Insights & Innovations: The Integrated Home Blog

Spouse and Child-Approved Whole Home Audio for the Family

Once upon a time, audio was fairly simple. You turned on the radio, tuned a station, and adjusted the volume. Or perhaps you put a record on the turntable, pressed a button, and the arm lowered to play the music. While those simple pleasures can still be had, it seems like the digital age has brought more complexity to the listening experience. Now, it’s Pandora or Tidal? TuneIn for radio? How do I get the speakers in the living room to play?

Granted, we have far more capable audio systems today. And if you have a Control4 whole-house audio setup, you have a world of sound at your beck and call. However, the trouble is that some whole-home sound systems can be a little complicated to use. We know of a few people who would rather listen on a Bluetooth speaker (gasp!) because the fancy whole-home system is just a bit too hard to fathom.

Control4, the smart home company, set out to change all that. With the latest Control4 OS 3, they reimagined how a whole-house audio system should operate – in other words, they designed it for actual humans! Read on to see just how easy a house-wide audio system in your Charlotte, NC abode can be with Contro4.

Add Immersive Sound to Your Home Cinema Experience

Surround sound is prevalent these days in just about every kind of video entertainment. For broadcast TV, Dolby Digital has been the standard sound format since the transition to digital in 2009. If you have a compatible soundbar, home theater receiver, or other audio processor and the right speakers, you can enjoy surround sound on many shows, from broadcast to cable to streaming. How well those shows use the extra channels of audio, however, varies greatly.

But you may already know all that. What you may have heard of but not know as much about is Dolby Atmos and another competitive surround format called DTS:X. These are often called immersive surround formats because, well, they are more immersive! While regular surround sound is great, a good Dolby Atmos (or DTS:X) soundtrack might blow you away. So, what is immersive sound, and why is it a great upgrade for your Charlotte, NC home theater? That’s what we’ll get into below!

Architectural Speakers Your Clients Will Hear but Not See

As a design or build professional, you’re always looking for a discreet way to incorporate the latest AV and technology that doesn’t interfere with design and style. For many years, architectural speakers have provided good sound quality with a modest appearance that didn’t stand out. 

But what if you have a discerning client, one who demands high-performance audio that’s practically invisible? It might seem like a tall order, but that’s exactly what you’ll get from Sonance and James speakers. Sonance is a longtime pioneer in architectural audio, and recently the company joined forces with James, bringing a new level of audio performance to architectural speakers. Discover more about these two high-end solutions for your Charlotte, NC projects by reading below. 

Neither Wind, Rain, nor Cold Will Keep You from Your Golf

Golf is an interesting game. Some people only casually get into it. But for many, the game has an addictive quality. And for some, it becomes an obsession. Thankfully, as long as golf addiction or obsession doesn’t interfere with daily life, it’s all good!

If the colder North Carolina weather or rain puts a damper on your golf obsession, we have a solution – a home golf simulator. With the quality of today’s simulators, it’s like having your own indoor golf course. Actually, more than one, as you can virtually play on some of the best courses from around the world.

If you’re serious about golf, keep reading to see why you’ll want to add a golf simulator to your Charlotte home for this winter season.

Add the Smart Keypad Your Smart Home Deserves

Control4 has been in the home automation business since 2004. With installations in over 350,000 homes, homeowners have enjoyed the benefits of Control4’s integrated smart home platforms that help manage lighting, climate, motorized window treatments, security, and much more.

Are you a Control4 homeowner? Maybe you have enjoyed the benefits of integrated control of a media room, home theater, or even your pool equipment. Control4 is always improving and adding new devices and features. One of the latest features is the new Contemporary smart lighting keypad, which works not just with Control4 lighting control systems but also with almost any other device that works with Control4 systems. By the way, at last count, that was over 13,000 devices! We're excited to tell you more about the Contemporary keypads and how they can elevate your Charlotte, NC smart home. Keep reading below!