The Home Technology Specialists of America (HTSA) on Tuesday announced their top vendor awards for 2013. These awards were handed out at their Fall 2013 dealer conference held last week and included a special Lifetime Achievement Award.
Manufacturers
Lenbrook Hopes This Line Will Make You Blue
Lenbrook America held a media event last week in Manhattan where they announced the birth of a new brand of multi-room wireless (and wired) music streaming systems called Bluesound. Bluesound is designed to be positioned above brands like Sonos in terms of price and performance…but tuck underneath some of the higher-end solutions such as those offered by NAD and others. The company hopes to create a profitable step-up market for higher priced, better performing solutions in the digital domain – as once existed in the analog realm years back.
Is Bluesound the new holy grail of quality digital music systems? Or will it miss the mark?… [Read more…] about Lenbrook Hopes This Line Will Make You Blue
The Miracle of…Birth – The Birth of the Bluesound Brand
Last week, I witnessed a miracle. The miracle was…a birth. It was a birth like no other, as every proud parent believes is the case with THEIR child. There was a proud Papa…and a large assembled family…brought together to celebrate the event.
This birth, like any birth, was wondrous. And…for the parents…this was an event full of hopes and dreams of what their “bundle of joy” will become. At this joyous event was a group of observers, like me. But not like me.
Was this birth – the birth of Bluesound – truly “miraculous”???… [Read more…] about The Miracle of…Birth – The Birth of the Bluesound Brand
Restructuring Causes Yet Another D+M Executive to Become Available
As D+M Group (formerly D&M Holdings) continues to work on improving their efficiencies through restructuring and consolidation, well-known industry executive Stephen Shenefield leaves the company to pursue new opportunities. Shenefield originally joined the company to help with the re-invigoration of their Boston Acoustics brand, but went on to see his involvement expanded into related products under the Denon nameplate as well.
See more on this new development… [Read more…] about Restructuring Causes Yet Another D+M Executive to Become Available
Promising Newcomer AudioXperts Abruptly Ceases Operations
BREAKING NEWS
After only a little more than one year in operation, AudioXperts – a new specialty brand of audio electronics targeted at the luxury consumer market – has closed down operations. According to AudioXperts President Eli Harary, the company was forced to shut down last Friday after a key investor stopped all funding.
See more details on this startling development from a new and innovative company… [Read more…] about Promising Newcomer AudioXperts Abruptly Ceases Operations
OEM Systems Appoints Richard Frank as Director of Marketing/Sales
OEM Systems Company announced at CEDIA that it has appointed industry veteran Richard Frank as its new Director of Marketing/Sales, effective immediately. Saying it sees “favorable market conditions” that it wants to be prepared to take full advantage of, the Reno, NV-based company noted Frank’s extensive marketing and sales development experience in its announcement.
See more on OEM Systems and this appointment… [Read more…] about OEM Systems Appoints Richard Frank as Director of Marketing/Sales
One Year Later – Rosewater Rewarded with Test Program by Major Utility
We first met the Rosewater Energy Group at the 2012 CEDIA Expo – a coming out party for the new company that makes a residential energy storage hub with batteries to store your energy from either the power company or renewable sources (i.e. solar or wind) and a capacity large enough to power your whole home with processed and purified 115 volt sine-wave power. Founded by well-known industry personality Joe Piccirilli, Rosewater is on the leading edge of a new concept in energy delivery, storage, and usage.
Now, one year later, how has Rosewater’s business developed? See below… [Read more…] about One Year Later – Rosewater Rewarded with Test Program by Major Utility
Panasonic Pulls the Plug on Plasma
BREAKING NEWS
Multiple news outlets including Reuters, Bloomberg, and the Nikkei reported today that sources at Panasonic are saying the company will exit the plasma TV business by the end of this fiscal year, which ends in March 2014. The news, while not totally surprising, means that there will be no plants anywhere in Japan producing plasma sets, and is likely the beginning of the end for the technology as LCD continues to take a greater share of even larger screen sizes.
See more on this surprising news out of Osaka, Japan… [Read more…] about Panasonic Pulls the Plug on Plasma
Niles’ Notable and Nifty CEDIA 2013 Demo
Niles Audio, a division of Core Brands, had an interesting display at CEDIA 2013’s Press Day event. Although the Cynema Soundfield – an in-wall soundbar – had been previously announced, Niles executives Michael Strange and Bill Hensley, presented it in a whole new, and much more meaningful way, with a wall cutaway showing just how unique the product really is.
See our photos of a wall cut-away view of this cleverly designed product… [Read more…] about Niles’ Notable and Nifty CEDIA 2013 Demo
TiO – Turn it On – It Just Might Turn YOU On
Perhaps it is a touch poetic that TiO, the new division launched by Automated Control Technology Partners, and the company that emerged from the ruins of Colorado vNet (then 3vNet) – should launch their exciting new home automation system the year that CEDIA returns to Colorado. We’ve seen the system, and even though we have yet to have the opportunity to operate it (it was a non-powered display) we saw enough to strongly advise that you get to know it…and quickly.
