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Are You Getting the Most Out of Your Home Audio?

Are You Getting the Most Out of Your Home Audio?

As technology continues to evolve from the radio to today’s streaming devices, one thing has remained constant: no form of entertainment is more beneficial to your family than music. A combined study done by Sonos and Apple earlier this year found that families that listen to music are happier and spend more time together. Maybe that's why whole house audio solutions are some of the most popular in the smart technology market, even above security and custom theaters. Which is why it’s so important you have a system in place in your Winnetka, IL home that offers high-quality audio and convenient control.  

SEE MORE: 5 Great Speaker Options for Your Whole House Audio

Easy Control of Entertainment

The digital music era has made it easier than ever to find the music you want within a matter of seconds. Through media libraries or streaming services, you can have thousands of songs at your disposal on your desktop, laptop or tablet. Where many families are still falling behind is getting that music to play in high quality throughout their homes. Without an easy way to send those songs to their speakers, they’re stuck playing music on their mobile devices.

Whole house audio offers a comprehensive solution to this problem. We place all your speakers and source components under the same intuitive user interface. Using the control device of your choice—a touchpad, smartphone or tablet—you can choose the song you want and play it anywhere even if you're not in the same room. You can even select all your home's speakers at once, immediately filling your entire space with music. 

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What is the Best Location for Your Home Theater?

What is the Best Location for Your Home Theater?

What is the Best Location for Your Home Theater Room Design?

When it comes to home theater design, like in real estate, it’s all about location, location, location. All of your high-end equipment needs the right environment to thrive in your Barrington, IL home. From the type of flooring to the room dimensions, the space you choose will all affect the quality of the sound and images as well as the kind of equipment you’ll need. Read on to see the media room characteristics that could affect your theater’s performance: 

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3 Ways Smart Home Technology Gives You Hands-Off Control

3 Ways Smart Home Technology Gives You Hands-Off Control

Do you want to add a touch of luxury to your technology? Switching from remotes to elegant touchpads is the first step, but what if your home automation system went even further? Allow yourself more freedom and efficiency with hands-off control. We can create a custom solution that takes advantage of sensors, scheduled scenes and voice control to make life easier in your Wilmette, Illinois home. Read on to find out how each of these features contributes to your smart home. 

SEE MORE: 7 Ways to Go Green With Smart Home Technology

Sensors

How many times have you found yourself having to walk back to a room after realizing you left the light on? Eliminate the problem entirely by installing occupancy sensors in every room. Lights will turn on when you walk in then turn off after the room has been unoccupied for some time. You can also have certain appliances or electronics automatically turn off in unused rooms. In your outdoor spaces, get better surveillance footage by having lights turn on as soon as unwanted activity is detected. Have walkways light up as you walk past to eliminate tripping hazards.

The other type of sensors you should include in your home automation system are photo sensors. These sensors are placed on windows and react to the amount of natural light available. Help your thermostat cool down by having shades automatically close when hit by direct sunlight. You can also save energy by having artificial lights turn off when natural light is available.

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How Control4 Lets You Stick With the Brands You Love

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One of the perks of using a Control4 dealer for your smart home needs is that your system can be custom-designed to include what matters most to you. You can choose to include lighting, security, AV, climate control, and more depending on your family’s needs. You can also decide how you want to incorporate that technology into your Lake Forest, IL home. While Control4 offers most of the software and hardware (from speakers to thermostats) needed for your smart home, it also gives you the opportunity to work with the brands you’ve come to love.

SEE MORE: Product Spotlight: A Look at the Control4 EA Series

What Companies Are Compatible With Control4?

Since the company was founded in 2003, Control4 has expanded its list of industry partners every year. They now work with the top brands in the HVAC, audio, video, and security industries to offer smart home solutions that include the best technology in the world. Among the official Control4 partners are Sony, Amazon, Lutron, Apple, McIntosh, and Nest. Anyone that wants to become a certified partner, can inquire on the company’s website.

How Does Control4 Make Partners Compatible?

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5 Great Speaker Options for Your Whole House Audio

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Every family uses their whole home audio in a different way. Which is why it’s important to offer varied solutions, from the type of speakers that are being used to the preferred control devices. In this blog, we’ll go over some popular speaker options and their best applications. Depending on whether you’re looking to invest in a dedicated listening room or simply play background music when hosting friends, you’re going to have very different needs when it comes to your equipment.

SEE MORE: How to Upgrade your Outdoor Music System

Architectural Speakers

These speakers are very popular in modern luxury homes, as they offer high-fidelity sound without interfering with the interior décor. Architectural speakers are hidden within your wall or ceilings, sitting behind painted grills that camouflage with the rest of your home. These type of speakers offer wide dispersion, so you won’t hear a difference in sound when walking right by them, making them perfect for background audio in your living room or dining room.

Bookshelf/Cabinet Speakers

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What Are Some Ways to Enhance Your Home Theater Design?

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Your home theater is only going to be as good as the equipment in it. Which is why a big focus of your installation will be on finding the right speakers, screens, and projectors. But a lot more than that goes into crafting a comprehensive home theater design. Check out some features you should consider when upgrading the entertainment in your Winnetka, Illinois home.

SEE MORE 4 Steps to Designing the Ultimate Home Theater

Enhance Your Style With Hidden Technology

When you’re purchasing equipment, focus not just on its performance but also how it will fit into your overall design. Most AV manufacturers offer ‘hidden technology’ options that provide a discreet approach to your home theater. This way you can show off your style without losing any of the quality.

When it comes to your speakers, you can go with KEF in-wall and in-ceiling speakers. Get all the benefits of a Dolby Atmos surround sound setup while keeping your equipment hidden. Your screen is also easy to conceal. If you don't want it to be seen when your theater is not in use, invest in a retractable screen that disappears into the ceiling at the press of a button.

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Creating the Perfect Atmosphere for Enjoying High-End Audio

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Designing a high-end audio system for your Highland Park, IL home involves a lot of moving parts. It all starts with purchasing the right loudspeakers and amplifiers. You want to find equipment that offers sound that is crisp, natural and powerful. We recommend going with KEF’s Muon or Blade speakers paired up with an amplifier from Audio Control. In this blog, we’ll focus more on your system’s supporting cast: the technology and environment that enhance your brand new equipment.

SEE MORE: Amplifier vs. Receiver: Which should you use in your High-end Audio?

Choosing the Right Location

You need to find a room that is small enough to contain the sound but not too small that your sound becomes cluttered. You should also match your speakers to the space by investing in more powerful speakers if you're going to have to fill a larger area.

Invest in the Best Source Components

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How to Give Your Smart Home a Personal Feel

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You’ve gone to great lengths to design the perfect home in Barrington, IL. You’ve personally chosen the kind of foliage you want in your landscaping, the artwork you show off in your living room, and the perfect layout for all your furniture. It should be no different when it comes to your technology. One of the greatest perks of a smart home automation system is that it can be customized to your specific preferences. In this blog, we show you how to make sure your system is uniquely yours.

SEE MORE: 3 Reasons to Upgrade to a Smart Home System

Choosing the Scope of Your Project

What technology is the biggest priority for you? Some families may want to focus on enhancing their entertainment, while others may care more about strengthening their security. The first step is figuring out what you want to include in your smart system. The possibilities are endless including climate, lighting, entertainment, security, and surveillance.

We recommend a full home automation system that encompasses your entire property, but we know some clients may want to start small. One-room solutions can be useful when it comes to entertainment centers—like using the Control4 EA-1 for a media room. All installations are primed for growth, so if you want to add more rooms or components in the future, it's easy to do so.

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Stream Music in Every Room of Your Home with Sonos

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Music is powerful. It can transform gloomy days into happy ones, inspire creativity, energize you in the morning and soothe you to sleep at night. To take advantage of music throughout your day, you need a system that enables easy listening wherever you are, especially when you’re at home in Park Ridge, IL. That’s what you get with a whole house audio system by Sonos, the leading provider of smart wireless speakers. To learn about Sonos and how it can add value to your home, read on.

SEE MORE: How to Upgrade Your Outdoor Music System

What is Sonos?

Sonos provides high-performance wireless speaker systems ranging from dedicated home theater systems to whole house audio systems. Their selection of speakers, audio components, and home theater equipment ensures they have something for every room of your home. In addition to having all the components you need to boost your listening experience, Sonos provides components that can upgrade your existing audio equipment to work with Sonos for wireless music streaming.

Why Choose Sonos for Whole House Audio

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Home Theater Design Guide: Choosing the Perfect Screen

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To get the traditional movie theater experience in your Kenilworth, Illinois home, you’ll need more than a popcorn machine and great acoustics. The size, shape, and type of theater screen will have a huge impact on movie quality. In this home theater design guide, we’ll teach you what to look for in a home theater screen as well as what factors may impact the installation process.

SEE MORE: 4 Steps to Designing the Ultimate Home Theater System

Size
When it comes to home theater design, bigger does not always equal better. The size and shape of the room, the seating arrangements, and the type of projector will all impact the size of your home theater screen. Here are some tips to keep in mind when calculating size:

  •  Leave room for speakers: You may think you have an 180-inch space to house your home theater screen, but don’t forget about the components that may need to go next to it: speakers. While you can get away with placing speakers behind the screen (we’ll cover that more in the Materials section), you may need to budget for space below or to the sides of the screen, which will require a smaller screen size.
  •  Accommodate for seating locations: When you go to a conventional theater, the first row of seats isn’t likely your ideal choice. Sitting so close to a large screen strains the neck and eyes, and the image may show up slightly pixelated. For a 120-inch home theater screen, you’ll want a minimum distance of 12 feet between the screen and the first row of seats. If you have more space to work with, you can pursue a larger screen.
  • Verify Your Projector’s Capabilities: Is your projector a high enough quality to handle a large screen size? If your projector isn’t powerful enough to cover the size of your screen, your movies will look washed out and dull. If you haven’t chosen a projector yet, your home theater installer will be able to calculate the needed specifications and choose the best projector for the job.

Material
There are many materials available for home theater screens, each designed to optimize viewing quality for different environments. The two biggest factors that will impact what type of material you choose for your screen will be where you place your speakers and whether you want a fixed placement screen or a retractable one.

For home theater designs where the speakers are behind the screen, you’ll want to choose a perforated or woven screen. These screens have pinprick holes that let sound pass through without visually compromising the picture.

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Office:
655 Academy Drive
Northbrook, IL 60062
p:  (847) 868-9200
8am -5pm CT

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Office:
655 Academy Drive
Northbrook, IL 60062
p:  (847) 868-9200
8am -5pm CT

Join our mailing list
Stay up to date on the latest smart technology ideas and innovations.