Strategy in TECH...
Crestron Electronics, a leading smart home and automation brand in residential and commercial custom integration, is introducing several exciting new products at CEDIA Expo 2025, such as new Cameo keypads, Horizon keypads, and the very cool-looking Cevo Mini Remote. But by far, my favorite launch is the Crestron Home Configure Pro system configuration tool.
Making what it calls a “renewed commitment to the American market,” Hamburg, Germany-based Velodyne Acoustics announced today that it has appointed Playback Distribution as its exclusive distributor for the U.S. market. The new partnership will kick off at the upcoming CEDIA Expo in Denver, CO, on September 4-6, 2025.
At the International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Las Vegas, NV, earlier this year, show organizers employed expert builders/craftsmen/tradesmen/and installers who conceived, designed, created, and built a new $15.5 million modern custom home designed to set the standard for luxury living in 2025 and beyond. According to organizers, “The New American Home 2025 is a statement of what’s to come in the world of residential architecture. Join us as we redefine the standard of luxury living.” Savant and the Savant Power system were a major part of adding the luxury experience to this home.
Cambridge Audio seems to be single-handedly attempting to dispatch the intense summer heat by introducing two new products that are pretty darn cool – the Evo 150 SE Streaming Amplifier and the Melomania A100 true wireless earbuds. Both embody the traditional strengths of Cambridge Audio products with thoughtful component selection and matching, careful engineering, and extensive listening/tuning.
If you are a fan of premium loudspeaker maker Bowers & Wilkins (B&W), you are likely familiar with the fact that Abbey Road Studios – the famous London, England recording studio that was the studio of choice for mega groups like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Amy Winehouse, Stevie Wonder, Oasis, Lady Gaga, and many, many others – utilizes B&W models as monitor speakers for its recording engineers. Some of the most famous music singles and albums were tracked and mixed on 801s, offering superior sound quality and providing engineers and producers with a more accurate sound to produce a better end product…the music that you and I listen to every day.
This “enduring and influential collaboration” has existed for 45 years, and to honor this unique history, B&W has introduced a limited edition model of its top-of-the-line speakers, the 801 Abbey Road Limited Edition Loudspeaker.
Something tells me these companies – Harman International Industries, Inc. and Voxx International Corp/Klipsch Group, Inc. aren’t going to be friends…or even friendly. I have learned that Harman has filed a significant 13-count patent infringement lawsuit against Voxx/Klipsch for copying its patented JBL PartyBox line in the creation of the Klipsch Gig XXL party speaker line.
Harman says Voxx/Klipsch continued its allegedly unlawful actions even after being notified of the infringement by Harman back in the fall of 2023.
Sonance, a leading innovator of custom integration solutions founded more than four decades ago when it was instrumental in creating and growing the overall custom integration industry – continues to fuel its own forward momentum, announcing this week the acquisition of Blaze Audio, a significant innovator of premium high-performance amplifiers and sound reinforcement speakers out of Copenhagen, Denmark.
This move represents a significant expansion of Sonance’s Pro Audio division.
Sonance has introduced an expansion to its very popular VX or Visual Experience line of architectural loudspeakers with a new Thin-Line Series. An ultra-thin option, the Thin-Line Series opens up even more installation opportunities for integrators, especially in space-challenged locations.
Recent developments and reporting within the last week seem to suggest that Sonos, Inc. (Nasdaq: SONO) is adrift and directionless as its new Interim CEO tries to right the ship. It has even canceled its next big product introduction. Is the company flailing? Or is it finally getting its act together?
Chicago-based Vanco International LLC, a maker and distributor of high-performance custom integration gear, announced today that it is launching the next generation of its popular EVO-IP HDMI-over-IP solution at the upcoming Integrated Systems Europe show running February 4-7 in Barcelona, Spain. This new system – called EVO-IP 2.0 – adds both new features and increasingly robust capabilities, including mind-blowing scalability.
