Residential Tech Today -- Sept/Oct 2021 by Innovation & Tech Today

NEW TECH FOR THE SMART HOME | SAVANT’S VEGAS MODERN 001 | CLEARING THE AIR

JON TAFFER NO HOLDS BARRED

PLUS: Regaining Parental Control with Screen-Time Tools A Multi-City Approach for Technology Design Associates Bowers & Wilkins Polishes Up the Iconic Diamond Series The Insatiable Appetite for Home Networking

Sept/Oct 2021

From the Editor You never know what you’re going to get from a business conference guest speaker. One time, the closer at an event I attended billed himself a “futurist” even though he came out wearing a ponytail from the 1960s and focused his “vision” on this “new thing” called the smart phone, which everyone in the audience had already owned for a few years. Fortunately, these days, event organizers are getting more savvy about recruiting guest speakers. At the recent ProSource Summer Conference in San Antonio, the first presentation of the conference was led by Marcus Sheridan, a partner of a pool installation company, called River Pools and Spas, who was hired less for motivational purposes and more as a guide toward tried-and-true business solutions.

Executive Editor Jeremy Glowacki

Sheridan asked his audience to brainstorm the top seven to 10 questions that client prospects ask them, so they can record a single video that answers all of them.

At first, making a connection between smart home tech and pool installation seemed a bit of a stretch, but upon closer examination, the two disciplines have much in common. An inground pool, like high-end smart home tech, is a luxury purchase that can be vulnerable to economic downturns. Pool and smart home tech are also both dependent on professional contractors who need to educate potential clients about a multi-phase installation process. Sheridan, who is also author of the content marketing guidebook, “They Ask, You Answer,” said that his company succeeded by educating potential clients about the merits of fiberglass pools over vinyl and concrete competitive alternatives. He used a professionally produced video to address the 80% of questions or concerns that a potential client might have about his company’s products and services. Sheridan asked his audience to brainstorm the top seven to 10 questions that client prospects ask them, so they can record a single video that answers all of them. That video, housed on your company’s website, should be sent to potential clients prior to any initial sales call with them. The result of the video, Sheridan said, will be much shorter appointment times and increased closing rates. The second most important video types, according to Sheridan, are biographical videos about the people working in your company. This helps potential clients get to know the personality to the company and helps establish the professional bonafides of a firm. When I was listening to this suggestion, my mind wandered to those short background stories aired on NBC during the recent Summer Olympics. I’ll watch a profile on, say, a 400meter hurdler right before her gold-medal race, and within 10 minutes I’m her biggest fan. That’s amazing, considering that I only watch 400-meter hurdling once every four years. I can imagine residential tech crew videos serving a similar role in helping a potential client warm up to the people that they are looking to hire for a week or more working inside their home. There’s a lot more to Sheridan’s advice than just these suggestions, but the case for professionally produced videos on your website couldn’t have been clearer. It’s time to use video tech to show why your company is so good with tech.

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Sept/Oct 2021

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contents

58 Jon Taffer

Takes No-HoldsBarred Approach to Helping Hospitality Businesses. Cover Photo Courtesy of Paramount Network

Departments 16 By the Numbers 18 Quick Bits 20 Control 22 Audio 24 CEDIA Says 26 Security

28 Lighting 30 Networks 78 Product Revolution 86 Coming Up 88 The Lighter Side

32 Innovator Spotlight

Ron Wanless, Technology Design Associates

34 Featured Bowers & Wilkins Introduces 4th Generation Diamond Series 36 Reviewing the Definitive Technology Studio 3D Mini Soundbar and Subwoofer 40 Monitor Audio Continues Its Evolution with the 7th Generation Silver Series

44 Issue Focus: Home Networks Tools and Strategies for Keeping Kids Safe Online After Our Return to Normal 46 The Benefits of Access Networks BeamFlex 50 The Insatiable Appetite for Home Networks

52 Integration

Savant’s Vegas Modern 001 Experience Center

64 CEDIA Product Preview

CEDIA Expo Returns In-Person with a Full Slate of New Residential Tech

74 Health Tech

How Sensibo Pure Manages Whole House Indoor Air Quality

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

Contributors Michael Heiss has been a member of CEDIA since its founding, having served two terms on the CEDIA Board and headed the Technology Council. He was awarded CEDIA’s “Volunteer of the Year” award and is a CEDIA Fellow. As a product and marketing executive at Harman International, he was responsible for many breakthrough audio and video products. On the entertainment side of the business he was a promotion manager at NBC and was key to the development of hotel in-room movies and created the first nationwide movie rental service for Beta and VHS cassettes. In this issue, Heiss reports on the latest loudspeaker introduction from Bowers & Wilkins.

Jay Basen is retired from his 40-year career in professional software development, but he still keeps his tech skills sharp with special projects and product reviews. During his career, the Silver Certified Crestron programmer specialized in the design, development, and installation of automation, building management, and energy management systems for residential and commercial buildings. In this issue (p. 74), he reviews the whole-house indoor air filtering capabilities of the Sensibo Pure.

Henry Clifford founded Richmond, VA-based Livewire in 2001 to meet the growing demand for technologically integrated homes and businesses. In January 2018, he co-founded Parasol, a remote service support company, and has served on the CEDIA Board of Directors. His most recent venture was the recent launch of IntegrateU, a professional on-boarding service for the custom integration industry. On p. 44, Clifford writes about the best ways to help parents filter and limit network access into their home and reviews the Studio3D soundbar and subwoofer combo from Definitive Technology on p. 36.

Snap One Senior Manager, Training, Nathan Holmes is not only a networking subject matter expert, but also a seasoned executive who helps drive new business development through strategic planning implementation and tactical execution. He developed his technical trainer role to be a bridge between Access Networks’ engineering and sales departments. He has also served as a member of the CEDIA Technology Council. On p. 46, Holmes writes about how a new Access Networks technology can improve Wi-Fi connectivity for better range, reliability, and speed.

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

e NUMB RS

by the

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

Most Americans probably “could not fathom how life would be without good broadband access at home,” writes Parks Associates’ Mark Vena in his article on p. 50. The home network, he notes, emerged from the pandemic as the undisputed element that made life more bearable while stuck at home. This month we look at the climbing number of connected devices per household, the types of connected services being used, and how well Wi-Fi networks have held up so far.

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

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QUICK BITS WE ASK INDUSTRY INSIDERS ONE QUESTION

“What tech trend that started during the pandemic do you think will have long-lasting appeal?”

What has stood out to me is the increased focus on family lifestyle in the home. Before, it was “How many places can we visit in the world?” Improving networks, theater spaces, and landscape lighting are all the byproducts of a trend toward spending time at home with the family that I think will continue. – David Wexler, EOC Audio, Lisle, IL

It’s never been easier to sell a high-quality network. You don’t have to justify it anymore. People got a really quick lesson in how important their network was when everyone was at home, working from areas of the residence that maybe before weren’t seen as critical for getting on Wi-Fi coverage. – Lance Anderson, Admit One Home Systems, Edina, MN

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

We have all seen the convenience and success of remote video conferencing, and most of us have adopted it as a daily part of life. We have also witnessed the struggles from users when they have a poor Wi-Fi connection. With video conferencing continuing to grow in popularity, so must powerful wired and wireless networks in the home and office. – Christopher Sterle, Acoustic Design Systems, Las Vegas, NV We have come back to the home as a place of rest and relaxation. Being “stuck” at home during the pandemic inspired upgrades in all things AV – networking, new displays, updated sound, and even some play zones like golf simulators. As we move into the new normal, I don’t think we will leave that behind. We have rediscovered our houses, and I see the upgrades continuing. – Heather Sidorowicz, Southtown Audio Video, Hamburg, NY Now, people are more aware of the light in their space and how it makes them look and feel. Prior to the pandemic, we weren’t doing Zoom calls during the peak sun times of the day from home offices. Clients are asking about how we can control the sunlight coming in, so they don’t have glare on their screens mid-day, and they don’t have to endure the heat in a room with direct sunlight. Shades and lighting are BIG conversations right now for us with our clients. – Amanda Wildman, TruMedia, Ada, MI More and more people are expanding their outdoor living areas. After getting a taste of how amazing of an oasis you can create for listening to music by the patio fireplace to watching a TV that pops up from the ground by the pool, surrounded by landscape lighting, entertaining outdoors will be a lasting trend. – Angel Centeno, Systems Design & Integration, Needham, MA The lack of live music has been the catalyst for more outdoor audio systems, and having first-run movies available on streaming platforms has opened the door for more outdoor TVs and projection systems than ever before. I think we’ll see this trend continue, as so many people have discovered the value of professional outdoor audio, video, and control systems. – Kat Wheeler, Snap One, Columbus, OH Five years ago, if you gave someone a proposal for a $5,000 network, they would question that a lot. Now, clients have no problem spending that amount of money because they finally realize how important a reliable network is for their kids’ schoolwork, their own business communication, and Zoom calls. – Tony Fabrick, Xtend Technologies, Broadview Heights, OH We’ve seen an amazing trend toward outdoor audio and TVs – extending how they can be outside and enjoying that space. In the past, it might have been a couple of speakers, but now they want a whole outdoor entertainment package. It’s even more notable because we’re in Minnesota where there are a limited number of months when these systems can be comfortably experienced. – Jodi Erkens, Audio Video Extremes, Waite Park, MN

DEPARTMENTS

Control

An Overhauled Solution URC Lighting is a New Platform Featuring Z-Wave Reliability and Design Flexibility By Jeremy Glowacki URC Lighting is a fresh start for a company that has been in the lighting control category for more than a decade. They have completely overhauled its home and commercial lighting solutions around the Z-Wave protocol in an effort to better serve its dealers and their clients going forward. “URC has been in the lighting business for 13 years. We’ve had a bunch of different lines,” said Joe Spinelli, URC director of product development. “But we really took a look at developing a lighting platform for the future that can enhance the installer’s life and the end user’s life. We based our new lighting line on feedback from our dealers and end users and what they have required over the years.” Simple and Scalable The goal of URC Lighting is to deliver simpleto-install, easy-to-program, and scalable products to dealers and end users for maximum performance and luxurious experiences. At the heart of the line is the Z-Wave RF protocol, which the company chose because of its selfhealing capabilities, reliability, and design flexibility. Initially, the line will include a dimmer, switch, and gateway, the TRF-ZW10. The gateway is the latest Z-Wave Plus offering, which allows integration of supported third-party Z-Wave lights, door locks, and other compatible devices. The dimmers feature a built-in configuration button with simple touch scene control, a colorful, customizable LED bar for visual notifications, and synchronization across URC Lighting devices for multi-way lighting feedback. The URC Lighting models offer simple neutral or non-neutral installation (dimmer only) options and are available in seven popular colors to complement any designer environment.

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

When combined with URC’s Total Control system, residential and commercial customers can take advantage of premium lighting and integration. A system can be natively programmed within Accelerator software. “We’re combining the best features of a touchscreen interface with lighting hardware,” Spinelli said. The PoE-powered TRF-ZW10 gateway can be operated in any Z-Wave network with Z-Wave certified devices from other manufacturers and can handle up to 40 lighting loads. To add more loads, simply add gateways. All mains operated nodes within the network will act as repeaters regardless of vendor to increase reliability of the network. To address security concerns, the TRF-ZW10 uses advanced Z-Wave S2 security encryption. Spinelli pointed out that when installing the switch, the integrator can press and hold a button and get feedback within a couple seconds on whether the dimmer is in the optimal place to receive a signal from the gateway. LEDs on the dimmer will register either a red light to indicate that the main gateway hub is not close enough or a green light if you’re good to go.

URC Lighting includes a dimmer, switch, and the TRF-ZW10 Z-Wave gateway

In another example of design flexibility, the dimming rate of the light when controlling a dimmer from URC keypads or remotes can be slowed down for a more relaxed dinner or movie-watching “scene,” versus the typical “instant on” requirement when touching the switch itself when you walk into the room.

ecosystem. For example, an end user might want the button to serve as a Good Night scene trigger that turns off TVs, turns off bedroom lights, and turns on nightlights throughout the rest of the home. The switch’s rocker button can also be programmed with multiple taps up or down to create different scenes, as well.

On the top right of the dimmer is a small Scene button that an integrator can assign to control other technology within a Total Control

The dimmer’s LED indicators can be programmed to respond to various triggers and may be configured into up to 255 colors. x

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DEPARTMENTS

Audio

Born Out of a Specific Need Juke Audio Offers More Affordable Eight-Zone Amplifier for Powering Architectural Speakers By Jeremy Glowacki Like so many entrepreneurial endeavors, Juke Audio was born out of a need to solve a technical challenge. Back in 2015, father and son company founders Brad and Colton Forth had moved into a new house with distributed audio ceiling speakers and in-wall speakers, but nothing to power them. They explored available amplifier options that would be easy to install and could connect to wireless streaming music sources from a mobile phone or tablet. “We didn’t really see anything that fit the bill,” Colton Forth said. “So, my father, who had been an electrical engineer before moving into finance later in his career, designed what would eventually become a prototype for Juke. Initially, it was only used to power the speakers in our own house.” As time went by and more and more people inquired about what was driving the music coming out of the ceiling speakers in the Forth home, Brad and Colton realized that there could be broader interest in what they had created. “It didn’t even have a name because it was just for our own use,” Forth recalled. After Colton graduated from the University of Southern California, he set aside his music manager/agent career objectives, sticking with the hot hand to begin commercializing Juke Audio with his dad and firmware engineer, Yutong Gu, Forth’s fellow Trojan, who earned top honors with a Master’s degree from the University’s Viterbi School of Engineering. The first commercialized product, called the Juke-8, arrived in November 2019 with a lot of improvement to what the

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

The Juke-8 and its web interface

“prototype” had included. Listed at $1,399, it is an eight-zone (16-channel) amplifier for powering architectural speakers throughout an entire home or building. The product also serves as a receiver and allows up to four people to stream simultaneously to any combination of rooms via Wi-Fi. There is no app, but rather a web interface that can be accessed by a device that is on the same Wi-Fi network as the Juke-8. You utilize the Juke interface to allocate any of the four streaming inputs that Juke has built in. “It doesn’t take up any more energy to leave the zones turned on, so the intent is for the user to leave the zones turned on that they tend to listen to most and just stream directly within their normal music streaming app,” Forth said. “We want to keep the user in the streaming apps they are already most comfortable with rather than forcing them to learn something new.” Since going to market, Forth says, the

Juke-8 has been installed in approximately 1,500 houses, with 75% of sales direct to consumers and the other 25% builders and low-voltage installers. According to Forth, many of Juke’s initial customers are seeking an audio amplifier that can power multiple rooms and allow more simplistic wireless streaming from a mobile phone but “doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.” Although Forth believes that Juke-8 handles “about 90%” of what consumers are looking for from it, future plans may also include Amazon Alexa, Apple Homekit, and Chromecast integration. Until then, Juke Audio hopes to keep things simple, enabling quick installs that are just a matter of connecting the speaker wires and running an Ethernet cable to the Juke-8. “You don’t need a different hardware piece for every single room,” Forth said. “With a single product that’s about the size of a textbook, you can power eight rooms with audio.” x

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DEPARTMENTS

CEDIA Says

Multi-Format Education Growing Training Options at Expo and Beyond By Giles Sutton The pandemic had a massive impact on how people teach. Remote learning became a norm overnight, with educators around the globe leveraging audiovisual technology to reach their students. Both CEDIA and many of its members rose to the occasion, offering new online courses, virtual conferences, webinars, podcasts, and video series.

CEDIA views training and education as one of its primary responsibilities to the custom integration industry. In addition to our rich library of self-paced online courses, whitepapers, standards, and market research, this year we’ve embarked on several new partnerships and programs that will allow us to dramatically expand training options for integrators worldwide.

It would be difficult to find a greater diversity of voices speaking on the custom integration industry than at the CEDIA Expo. This year’s show features Technicians studying rack-building at a recent CIT Training at CEDIA Headquarters more than 250 in Fishers, IN. sessions from a wide variety of speakers. In May, The PowerHouse Alliance became a Sessions take many forms, from intensive CEDIA Education Provider. They have hands-on courses, to lively discussions, to brief committed to hosting in-person CEDIA talks and panels. For Expo attendees, this inTraining courses, taught by certified instructors, person learning represents an invaluable at more than 55 locations throughout the networking opportunity. United States. Initially, these programs will “It’s the opportunity to discuss challenges and focus on the CEDIA Cabling and Infrastructure solutions and learn from your peers. Those are Technician (CIT) body of knowledge. This the things that stay with us more than anything foundational training will provide the hands-on else,” said CEDIA director of workforce training learning opportunities technicians need to and Expo speaker Ken Erdmann. “I’ve done master the skills of the trade. PowerHouse is everything the hard way at least once, and I can slated to begin offering courses in the fall; those share with you a few easier ways to do things.” interested can sign up to be notified of sessions near them. Those attending virtually can benefit as well. We’ve made more than 50 of the most popular We’ve also begun offering hybrid education sessions in the CEDIA Expo education program options, allowing technicians to complete available as part of our new “On Demand” track. portions of the CIT Education Pathway online Even those who cannot physically attend this and concluding with a hands-on three-day year’s show can stay abreast of the latest training. This approach offers a rich in-person technology trends, and those who can’t tear environment while reducing the travel burden themselves away from the show floor can catch and minimizing time off the jobsite. up on crucial sessions post-show throughout the month of September. The custom integration industry has thrived

New Voices In May, Google named CEDIA as its first Grow with Google education partner in the channel. Grow with Google courses are now available for free in CEDIA Academy. These ondemand, video-based courses can help

Hyperlocal Options As travel remains constrained for many, we can’t expect all learning to take place in front of a screen. CEDIA and its members are working together to offer in-person training that doesn’t involve an airplane.

The pandemic didn’t change how people learn, however. Though learning style varies by individual, cognitive science leads us to understand two broad truths: 1. Variety is critical to helping people absorb new skills and information. Offering opportunities to try different modes of instruction, styles of interaction and practice, and learning sources yields better results. 2. People learn better in a richer environment, with more stimulus and opportunities to interact. People aren’t getting webinar fatigue because webinars are bad, but because they tend to be so similar in format. A webinar is actually a useful and efficient way to get new information, but not day after day, week after week. Eventually, the brain’s ability to take in new information that way is simply exhausted.

integrators improve their online presence, digital marketing literacy, and business savvy.

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

this year due to its innovation, ingenuity, and flexibility. CEDIA strives to apply those same qualities in its approach to training. By forging new partnerships, offering new points of access, and elevating new voices, we hope to lead an industry that never stops learning. x

DEPARTMENTS

Security

A Hybrid Engine for Securing the Home

ELK Products Hybrid Wireless/Wired Alarm Platform Offers All of the Latest Features By Jeremy Glowacki For the past 17 years, the M1 Controls line has served as an enhanced, robust, high-end platform at the core of ELK Products’ security system offerings. Soon, ELK Products will unveil a new platform and security system – two years in the making – that offers a combination of modern convenience and capabilities along with traditional privacy and reliability.

At the heart of ELK Products’ Alarm Engine platform is the hybrid wireless/wired E27 security system.

At the heart of this IP-based platform, which the company has dubbed Alarm Engine, is the hybrid wireless/wired E27 security system. While most of the security industry has been focused on 100% wireless security platforms where the entire brains of the system are contained behind a small on-wall touchscreen, ELK Products decided to take a more hybrid approach. The IP based Alarm Engine platform features the more typical hidden control panel and a wired option, while adding in current-day conveniences like wireless connectivity via WiFi, two-way wireless sensors, and Z-Wave, doorbell cams, consistent user interfaces, and smart automation. “The security industry has moved a lot to more self-contained style panels,” explained ELK Products President Sean Curley. “Some who have been in the industry for a long time note drawbacks to self-contained style panels, but they’ve gotten substantial adoption over the years because they’re pretty simple to install compared to more traditional systems. The thing is, there are millions of homes out there today with hardwired systems that still work but just need a refresh. With these self-contained systems, however, homeowners basically end up having to either lose the use of the hardwired sensors that were in the house and still working fine, or they have to install a ‘translator’ or ‘takeover module,’ that may sacrifice some of the integrity of the original system.”

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

The ELK Alarm Engine and E27 security system was designed to maintain all the integrity of an original hardwired installation and still bring the system forward with lighting control, locks, and thermostats. It also has a more consumer-friendly control interface. The E27 system offers an elegant interface design, a consistent user interface between the user’s touch screen on the wall in the home or on the desktop, or kitchen counter. It’s the same interface that is used in the iPhone app and the Android app. At its core, the E27 is an intrusion system, but it has very robust automation for triggering lighting schedules or reactions to to “specified triggers, video features, and door control. The surveillance cameras within the system are prograde models that also are capable of PoE or Wi-Fi connectivity, and video storage in ELK’s

new video solution is local, rather than held in the cloud. “A lot of our consumers are very privacy focused, so we opted for local storage via an SD card slot in every camera, and we’re also offering an NVR [network video recorder] that can be used as a centralized storage onsite for multiple cameras,” Curley noted. Each camera can be installed via PoE. The same camera model also contains a Wi-Fi antenna should a wireless setup be preferred. The security panel ships with an RJ45 plug for hardwired Ethernet. To make it wireless, a Wi-Fi module must be plugged into a slot on the panel. The ELK Alarm Engine and E27 security system will be available in late 2021/early 2022. x

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DEPARTMENTS

Lighting

A Smart Lighting Partnership

Smartlabs and Nokia Promise the Capabilities of High-End Lighting Control at a Lower Price

By Anthony Leo

Smartlabs, in a partnership with Nokia, has launched a suite of IoT-powered lighting and electrical control products that are designed to make smart lighting straightforward to buy, easy to install, and intuitive to-use. Versatile and featuring universal compatibility, Nokia Smart Lighting brings consumers and builders a solution with high-end style, precision engineering, and wide-ranging capabilities at a more affordable price point than high-end systems. Nokia Smart Lighting product pricing ranges from $39.99 to $59.99 per device. Screw-less matching wall plates are available in 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-gang versions. “One of our focus areas in brand licensing is smart home connected devices, and we are excited to bring the first Nokia Smart Lighting products to market with Smartlabs, a technology leader in smart lighting control,” said Vipul Mehrotra, vice president, Nokia Brand Partnerships. “This complete line of innovative, versatile, and easy-to-use smart lighting devices reflects Nokia’s commitment to using technology to positively impact people’s everyday experience, including enabling effective energy management.” Founded in 1992 and acquired by Richmond Capital Partners in 2017, Smartlabs has deep experience developing technology for electrical, lighting, and sensor communication and control, with the company holding more than 50 patents that provide a foundation for ongoing innovation in the smart device space. Nokia Smart Lighting products have a clean, modern aesthetic found in high-end custom solutions, yet resemble familiar wall switch and dial designs that won’t require family or guests to learn how to use them.

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

The Nokia Smart Lighting product line includes Paddle and Dial switches, and a four-button, multi-function Keypad, Outlet, and Bridge.

Precision engineering delivers a high-quality product with soft-touch haptics for an elegant feel and quiet operation. Designer touches such as screwless wall plates and matte finishes elevate any room, home, or building’s aesthetic, according to the company. “We understand that every home is different, so we’ve created the new Nokia Smart Lighting products to complement any style of home and make smart lighting easy for everyone to enjoy. The line is designed to work with any fixture, any bulb, and wiring configuration and you can control the system by touch, voice, phone or tablet,” said Rob Lilleness, chairman and CEO of Smartlabs. “These new products enhance one’s home with beautiful lighting whether creating a mood for a dinner party or automatically turning on the staircase lights for the morning – it’s lighting that improves life.” Nokia Smart Lighting switches and outlets work with (and from) any lighting fixture, any type of bulb, any wiring configuration, any location, and any preference. They provide

dimmable or on/off, adjustments, and can control LED, incandescent, halogen, or fluorescent. Nokia Smart Lighting is available as a single switch or grouped switches, and controlled at home, in the car, or on vacation with Android and iOS apps, using voice assistants (Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa), or with a touch of a button or turn of a dial. The product line – including Paddle and Dial switches, a four-button, multi-function Keypad, Outlet, and Bridge – provides for maximum flexibility to enable a smart way to upgrade any home, regardless of existing fixtures, wiring, bulb type, or floorplan. Nokia Smart Lighting devices stay connected by utilizing the power of a dual-mesh network. The products combine Radio Frequency (RF) and Powerline (existing wires in a home) for superior reliability and responsiveness. This dual-mesh network brings the performance of wired and the convenience of wireless to ensure your lights work, even if the home’s Wi-Fi is down. x

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All-in-One Amplifier

DM NAX Offers Audio Flexibility, Scalability, and Interoperability for Crestron Home and Crestron Custom-Programmed Projects By Walter Joseph The Crestron DM NAX distributed Audio-over-IP (AoIP) amplifier enable users to toggle between TV audio, streaming music, podcasts, alarms, doorbells, and paging and intercom usage to any speaker in the house. “DM NAX takes whole-home audio to a new level by removing the scale and functionality constraints that used to bog down usability,” stated John Clancy, executive vice president, residential, at Crestron. “DM NAX is a solution that is easy for dealers to configure and provides effortless audio distribution that a homeowner can operate from their phone, touchscreen, remote, or tablet.” Compact Form Factor Dealers who have worked with Crestron’s DM NVX products will find familiarity in DM NAX. It will integrate simply with legacy Crestron systems and offers flexibility within its compact form factor, allowing for audio from any input to be sent to any output. DM NAX provides the ability to scale to 256 stereo zones. DM NAX products are interoperable with AES67 and Dante audio networking, use hardwired connections, and require no custom network architecture or hardware. This interoperability and simple design allow integrators to use DM NAX to specify an entire house’s worth of audio systems with a single device. Ease of install and ease of use are optimized with DM NAX, as it has been designed to enable dealers to easily

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

Crestron’s DM NAX

configure systems with baked-in features that add further value to projects. Selectable Speaker Profiles Beyond native integration of music streaming services like Pandora, Internet Radio, and many more to come, DM NAX will allow for selectable speaker profiles throughout the house once paired. This feature will automatically optimize output on a speaker-byspeaker basis as integrators test settings in each environment throughout the space. Other features include the choice of up to 40 built-in chimes for alerts like doorbells and door openings, with the ability to customize new alert chimes coming soon. Unlike other amplifiers,

the substantial power of DM NAX does not come at the expense of efficiency. The unit is highly power efficient and operates at low idle power even in “Always On” mode. Homeowners will be able to control their audio with the Crestron Home or Crestron One App and will be able to seamlessly add streaming services as the list of native integrations expands. SiriusXM, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Amazon Connected Speakers, and iHeartRadio services are expected to be available soon and Amazon Music, Deezer, Qobuz, and TIDAL services are slated for later in 2021. These and other firmware updates will occur remotely through the cloud, saving time and troubleshooting for dealers. x

innovator spotlight

A Multi-City Approach How Ron Wanless Manages an Integration Company in Six Different U.S. Cities By Jeremy Glowacki With almost 40 years of experience in the residential tech integration business, Ron Wanless knows what it takes to survive in an industry that is often at the mercy of financial system meltdowns. Having lost a business to the tech stock crash of 2002 and then weathering the Great Recession in his next venture, the president of Technology Design Associates in Bend, OR, was determined to create a company that was better prepared for the next burst bubble or downturn. His plan? A hub and spoke organization with multiple locations that can hand over their back-office operations to a central HQ. Running a company with locations in Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, and Washington still is not easy, but maybe, just maybe, it’s built in a way that won’t be so vulnerable in the future. Here’s an excerpted portion of what we learned from our conversation with Wanless. You can listen to the full conversation on the Residential Tech Talks podcast. This portion of the interview has been edited for clarity. Residential Tech Today: What’s it been like managing your multiple locations, especially during a really weird time with a pandemic making travel so difficult? Ron Wanless: It’s been an interesting experience. We’ve been expanding this group for almost four years now. We started here in Bend, and now we’re in five states with six different locations. I travel quite often between them. Certainly, during the pandemic, it’s been extremely challenging. Flights were limited, so there was a lot of drive time, a lot of windshield time, just trying to manage that and be safe during COVID. As that started to open up, I went back to traveling quite a bit. My job for the company as the president is to make sure that

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

I’m keeping in contact with my GMs in each of the locations on a constant basis and finding ways to help them continue to grow their location as much as possible. RT Today: I’m assuming you already had a bit of experience with virtual meetings prior to COVID-19? RW: Correct. We have meetings weekly with each GM separately, and we didn’t have to make any major changes for that. However, the other thing that I do is I close a lot of the bigger projects for these GMs in person, which is where the travel part comes into play. Having 38 years of experience being in this industry — my entire life — has given me the advantage when sitting down with some of the bigger clients that have the larger projects. They feel pretty comfortable with having the owner of the company around, so I tend to travel quite a bit for that. RT Today: Regarding the multi-location approach, can you tell me how the first one came about and then what the plan has been since adding your second branch? RW: Prior to 2003, I had a significant company in Bend that was doing quite well before we lost about $3 million in business in about 30 days through the tech stock crash. We rode that out for about a year, and then closed the company, and I went into consulting for a couple of years. And during that time, of course, we experienced the recession during 2008, 2009. A lot of AV dealers were losing business and looking for opportunities. So, with my consulting, I was using local dealers to do most of the installation work and to provide a lot of the equipment. I was doing most of the programming and consulting with the clients. I had a couple of builders that were multi-location builders that we were supporting. They wanted me to do a couple of locations in

Ron Wanless, president of Technology Design Associates, helps manages innovative home installations for his company’s branches in Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, and Oregon.

Oregon and another one in Washington during that time. So, I got people in those areas that wanted to work with us because they were desperate for work. Anyway, they were all really good guys that did really great work until the recession ended. And when the recession ended, they all got so busy with their own work. We were kind of second fiddle for them, and it was difficult to manage that for our clients. At that point, I had to make a decision to either cut off those builders and say that we couldn’t do that business anymore or bring in my own teams and start to do that. So that’s how we got started with that. After Bend, we added a location in Southern Oregon and another one in Southern Washington. I acquired a team out of Portland for the Southern Washington location, and we did the Southern Oregon organically. RT Today: What lessons did you try to apply to your new company structure after dealing with a tech stock crash and a recession?

RW: I started looking at options on how we could actually run a larger company, but to keep it small enough that it would survive changes in the economy. My thought process was if I could create a centralized services model with a hub and spoke, we would have all of the operations of the company other than sales and installation as a central group of people that handles as many locations as we need. And then each of the individual locations simply run it with sales and installation people. All of the back-office things, everything else that we do is all done out of our central location in Bend. And then these guys just have their general managers and their installation teams. They’re very small, so they can survive in a downturn economy without a lot of expense there. Now we’re up to six locations and continuing to grow in each of them. RT Today: So walk me through your sales, design, and installation process and how the back-office hub works into the mix? RW: It’s a simple process at this point. Either I or the local GM meets with a client, you do the sales process, you close the deal, and you hand it off to the install team, but all the rest of stuff that goes on in the process gets handled in the back office by our central services team, and they do

it for everybody. They’re really good at it and making it happen fairly quickly for them. The GMs in the six locations don’t have to stress about all the back-office stuff.

RW: Yeah, networking was definitely one of the bigger growth areas. We’re securing the networks so that people could keep their corporate connections and so forth without any challenges for security. But, the biggest surprise for us was that the home theater market really started kicking back up again. Most of our locations are in second home markets, so people don’t spend a lot of time with big home theaters in those secondary homes. While we typically average five or six theaters a year throughout all of our locations, we’ve done five or six theaters just in the last month, and one of them is all the way up to a million dollars for the room.

RT Today: How often do you step in as a president, working with your GMs? RW: I make myself available for each of my GMs as they come across those particular opportunities. Sometimes they feel a little uncomfortable. They’d like to have a lot more experience behind the conversation. I’ve been doing sales all my life, so I’m very comfortable in those situations, so I’ll fly in and have those meetings with the clients or the architects or whoever they might be to facilitate the initial part of the conversation and get everybody comfortable with the company and the way we’re laid out. When you’re talking about larger projects, quite often when you look at a group of five or six people, the client might be like, “Yeah, I don’t know if you’re big enough to handle it.” But, in reality, we can pull labor pooling from any of our locations and be as big as we need to at any given point in time.

RT Today: Any other tech trends surprise you in the past year or so? RW: We’re finally starting to see some of the wellness categories kickoff, with people coming in looking for wellness lighting and purified air and water since the pandemic. Those are new areas that are really starting to kick off, uh, and we’re doing our best to stay ahead of the curve on that. We are now dealers for six different lighting manufacturers, so we’re now selling and installing fixtures as well as the lighting control systems, as well as a couple of really good shading manufacturers. x

RT Today: Have there been any interesting changes to the types of technologies you’re putting in or the way you work on projects since the pandemic?

Sept/Oct 2021 | Residential Tech Today

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Polishing Up a Real Gem Bowers & Wilkins Introduces 4th Generation Diamond Series By Michael Heiss The design of the speaker cabinet serves as more than just an enclosure for the drivers. In many respects it is as key to acoustic performance as any other loudspeaker component. Throughout its history, B&W has paid extra attention to that aspect of the product, seeing it as both an industrial design/ appearance feature but also as an important element of determining the way it sounds.

Think about speakers whose industrial design and appearance are as iconic and recognizable as their sound and a few legendary products will immediately come to mind: the original Altec Lansing’s A7 “Voice of the Theater,” JBL’s L-100 with their orange, Quadrex foam grilles that were featured in the famous Memorex ad, the original Klipschorn, Bose 901, and Martin Logan electrostatic speakers with their tall, metal grilles. Since 1979 one other member of that exclusive group has been the Bowers & Wilkins 800-Series Diamond models. The unique “Tweeter-on-Top,” combined in some models with the equally distinctive Turbine Head mid-range enclosure are melded into a sleek form that has made them instantly identifiable. Oh, and there is a beast inside the beauty as they are also world renowned for their sonic performance.

The cabinet top plates are now made from an all-new, rigid, cast aluminum plate, rather than wood. For an even more luxurious appearance, the top plate is covered in Leather by Connolly in either black or light gray, depending on the cabinet finish. That is the same leather found today in Ferrari and Aston Martin luxury cars as well as previously becoming famous for use in many classic Rolls Royce, Bentley, Jaguar, and Maserati models.

Icons tend to change very little over time, so when one does, then it is big news. That is even more difficult in B&W’s case as their products already have a reputation of being among the “best of the best.” Although the company started life with the goal of making only home loudspeakers, their products also have been widely adopted as monitors in recording studios across the globe. Thus, the formal unveiling of new top-range speakers in B&W’s Diamond line at CEDIA Expo 2021 will generate a great deal of noise (pun intended). As the “D4” model line designation tells, this is the fourth generation of “D-Series 800” models, and the new range updates some of the brand’s distinctive appearance features. Most obvious, the new 805 and 804 models’ cabinets adopt the front “reverse warp” baffle cabinet look formerly reserved for the larger floorstanding models. All cabinets will now be available in Satin Walnut finish, joining the current Gloss Black, White, and Satin Rosewood options.

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

Another aluminum plate runs vertically inside the front of the cabinet. The stiffness of these components will significantly reduce cabinet resonance to let the listener hear the true sound of the driver array, not unwanted noise from the speaker’s structure. Solid plywood also replaces MDF for the internal bracing, even further increasing cabinet stiffness. The marriage of industrial design and sonic precision extends to the trademark Solid Body Tweeter enclosure atop each of the new models. Still manufactured from a solid piece of aluminum, its length has been extended. A similar tweeter enclosure inside the cabinet is now used for the two horizontal center channel models. Finally, the tweeter driver design has also undergone design updates and improvements. The formal unveiling of new top-range speakers in Bowers & Wilkins’ Diamond line should generate a great deal of noise.

Of course, no matter how innovative the cabinet design might be, the heart of a speaker is its drivers. While the basics of driver design

FEATURED

The 800 Diamond Series features new Biomimetic Suspension for mid-range drivers and solid plywood for the internal bracing.

have been based on concepts that date back decades, it is the improvement in the inner workings of a driver where the modern-day leaps in performance are made. In the new 800 Diamond Series, one of those innovations is the new Biomimetic Suspension for mid-range drivers. It replaces the fabric-based spider that has remained basically unchanged for many years. For those who aren’t familiar with spiders as a part of driver design, they are the round donutlike part that surrounds the voice coil to control its movement. Typically made of fabric, its solid dimensions may act as a mini speaker that sits behind the real driver. That, in turn, may create unwanted, unpredictable, non-linear effects. What B&W is introducing is a spider that holds true to the literal definition of the word. The new design is made of composite material and looks more like an open spider web than a solid disc with a hole in the middle. The open design greatly reduces unwanted air pressure so that you hear the driver cone’s vibration and resultant air movement, not that of the spider. Among other continuing parts of the B&W driver design’s “secret sauce” is the trademarked Continuum Cone for midrange and mid/base frequencies, also made using composite material. I’d love to tell you how it is made, but this falls into the old cliché of “I could tell you, but I’d have to kill you” secrecy. The new models fall into three new cabinet forms. The 805 D4 and 804 D4 are billed as “stereo models” with the former a two-way onstand model, while the latter is a floor-standing model with a more traditional cabinet design that eschews the Turbine Head mid-range driver enclosure of the higher end models by placing the 5-inch midrange inside the cabinet. The 805 D4 lists at $8,000/pair and is a two-way speaker with a 1-inch diamond dome tweeter and a 6.5inch midrange/bass driver. The 804 D4,

$12,500/pair, is a three-way system that adds two 6.5-inch bass drivers to the driver mix of the 805 D4.

The HTM82 B4, priced at $5,500, uses a 1-inch tweeter and 5-inch midrange, paired with two 6-inch bass drivers. This is the suggested match for the new 803 D4 and 804 D4. At $7,500, the HTM81 D4 ups its game with 8-inch bass drivers to more properly match the characteristics of the 801 D4 and 802 D4.

The three, standard configuration, floorstanding speaker models all feature the distinctive “Tweeter-on-Top” and “Turbine Head” driver enclosures above the main reversewrap bass enclosure cabinet and the unique Biomimetic Suspension driver construction technology. The 803 D4, at $20,000/pair, is a three-way design with a pair of 7-inch bass drivers, a 5-inch midrange and, of course, the model line’s namesake, the 1-inch diamond dome tweeter. A step up to the $28,000/pair 802 D4 changes the driver configuration to a 6-inch midrange and a pair of 8-inch bass drivers.

Filling out larger, object-based audio systems, the current CI 800 Series Diamond models remain current, as do the DB-Series subwoofers. It is obvious that these speakers aren’t cheap, yet for many they remain an aspirational product and a point of pride for audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts. A good example of that was when the newly appointed president of a major audio company I worked for introduced himself to the senior staff, he pointed to the fact that he had B&W speakers in his own home system as a note of cred. (And this was at a totally different company whose top-line speaker brands and models do battle with B&W in the high-end market.)

At the top of the new Diamond Series line is the 801 D4 at $35,000/pair. At over 220 pounds, it has all the improvements noted here to deliver frequency response from 15Hz up to 28kHz, with the quoted frequency range even more impressive at 13Hz to 35kHz. Here, the driver configuration upgrades the dual bass drivers to 10-inch versions. While the price may come across as a bit high, remember that it is only slightly more than half the price of Nautilus, B&W’s long-time flagship model.

The big question, however, is whether all the new design enhancements and improved components resulted in products that deliver on their promise and stand up to both their price and B&W’s reputation. To some extent, the true answer to that is up to you, just as it would be when comparing one expensive luxury car to another. Measurements aside, here the personal truth is in the listening.

While the first generation of the Diamond Series was conceived in a two-channel, stereo era, today even high-end models must exist in a multi-channel world. Thus, to complement to five new D4 stereo pair models there are new center channel speakers, as well. Both use complementary driver components including the Tweeter-On-Top configuration with Diamond Dome tweeter, the Biomimetic Suspension built around Continuum cones, and much more. From a design standpoint they also use the reverse wrap cabinet design and are available in black or silver finish.

Unfortunately, as of this writing I haven’t been able to listen to them, as their world premiere will be at CEDIA Expo. I’ll make it a point to listen to them there, and if they pique your audiophile interest, they will also be available through B&W dealers in September. Will this storied brand’s latest offerings continue to make the grade? Time and listening will tell. x

Sept/Oct 2021 | Residential Tech Today

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Big Things in Small Packages

Reviewing the Definitive Technology Studio 3D Mini Soundbar and Subwoofer By Henry Clifford The Definitive Technology Studio 3D Mini soundbar and 8-inch wireless subwoofer were recently sent my way to check out. The sleek new system sports Dolby Atmos, AirPlay 2, and a host of other shiny features all for under $900. Would it sound any good? I was about to find out. The Definitive Technology Studio Mini 3D comes packed in a well-designed box befitting the brand. Definitive is a higher end product line and they seem intent on preserving that equity with their forays into the sound bar space, crowded with cheap gear and crappy sound. The box opens to reveal a template for wall mounting and a quick start guide. There’s also a card sporting a QR code prompting the user to scan for a tutorial. I did so and was a little surprised to be taken to the Studio 3D Mini product page rather than the promised training. The quick start guide, however, was very intuitive and I began to leaf through it to get things rolling. Installation of the Definitive Technology Studio 3D Mini I followed along in the guide and connected the Studio 3D Mini soundbar and subwoofer to power. I let them boot up for a minute and then downloaded the HEOS app as the paper instructions petered off and I was nudged to finish the rest of the installation on the app. The HEOS app quickly found the soundbar and subwoofer. After downloading updates for a good 15 minutes, a setup assistant popped up and told me to click “Next” after seeing a picture appear on my TV screen. The wizard made it seem like this picture should be coming from the soundbar, which I found odd since none of

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

the directions asked me to make any video connections. I finally deduced it just meant to have the TV powered on with a working video signal, so I soldiered on. Next up came the options for audio connectivity. The Studio 3D Mini can accept an HDMI audio/eARC signal or an optical cable. I opted to use the optical cable since that worked best with my test TV. I clicked through a few more screens in the wizard and was finally dropped off into the settings menu. This struck me as a little convoluted. I would’ve expected some kind of room calibration or sound setting wizard to prompt me through making sure the audio settings were dialed in for the room. This part could definitely use some work. Taking a

The Definitive Technology Studio 3D Mini soundbar and 8-inch wireless subwoofer.

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Big Things in Small Packages

The Definitive Technology Studio Mini 3D teases a future where we’ve moved past what can only be easily delivered with headphones now into an immersive audio experience.

customer from unboxing to ideal final configuration is a crucial set of steps where first impressions count for a lot. That said, this system sounds unbelievable for its price and size. I used a few Dolby Atmos test tracks and was amazed at how large of a presence the Studio Mini 3D immediately established. It’s truly immersive with sound coming from seemingly everywhere. The downfiring subwoofer provided a killer low end and didn’t distort even at high volumes. It’s hard to believe that Definitive has been able to achieve this level of sound at such a low price point. I moved past the test videos into music and it became clear very quickly that products like the Studio Mini 3D are transcending stereo audio for music listening as more services like TIDAL

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

The Studio Mini 3D teases a future where we’ve moved past what can only be easily delivered with headphones now into an immersive audio experience as we all look for more ways to recreate live sound in our family rooms.

and Apple Music come our way with hi-res Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio tracks. Songs like Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” and Bob Marley’s “Exodus” enveloped me with a well-rounded balance of treble, midrange, and low end.

Final Report Big things do indeed come in small packages, and the Studio 3D Mini is a great example of a fantastic brand like Definitive Technology deciding to throw their weight behind a category where there hasn’t been a lot of recent excitement. It’s a steal at $899 for the system and appears clearly aimed at an audience focused on highquality streaming and easy device connectivity. I highly recommend this system to anyone looking to outfit a naked TV or just wants a killer speaker and subwoofer combination. x

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Making Audio More Human

Monitor Audio Continues Its Evolution with the New Silver Series, Now Entering Its 7th Generation By Walter Joseph Whether you’re an expert or a beginner in the world of audio, Monitor Audio is a brand that encourages you to set the bar high, and then help you to reach it. They have an abundance of technical knowledge and are big on the nerdy little details that make great sound possible. For this hi-fi audio brand, however, phenomenal audio is more than the sum of its parts. It’s about the finest metals and craftsmanship, as well as the warmth – the flesh and blood of the listener and the connection. That’s why, Monitor Audio’s mission is to make audio human. Leading up to its 50-year anniversary, Monitor Audio has introduced the 7th generation of its award-winning and critically acclaimed Silver Series, which embodies the company’s decades of audio expertise. Thanks to a choice of real-wood veneers or beautifully painted and finished cabinets, these speakers have a refined, understated look – the perfect counterpoint to their bold, powerful sound. Improvements in the 7th Generation of Silver

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

Several new improvements have been made in the 7th generation of Silver. A new C-CAM Gold Dome Tweeter design features a completely new magnet structure, rear chamber design and surround, and also takes Monitor Audio’s Uniform Dispersion Waveguide technology and further refines it. A new aluminum alloy has been selected for the Rigid Surface Technology II (RST II) drivers, which improves the tensile strength of the cone while maintaining all the benefits of C-CAM technology. Building on the work conducted for the Gold 5G range, Monitor Audio has developed a new mid-range that follows the same design objectives, to improve directivity through the use of a compact design and to maximise the bandwidth of the driver to allow a smooth crossover with the tweeter. Some other improvements made for the 7th generation of Silver include a new 66mm cone with 100mm chassis, enhanced bookshelf speakers, improved home cinema capabilities which include the addition of the Silver AMS Dolby Atmos module (a first for the series), new crossover design, new cabinet design including

two new finishes (Natural Walnut and Ash), and new Damped Concentric Mode (DCM) technology, which produces a more accurate time response from the speaker and delivers higher performance from the complete system. With the class-leading performance of the new Silver Series through Monitor Audio’s latest metal coned drivers and technological innovations, the music you love is more precise, with less distortion than ever. So even with the volume pumped right up, the sound you hear couldn’t be clearer. As the world continues to evolve with new technologies and ideas, Monitor Audio is evolving with it. The Silver Series is only the most recent chapter from the story of the nearly 50-year-old brand that strives for excellence through innovation and unparalleled sound quality to deliver solutions that serve every application, style, and budget. Monitor Audio was founded in Cambridge, England, in 1972, by Mo Iqbal and his team of engineers, who worked out of a small factory assembling loudspeakers by hand. They began

Giles Sutton, CEDIA “We’re thrilled to be partnered with Nationwide Marketing Group and HTSN — the largest organization of independent retailers in North America. The group has shown a focus and commitment to delivering top-notch education to their members. This partnership aligns perfectly with the strategic goals of CEDIA and of HTSN and Nationwide.”

Partnerships that put an emphasis on providing best-in-class training and education for you and your team.

We’re more than just a buying group Want to learn more? Contact Hank Alexander, Director of HTSN hank.alexander@nationwidegroup.org.

htsngroup.org

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Making Audio More Human Monitor Audio has introduced the 7th generation of its awardwinning and critically acclaimed Silver Series.

A new cabinet design for Monitor’s 7th generation of Silver speaker includes two new finishes (Natural Walnut and Ash), and new Damped Concentric Mode (DCM) technology.

by creating traditional loudspeaker designs, which would soon evolve into some of the most unique solutions within the industry by the mid-1980s when the company would introduce its first generation of metal drivers and tweeters called C-CAM (Ceramic-Coated Aluminum Magnesium). Originally developed by the aerospace industry for jet engine components, C-CAM drivers and tweeters offer advantages over traditional drivers as its properties are ideal for loudspeaker cones, being extremely rigid yet light enough to yield high overall efficiency. C-CAM cones have a much higher resistance to bending and stress and therefore exhibit much greater control and fidelity over their entire operating range. They also feature a significant decrease in audible distortion compared with other materials. C-CAM shares an audible consistency, producing a smooth transition of frequencies and a sense of realism and cohesion in the soundstage. Today, by consistently refining and applying their technologies, Monitor Audio has become an expert in developing metal dome drivers and tweeters. Metal is not the easiest material to shape, which is why many companies choose paper or plastic. However, when treated correctly, metal has the ability to producing more life-like sound. Transcending into Custom Monitor Audio dealers around the globe wanted a broader range of solutions that would feature trickle-down technology from the company’s Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Series speakers. Lifestyle and custom installation speakers were the natural progression for the British manufacturer.

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

Monitor Audio’s Lifestyle ranges are comprised of smaller satellite speakers, wallmountable speakers, and soundbars. Using the same C-CAM driver and tweeter technology that Monitor Audio is known for, the lifestyle ranges are slim and more compact than traditional box speakers, which make them ideal for rooms or applications where space is limited. Monitor Audio’s Custom Installation speaker range started off small, only to rise and become a huge collection of solutions across multiple performance levels. Today, Monitor Audio has nearly 70 different custom speakers ranging from $175 each to $5,500 each (USD), which include in-ceiling and in-wall models, subwoofers, and all-weather models. Just two years ago, Monitor Audio took their custom range a step further and introduced a line of installation amplifiers that work seamlessly with their range of custom speakers. The installation amplifiers are built to do more and use less space and are backed by a five-year warranty. The range is comprised of six models – three standard distribution amplifiers and three connected amplifiers. The distribution amplifiers feature full connectivity with simple wired voltage trigger or signal sense and the connected amplifiers feature more complex DSP and IP control, offering wider flexibility and integration. Using the “Connect” IP interface, a web application that can be accessed by any device with a web browser, the installer can set features and fine tune audio performance remotely from the amplifier location. Through training, Monitor Audio dealers are in a position to maximize the

performance capabilities of the connected amps and in turn the Monitor Audio system. The IMS-4 Streamer Featuring BluOS technology, the IMS-4 music streamer can stream four different sources to four separate zones, and its BluOS Controller app offers complete flexibility, including streaming from music services, easy access to music libraries, and voice control through a smart device. Accessed through the app, or one of the many supported integrated control systems including Crestron, Control4, and RTI, multiple IMS-4 music streamers can be integrated with other BluOS devices to provide up to 64 zones of music, with each zone able to play together in perfect sync or play different streams to separate zones. And, BluOS allows streaming of lossless music up to 24-bit/192kHz to every room in a home network. The IMS-4 can deliver millions of Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) recordings, providing a high performance, seamless music experience anywhere in the home. “The IMS-4 is an exciting new addition to our extensive range of industry-leading custom installation solutions,” said Michael Hedges, Monitor Audio’s technical director. “I am sure our customers will love its ease of installation, flexibility and powerful performance.” With the slimline IMS-4 Music Streamer, Monitor Audio offers an exceptional source for custom home audio projects that will complement their range of installation amplifiers and custom speakers as part of their ever-growing portfolio of high performance solutions. x

ISSUE FOCUS

Regaining Parental Control Tools and Strategies for Keeping Kids Safe Online as We Return to Normal By Henry Clifford

COVID-19 sent us all into our homes for months on end. Families threw their normal routines out the window and didn’t necessarily hold themselves or others accountable due to stress and operating in survival mode. The pandemic appeared to be an amplifier. Whatever was bad got really bad and, in some cases, what was good became amazing. In the case of kids and technology, the jury might still be deliberating, but my house saw a huge uptick in gaming, screen usage, and overall time spent online by everyone in the family.

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

Clients at my custom installation company, Livewire, reported the same results, feeling guilty about restricting kids on screens, especially when it came to interpersonal communication. If they couldn’t get together in person, parents were hard pressed to lay down the law around hanging out with friends online. Complacency set in on both sides of the parent/ kid fence. As we return to more in person gatherings and overall normalcy, routines are starting to reestablish with a natural desire to reinstate

guidelines and rules for our kids. How do we put the genie back in the bottle without starting a domestic World War III? We get asked this question all the time and have been forced to stay up to date on the latest tools available to help parents manage their kids’ screen time and content access. These tools tend to shake out into two main categories: device and router based. There are obvious pros and cons to each approach. Device-based solutions allow parents to lock down phones, tablets, and laptops selectively,

ISSUE FOCUS

and they’re protected on any network, not just yours. Each time someone brings a new device into the home, parents must install an app to gain control. On the other hand, router-based solutions simplify managing screen time and content restrictions in the home by allowing centralized management. These devices usually come in the form of an integrated router or separate appliance which plugs into the network. This approach also covers new devices coming into the home immediately (including friends spending the night, etc.). When kids leave the house, appliance-based solutions leave parents powerless since the devices themselves don’t have any software installed to set limits. No matter the solution, a motivated kid can usually circumvent any parental controls by leveraging parental complacency (my kids routinely discover the Apple Screen Time password and we would be none the wiser were it not for our eight-year-old daughter gleefully outing her siblings). If you build a 10-foot wall, rest assured, they’re working out how to build an 11-foot ladder. Here are some of the common tools out there along with associated pros and cons:

Product

Qustodio - strong emphasis on content filtering and allows parents to selectively block sites easily.

Selecting a tool is only the beginning. Each of these options, no matter how good, relies on the parent to monitor and hold their kids accountable when there’s a violation of an established rule. Parents are sometimes loath to rock the boat lest it create conflict and stress.

rules are established collaboratively. Kids are often likely to create harsher rules and penalties for themselves (or their siblings) than they would accept from a parent. Kids and parents can then all sign off on the completed covenant which spells out policies and consequences for not adhering to the plan.

Establishing firm consequences for breaking the rules early can make ongoing management easier. Other factors include keeping up with the ever-changing list of products available to help parents, along with a commitment to revisit these choices on at least an annual basis. As kids get older, new solutions may come along which are a better fit and better suited for newer hardware options. Also keep in mind that each of these tools tend to have a “sweet spot” age range where they’re best deployed. Your sevenyear-old probably doesn’t need much social media monitoring whereas your 15 year old might need some content restrictions lifted for legitimate school research.

Incentives don’t necessarily always need to come in the form of the “stick.” We’ve seen parents rewarding their kids with greater responsibilities or treats that the whole family picks together. The “yes” day has grown in popularity recently with parents agreeing (within reason) to say “yes” to anything the kids ask for during a 24-hour period. Other ideas include special family outings, trips, and dinners out. Parenting isn’t easy, and the pandemic certainly hasn’t helped us stick to solid routines. Hopefully by combining a mix of smart technology choices for parental controls married up with systems to hold our kids accountable, we’ll be able to navigate the coming months as we settle into new routines while setting our kids up for success. x

When it comes to transitioning back from a “Wild West” environment where the kids had access to everything 24/7, we’ve seen parents achieve success by asking the kids to participate in the creation of a covenant together where the

Device or Appliance Based?

Pros

Cons

Device

• Easy to install • Easy to use • Great screen time management

Savvy kids can easily defeat, lulling parents into a false sense of security

Bark - focuses on social media platforms. Great for teenagers.

Device

Designed for older children with strong social media monitoring

Doesn’t offer as many features as its competitors, making it tough to properly implement for some parents.

Circle - designed for younger family members with a strong focus on content filtering.

Device

Easy to setup and install

Can slow down internet speeds

Apple Screen Time integrated into all Apple devices with limited content filtering and strong focus on limiting apps.

Device

Easy to use

Savvy kids can easily defeat, lulling parents into a false sense of security

ISP Parental Controls (Xfinity, FiOS, etc.)

Router

Usually included with service package at no charge

Often difficult to configure and may require manual setup

Sept/Oct 2021 | Residential Tech Today

ISSUE FOCUS

The Benefits of BeamFlex How New Access Networks Technology Improves Wi-Fi Connectivity for Better Range, Reliability, and Speed By Nathan Holmes Access-Networks-Beamforming AND BeamFlex-Access-Networks

Imagine yelling to a friend from across a noisy concert hall. It’s unlikely that he or she will be able to hear you. Now grab a megaphone and try again. You’ll have much better luck communicating when all of your verbal energy is focused in one direction versus a whole crowd. Add movement into the mix and it becomes even more difficult. This analogy applies to the Wi-Fi reception in a home. With so many mobile devices constantly competing for bandwidth, it’s a tough environment for Wi-Fi signals to communicate with clarity. The end result: smartphones, tablets, computers, streaming media players, and other smart home products struggle to connect simultaneously, impacting their overall

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

Focused Wi-Fi Energy Leads to Better and Further Signal Reception Wireless access points (APs) help matters by sending and receiving Wi-Fi signals throughout specified coverage zones, but it takes a special kind of AP to effectively overcome the inherent transmission hurdles that exist within households.

As a result, interference from other Wi-Fi devices decreases and signal strength increases for more reliable, stable, faster connectivity. Plus, Wi-Fi signals can travel further when they travel in a focused direction instead of a wide beam, which is the way common omnidirectional APs transmit Wi-Fi signals. Longer range enables a single BeamFlex AP to do the job of what could require several conventional APs.

Unique BeamFlex technology, built into every Access Networks AP, works like thousands of tiny megaphones. BeamFlex aims Wi-Fi energy at each specific device, when and where it’s needed, rather than spreading the signal in all directions as a normal AP would.

Wi-Fi That Adapts to You and Your Devices Few Wi-Fi devices sit in one spot for very long. Phones, tablets, and laptops typically move with their user, which means that with conventional APs, signals could strengthen or weaken

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ISSUE FOCUS

The Benefits of BeamFlex

polarized horizontal and vertical antenna orientation, BeamFlex APs listen better than ordinary APs. They are able to connect reliably and consistently with devices regardless of where the antennas of those devices are aimed.

depending on where they originate in the home. With BeamFlex technology, the AP will reconfigure its antenna pattern hundreds of times a second to achieve maximum focused coverage as a user moves throughout their home. As many as 4,200 unique antenna patterns are possible to efficiently deal with active Wi-Fi lifestyles and steer signals around ever-changing obstacles and interference.

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

Better Two-Way Communication Between the AP and Wi-Fi Devices APs not only direct Wi-Fi energy toward devices, but also pick up signals from those devices. Consistent two-way communication is a critical factor that influences Wi-Fi performance. If an AP fails to hear a command issued from a smartphone to a Wi-Fi-enabled door lock or light switch, for example, the entire home environment is impacted. Thanks to their

With the latest update, BeamFlex+, a vertical antenna orientation was added to the usual horizontal alignment. It is called BeamFlex+ because it quite literally displays the horizontal and vertical axis. What does this mean? It means that smartphones, for example, sometimes sit horizontally on a table; other times, they’re held upright. BeamFlex+ uses the right antenna to create the clearest, strongest Wi-Fi signal path. The addition of the vertical orientation also allows for three-dimensional tracking from one floor to the next. Through smart antennas and patented software algorithms, BeamFlex technology takes Wi-Fi to the next level of performance with APs that intelligently choose the best signal path for Wi-Fi transmission and reception. x

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ISSUE FOCUS

The Insatiable Appetite for Home Networking Analyzing Demand, Consumer Service Issues, and Arrival of More Mesh Products By Mark Vena, Parks Associates The taxonomy of baseline necessities that have come to define a modern home in the United States has changed markedly over the years. Over the past 20 years, broadband access within the home has become, arguably, the de facto “musthave” in a standalone domicile or even an apartment in a multi-unit dwelling – as essential as running water, electricity, and indoor plumbing. Fueling this unquenchable thirst for increasingly faster broadband speeds in the typical household is an unmistakable change in the home networking space. Parks Associates has been examining this subject for years via consumer surveys that it conducts annually, and the results are telling. Here’s a quick overview of what the research firm has uncovered regarding the foundational demand for home networking products, services issues consumers experience with their home networks, and the emerging segment of mesh networking products. Strange as it may seem, the recent COVID-19 crisis revealed that the vast majority of Americans could not fathom how life would be without good broadband access at home. The home network emerged from the pandemic as the undisputed element that made life at home more tolerable since the work, school, sports, and entertainment facilities shutdown began in March 2020. It is helpful to recall that home networks, at their core, provide a vital communications infrastructure that enables home systems via the interconnection of disparate devices. The laundry list of devices is almost too expansive to list. Still, it includes products like sensors that monitor/ change the temperature and light levels, operate

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

things (such as motors, locks, and lights), user interfaces (touch panels, smartphones, and switches), and controllers. In a perfect world where connectivity is robust (and fast) and performance is reliably pervasive, the application potential for the home network is almost limitless. Not surprisingly, today’s households own more connected devices, stream more high-quality (either HD or 4K) content, and play more multiplayer games with demanding latency requirements than ever before. Given this environment, both ISPs and manufacturers are racing to develop more products and solutions designed to “bathe” the home with excellent broadband coverage, regardless of how large or dense a home might be. That’s the good news. The challenging news and the opportunity is that a significant portion of home networks are not consistently reliable, highly secure, or (most importantly) optimized for the usage models that consumers prefer and demand. While the unprecedented strain on network providers to provide reliable broadband speeds to the home didn’t “break” the internet (which was a tangible fear at the onset of the pandemic), reported service interruptions and slower speeds were not uncommon. At a high level, network interruptions due to slow speed, traffic congestion resulting from multiple (often competing) applications within the home, and heightened video conferencing activity from work-from-home users created a less than stellar user experience for many homeowners. Opportunely, service providers have stepped up to the challenge of bringing solutions to the market focused on delivering a better experience.

On the hardware front, manufacturers are creating more advanced routers, better Wi-Fi extenders, and “mesh” Wi-Fi systems that are singlehandedly focused on extending reliable wireless broadband coverage throughout every square foot of a consumer’s home and property, the latter being of particular importance due to heightened user demand for external home monitoring due to security considerations. Manufacturers have also raised the game with new advanced home network features such as privacy protection, cybersecurity, parental controls, and remote smartphone control of home networks. As 2020 came to a close, consumers expressed strong interest in these aforementioned advanced features. While many enterprising ISPs have begun offering these features, the rollout among ISPs has not been consistent from a regional market offer standpoint, encouraging many consumers to turn to retail channels for advanced hardware-based home network solutions. Candidly, this is a non-trivial missed opportunity for ISPs as they provide the majority of CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) and the broadband “pipe” to consumers’ homes. Celebrating its 35th anniversary, Parks Associates has provided research insights about the home network and connected home markets for over two decades. The firm’s research on this topic has played a significant role in helping service providers and hardware device manufacturers understand the adoption of smart home products in the home, the COVID-19related impact on usage models, and the consumers’ growing interest in new applications and services. x

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Vegas Modern

001 Savant’s Massive New Experience Center is Now Open in Las Vegas By Jeremy Glowacki

It’s called Vegas Modern 001, and it’s so much more than just another smart home experience center. The partnership between residential tech manufacturer Savant, design-led development firm, Blue Heron, and technology integrator Eagle Sentry, the 15,000 square foot model home is designed with the latest technological advances, all hidden in plain sight. Savant’s new west coast residential experience center in the greater Las Vegas area showcases an advanced smart living ecosystem combined with modern architecture and views of the Las Vegas Strip. Dynamic Tunable Lighting Visitors to Vegas Modern 001 will experience Savant’s smart lighting system paired with the

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

latest in tunable LED lighting and specificationgrade fixtures from USAI Lighting. Together, Savant and USAI Lighting create custom-tuned illumination for every scenario utilizing Savant’s Daylight Mode to perfectly synchronize lighting color and temperatures to match the natural light from the sun at any time-of-day. To complement the natural light, every room also features Savant motorized shades, designed in partnership with JGeiger. Savant’s pro lighting control system, motorized shades, and USAI Lighting fixtures combine to create an end-to-end lighting experience. For quick control, scenes can be created on the Savant app and saved to any keypad button in the house. Savant’s keypads can also be

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INTEGRATION

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configured to help set the mood, enhancing the entertainment experience to activate full color lighting. In total, the home’s lighting encompasses 387 dynamic lighting fixtures, 100s of feet of LED lighting strips, 450 total lighting loads, and 43 zones. Energy Independence The Vegas Modern 001 home is designed with sustainability in mind and features the largest residential solar array in the region, a fully automated power panel, as well as Savant’s Racepoint microgrid technology. The Savant app tracks daily energy production as well as usage, with a full history log by load type. Savant energy solutions paired with the vast solar infrastructure can maintain operation of the entire home under normal conditions for up to eight hours or nearly 24 hours if only essential devices are active.

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

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Vegas Modern 001

Savant Energy’s microgrid works day and night to intelligently optimize the consumption of power under all conditions. The result is a truly smart home that provides a comfortable, secure environment while maximizing efficiency and reducing energy costs. 43 Zones of Entertainment To fill Vegas Modern 001 with audio and video entertainment, Savant deployed 15 4K video sources distributed to 17 rooms and an audio system featuring 43 zones of highresolution digital music. The system is powered by more than 19,000 watts of amplification all elegantly concealed in ceiling and wall troughs that do not impede décor elements. Savant offers a broad range of highperformance entertainment products, including audio and video over IP solutions, smart multi-zone amplifiers with access to popular streaming service providers, architectural loudspeakers, soundbars, and tucked-away subwoofers. Despite the size of the system, only three professional racks were required for the massive home. Intuitive User Experience Goals Vegas Modern 001 includes an array of user interface options, all designed to deliver a consistent experience. Through Savant’s Pro Remote X2, touch panels, and mobile apps, every visitor will experience Savant’s scene personalization and custom dashboards. Entertainment, security, lighting, climate, and energy management are all intuitively managed with Savant’s app. Savant is scheduling in-person tours of Vegas Modern 001 on the second and fourth weeks of each month. Interactive virtual tours are also available. x

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

Savant’s new west coast residential experience center in the greater Las Vegas area showcases an advanced smart living ecosystem combined with modern architecture and views of the Las Vegas Strip.

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COVER STORY

No Holds Barred How Entrepreneur and Bar Rescue Star Jon Taffer is Helping Bars Deal with Labor Shortages and Inefficient Management Techniques By Charles Warner

Photo Vivien Killilea Best

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

COVER STORY Jon Taffer is best known for his reality television series, Bar Rescue, which follows the successful entrepreneur as he revitalizes failing bars and nightclubs across the United States with a brusque, nononsense, and confrontational attitude intended to goad the owners and staff into making drastic changes. The eighth season focuses on Las Vegas, Taffer’s residence and a city whose hospitality industry was decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to the ongoing labor shortage in the U.S., Bar Rescue’s Jon Taffer has been actively exploring ways to use innovative kitchen technology in his new Taffer’s Tavern restaurants.

The bars featured on the show are already in dire financial and operational change to situations by the time Taffer intervenes. Yet, data shows that more than half of the bars featured have remained open. Due to the on-going labor shortage in the U.S., Taffer has been actively exploring ways to use innovative kitchen technology so that 60% fewer employees are needed in the kitchen, while still offering higher food quality and higher consistency. Residential Tech Today recently chatted with Taffer about his career, management style, and experiences with kitchen tech. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. Residential Tech Today: Did you have a feeling in the beginning about how popular Bar Rescue would be? JT: That’s a great question. I haven’t been asked that question. No, honestly, I thought I’d do a pilot and go home. That’s the absolute truth, and I never expected this. What was most important to me was creating an honest show. I really thought a lot of reality TV wasn’t very real, and I wanted to do something that was real. We always tried to create a dramatic show, but a show that had some intelligence to it. That’s how it all started. RT Today: Your show appeals to such a wide demographic; what’s your recipe for success? JT: You know, I think the show is about humanity. It’s very Shakespearian. The First Act is a person in trouble. Second Act, they resist change. Third Act, they start to transform

Photo: Eric Jamison/Studio J Inc

receive emails from marketing professors, doctors… I can’t tell you how many professions I received emails from with people saying that the principles that we teach really apply to their businesses. I think it’s that relatability. Even somebody who’s not a bartender relates to the struggle. Also, very often, there’s a mom and a dad involved… their kid’s involved… a partner’s involved. It makes the show relatable to everyone.

themselves. Fourth Act, they redeem themselves. Fifth Act, happy ending. We can all relate to people struggling. We can all feel good about people redeeming themselves and accomplishing something and digging themselves out. I think that is what Bar Rescue is. I think it’s a story of people who are in trouble, who, whether through my guidance or through their own spirit, pull themselves out and succeed. I think that’s a story that’s appealing to us all. I happen to do it in bars. I thought I was doing a bar show. Now, 10 years and 200 episodes later, I’m telling the story of people who are in crisis, and how do we get them out of it? And that’s why I think it’s successful, because it does have that depth to it.

RT Today: That’s a really good point. A lot of times restaurants are family businesses, aren’t they? And working with family isn’t always easy, is it? JT: Not at all. By the way, 70% of the million restaurants across the country are owned by single-unit owners, which means, you’re exactly right; they’re mom-and-pop businesses.

RT Today: I think people watch it from the comfort of their couch, but they see a little bit of themselves, and think maybe they could do more with their business or their life, and they feel an emotional connection.

RT Today: COVID-19 has clearly been a huge challenge for bars and restaurants. They really had to pivot during the pandemic, didn’t they?

JT: Well, let me give you an example. In the past three weeks or so I received an email from an officer in the Royal Air Force telling me how they employed my tactics in their training. I’ve received emails from teachers telling me how they use self-accountability in the classroom. I

JT: Well, we had no choice. We use the words “market disruption,” but market non-function was what it was. It changed our whole revenue model. While Amazon has changed the

Sept/Oct 2021 | Residential Tech Today

COVER STORY / No Holds Barred aggressive. I have to be. There’s this clock ticking in my head every second. RT Today: So, tell us about Taffer’s Tavern. How are you using technology to make these restaurants more efficient?

El K’Rajo, profiled in 2018 on Bar Rescue: Operation Puerto Rico, shown after renovations. Photo José Rodrigo Madera for Paramount Networks

distribution model for so many products from the retail space to online, this changed the distribution model for restaurants to “delivery,” “to go,” and “curbside pickup.” It seems like a change that would have happened over time anyway, but the pandemic forced it. RT Today: Technology has always played a big role in food and beverage. How has the pandemic pushed it further along? JT: Technology, even in the home today, when you look at home sanitation, it’s air scrubbers, right? It’s different floor scrubbers. It’s different HVAC systems and filters. It’s all sorts of technologies now that make our home safer and make our schools safer. It’s an interesting time, because I’ve never seen technology so attached to day-to-day safety like it is now. Even companies like Big Ass Fans now have ultraviolet scrubbers in them. Nobody ever thought of that until [COVID-19]. So that’s really, really exciting. RT Today: Going back to your leadership style, some might say you’re a little “in your face,” but I think viewers really enjoy it because you get to the point. Is that a leadership style something that others can emulate? JT: I think it has to be authentic. I’m not sure one can be trained to inspire. I think that the way people need to lead, if they are inherent

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

leaders, is what is authentic to them. On Bar Rescue, I do about a 60-day project in three and a half days. I’m under unbelievable pressure every minute that I’m there. These people’s lives are on the line. They’re counting on me. I’m their last chance. They’re losing their house. Their kids are at home that don’t have any money for school. I mean, it’s a nightmare what I walk into, and I have three and a half days to fix it. So, you bet I’m under the gun. You bet I’m

Big Mike’s in Denham Springs, Louisiana was profiled during season 5, in the episode entitled ”Bar Over Troubled Water.“ Photo Bryan Tarnowski for Paramount Networks

JT: The first location is in Alpharetta, GA, and we’re also building in DC and Boston and working on sites in Tampa and several other markets. We’re in major growth mode. Taffer’s Tavern was created back when we were dealing with similar challenges to what we’re facing today, but due to different circumstances. We couldn’t find restaurant employees two and a half years ago. Unemployment was so low that restaurant employees couldn’t be found. We had a real crisis, and I’m was going to my friends’ restaurants – the casual dining sector – and none of them could staff their kitchens. So, I said to myself, could I create a restaurant using technology, robotic cooking, computerized cooking, combi ovens. Could I create a restaurant that has 60% less employees in the kitchen with higher food quality and higher consistency? If I could do that, then that would completely change the economic model of restaurants. I went to work in test kitchens for about a year and a half, working with sous vide food products, working with combi ovens, special cooking techniques, water ovens, and all sorts of technologies, getting all of the menu items and cooking techniques perfected. I partnered with a company called Middleby, who

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produces the Brava oven, which is a home version of a TurboChef, Frymaster, and a bunch of other great technologies. Then I partnered with a company called Cuisine Solutions, who’s the world’s expert at sous vide, the vacuum cooking bag cooking technique. Working with Cuisine Solutions and Middleby, I was able to put both technologies in the same room with me and completely redesign a kitchen. Our kitchen doesn’t have a traditional stove or oven, so it doesn’t need an exhaust hood! What we will do is take a very high-end piece of steak, supplied by a particular ranch in a particular style, so it is very high quality. We’ll put that steak in a special plastic bag, we’ll vacuum seal it with no air, and then we’ll put it in the circulating water oven at 135 degrees. The water brings the meat up to 135 degrees, which is perfect – medium rare. When that perfectly cooked steak is ordered at the restaurant, it comes out of the water and goes into a special combi oven that uses four percent microwave to warm the center and infrared light technologies to char the outside. Four minutes later, it’s the best steak you’ve ever tasted. So, then we said, okay, can we do this with fish? Can we do this with other proteins?

Jon Taffer’s brusque, no-nonsense, and confrontational attitude often helps goad the owners and staff of struggling businesses into making drastic changes to the way their bar is run.

attained. We can have a 220-seat restaurant packed on a Saturday night with two people in the kitchen. I’ve heard of six-minute ticket times, seven-minutes ticket times, where other restaurants for those 220 customers have seven people in the kitchen, and they’re running 20-minute ticket times. We have twice the table turn at half the labor costs with a far higher level of quality, all by leveraging technology. RT Today: For the properties you’ve worked with, how important are entertainment systems like karaoke, music, or TVs?

RT Today: That really does sound like the kitchen of the future. JT: It is. We developed our menu, and we’re really, really proud of the food quality that we’ve

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

Photo courtesy of PARAMOUNT NETWORK

JT: There are thousands of people in Silicon Valley, in the technical world, trying to take business away from every brick-and-mortar company. So, as an industry, we have to understand, whether you’re selling widgets or hamburgers, that the four walls of your business better darn well provide a reason for people to come to it. What’s on my video system? Can I create a reaction? Can I create a smile? Can I create relevancy for the consumer through my environment? So, when they come there, they feel that there’s a reason why they come there. If you don’t feel those things, you have no reason to come. Then, you’ll click it rather than buy it in person. I look at things like Atmosphere TV, which is a free service with 40 or 50 different channels. They have all of this video content that you can target to the demographic of your business. Music, too. You don’t go to a place that plays corny music. Music defines who we are. When you look at things like Atmosphere TV, music programs, the way staff behaves, the kind of interaction that’s caused by staff, we must get people to react to us. My first book “Raising the Bar” is all about the science of reaction management. The premise is: I don’t sell food. I sell reactions. I achieve it through food because when that food hits the table, you either sit up or you don’t. If you don’t do it right, then “quick” wins. When “quick” wins, then either the revenues go away from you altogether or you have a new partner – the guy who’s delivering your product through the click, and your profits are done. Either way, we have to beat the click. And the way to beat the click is through the four walls of the business and providing relevancy. x

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The Savant smart home offers personalization and simple control of entertainment, lighting, climate, security and energy - creating a home in tune with your client’s lifestyle.

Savant Power offers a scalable platform to track and manage energy production and consumption. Energy management features allow for flexible load management, time-of-use mitigation and more.

Savant and GE Lighting, a S ava n t co m p a ny, p rov i d e end-to-end lighting solutions for every home and budget, all controlled from Savant’s best-in-class user interface.

Savant entertainment technology offers instant access to streaming music throughout the home, an immersive home theater experience, and unparalleled whole-home video distribution.

Visit us at CEDIA Booth 4644 to learn more.

CEDIA PRODUCT PREVIEWS

New Tech for the Smart Home

CEDIA Expo Returns In-Person to Indianapolis in September with a Full Slate of New Residential Tech

By Anthony Leo

CEDIA Expo 2021 is the in-person venue where residential technology integration, designers, and construction professionals connect, learn, and engage with national and international brands. This year’s lineup not only includes the more traditional collection of audio and vendor brands, but an increasing number of lighting-related tech products as well as specialized solutions serving the home network, home health, outdoor living tech, and much more. Here is just a sampling of some of the new products and companies that will be on display in Indianapolis or virtually for CEDIA Expo, September 1-3.

Origin Acoustics, a company respected for its architectural audio process, is introducing their new Acoustic Landscape 3-channel AS51 System, AS51SYS. The new system has bigger satellite speakers, a more powerful subwoofer, and a dedicated DSP amplifier. The base package includes two left and two right AS5SAT satellite speakers, an AS51SUB subwoofer, and a DSP3150 DSP amplifier. The company upgraded its previous outdoor satellite speaker drivers from a 4-inch to a 5.25 inch and capped them with a one-inch titanium tweeter. This change provides more bass and more volume, without losing audio reproduction quality. The DSP3-150 amplifier provides 150w per left and right channel, and a total of 300w summed in mono for the subwoofer. With preinstalled DSP profiles for this system and more, it’s easy to set and dial in this system in any environment. DMF will showcase its creative approach to lighting and offers technology that sets the bar for performance, quality, and flexibility. The company will offer new Round housing for the

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

DID series that provides the same flexibility as the OneFrame and easier installation. There also will be non-fire rated versions of Round and Square housings to accommodate installation that don’t require fire rating (this is a lower cost version of our fire-rated housings). The all-new Round and Square Remodel housings allow installation of DID fixtures without the need to access ceiling joists. DMF also has redesigned its flangeless trims for both standard ceiling and wood ceiling applications. They have also expanded trim colors to include Bronze trims and new Clear Diffuse and Warm Diffuse trims that use a proprietary paint blend that resists smudges and dirt. The Acurus Aragon brand is introducing a long-anticipated 2-channel preamplifier, called the Tungsten. A new addition to the luxury audio Aragon Elements Collection, the Tungsten preamplifier completes a 2-channel audiophilelevel listening experience when combined with the Aragon Iridium monoblock or Titanium dual-monoblock Class A/B amplifiers. The Tungsten is packed with a generous array of both

analog and digital inputs, supports an internal DSP engine, boasts powerful and pristine DACs, and has tri-amp capability. The Tungsten preamplifier is housed in a beautiful industrial design which matches perfectly with its companion Aragon amplifiers.

Screen Innovations brings beautiful motorized shading to the outdoors with the introduction of Zen 2. The first décor-minded outdoor shading solution, the Zen 2 cassette that holds the shading motor and fabric boasts a compact, customizable, architecturally-friendly design that transforms decks, gazebos, patios, and other outdoor areas into comfortable, stylish living spaces as the shade fabric lowers into place. The Zen 2 cassette is available from SI in a range of complementary colors or can be painted in any hue. Hundreds of fabric choices are available, as well, allowing Zen 2 to blend in seamlessly with its surrounding environment.

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The MIXAMP-60 is an all-in-one solution with built-in audio sources and support for multiple inputs, pre-amplifier and mixer power amplifier all in one unit, making it an excellent one-box solution for most typical audio installations.

XLR input with switchable +48V phantom power Short-circuit, clip, overload and high temp protection

CEDIA PRODUCT PREVIEWS

Just Add Power, a leader in video-over-IP distribution, will showcase its new 2GΩ/3G ST1 Sound Transceiver, a product that shipped early in 2021. An audio-only component that functions as either an input or output, the ST1 allows integrators to easily add a stereo audio source to any Just Add Power system or extract stereo audio from an existing transmitter.

PoEWit Technologies was founded by custom electronic manufacturing veterans with more than 40 years of combined experience. PoEWit’s founders Victor Pak and Dusan Jankov also ran Pakedge Device and Software, a very successful networking company which later they sold to Control4. PoEWit’s mission is to revolutionize how high voltage products are powered and networked by using Power-OverEthernet (PoE). Their solutions portfolio includes PoE Smart-Cloud Outdoor Security Lighting, PoE Smart-Cloud Recessed Lighting, and PoE Smart-Cloud Networking Switches and UPS. Modulus’ new UHD 4K Optical Drive adds full UHD 4K Blu-Ray playback and import capability to the company’s M1 “ultimate entertainment powerhouse.” The slender, elegant-looking 4K drive, which has been available since March, plays and imports 4K movies along with standard Blu-Ray video discs, DVDs, and music CDs. Owners can connect as

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

many as three 4K drives to their M1 allowing them to import several discs simultaneously and quickly access all of their content from the M1’s 12 TB internal storage. Modulus’ UHD 4K Optical Drive may also be used with the company’s Mx1 Mini for remote access to 4K or other disc-based media.

exceptional streaming experience with native control through any RTI control system. RTI Music enables easy delivery of Hi-Res Audio (24bit/192kHz) into any room or every room with a simple tap on a touch panel or remote. Whether the client is streaming music from their favorite platform or from their local NAS, the MS-3 elevates the audio experience.

Garden Light LED Micro Series fixtures have been designed to project powerful light from a small source in areas like stairs and steps, discrete overhangs, handrails, trees, potted plants, water features, and garden landscapes. Available in five different beam patterns, the Micro Series fixtures are miniature, measuring only 1.3 inches (w) x 1.5 inches (l) x 0.5 inches (h).

Colorbeam Lighting delivers low-voltage lighting systems that create immersive and controllable lighting experiences for residential, commercial, and hospitality spaces. With its patented GATEway Processor, Colorbeam is building new innovations in human-centric lighting, the tunability of light, and flicker-free dimming that gives users complete control over lighting their spaces. RTI will be releasing RTI Music (MS-3 Music Streamer) designed exclusively for custom integrators, enabling them to deliver an

AutoSwing is the first automatic door opener for residential swing doors with an app and built-in Alexa skill set. The system can be installed on existing or new doors. The technology can be combined with the company’s privacy software to create a touchless entry and exit for the bathroom at home or at the office. This will be the first CEDIA Expo for Orro, whose Smart Living System transforms any home with automatic human-centric and wellness-oriented smart lighting, home-wide control, energy savings, and home monitoring capabilities. With Orro, professional installers

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CEDIA Booth 2500.

CEDIA PRODUCT PREVIEWS

New Tech for the Smart Home

can offer their customers a unified smart home

or office. Shelly’s sensors and energy metering products let you incorporate power consumption and environmental data into automation solutions. Native integrations, thirdparty licensed drivers, community-supported integrations, and the ability to use CoAP, REST, or MQTT let you connect your circuit to virtually any control system. All Shelly products also allow full local control with locally stored timers and schedules, and the ability to actually control other Shelly products or any device that accepts REST commands when specific events occur.

beautiful user interface delivers an intuitive control experience either remotely from their mobile device or at home using touch screens, voice commands, or remotes. Crestron works with partners like Amazon Alexa, Delos, Josh.ai, Sonos, and Yale to deliver a connected smart home experience. Crestron Home is always evolving, and updates continuously enhance the system with new features, functions, and experiences.

solution that aligns with any budget, unlocking new opportunities to sell more and grow their business to meet the rising demand for professionally-installed systems at mainstream price points.

SVS has two subwoofer launches that bring reference bass to the micro and in-wall category for the first time. Both models include SVS subwoofer control and DSP smartphone app

Séura Ultra Bright Sun Series Outdoor TVs are designed for full-sun outdoor applications, providing 2000-nit brightness for a remarkable picture in any outdoor lighting condition. Séura outperforms the competition with the best full-sun TV. The TVs features proprietary active heating and cooling elements to withstand -40F to 140F temperatures, and are available with sizes up to 85 inches and beautiful mirrored side panels.

and are tailored for integrators wanting deep, immersive sound with minimal visual impact.

iRoom’s touchDock turns any iPad with a 10” screen or larger into a flush-mount wall touch panel with easy motorized removal of the iPad for mobile use. The built-in control processor connects to all major professional control systems such as Crestron, Control4, Savant, RTI, URC, ELAN. With the docking station’s touch keypad users have instant access to often used control functions such as light, shades, volume, or music. Control works independently of the iPad. TouchDock features a built-in sensor package for room temperature, humidity, light, and air quality (CO2). IRoom’s iPad dashboard gives the user sensor status information at a glance. Third-party control systems can use the sensor statuses to trigger threshold-based alerts or control functions. Designed to recess voice assistants, tablets, touchscreens, light switches, security cameras,

Allterco Robotics US Shelly allows you to control virtually any electrical system in a home

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

Crestron returns to CEDIA Expo after a long hiatus, featuring its Crestron Home smart home platform that seamlessly manages all devices in the technology-driven homes of today. The

A family of solutions for every Application, Environment, and Experience.

IS8 Invisible Series Speaker

SA853 High Output Small Aperture Speaker

CEDIA PRODUCT PREVIEWS

New Tech for the Smart Home

networking gear, and other devices flush with wall and ceiling surfaces, Wall-Smart’s line of mounting hardware delivers aesthetically friendly home tech-concealment solutions. Each mount in the portfolio has been customdesigned, -engineered, and -fabricated for a precise fit and finish of the specific device, and enables smart home devices to be flushmounted in new and existing homes, in all wall and ceiling surfaces, including solid-surface materials such as granite, marble, glass, wood, and metal. The mounts enable technology to be integrated into homes beautifully without compromising performance, combining functionality and aesthetics.

Magna Audio is debuting in the U.S. market at CEDIA Expo, with the Aura Series, which is a multipurpose speaker with integrated lighting (optional) that can be installed on walls and on ceilings. Aura Series is built from aluminum, IP65 rated, and is available in for sizes plus an eight-inch subwoofer. Each size can be configured in more than 400 finishes plus custom options. Aura 3 is ready to ship and Aura Mini, 4, 6, and Sub will be available in Q4. Leon Speakers’ Terra LuminSound TrLs50 outdoor speaker features a slender, contemporary, aluminum cabinet that can be customized in any of six new finishes. The variety of color options help the LuminSound TrLs50 blend in beautifully with regional landscapes. The speaker goes a step further by incorporating an optional ring of warm white LED lighting wrapped around its perimeter. As the LuminSound TrLs50 delivers high-fidelity

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

color performance, reaching 107% of the BT.2020 color space. The ultra-short throw projector, rated at 3000 lumens, produces images with improved detail and ultra-smooth motion at 4K resolution. Other features include Dolby Atmos, High-Speed HDMI, HDR10/ HLG, Filmmaker Mode, and WiSA certification. The Android TV platform grants easy access to more than 5,000 apps and built-in Google Assistant.

music, it illuminates walkways and accents the landscape. Music, lighting, and IP67-rated materials that stand up to Mother Nature – this trifecta of features makes the LuminSound TrLs50 a welcome addition to any outdoor area.

The Parts Express DAX88 is an 8-source 8-zone distributed audio matrix amplifier with app control. This product was designed to be used anywhere you would typically need a multi-zone audio system (homes, warehouses, retail businesses, restaurants, and breweries). The DAX88 allows you to have control over tone, balance, volume, and input/output for each zone. The DAX88 has an impressive 75 WPC @ 8 Ohms, intuitive app control, and integrated network audio streaming.

The Hisense L9G Laser TV features a TriChroma laser engine that uses pure red, green, and blue lasers to achieve new levels of

As a first-time CEDIA exhibitor, Blonder Tongue will showcase a range of new technologies and solutions to modernize and future-proof video infrastructure, including the soon-to-be-unveiled AIRCASTER AQT8 ATSC/QAM Receiver, IPTV Re-Multiplexor, and Trans-Modulator. AIRCASTER AQT8 is a 1RU solution to generate custom IP or QAM channel lineups from off-air and/or QAM input sources. AIRCASTER AQT8 can create a full lineup of up to 64 channels and distribute them through a home, campus, hospital, hotel, or gated community, while eliminating the need for countless digital converters, external splitters and legacy one-to-one solutions. Installation and management are effortless with remote monitoring and control, signal testing, and virtual mapping capabilities.

The Schneider Electric Square D Energy Center empowers consumers to take active control over their energy usage and provides insights to help them make better energy choices. This modular, compact energy manager brings together utility, solar, back up/generator power and battery storage, then pairs them with

CEDIA PRODUCT PREVIEWS

a single app providing streamlined control to switch seamlessly between power sources and insight in power usage and costs, allowing homeowners to make smart decisions to optimize their energy usage. Users can make data-based decisions about how and when to reduce energy usage to save money and be green, saving users 8-15% in energy.

MantelMount is replacing the ProSeries MM700 with the MM710. It’s essentially the same mount, but now available with tilt. The company also will have another new addition, the MM720, which is similar to the MM700 except it has a longer arm for greater drop, can clear a wider mantel, has smoother travel and enhanced swivel.

Theory Audio Design is unveiling ic4 and ic6 high-output in-ceiling loudspeakers

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

New Tech for the Smart Home

providing dealers, integrators, architects, and designers with two premium audio options for virtually any residential or commercial installation. As the first in-ceiling loudspeakers in the Theory product line, the ic4 and ic6 provide installation flexibility. Discreet and highly capable solutions, the ic4 and ic6 are ideal for residential or commercial installations, surround sound or distributed audio, and even outdoors when paired with Theory’s all-weather grilles. The ic6 can also be installed in openceiling and exposed environments when integrated into one of Theory’s upcoming pendant housings. Available in a tasteful and paintable matte white or matte black, and black gloss (with matching grilles), Theory’s pendant housings allow the ic6 to seamlessly blend into any décor.

Pro Audio Technology (PRO) has a new line of modular amplifiers. The MA-4242, MA9999, and MA-9900 provide integrators with a line of reliable amplifiers to power any PRO or third-party audio systems. PRO’s Modular Amplifiers pack four channels of up to 1000W each into a fan-less 2U chassis. When combined with PRO’s ALC-3316 loudspeaker controller/ processors, installers can use the MA amplifiers to quickly and easily power, apply high resolution DSP filtering, and calibrate any PRO sound system. CEDIA 2021 will be the first time Samsung’s LED Wall (IWA Series) will be seen by the public. Its massive screen measures in at over 1,000 inches, creating a completely expansive canvas that can become an elegant centerpiece

for any luxury residential property. Installers have complete control over design and creativity to meet customers’ vision. The Wall can be installed in a variety of positions, including concave, convex, ceiling, hanging, inclined and L-type. The micoLED technology, which uses millions of self-emissive pixels, offers complete immersion and brilliant picture quality. The Wall also provides a new best-in-class brightness control, contrast and color precision through its revolutionary Black Seal, Ultra Chroma, AI Upscaling, and Quantum HDR technology.

Severtson Screens will launch the Cable Drop Series of electric motorized projection screens (model CDT). Now ready for order, the new line is available in multiple projection surfaces and sizes to meet the needs of large venue installations.The new line can be operated in multiple ways. The included wireless handheld RF remote control allows wireless control, the 5- to 12-volt trigger connection allows the Cable Drop Series to be automatically synchronized with the power cycle of a compatible projector, and RS-232 control enables advanced control of all screen functions.

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CEDIA Expo Booth 3126

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HEALTH TECH

Clearing the Air How Sensibo Pure Manages Whole House Indoor Air Quality By Jay Basen With the Sensibo Pure air purifier, Sensibo has expanded its product offerings for managing the indoor environment of buildings. What sets the Sensibo Pure apart from competing products is the ability to integrate it into smart home platforms.

eye and, especially given its small size, will fit into the décor of most homes. Sensibo Pure

I wanted to see how well Sensibo Pure performed in the home environment and here is what I found. I won’t argue whether climate change is a result of humans. The fact is that temperatures are rising and according to the U.S. Geological Survey, “Researchers have found strong correlations between warm summer temperatures and large fire years, so there is general consensus that fire occurrence will increase with climate change.” According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “During a wildfire, smoke can make the outdoor air unhealthy to breathe. Local officials may advise you to stay indoors during a smoke event. You should be aware that some of the smoke from outdoors can enter your home and make it unhealthy to breathe indoor air, too.” Based on the above, it is clear that people need to manage the indoor air quality (IAQ) in their homes. Introducing Sensibo Sensibo was founded in 2013 in Israel with its first product, called Sensibo Sky. That product turns an air conditioner or heat pump that can be operated with a remote control into a smart device. While Sensibo Sky allows an air conditioner or heat pump to be controlled through the Sensibo app, more advanced features require a subscription. Sensibo Air built upon the original Sky product by adding a remote temperature, humidity, and motion sensor, along with additional compatibility with more remote-

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

Unfortunately, its small size also limits its coverage. In normal operating mode it can only clean the air in a 173 square foot room (approximately 13 x 13 feet). Larger rooms will require multiple Sensibo Pure units or for the device to be operated at a higher fan speed; which increases the noise it produces. The filter is easy to replace and users can expect it to last around six months. Cost is $120 for a two-pack of filters. Alternatively, you can save 50% by creating a subscription that will deliver a new filter every six months. While the Sensibo Pure can be purchased on Amazon, the replacement filters are only available directly from Sensibo.

controlled air conditioners and heat pumps. While most air purifiers are only intended to clean the air in one room of a home, Sensibo Pure is designed like a Mesh Wi-Fi system; it consists of a series of nodes that work together to provide clean air throughout a home. Sensibo Pure can also work with Sensibo Sky and Sensibo Air to provide an overall environmental management solution for a home. For example, when the air quality in a home is poor, Sensibo Pure can communicate with Sensibo Sky and Air devices to turn on air conditioners, which will increase air circulation and, according to Sensibo, boost air purification by up to 70%. Sensibo Pure is a relatively small device, measuring 7.68 inches x 7.68 inches x 15.28 inches high. Its modern design is pleasing to the

Each filter includes three layers of filtration: A pre-filter that removes larger dust particles (PM10) and pollen; a HEPA filter that removes viruses, bacteria, and fine dust particles (PM2.5); and carbon filter that removes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde, acetone, and fumes from cooking. The Sensibo Pure unit connects to a home’s 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network and can be controlled using the buttons on the unit itself, the Sensibo app, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa. It is also Apple HomeKit compatible, and there is a published API for additional third-party integrations. Installing the Sensibo app was very simple. It requests permission to send notifications and to use your location. Then it guides the user through the process of setting up an account which just includes your name, email address, and a password.

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HEALTH TECH

Clearing the Air

With the account created, you can log into the app and add a device. After selecting Sensibo Pure from the list of devices manufactured by Sensibo, the wizard will ask you to make sure that the Sensibo Pure is plugged in and the Wi-Fi light is blinking. Next you will need to scan the QR code on the bottom of the Sensibo Pure, select a location for the device, and connect it to your Wi-Fi network. Once the Sensibo Pure has connected to your network, it will search for and install any available firmware updates. The next step is to set up “Pure Boost.” Pure Boost is technology that regulates the speed of the Sensibo Pure’s fan that circulates air through the filter. It will adjust the speed of the fan based on geolocation, inside air quality (as measured by the Sensibo Pure’s built-in particulate sensor), outside weather, and outside air quality. If you have a Sensibo Air or Sky, then you can also link the Sensibo Pure to these devices so an air conditioner can be used to increase circulation of air within the room where the Sensibo Pure is located. In addition, geofencing can be used to inform the Sensibo Pure when you are home or not. The Sensibo Pure can then increase its fan speed when you are away so the air will be cleaner when you arrive home. Finally, you have the option of specifying whether your sensitivity to dust is “Normal” or “Sensitive.” This determines the IAQ level that the Sensibo Pure will use to trigger boost mode. At this point the Sensibo Pure is ready to be used. Operation The Sensibo app is easy to use and offers you detailed control of the Sensibo Pure. You are first presented with a screen that displays a list of your Sensibo devices. In the case of the Sensibo Pure, the display includes its current operating status and the air quality in the room where the device is located. Pressing on the device takes you to a screen in the app where you can control the Sensibo Pure including the power state, fan speed, boost, and light. In addition, you are presented with the air quality in the room the Sensibo Pure is located, an estimate of how long until the filter needs to be

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

replaced, and the option to purchase a new one. The estimate of how long until the filter needs to be replaced is based on the fan speed, hours of operation, and measurements of air quality from the device’s internal PM25 sensor. There are also options to set up operating schedules for the Sensibo Pure, view events, and change the settings. The events section includes a graphical view over time of both the indoor air quality and outdoor air quality. It also includes a scrolling list of events, including when the Sensibo Pure was turned on/off, creation or deleting of schedules, when boost was turned on, etc. Overall, the app is easy to use and provides all the functionality that the vast majority of users will need to operate the Sensibo Pure without requiring a subscription. The Sensibo Pure is reasonably quiet. With the fan set to low speed it only produces around 38 dB. However, it is important to know that in boost mode the noise level is much louder, around 53 dB. The built-in scheduler can be used to make sure that a Sensibo Pure located in a bedroom doesn’t switch into boost mode in the middle of the night, which might wake up the people sleeping in that room. Integration The Sensibo Pure includes direct compatibility with Apple HomeKit. In addition, there is a well-documented public API and a Facebook group for support of people who are leveraging the API. The first step in using the API is to obtain an API Key. To accomplish this, you will need to use your username/password and login to the Sensibo website. There is a login link in the menu at the bottom of the main page of the website. You will then be presented with a screen that shows you your Sensibo devices. In the upper left-hand corner of the screen is a menu icon and selecting it will present you with an option to create an API Key. Sensibo hasn’t updated the API documentation to reflect the unique commands for the Sensibo Pure. However, that is in the works and should be available shortly. I was able to get some assistance from the folks at Sensibo and wrote a basic driver to allow the Sensibo Pure to

be controlled from a Crestron 3-Series, or 4-Series smart home processor. Areas for Improvement The Sensibo Pure is a nice air purifier with great integration capabilities. However, there are a few ways I think the product could be improved. First, it would be better if Sensibo Pure could clean the air in a larger room. While multiple units can be linked together to clean the air in larger rooms, that adds to the cost. Covering 173 sq. ft. of room without using the louder Pure Boost mode (boost mode provides coverage of 294 sq. ft.) is simply too small. Second, Sensibo only provides basic good, moderate, and unhealthy readings from the Pure’s particulate sensor. It would be better if they provided a true PM25 measurement so this information could be better integrated into the operation of a smart home. Finally, in this day and age it would be much more environmentally responsible if all the packaging was recyclable. Overall, the Sensibo Pure is a good air purifier. While a single unit can only clean the air in a small room, the Sensibo Pure is designed so that multiple units can work together to clean larger rooms. The built-in particulate sensor is an excellent addition as is the integration of outdoor air quality measurements and weather into the purifier’s operation. While the Sensibo Pure only includes a particulate sensor, the filter is capable of removing both particulates (PM10 and PM25) from the air as well as VOCs. The Sensibo Pure is well made, has a pleasing design that will fit into the décor of most homes, and seems to sit into the middle range of residential air purifiers. There are certainly premium models that cost much more than the Sensibo Pure but there are also less expensive products available. What sets the Sensibo Pure apart from competing products is Sensibo’s welldocumented API allowing the device to be easily integrated with different smart home platforms beyond the built-in support for Apple HomeKit. x

PRODUCT REVOLUTION The Definitive Technology Descend Series subwoofers consist of four highperformance models featuring new design architecture called 3XR, which employs dual passive radiators coupled to an active drive unit to triple the bass-producing radiating area. The 3XR Architecture generates deeper bass and higher output levels due to the unique design of the two radiators, which are the same size as the woofer. And because this proprietary design does not rely on conventional bass ports, Descend Series subwoofers do not produce any chuffing or distortion that plagues ported models. Klipsch’s new lineup of four new soundbars range in size from 54 to 40 inches to match a range of TV sizes. The new Klipsch Cinema Sound Bars – the Cinema 1200, 800, 600, and 400 – are crafted from wood and utilize horn-loaded technology to look and sound like the brand’s Reference speakers. In addition, the sound bars come with large, powerful, class-leading subwoofers to complete the cinematic experience. The largest is a 54-inch soundbar system with a 12-inch wireless subwoofer and wireless Dolby Atmos certified surround speakers.

New Legrand | AV In-Wall Power & Cable Management Kits include the addition of five new models to the company’s On-Q line. The kits provide installers with options for safely extending power to wall-mounted displays and accompanying devices while neatly concealing power and AV cables inside the wall. The expanded range now includes unassembled top-box models with or without USB, pre-wired kits with USB or surge protection, and a completely unassembled kit with a 12-foot cable that are all compatible with any TV mount, including SANUS premium.

The McIntosh MB20 Bluetooth Transceiver is a simple solution to add McIntosh-quality Bluetooth streaming capabilities to virtually any McIntosh (or non-McIntosh) home audio system of any era. It can quickly turn a vintage McIntosh system into a modern home music system capable of playing the digital music stored on your phone, in your cloud accounts, or from your preferred streaming services. It has been engineered as a Class 1 Bluetooth device, so it can operate at a range of up to 150 feet (45.7 meters) in ideal conditions with limited obstructions.

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

PRODUCT REVOLUTION

Orro, creators of the professional-grade Orro Smart Living System, has added integration with Sonos, offering a new way to control speakers throughout a home. With the new integration, customers can use the dynamic display on Orro’s smart light switches to control their favorite audio content on their Sonos speakers, including adjusting the volume, pausing, skipping tracks, and more. The new integration is certified by the Works with Sonos program, ensuring it delivers a seamless smart home experience for customers and installers.

Ring Access Controller Pro 2 is the second-generation Ring Access Controller that makes it easier to remotely grant gate access to visitors. Now you can control your gate from the Ring app and let friends, family, and service professionals in from anywhere, whether you are home or away. Plus, connect with an optional Ring Video Doorbell or Security Camera to see, hear, and speak to visitors from Live View. The device supports both cellular and Ethernet connectivity in one single device.

The Snap One WattBox 800 Series 1U 8-Outlet IP Power Conditioner was designed to deliver individually controlled and metered outlets, OvrC functionality, and an LED faceplate that displays crucial power and connectivity info. The new 8-outlet 800 Series Power Conditioner provides immediate information thanks to the new LED faceplate on the front with indicators that denote internet connectivity, outletspecific current, and proper grounding. Additionally, front-facing buttons allow local reset of individual or multiple outlets.

The Somfy PoE Touch Panel Room Controller is a new touch screen user interface that provides local room control of motorized shades, draperies, and gateway connected devices using Power over Ethernet. The solution provides two-way control of motorized shades connected to PoE Gateways to maximize the end-user experience. As a touch screen interface with 5.7-inch display, the Somfy PoE Touch Panel Room Controller will provide users with a robust and reliable interface to control and receive position status for low-voltage Somfy Digital Network (SDN) Motors.

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

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PRODUCT REVOLUTION

Josh.ai continues expanding the impact of artificial intelligence in the home with a noteworthy update to its Crestron Home integration. Thanks to a close engineering relationship between the companies, Josh.ai was given exclusive development access to expand its audio and video distribution capabilities to Crestron Home systems. Crestron Home clients are now able to enjoy intuitive control of their AV content using natural voice commands, all without requiring a professional installer to pre-program scenes or quick actions.

The ClearOne Versa Mediabar provides high-quality visual collaboration, audio conferencing, and UC applications from a single integrated device, offering the simplest solution available for offices, conference rooms, and home offices with virtually no setup required. With a compact design that can be mounted on a wall or attached to a video display, the Versa Mediabar connects via a single USB cable to elevate the soundbar concept into a powerful tool for virtual collaboration that includes AI-enabled auto-framing and people tracking.

Screen Innovations’ Troy IP Control Gateway enables integrators to choreograph the movement of any wired or wireless type of motorized shade or screen and integrate with multiple control platforms with ease and accuracy, no complex and expensive software necessary. The product’s built-in programming software is accessible via any web-enabled device, including Mac or PCs as well as mobile devices. On these devices Troy presents an intuitive user interface that steps integrators through the entire setup process.

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

SANUS TV Media In-Wall Boxes are designed to conveniently conceal and organize media and power devices in-wall behind a wall-mounted display. They are available in nine-inch (SA-IWB9-W1 and SA-IWB9KIT-W1, includes power supply) and 17-inch (SA-IWB17-W1) form factors to store streaming devices such as Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV and network switches. Available in 9-inch and 17inch models, they fit between standard studs, and if installing into drywall, the included cutting template allows homeowners to ensure the perfect placement.

One app. Three streams. Unlimited excitement.

PRODUCT REVOLUTION RowOne Seating’s Cortés top grain leather/vinyl match chair offers contemporary styling for home theaters and multipurpose entertainment rooms. Cortés also incorporates a full power headrest independent of the power recline feature. It features multiple base rail and cupholder lighting color options (six color choices as opposed to the standard blue) and includes a 110-voltage outlet in the storage arm for laptop charging. Cortés and all RowOne styles are available as single recliner, loveseat, sofa, or multiple chair rows.

Draper’s battery-powered Acumen Recharge motorized screen installs like a manual screen, but there’s no wiring or electrician to worry about thanks to the lithium-ion battery located inside the roller. The motor only needs to be recharged about every 500 cycles, but you don’t have to wait. You can leave the Recharge plugged in all the time – an automatic shutoff guarantees there will be no battery damage. Acumen Recharge can optionally connect with PoE to stay permanently charged. It can be controlled by a simple wireless wall switch or handheld remote.

Dirac and MMD Monitors & Displays have teamed up to equip Philips’ first-ever gaming headset with Dirac’s spatial audio solution that produces a virtualized 3D, 7.1 surround sound experience through the two-channel headset. With overall improved sound quality and a natural, accurate spatialization, gaming experiences through the Philips TAGH401BL headset become much more comfortable. Users can toggle between two sound modes – a spatial sound mode ideal for gaming and movies and an optimized sound mode ideal for music.

Harman’s JBL L75ms Music System caters to the enthusiast who seeks an easier way to listen to their music collection without sacrificing acoustic performance. As a modern re-imagining of the traditional Hi-Fi system, the L75ms finds its design inspiration from the JBL Classic Series with which it shares its walnut wood veneer cabinet finish and black Quadrex foam grille. Behind that retro appearance lies thoroughly modern acoustic technology, including high-res audio capability and a wealth of wired and wireless connectivity.

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

COMING UP

Future Issues: Jan/Feb 2022: The Evolution of Video Technology. Picture quality of TVs and projectors have never looked better or been more affordable. What’s the next step for video technology, how do you plan for it, and what do you need to know to prepare for the future? • Home Office Tech • Home Theater Speakers

Mar/Apr 2022: Outdoor Entertainment. The global pandemic generated more interest in enhancing home entertainment system both inside and outside the home. Now, more than ever, the quality of outdoor speaker, TVs, lighting, and Wi-Fi coverage is at the front of mind for homeowners. • Doorbell and Security Cameras • Touchscreens and Remote Controls

The Azione Unlimited Fall Conference, pictured in 2019

May/June 2022:

SEPTEMBER 1-3

22-24

CEDIA Expo 2021 Indianapolis, IN

Azione Unlimited 2021 Fall Conference Nashville, TN

Access Control and Home Security. From video doorbells to professional-quality surveillance cameras, alarm panels, and motion sensors, the home security system has evolved into a combination of DIY and pro-level options. • Lighting Control and Motorized Shades • Healthy Home Tech

July/Aug 2022:

OCTOBER 12-14

23-29

HTSA 2021 Fall Conference Dallas, TX

InfoComm 2021 Orlando, FL

29-31 AXPONA Schaumburg, IL

JANUARY 2022

Managing Residential Power. The electrical infrastructure of the home is more complicated than it used to be with line noise, grounding challenges, managing renewal energy sources as they enter the home. • Projection Screens • Soundbars

Sept/Oct 2022: The Network Backbone of the Home. Now, more than ever, it’s essential that home networks provide both wired and wireless accommodations to create the best service for the end-user customer as an increasing number of intelligent devices are added every year and cybersecurity risks increase. • Video Projectors and TVs • AV Distribution and Switching

5-8

Nov/Dec 2022:

International CES Las Vegas, NV

Listening Test. Loudspeaker designs continue to evolve as new materials and computer-aided design tools enable audio manufacturers to improve and enhance the way music and movie audio are reproduced in the home environment. • Power Management Products • AV Receivers and Power Amplifiers

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

“INFOCOMM IS A HIGHLIGHT IN MY YEAR. IT’S ONE OF THE ONLY EVENTS WHERE I CAN GET HANDS-ON WITH ALL THE LATEST PRODUCT AND CONNECT WITH MANUFACTURERS. IT’S AN EVENT THAT SHOULDN’T BE MISSED!” MATT SCOTT President OMEGA Audio Video

RELAX

The Lighter Side

Where Will Tech Billionaires Go Next? By Anthony Elio On July 20, 2021, tech billionaire Jeff Bezos did what only 500 hardworking dweebs and several decently hardworking chimps had done before: he briefly escaped the wasted experiment we call Earth. While some will say that he only went to space due to his near $200 billion dollar net worth, I, for one, believe that his uncontainable intellect and natural ruggedness helped him break the stratosphere. And that has nothing to do with the fact that I’ve taken several kickbacks as an unofficial Amazon ambassador. Now that two billionaire have made such a journey, where will our other tech-focused wealth hoarders be heading next? After months of journalistic fact finding and semi-legal voyeurism, I believe I have the answer.

Bill Gates, Microsoft: The Apple Store Bill Gates, the Windows computer wiz who amassed his great wealth by cutting his own hair, was last seen circling the local Apple Store. “Oh, I’m just planning on stepping in to use the restroom,” Gates responded when approached. After 17 hours of trying to navigate to the Apple Store using his Windows Phone, Gates entered the establishment.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook: The Local Bank Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg was recently spotted on his way to the bank with what appeared to be $358 in coins. “If you roll your own pennies, you save almost a dollar for every $10!” Zuckerberg said excitedly before purchasing a bus ticket to the bank. During our brief interview, he also expressed his desire to use a coupon he clipped from the newspaper at the Safeway later in the day.

Elon Musk, Tesla/SpaceX: The Lost City of Terra Venture “First off, I’d like to make it abundantly clear I’m not trying to outdo Mr. Bezos,” Elon Musk said, putting on his vibranium armor in preparation for his journey. Musk was heading to the fabled intergalactic colony Terra Venture, aiming to search for ancient Bandorian treasures. “We billionaires don’t have such egos” Musk said, hopping into the cockpit of his 500-ton bioship crewed by thousands of robotic staff and activating the hyperdrive. “Just a business trip,” he said

Jeff Bezos, Amazon: Hell Source: Amazon employees.

Branson Björklund, Hydrogen Sulfide Headphones: Stockholm Poison Control Center Branson Björklund, best known for the overnight success of his Hydrogen Sulfide Headphones, is on his way to the famed Stockholm Poison Control Center. The company’s headphones were praised for their next-level sound and comfortable design but criticized for containing high levels of hydrogen sulfide. Björklund’s symptoms reportedly include mild organ melt, moderate membrane collapse, and severe blood crystallization.

Anthony Elio is a writer and Cutco sales rep located in Denver, CO. He currently plays drums in the band Television Generation, which has made as much as $7.89 from Spotify at the time of this writing. Elio’s further editorial work can be found on PigeonSushi.com. Photos via Wikimedia commons: Bill Gates by Aimerou, Mark Zuckerberg by Anthony Quintano (Westminster, U.S.), Elon Musk by NORAD and USNORTHCOM Public Affairs, Jeff Bezos by Daniel Oberhaus. Branson Björklund via istockphoto.com

Residential Tech Today | Sept/Oct 2021

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Residential Tech Today -- Sept/Oct 2021

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