, so highperformance music streaming can be more easily integrated into discreet custom installations. The driver also supports volume control and source switching through the Crestron interface, allowing installers to customise the user experience in any way they like.

Features include the ability to enhance browsing experiences, allowing access to a personal music collection and recommended content on Tidal and Qobuz. There is also a new

The Crestron driver works with all Naim products based on the unique, latest-generation music streaming platform: the Mu-so and Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation wireless speakers; Uniti Atom, Uniti Star and Uniti Nova streaming systems, and ND5 XS 2, NDX 2 and ND555 dedicated music streaming players. Further Naim products – including the Uniti Core music server – can also be integrated, offering the ability to rip and store music collections in high quality for playback through home installations.

The Naim-Crestron driver offers two control methods for a Naim streaming product. One is as a Media Driver, allowing browsing and playback of music services. The other is a traditional Zone Driver – enabling source switching, volume control and other functions.

An installer is able to use either or both in a project, allowing them to integrate the Naim product in the most suitable way for each installation.

Naim Audio naimaudio.com

The updated Naim Crestron driver is available now from development partner, Intrinsic

AudioControl

LINEAR LIGHTING BY CONTROL4

The future of Control4 is brighter with Snap One’s debut of Vibrant Linear Lighting, a new line of Control4 lighting solutions that enable partners to deliver personalised lighting experiences for any mood, activity or time of day, says the company.

“Having the right light, in the right place at the right time has never been more important within the home – the location where many customers now work, rest and play. Just as homes have adapted for technology, lighting has evolved beyond traditional lights and decorative fixtures to now showcase layers of light using linear lighting. We developed Vibrant Linear Lighting so that partners can create accented lighting experiences for every need and budget with simple, low-voltage setup that is easy to add,” says Margie Meyers, Principal Product Manager for Control4 Lighting.

Control4 Vibrant Linear Lighting provides partners with a complete product line, offering LED tape in a full selection of white, tuneable white, colour, and colour + tuneable white options, and providing all the accessories needed to create sophisticated lighting experiences. Partners can design scenes that can be activated with the press of a button, a voice command, or through automation to provide a more immersive experience and enrich a customers’ lifestyle and

wellbeing. The line also supports circadian health, a growing wellness concern that mimics nature with bright, cool light during the day that slowly dims and warms in the evening.

In addition to personalised wellness experiences, the Vibrant Linear Lighting line is designed to ensure a simple and professionallooking installation, which is achieved through aluminium extrusions for mounting, translucent lenses to soften and diffuse light and DMX, DALI or Zigbee modules that provide reliable control of colour and lighting temperature settings.

Snap One

Available

MARKS THE SPOT FOR OPTOMA TREASURE

blur-free visuals and low lag gaming with a 16ms response time in 4K at 60Hz and 4ms in 1080P at 240Hz for a competitive gaming advantage.

Optoma has launched the Optoma CinemaX D2 Series, its next-gen true 4K UHD home cinema projectors at attractive price points.

The maker says users can enjoy access to over 400,000 movies, TV shows and live sports, and play music and games across streaming services. You can even customise the home screen to display favourite apps with the CinemaX D2 Smart, an ultrashort throw projector - featuring high brightness, strong picture quality and true-to-life images.

Leveraging customer feedback on its award-winning CinemaX P2 projector, Optoma designed the CinemaX D2 and CinemaX D2 Smart projectors to produce rich details and deliver realistic picture quality for premium home entertainment viewing. Addressing a wide variety of gaming content needs, the CinemaX D2 projectors are equipped with Enhanced Gaming Mode, enabling gaming enthusiasts to experience

Utilising Texas Instruments’ DLP technology and Optoma’s DuraCore laser technology, the unit offers big-screen experiences with an ultra-short throw glass lens that casts up to 100in images from less than a foot away from the projection surface. The Optoma CinemaX D2 projectors also feature eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) audio with support for Dolby Atmos pass through, as well as RS232 connectivity and three HDMI 2.0 inputs.

The CinemaX D2 projectors also feature 3,000l, a 1,800,000:1 contrast ratio, and HDR and HLG compatibility in a compact design, available in a black or white chassis, along with one remote control for the projector which also activates the smart apps.

“Since Optoma introduced its first ultra-short throw model in 2019, we received valuable feedback from customers and incorporated these enhancements in our new CinemaX D2 Series to continue to deliver the best true 4K UHD home cinematic experiences at attractive price points,” says Maria Repole, Head of Marketing Communications, Optoma.

Optoma optoma.co.uk

Linn has announced several high-performance components for the Selekt DSM product ecosystem.

The maker has made sustainability a cornerstone of its product offering for decades with a strong focus on modularity and upgradeability.

The company argues it delivers ongoing value to customers by creating products that grow, evolve, and perform exceptionally over time –providing an open road to upgrade, rather than a cul-de-sac to redundancy.

Launched in 2018, and encapsulating these core values of modularity and upgradeability, Selekt DSM was conceived with the intent for it to grow into a broad ecosystem of modular upgrades. Linn has now announced several highperformance components for the Selekt DSM product ecosystem designed to further cement it as the king of configurability. Now included is Selekt DSM: Edition Hub – a luxurious, superior-quality,

and higher performance enclosure variant. Organik DAC for Selekt DSM – Linn’s reference-level DAC architecture makes its way to Selekt DSM, in both stereo and maximum performance dual-mono variants. The existing Selekt DSM chassis design, first launched in 2018, will henceforth be named Selekt DSM: Classic Hub to differentiate it from the all-new, deluxe Edition Hub. Selekt DSM: Edition Hub fitted with Organik DAC comprehensively outperforms not only Linn’s Akurate DS and DSM, but the previous-generation flagship Klimax DSM too. With its wealth of performance and price points, the Selekt DSM product ecosystem now replaces both Akurate DS and DSM in Linn’s range.

Gilad Tiefenbrun, Linn’s CEO, says, “Selekt DSM is unique in that it can be easily configured to meet a hi-fi enthusiast’s desired performance, chosen application and budget. By broadening the Selekt DSM ecosystem to incorporate even more versatility and performance, we are continuing to make good on our promise to create modular and upgradeable products that grow and evolve during their ownership – products that deliver both musical pleasure and enduring value, today and tomorrow.”

Linn linn.co.uk

AUDIOLAB HITS THE BLOCK

In 2021 Audiolab released its first product, designed to improve the quality of AC electricity fed to audio and AV systems. Priced at a shade under £100 and designed to connect to an individual audio component – an amp, for example – the dual-action DC Block’s effect on sound quality made it an instant success, says the maker. For those who want to connect a DC Block to several components in a system, multiple units are needed – each requiring connection to a separate mains outlet. But what if you want a whole-system solution and have only one mains outlet available?

Enter the new DC Block 6.

Serving the purpose of a six-way power strip, the DC Block 6 contains the same mains filtering and DC blocking technologies as the original DC Block, but provides six individually isolated outlets to deliver pure, rebalanced power to every component in an audio or AV system – the aim is to unlock the complete system’s true sonic potential.

Housed in an attractive aluminium enclosure, the DC Block 6 is proportioned to sit with standard-width source and amp components ––on the shelf of a Hi-Fi equipment support. At the front is an OLED voltmeter display which shows the measured mains voltage – this can be switched off if preferred. Around the back are six C13 IEC

outlets; connect these outlets to the AC mains input of each audio component in an audio or AV system and use a single IEC cable to connect the DC Block 6 to a mains socket.

Tackling ‘DC on the mains’ is not the only benefit delivered by this dual-action device – it also contains a specialised, high-performance filtering circuit that removes RFI/EMI contaminants from the mains supply. This is effective in reducing both differential-mode noise and common-mode noise.

Audiolab audiolab.co.uk

Audiolab’s DC Block 6 removes RFI/EMI whilst banishing ‘DC on the mains’, delivering pure, rebalanced power

Loewe Technology has launched the compact OLED bild v.48 TV.

The maker says the new model combines class-leading picture quality, timeless design and a compact size to fit smaller spaces. The bild v.48 is suited for those seeking a smallerscreened monitor with an affinity for design, and without compromising on quality.

The Loewe bild v.48 is equipped with the SL5 chassis with dual channel and dual multituner, SX8 Quad Core processor and a highquality 4K OLED panel of the latest generation. HDR10 and HLG ensure a maximum contrast range, and a soundbar equipped with six drivers delivers 80W of total music power and an immersive sound.

The award-winning Loewe bild v model series is described as combining first-class technology with Loewe’s minimalist design. The latest generation of OLED panels, combined with individual calibration for each set, deliver a sublime picture quality, says the company.

The stereo soundbar of the Loewe bild v models offers a natural, immersive experience with impressive, room-filling cinema sound and excellent speech intelligibility - even in larger rooms, says the maker. This is ensured by 80W of total music power, a closed bass reflex box and six drivers. With Mimi Sound Personalisation, the sound can be adjusted to the viewer’s individual preferences that offers auditory enjoyment and optimises hearing health.

The interplay of screen technology, audio and comprehensive customisability makes the bild v an elegant design classic that enhances every living space claims Loewe. The device is equipped with a solid and rotatable Loewe table stand v while the floor-standing Loewe floor2ceiling stand, floor stand flex and floor stand universal are available as accessories. In addition, the compact bild v.48 can also be combined with the chrome-plated Loewe floor stand c.

Loewe Technology loewe.tv

INTUITIV TAHOE CRESTRON CH5 NOW AVAILABLE

The new smart home Tahoe touch interface will elevate the user experience, argues its creator Intuitiv

Intuitiv has released the Tahoe Crestron CH5 UI after completing an initial beta phase for this ‘game-changing’ solution. By leveraging conventional web technologies, user-centric heuristics and cutting-edge design queues, this UI solution will allow programmers/integrators to deliver a user experience far beyond what has been possible to date, says the company.

“Tahoe drastically improves how integrators and programmers can deploy a smart home system, giving them the most modern, industryleading UI design. Ultimately, our solution provides the end user an experience far beyond what they ever thought was possible,” says Ryan Wenner, Co-Founder of Intuitiv.

“CH5 is making its mark on the industry,” adds Marc Caldwell, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Intuitiv. “This technology is part of ushering in a new era in smart home design and bringing the focus onto the user experience.”

Using a global network of ‘verified partners’, the company ran its beta phase through the summer. The Tahoe CH5 UI is now ready for ‘real world’ deployments to verified partners in showrooms, demo systems, or in end users’ homes who wants their technology on the leading edge of UI design and functionality.

As a new responsive interface, CH5 is capable of adapting to a range of device screen sizes, enabling overthe-air updates and upgrades for integrators/programmers, offering lightweight environments and delivering advanced functionality and responsiveness.

Intuitiv intuitiv.homes

The Loewe bild v.48 is available now at an end user price of £2299

Visit the website for more details and to purchase the Tahoe CH5 template