In case you missed the news last month, Control4 has unleashed a beautiful, brand-new operating system: OS 3. With an elegant appearance and helpful new features, OS 3 makes every interaction with your home automation system simplified and personalized. Whether you already have a Control4 system in your Northbrook-area home or you’re new to Control4 home automation, continue reading to learn how the Control4’s newest operating system can bring relaxation, convenience, and fun to your northern Illinois living space.

SEE ALSO: Why You Should Use Control4 in Your New Construction

New to Control4?

Control4 is one of the world’s leading home automation platforms that enables you to effortlessly manage your smart home’s devices from one universal interface. With a smartphone, tablet, universal remote or even a voice-command speaker, you can turn on all of your home’s lights at once, control music in every room, and check security cameras. With presets like “Morning” and “Night,” your home can automatically adjust the temperature, blinds, indoor and exterior lights at just the press of a button. On your way home late at night? Right from your smartphone, you can turn on the first-floor lights before the car is in the driveway. Control4 is a smart way to save energy, time, and peace of mind.

The New Features

Control4’s new OS 3 offers an evolved and smooth interface with larger icons that are easier to see from far away. With the “Favorites” feature, you can put the most frequently used icons on the main dashboard screen and save favorite rooms to the top of the list. Screens are now customizable with wallpapers, and new OS 3 icons represent the active state of your devices. That way, you can instantly see if the garage door is open, fans are on, or if the front door is locked – simply based on the status of the icons on your Control4 interface.

For whole home audio users, the new “Sessions” screens show what’s playing throughout the entire house. Sliders make it easier to change the volume in one room, multiple rooms, or the whole house at once. The new “Now Playing” screen enables you to adjust the volume, skip tracks, and even evaluate the audio quality.

All music fans would love to listen to their favorite artists and albums just as they first sounded in the recording studio. Great sound is the ultimate goal for anyone that calls themselves a music lover, which is why high-end audio systems have exploded in popularity over the past fifty years. However, some common myths have persisted that have kept people from actually taking advantage of the power of high-performance sound. In this blog, we highlight some of the most persistent ones to make sure you don’t make any common mistakes when investing in a high-end audio system.

SEE MORE: Creating the Perfect Atmosphere for Enjoying High-End Audio

1. It’s Only for Audiophiles: There's the misconception that these systems are only meant for gearheads that spend their days studying the specs behind amplifiers, cables, and speakers. High-end systems are not limited to a small club; they're meant for anyone who loves music.
2. Price Equals Quality: This common myth has had two negative results. In some circles, it's kept people from dipping their feet into high-end systems because they don't want to invest in $10,000 amplifiers or $50,000 speakers. It's also resulted in disjointed systems that just combine the most expensive products on the market.The right equipment will depend on a lot of factors. Choices for your system should never be based on price point. Instead, work with an AV professional to test-drive various components before finding out which one would work best.
3. Newer is Always Better: If you're building a new system, you likely want to make sure you buy the latest models for optimal compatibility. That doesn’t mean you have to get rid of things that have worked in the past—especially when it comes to source components. If you have a vintage turntable that you've been using for decades, then you should add it your new system! You’ve already grown used to its sound, so why not enhance it by hooking it up to new amplifiers and speakers?
4. Ignoring the Bass: The staunchest of audiophiles like to stick to the traditional 2-channel system, relegating the subwoofer to home theater applications. But your listening experience could definitely benefit from having better bass. Part of the problem is that most 2-channel amps and preamps don't have subwoofer crossover capabilities, but the right AV technician can easily incorporate one into your system to make sure you’re getting the fullest sound possible.
5. Power is Everything: If there's one thing everyone knows about speakers, it’s firepower. While you certainly want to make sure your speaker can fill the room with sound, power should never be the number one priority. Specs can also be a bit misleading in this regard, so you shouldn’t be counting on them when choosing a system. Instead, listen to a few speakers to see which offer the sound best suited for the room and the kind of music you like to listen to.
6. It’s All About the Gear: While the focus should certainly be on finding the best equipment, you can't ignore your surroundings. Make sure that you give your high-end system the right space to shine. From finding the right size and layout to installing acoustic treatments, you want to create the ideal audio environment.
7. Leading With the Speakers: Your speakers are going to be your system’s biggest stars. That doesn’t mean they’re the most important part. Don’t splurge on speakers then settle for mid-level equipment for your amplifiers, pre-amps, or sources. Try and balance out your budget as much as possible, with the majority of your attention going to your amps and preamps.
8. There’s a ‘Correct’ Sound: Be wary of any dealer or AV technician that tries to tell you one particular speaker offers the ‘correct' sound. Everyone has different preferences and ultimately you need to choose what you think sounds best, not what someone tells you sounds ‘right'.

The experts at Avidia can introduce you to some of the best equipment in the industry, just fill out our online contact form to schedule a visit. Once you’ve tested it out and found the right fit, we optimize your room acoustics and calibrate your equipment to make sure you’re getting the best audio possible.

How to Enhance Your Home Theater with Smart Cinema Room Lighting

Home theater design is all about adapting your room to enhance your new speakers, projector, and screen. Every aspect of the space can be adjusted to give you the best audio and video quality possible. For the latter, much of the focus is on creating the right lighting environment. Through blackout shades, stylistic adjustments, and smart control, we help you design a viewing experience in your Wilmette, IL home that mimics the one in a commercial theater.

You've invested in brand new high-end speakers and the best-rated AV receiver on the market. You've installed a whole house audio system that makes it easy for you to pull up your favorite music in any room of your Lake Forest, IL home. Once you hit play, though, you're disappointed to find there's static coming through your state-of-the-art system.

It’s easy to blame your brand new equipment or the people that installed it. Often, though, it's not an entire revamp that you need, simply a change in music. When you upgrade your stereo system, you're going to get much crisper, powerful sound. But if you're listening to poor sources—say an overused CD player or MP3 file—the system is simply going to magnify their flaws. For this reason, it's critical that you connect the right source components when installing your whole house audio system. 

SEE MORE: Best Speaker Options for Your Whole House Audio

CD vs. Turntable

Physical music sources like CD players or turntables are the least popular when it comes to whole house music systems for a simple reason. You need to manually access your source component if you want to change the album, taking away from the benefit of having centralized access. That being said, we're not saying you have to throw away your CD or vinyl collections.

According to a study by ECN Magazine, 70 percent of pet parents feel guilty when they have to leave their pets alone to go to work or on vacation. Home automation systems have become a way for owners to take care of their pets’ wellbeing without having to be in their Kenilworth, IL home. Whether it’s making sure fish aquariums have the right environment or the cat isn’t getting into the pantry again, owners can get peace of mind with these smart home features.

SEE MORE: How to Give Your Smart Home a Personal Feel

Your Personal Animal Channel

Why scour the internet for cute dog and cat videos when you can look in on your personal favorites? With a home automation solution, you can watch live surveillance footage from your smartphone at any time. See if your dog is still by the door waiting for you to return or check if the cat left you any gifts in the litter box. You can search from room to room and zoom in to get a good look at what your pets are doing.

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