Insights & Innovations: The Integrated Home Blog

Is it time to upgrade your home media room with a new Sony display?

These days, display technology is evolving and advancing at whiplash speeds. As one of the largest manufacturers of consumer electronics, Sony continues to keep pace year after year with faster, smarter and more intuitive televisions. This year is poised to be one of Sony’s biggest years yet as they introduce the world’s first televisions powered by the Cognitive Processor XR, which replicates the way humans see and hear.

If you’re considering an upgrade to your home media room or home theater in Charlotte, NC, keep reading to peruse Sony’s 2021 lineup and the newest features available on Sony TVs.

AudioControl Amplifiers Deliver Effortless, Efficient Power for Any Audio Setup

If you are into the elevated sound quality of high-performance audio equipment, you likely know about the importance of high-quality amplification. In order to deliver detail, impact, and dynamic range, the best speakers need copious amounts of clean power. They say that power corrupts, but when it comes to audio, insufficient power is a greater problem, resulting in disappointing performance and even damaged speakers in extreme cases.

When it comes to power amplifiers, there are many choices from both well-known brands and lesser-known companies. One company that flies a bit under the radar is AudioControl. This Seattle-based company of audio enthusiasts and engineers has been making high-end components for four decades, putting most of their investment in building great products rather than marketing.

Keep reading to learn more about AudioControl high-performance amplifiers for home theater or multizone audio in your Charlotte, NC home.

The REVI Low-Voltage Lighting Solution is Beautiful, Flexible, and Efficient

As an architect, designer, or home builder, you likely know how LED technology has revolutionized lighting. LED technology has enabled features like tunable lighting, which can vary white color temperature and illuminate with a rainbow of customizable colors. LED lighting is 80% more efficient than incandescent lighting, enabling far more efficient use of energy. And the compact, low heat emission nature of LED has also allowed for new lighting designs and fixtures that other technology can't match.

LED technology’s low energy use allows for low voltage lighting solutions that still provide the brightness and intensity of line voltage lighting. Low voltage has been used in outdoor lighting for years, but only recently with LED technology has it been able to meet the performance criteria for indoor lighting. One of the best solutions in high-performance low-voltage indoor lighting comes from Environmental Lights’ REVI line. Keep reading to learn more about REVI downlighting and how you can use it in your residential lighting design projects in Charlotte, NC.

Orchestrate all the technologies in your home with Josh’s voice-controlled automation system

If you’ve ever used a voice assistant like Alexa or Google to change the music on a smart speaker or look up the weather online, then you know how convenient hands-free control is. Now, what if you could control your entire Charlotte, NC home using the power of simple, intuitive voice commands?

With Josh.ai, you can. Josh is a sophisticated, voice-controlled home automation system that utilizes advanced AI and language processing technology to interpret and respond to all kinds of voice commands. Josh doesn’t just work with a few devices in your home — the system can be used to control your audio/video, lighting, shading, security and more with the power of voice or smart device of your choice. Keep reading to learn more about home automation with Josh.ai.

Let the Décor Shine While Your Equipment Reveals Itself When Needed

Once upon a time, electronics looked quite different from today. The TVs and audio equipment of yesteryear were designed to be part of a living area. You have to go quite a way back, but in the 1950s through perhaps the 1970s, electronics were styled to look like furniture. Does anyone remember record players and turntables encased in wood furniture consoles? Or console TVs with elegant wood trim?

Those days are gone. Electronics today look like…electronics. Flat-panel TVs are big slabs of black screen when they're not turned on. Audio components – with some exceptions – don't distinguish themselves with style. Some people don't mind, and some gear can be made to blend in with its surroundings. But if you are one of those style-conscious people who’s a stickler for design and ambiance, you’ll be happy to know you can have your media and not see it too. Read on below to learn about hidden technology options for your Charlotte, NC, living spaces.