SONOS: New and Exciting Updates

They did it folks; they finally did it. After 10 years, Sonos has delivered the updated Sonos: Amp. An updated version of their award winning Connect: Amp. But that is not all Sonos has added recently. They also introduced the Sonos: Port and Sonos: Move. The Sonos port is also a long awaited update to the original Sonos: Connect. These products offer a substantial technology upgrade over the previous models. Let’s go over the new, improved features.

Sonos: Amp

The reason it took Sonos so long to upgrade this, was that fact that the original Connect: Amp was so good at what it did. There are however, many advantages to taking the leap and replacing or adding this new product into your existing system. The Amp will have all the same features as before as well as the following:

• 125w per channel. This allows for a much richer and punchier sound. Previously the Connect: Amp offered 55w per channel.

• Safely rated for 8ohm and 4ohm. Allowing up to two pairs of 8ohm rated speakers to be powered by one Amp.

• Apple Airplay 2 support- This is a big one for apple users.

• Mono Support. The new Amp can offer Mono support to each channel, allowing a more spaced out approach.

• Cleaner look. These new units can be stacked or mounted in a rack, where the previous model could not.

• HDMI port with full ARC support. This allows you to use bookshelf speakers without the use of a receiver. It can be set up as a 2.0 setup, 2.1 setup, or 4.1 setup. The technology in the Amp allows for a phantom center channel for the left and right channels.

• Crossover frequency control from 50hz-110hz. This allows for better sound integration with a sub.

Sonos really thought about the key features they wanted with the new Amp. it is a significant upgrade in quality and features. There is also a trade-in program for the Connect: Amp to Sonos: Amp. If you are interested in hearing more , give us a call.

---

Sonos: Port

Now it’s time to take a look at the new kid on the block, the Sonos: Port. This is the little brother to the new Amp. This unit is a direct replacement for the original Sonos: Connect. It is a streaming device that allows an existing audio system to have Sonos capabilities. It also allows a user to add in an input (such as a turn table) into the Sonos system. Here are some of the new features on the all new Sonos: Port:

• Apple Airplay 2 support. Allows control of your music from an Apple product.

• Richer sound through higher quality playback.

• 12v trigger. This allows the Port to send a signal to some AVRs to turn the AVR on without programming commands into remotes.

• Cleaner look. These new units can be stacked or mounted in a rack, where the previous model could not.

The AirPlay 2 support alone is worth the cost in upgrading to the Sonos: Port. There is also a trade-in program for the Connect to Sonos: Port. If you are interested in hearing more , give us a call.

---

Sonos: Move

Sonos has finally come out with a purely wireless speaker. The move has a docking station for recharging an internal battery. Allowing you to “move” around with it as you see fit. It also has bluetooth capabilities for when you take it on the go with no wifi. Here are some of the key features:

• WiFi, Apple Airplay2, and Bluetooth support

• Built in Amazon Echo with Alexa or Google Assistant

• 10 hours of battery life between charges

• Adaptive audio tuning to its environment

• Weather resistant, IP56

• Ultra durable with impact resistance

• Can be charged with the base station or a USB C type charger

• Price $399

Consumers have probably been waiting for the solution from Sonos for a while. It enables users to quickly add music to a patio or an event outside the home. We for one think its a great addition to an already great product line. If you are interested in the Move, give us a call.

---

Sonos is a fantastic product as many of you may know. If you have not yet jumped into the Sonos eco-system but would like to, reach out to us and we can explore these new Sonos options to ensure a good fit for you and your needs. For those of you that already have Sonos products in your home and would like to upgrade an older connect or amp, please reach out as we have upgrade programs that can help.

Football Season: Time to Upgrade?

Football season is upon us. Many choose this time to look into upgrading their audio/video setup. Whether that be upgrading the TV, looking for a new speaker system, or placing a TV outdoors. E-Style is here to help you make educated decisions.

TVs

Not all 4K TVs are created equal. There are some brands to avoid. There is also deciding which kind of smart TV is best for streaming the right apps. What is the difference between LED /OLED/QLED? walking into a Box store can be overwhelming. Reach out to E-Style and we can help you make an educated decision. We take many different things into account in your situation that helps you choose what is right for you.

Outdoor TVs are wonderful and can allow you to enjoy your entertainment on a wonderful day. An outdoor TV is very different from a normal TV. There are many things to know. Which models type and brands meets your budget and needs. We do not recommend putting a normal indoor rated TV outside. It will not last long due to mother nature. Outdoor TVs are specifically designed to keep moisture out of the delicate electronic parts.

Audio

Is it time to upgrade your audio? Many of the new slim form factor TVs are dismal at providing adequate sound. The manufactures cannot fit quality speakers in them due to the new form factors. All of them are also now located at the back of the unit. So if you use the TV on a stand instead of mounting on the wall; its even worse. There are many different speaker styles that E-Style offers customer in order to get a better sound. It can be a full surround system, a speaker bar and sub kit, or wireless speaker systems. It really comes down to ones budget and the experience they want to have come game day.

Ask E-Style today how we can hep make your game day experience more enjoyable.

Live Your Best Life: Whole Home Audio

Live Your Best Life: WHOLE HOME AUDIO

There is nothing like having a get-together and scrambling to play music in the kitchen, am I right? We’ve all been there. Something that used to commonly happen in my own household was wanting to listen to music while working on projects around the home, but the speakers were located in the family room or the small Alexa in the bedroom. You’re only other alternative is a small bluetooth speaker with awful sound quality. In these situations we are experiencing “missing speaker syndrome”. Luckily there is a cure!

We commonly ask our clients, “how do you envision living?”. Do you see yourself wanting to host a lot? Do you enjoy spending time outside? Do you like to relax in your personal spaces like the master bedroom and bath? Maybe you just like to enjoy a great cinematic experience. All of these lifestyles can and usually do involve audio/music. Music is a huge part of our culture and lifestyles. It sets the mood, adds depth to a space, and can relieve stress. A whole home audio system is within reach of every client. There are wired and wireless systems alike and at different price points. There are however some things to plan and think about before you start.

things to think about when it comes to Whole Home Audio:

Location, Location, Location! Where would you like audio/music in your home?

Is there existing structured wiring in place or does new wiring have to be run?

Is it difficult to run wiring in your home, and are you better off investing in a quality wireless system like SONOS?

What quality of speakers would you like to invest in?

Would you like Music to always play the same in every room, or would you like the rooms to be able to play something different at the same time?

What kind of audio do you want to play over the speakers? (TV audio, Youtube, Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music)

Do you want the system to be expandable?

There are several factors to consider when it comes to whole home audio and E-Style Home Systems is here to help. E-Style offers free consultations to help give ideas on how you would like to live with Home Audio. Call us today if you are looking to incorporate outdoor entertainment into your lifestyle.

Fun in the Sun: Outdoor Entertainment

Despite this wacky weather, summer IS coming! That means it’s time to plan a little fun in the sun! Celebrations, barbecues, and a get-together with neighbors, are all great ways to enjoy your backyard. This is the perfect time to have E-Style add technology to your outdoor living area and enhance your outdoor entertainment space.

Outdoor TVs

Outdoor TVs are a great way to add entertainment to the patio. When deciding on an outdoor TV; the most important thing to think about is location. Is there direct Sun, or is it shaded? These factor in to which type of outdoor TV is right for you. There are also budget friendly models available. Regular TVs are not designed to be placed outdoors, but weather resistant brands do a great job at protecting your TV from the environment. Harsh winters and blistering storms can do a lot of damage to the best of them. Like anything, protect your investment. Make sure covers are in place, or remove the TV when you know weather will be an issue. If taken care of, your outdoor TV will give you years of entertainment.

Outdoor Audio

There are a few ways audio and music can be added to the backyard. Of course it goes back to the age old argument of wired vs wireless. A wired system offers many quality, affordable solutions. These systems can also be hidden within the landscape. Examples are rock speakers, buried speakers, and speakers mounted higher in the landscape. Other options include wall mount and ground level bullet speakers.

Wireless speakers are also a budget friendly option. Brands such as SONOS® have a large variety of speakers that work off your WiFi network. But no wireless speakers are meant to be outdoors for an extended period of time, unless stated by the manufacturer.

E-Style is ready to help you add technology to your backyard. E-Style also partners with landscape designers who can help you plan your outdoor project. We offer free consultations. Call us today if you are looking to incorporate outdoor entertainment into your lifestyle.

Don't Get "Fooled": DIY Smart Home

Yes it’s April, and the title was an April Fool’s pun; cheesy I know. But seriously, DIY smart home products are everywhere. Manufacturers push the convenience and safety that these products can add to our lives. Sometimes these products do exactly that, but sometimes they disappoint.

There are three different topics regarding DIY smart home products that we need to know and think about: Functionality, Compatibility, and Professional Install.

Functionality

The majority of smart home products are really helpful. Unfortunately, most of the time what is advertised is not what you get out of the box. For example, it takes a strong WiFi system for top video quality and it may also take a complicated setup to get to the higher end function of the product. Common functionality issues include when the internet goes out and DIY security sensors cannot alert you of a break in. Or when alerts to your phone from the garage sensor or a WiFi camera are delayed by 20 minutes. This is not functional for anyone! Speaking to a smart home professional can help set expectations and assist in selecting the products that are right for you and functional from the get go.

Compatibility

A person wants to control their heating and air when they aren’t home, so they purchase a smart thermostat. Set-up goes smoothly and the thermostat seems to work great and is doing exactly what they wanted the product to do. A month later this person wants to add a video doorbell. They purchase a popular smart doorbell and install it. Enjoying the convenience that these smart home products are providing, they now want to add smart controlled lights to their family room. An inexpensive smart switch is purchased from Amazon to do the job. Mission accomplished; they can now control the family room lights via an app. Since they love their family room switch, lights for the kitchen are now added to the to-do list. Problem is the kitchen has a three-way switch and needs a different brand than their family room. Wanting to tie it all together, they purchase a Google Home to turn things on/off with voice commands. The brand of smart switches in the family room and the doorbell are not supported by Google Home. Plan B, an Amazon Echo Show is purchased, hoping this avenue will be more successful. Are you confused yet? Because I am.

This person now has up to 6 different apps on their phone with some devices not even being controlled by Alexa. Trying to fix the problem, they now have to purchase a different doorbell so that it will be compatible with Alexa. They are totally over the app-hopping and decide to incorporate a professional automation system to get things down to one app. GREAT, but half of the DIY products they purchased are not compatible with a professional system and will need to be replaced.

Purchasing these products that were meant to cause less hassle and more convenience has spun out of control, causing more of a headache. Unfortunately, we have seen this scenario play out with our clients time and time again. A lot of time, money, and frustration could be avoided by designing a compatible system with a smart home professional.

Professional Install

DIY Smart products are advertised to be a simple install for everyone. They are designed for a typical installation situation. However, as we all know, not all homes are made the same. We all have different wiring constraints, different doorbell chimes, different ages of HVAC systems, different front doors, and different building materials. All of these can lead to a catastrophic install and the need for a professional. A consultation with a smart home professional can avoid unwanted installation hiccups.

E-Style Home Systems is here to be your smart home consultant. We can advise, design systems, and install your smart home automation products. We can combine professional and DIY products into one cohesive system, or help select and install DIY products that work together. There are expectations that smart homes are meant to make our lives more convenient and helpful. E-Style can help deliver on those expectations. Call us today if you are looking to incorporate a smart home into your lifestyle.

WiFi: The Frustration Returns

What a great movie title, am I right?  WiFi is a blessing and a curse.  Our phones, tablets, TVs, laptops, doorbells, and Amazon Echo™ all use WiFi.  Every single day more and more products are WiFi enabled.  Sure, it makes our lives easier and more connected, but it also means WiFi coverage needs to be at the top of its game.  I am not talking, "Hey, I won my High School Championship" type of game.  I'm talking, " I’m Tom Brady and I just won my 6th super bowl ring" type of game.

So, let’s demystify what WiFi is. WiFi works through radio waves. These waves are encoded and decoded at each point. The waves are on a certain frequency; 2.4GHz and 5GHz. 2.4GHz network waves travels over a larger distance, but are larger, slower waves. 5 GHz network waves travel much less distance, but are smaller, faster waves. All radio frequency waves have some problems going through certain building materials. Things like appliances, mirrors, energy efficient windows, metal studs, and reinforced concrete, all contribute to hindering WiFi signals. Most people today use the modem given to them by their internet service provider; and most of these units are in our basements. Asking these units to support a home's WiFi will not cut it any longer.  Symptoms of poor WiFi coverage include buffering, bad video quality, slow web browsing, drop outs, and higher data bills. These are issues that most of us cannot live with on an ongoing basis. Luckily, there are solutions which include access points or a mesh WiFi network. Let’s explore how both of these solutions work:

Access points are units that are placed around the house. All these units are hard wires and most require a POE source (Power over Ethernet), which usually comes from a network switch or power supply. These units serve as independent WiFi hubs. They send out their waves in a 360-degree spread. These units ping your devices and talk with the other access points in your home. When one access point has a better signal to your device, the access points “talk” and when the weaker signal drops your devices, the other picks it up. This results in a smooth transition connecting to a new hub. The access points transfer the data from your device and the web back through the routers. The different access points do not exchange any data between each other.

WiFi Mesh products perform in a different way than access points. The units are spread out within the home. After initial setup the units talk to each other. For example, if you are connected to one of the units upstairs and using data, it will transfer that data through the other units the fastest possible way to the router. This also means that all the units do not have to be wired, just one. This allows ultimate flexibility and faster data transfer within your home network. The WiFi Mesh is a more cost-effective option since you do not need to wire new locations. They are also transferable.  If you feel a location is not getting the coverage you would like, you can simply move the unit to achieve the desired coverage.

WiFi can be frustrating and overwhelming, we know. But it is all too crucial a component to our every day lives to live with an inefficient system. If you are experiencing poor WiFi, need help with your home network, or just want to learn more, E-Style Home Systems is here to help.

4K, Is it time to switch?

The TV has evolved rapidly over the past 10 years.  With different technologies being introduced year after year.  With so much change, we as consumers have started to question; is it worth it?  3D TV came and went quickly.  When first introduced, we all went to the movie theater to go see the new hit movie in 3D.  I do not know about you, but I have not seen a 3D movie in years.  It was kind of gimicky to me.  A way to get more money out of the consumer and create an unwanted need for change. 

That is not the case for 4K.  You may see a lot of budget friendly 4K TVs when you stroll though your favorite department store. However, buyer beware.   Just like HD 1080p TVs, 4K has their flavors.  Then comes, what can I watch in 4K.  There is some content out there currently to support 4K video.  Netflix® has an assortment of 4K shows and movies available.  Apple® also offers various shows and movies for streaming as well.  The picture is incredible when you see the difference.  The gotcha is the other pieces of equipment in your setup.  To really get 4K today, a complete overhaul of equipment is needed.  From the receiver all the way down to the HDMI cables.  This is where it gets costly and confusing.  So is 4K worth it? It depends on your wallet.  4K is here to stay and is bound to grow at a rapid rate.  If you are interested in making the switch, let us know how we can help.  Have a great day!