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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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.