Source: The Case for a Home Integration Professional

A while back, around the time current CEDIA CEO Daryl Friedman announced he would be retiring from the position in 2027, I had made note of how much momentum Friedman built for the channel to make CEDIA (and by extension the professionals associated with CEDIA) a household name. I wanted to return to that this week to clarify that it’s not just Friedman building momentum for the custom integration (CI) channel: the housing market is making its own case for a home integrator job title.

Technology has become a core part of the American home—you’ve heard the deal; the big takeaway is that rather than hitting a certain inflection point and then stopping, technology adoption, especially by the higher-mid-tier and luxury markets, has continued at a steady clip.

One area this can be seen the most clearly is the adoption of solar and, by consequence, solar batteries. This has been in direct response to the increasing pressure of utility bills across the U.S., which, as improvements to the overall energy infrastructure have lagged, have caused homeowners to take back control in whatever ways they can.

The interesting bit is that smart home services do seem to be dropping into lower tiers rather than being relegated exclusively to ultra-luxury, meaning that in addition to technology adoption broadening, the number of serviceable homes is too.

Why integrators should take notice

In recent years, CE Pro has seen the development of what’s being called a “do-it-for-me” market. In brief terms, it’s essentially a mid-to-high-end market where integrators seem to largely be selling the cost of ownership for developing, installing and servicing systems rather than selling the products (which could be classed as “DIY”).

I brought this up a while ago relating to blind listening tests and how the fact that some consumer-grade products come close to professional-grade reinforces the value of integrators there. The reality was that when it came to the performance of those products, knowledge and expertise in audio setups played a heavy role in how those systems ended up performing. A professionally assembled budget setup would thrash a novice’s build of all the top-rated gear.

While integrator-exclusive gear often sports a hefty price tag, there’s a reality behind the exclusivity that goes beyond preserving the luxury value: manufacturers do it to make sure that their product is performing optimally in the way that it was intended.

In trying to legitimize home integrators, technology integrators, whatever the official title ends up being, Friedman was asserting that all the technology systems in modern homes, from the TVs to the lights to the AC to the solar panels, needs someone to own them to make sure they run efficiently and seamlessly.

2. Bose Buys StreamUnlimited

There’s been a rash of consolidation across many of the audio brands over the years, and while the HARMAN purchase of the Sound United brands still sets fresh in my mind, Bose continues to be one of those companies that keeps popping up on my radar from time to time in ways that I never usually expect it to.

The company had sold off its professional division back in 2023, at which point, I thought that was the brand’s final exit from the CI channel. Then, in 2024, the company bough McIntosh Group, which included luxury audio brands like McIntosh and Sonus faber, two brands that are commonly associated with professional integration.

Now, the company has announced it will be acquiring StreamUnlimited: a developer of software solutions, hardware modules and engineering services for connected audio and IoT products.

It also happens to serve manufacturers across consumer electronics, smart home technology, high-performance audio and products sold through the custom integration channel.

Why integrators should take notice

Despite sending a clear message Bose wanted nothing to do anything with professional installation three years ago, the company can’t help but keep buying up manufacturers and developers that still, at least in some way, have ties to the custom integration channel. I think the devil is in those details.

Looking at the offerings Bose Professional had, the lion’s share of them mostly pertained to commercial AV. That’s not to say they couldn’t end up in homes at some point (there’s plenty of crossover between commercial and residential at the luxury level), but for the most part, the offerings from Bose Professional were distinctly Pro AV.

In hindsight, the move seems to be more like Bose wanted to get away from commercial to focus on home audio a lot more. And if the recent purchases are anything to go by, what it really wants to do is start focusing on the premium home audio market, something that Bose hasn’t historically been known for.

Does this mean it might start trying to kindle a new relationship with the custom integration channel? Hard to say. There are plenty of stories out there about established brands making inroads to CI just because of the profit potential they saw in the channel, and there’s nothing stopping Bose from coming to that realization themselves.

For now, it seems that Bose will at the very least remain tangentially connected to the channel.

The Week in Playback is CE Pro’s weekly recap segment providing extra opinions and analysis on major news stories from across the custom integration (CI) and smart home industries, focusing on recent and breaking stories ranked on importance and interest to the professional install channel. Any opinions expressed here do not reflect the opinions of other editors or that of CE Pro as a whole.

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“The question is always the same – how do you deliver the audio performance the space deserves without compromising the space itself? These products are our answer to that question, and InfoComm provides the perfect opportunity to show the industry what that looks like in practice,” says Lorenzo De Poi, brand manager at K-array.

Why integrators should take note

For integrators working in high-end architectural environments, the K-array Keystone KST110 looks to address the issue of being able to deliver genuine, low-frequency performance in spaces where depth is limited, cabinetry is precious and structural vibration isn’t permitted.

The subwoofer is reportedly able to bypass these restrictions through a moving magnet motor architecture based on Powersoft’s recently launched patented MM-Force technology, which, according to K-array, cancels the structural effect of its moving masses.

K-array Keystone KST110 core features

The KST110 is said to provide up to 119 dB peak and SPL and low-frequency extension down to 40 Hz in a 6.6 kg enclosure. This enclosure can then be integrated into a flush wall or will the wall itself. The aluminum chassis comes with option marine-grade resistance for yachting and exterior environments. Standard finishes are black and white, though K-array says full RAL customization is available for demanding specifications.

K-array Dragon KX2 core features

Much like the KST110, the K-array Dragon KX2 is based on another Powersoft driver, this time being the Spixel full-range driver. A new addition to the Dragon series announced at ISE 2025, the Dragon KX2 is a full-range 2.5″ speaker paired with dual 2.5″ passive radiators, packaged in an IP65-rated enclosure with a peak SPL of 116 dB and a frequency response extending down to 110 Hz.

One key differentiator here is that while the original Dragon line launched for mainly commercial application, K-array is on the record stating that this latest addition has been built with luxury residential installations in mind, as well.

Availability and pricing

No information regarding pricing and availability has been released yet, though both will be featured at K-array’s booth (N6863) while at InfoComm 2026 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nev., June 17 – 19.

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How modern streaming works

For both audio and video content, today’s streaming services, such as Netflix or Apple Music, keep multiple versions of the same video or audio track encoded at different bitrates, reflecting quality levels, and broken up into smaller pieces, which the services swap between based on available bandwidth at the customer’s end (a process known as Adaptive Bitrate Streaming (ABR)).

Why that matters

Streaming video or audio is essentially a constant, heavy stream of data packets flowing to your AV gear via the router. Packets-per-second determines how fast the router can process, inspect, and route that data.

You need both a lot of bandwidth to accommodate the raw size of the video stream, and a router with high packets-per-second performance to process the flow of those packets. If the router can’t keep up, it creates a bottleneck that can lead to dropped packets causing buffering, pixelation or stuttering.

With higher bitrate streaming, the data must also arrive continuously, meaning the router needs to maintain its packets-per-second performance consistently, not just average it out over a few minutes.

High bitrate streaming

When it comes to video, content complexity is a major determining factor to the bitrate, as fast-motion sequences or any massive amount of visual change requires a much higher bitrate for that segment.

Additionally, video HDR content can push requirements even higher than those for standard 4K, as HDR adds more color and brightness data to the already large 4K stream.

In audio, hi-resolution streams are often lossless or minimally compressed, preserving almost all original audio data, making them nearly 10 times larger than CD-quality files.

To support the higher bitrates needed for a wide range of audio details per second and to prevent distortion at high volumes, the stream requires high bandwidth, low latency, fast connection speeds, and stability.

Additional considerations

Any other simultaneous demands on the router such as multiple streams or other high-overhead features like QoS, deep packet inspection, or a VPN affect the router’s capability as well.

Live streaming is even more sensitive to consistency than on-demand streaming. Because streaming services like to maintain customer satisfaction, if there is any small glitch, the streaming service will select lower bitrate packets to adapt to the customer’s environment and avoid buffering, diminishing the user experience in the process.

How router selection impacts streaming performance

Because of the bandwidth demands of modern video and streaming, a very fast router can drastically improve the quality and stability of hi-res AV streaming.

According to Brian Ackerman, founder of Audio Imports in Southern California, he had struggled for years with intermittent streaming drops and jitter despite trying numerous network changes. It wasn’t until a recommendation from a fellow exhibitor at the T.H.E. Show in Las Vegas that he finally uncovered his router had been causing the issues.

“The router selection is super important,” says Ackerman.

Walter Bell, Branch Manager at Mountain West Distributors in Bellevue, Washington had noticed a similar improvement in performance for his system when swapping out a network component for security reasons.

“Sounds were more defined,” he reported following the change. “Small details stood out. There was more space around instruments—more ambiance. Everything sounded cleaner and clearer.”

Even still while watching the new F1 movie streaming from an iOS26-version Apple TV to his Samsung Terrace Outdoor 4K television using a Savant 10G video distribution system, Michael Krueger noticed sharper images and more detailed and cleaner in black tones than it had during previous viewings after replacing his router for a higher-speed model.

Takeaways for integrators

The common thread in all three cases above: each had replaced a different, but channel-popular router with a faster one.

“I continue to see higher resolution and greater detail with all streaming movies and shows in 4K,” Krueger confirmed.

With his new, first-hand HiFi experience, Bell has led Mountain West Bellevue to a surge in router-replacement sales at the distributorship.

And since installing a faster router, Ackerman reports, “Consistency is the most important thing, and I haven’t had a single glitch.”

Kathy Donzis is the Director, Marketing Communications for Island

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What is a ‘home integration professional’?

The role of a home integration professional has evolved considerably in recent years from audio-visual systems integration to now also include security systems and access control integration, IT/WIFI optimization, shading systems, lighting, backup energy and more.

The areas within home featuring technology addressable by these professionals have extended beyond a home theater in luxury homes to now include outdoor entertainment areas, multi-use zones, home offices, bedrooms, home gyms and garages, with the homes serviced having broadened to new demographic groups and new neighborhoods.

Why home integration professionals are needed today

So much of the home today relies on technology that is constantly being developed at a breakneck pace. This is especially prevalent in the luxury, custom, and high-mid-range sectors of the American residential property market, where affluent owners seek holistic systems and seamless experiences.

“[Everyone] relies on network integration for the effective use of their doors and locks, fitness equipment, screens and sound systems, security cameras, computers, displays, and printers,” says Jason McGraw, Group Vice President and Show Director, CEDIA Expo/Commercial Integrator Expo.

A trade show for integration professionals in home and commercial sectors, CEDIA Expo/CIX takes place in Denver, drawing in 15,000 integration professionals including business owners, their technicians and a broad array of manufacturers in between. The show is generally held in September, with registration for this year’s show (taking place Tuesday, September 1, to Friday, September 4, 2026) now open.

“You want that network and the connected devices operating as efficiently, securely, and reliably as possible. That is why the most successful homes in the most admired neighborhoods typically feature work by an integration professional.”

The trends told in data

Adoption of home security systems have gone up 52% since 2024, with 61% of U.S. households now having at least one security camera, while 28% have a professionally monitored security system (~30.2 million homes) as of 2026.

Alongside that, energy bank adoption has also grown, with the U.S. installing 57.6 GWh of new energy storage in 2025 — the largest single year on record, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). This comes as the national average residential electricity rate reached 17.01 cents/kWh in 2025, a 2.6% increase from 2024, which the U.S. Energy Information Administration said costs the average U.S. household approximately $140–$145/month.

The issue is that as homes become more complex due to their integration of these technologies, savings are missed, redundancies are normalized, vulnerabilities are exposed and experiences are disrupted.

Digging deeper

The bigger issue is that more people are noticing when these systems break down as lifestyle shifts redirect people to being around the home more often.

As of 2025, 22% of the U.S. workforce, approximately 32.6 million Americans, work remotely (13% fully remote, 26% in hybrid arrangements) according to the Eye on Housing report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Home schooling has also grown significantly, with 6.5% of U.S. school-age children—approximately 3.4 million students—being homeschooled in 2024–2025, growing at nearly 3x the pre-pandemic rate, according to Nation Home Education Research Institute (NHERI).

Why not DIY?

DIY solutions exist to this day, but for McGraw the true value for a home integration professional now lies in the total cost of ownership for a system.

“Successful Americans spend much of their income and time on their home and in their home, and yet so much value and opportunity falls through the DIY gap. With so much technological, demographic, societal change reshaping how we select our homes, use our homes, invest in homes and enjoy our homes, it’s only a matter of time before the home integration professional is called to design and optimize systems for everyday homeowners.”

Looking at the bigger picture

For many Americans, McGraw says system integration is now a must-have. He also concludes that home integration systems are more attainable to Americans than is generally perceived.

“If a technology is attached to the home — a television to a wall mount, a smart lock on door, smart shading on windows, backup energy installed in the garage — then the technology can be included on a mortgage and whereas the cost may be spread over time, the payoff on some technologies — like energy savings or productivity gains — can be immediate,” McGraw notes. “This is another strong argument for hiring systems integration professionals!”

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Speaking with CE Pro, DMF Lighting Senior Director of Product Strategy Charlie Derk argued that integrators are often the first call homeowners make when something connected to a control system fails, regardless of who supplied the lighting fixtures. Because of that, he says dealers should take control of the entire lighting experience and capture the associated revenue opportunities.

One of the biggest challenges in modern lighting is interoperability between fixtures and control systems. With more tunable and digital lighting products entering the market, ensuring compatibility has become increasingly important. Derk says DMF addresses this through extensive testing across major control platforms and by providing dealers with direct access to engineering support when issues arise.

DMF has also focused heavily on modularity, allowing key fixture decisions to be made later in the project lifecycle. According to Derk, the approach gives dealers and homeowners greater flexibility when plans inevitably change during construction.

The company’s recently introduced PhaseX technology is another example of simplifying installation. Designed for digital lighting fixtures, PhaseX transmits both power and control signals over standard Romex wiring, eliminating the need for additional low-voltage control wiring commonly associated with protocols such as DALI and DMX.

Beyond products, Derk sees lighting as a strategic entry point into projects. Because lighting conversations often happen earlier than discussions around audio and video systems, dealers who lead with lighting can establish relationships with architects, designers and homeowners sooner in the process. DMF supports those efforts through lighting design services, photometric studies and continuing education programs.

Looking ahead, Derk believes the industry is still “scratching the surface” of the lighting opportunity, pointing to linear lighting, decorative fixtures and especially landscape lighting as key growth areas for integrators.

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Juke Audio has introduced AudioMate, a new wireless transmitter designed to bring locally connected audio sources into a distributed Juke Audio system without requiring dedicated wiring back to a central rack or media closet.

According to the company, the AudioMate is intended to address a common challenge in whole-home audio installations: integrating devices such as televisions, turntables and powered subwoofers into a centralized audio system when those devices are located away from the primary amplifier.

The compact device connects to local sources via HDMI ARC/eARC or RCA and transmits audio over a local network to compatible Juke Audio amplifiers, including the Juke-6, Juke-8 and Juke+.

For television applications, AudioMate supports HDMI ARC/eARC connectivity, allowing TV audio to be distributed through speakers connected to a Juke amplifier. The device also includes an HDMI output that can pass audio through to a soundbar while simultaneously sending audio to the Juke system, enabling both architectural speakers and a soundbar to play together.

In addition to TV integration, AudioMate includes RCA analog inputs for connecting legacy audio sources such as turntables and CD players. An RCA output is also provided for connecting powered subwoofers, amplifiers or AV receivers, which can then function as additional listening zones within a Juke Audio installation.

Juke says the AudioMate supports both Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity and is designed to minimize latency issues commonly associated with networked audio, helping maintain synchronization between video and audio sources.

“Since the beginning, our goal at Juke Audio has been to create a multi-room audio system that is uniquely simple not only to use, but also to install. And the introduction of this new product is another large leap forward in this pursuit,” said Colton Forth, president of Juke Audio, in the announcement.

The company says AudioMate is fully compatible with existing Juke systems through an over-the-air firmware update.

AudioMate is available immediately through authorized dealers and direct from Juke Audio for $249.

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How the new Inventory Asset Management affects D-Tools Cloud

The new feature set moves D‑Tools Cloud from count‑based stock management to per‑unit asset tracking, giving every physical item its own digital identity. This includes adding serial numbers, warehouse locations, project assignments, actual unit costs, firmware versions, MAC and IP addresses and a complete asset history.

Users can generate QR labels directly from D-Tools Cloud, allowing them to associate assets with manufacturer serial numbers for accurate physical-to-digital tracking, simplifying asset management overall.

Users can also employ barcode scanning to receive inventory against purchase orders, move equipment between warehouse locations, allocate devices to projects, and quickly identify installed assets.

Overall, these features allow integrators to capture actual unit cost at the time inventory is received, providing more accurate job costing, margin analysis, warranty tracking and reporting throughout the asset lifecycle.

Each asset also comes with a complete audit trail, with every change being logged, including who made the change, when it occurred, and what information was updated. Immutable tracking identifiers preserve the full history of each asset over time.

Assets can also be edited, moved, allocated or relabeled through grid-based workflows.

Why integrators should take note

According to D-Tools, the feature is built for AV professionals who need to know exactly which unit is on which shelf, allocated to which room, installed at which customer’s home, and still under warranty on which P.O.

Many of the features being introduced in the tool are aimed at increasing operational efficiency while strengthening service capabilities and reducing errors. Specifically, the goal of Inventory Asset Management on D-Tools aims to create more accurate service records, provide better job costing and expedited warehouse operations.

In essence, the new update aims to extend D-Tools Cloud beyond quoting and project management and into full asset lifecycle tracking.

Availability

Inventory Asset Management is now available in D-Tools Cloud. The feature entered beta with the May 14, 2026 release and is currently rolling out for general availability. QR labels launch with PDF output support, with direct Brother and Zebra printer integrations planned for future releases.

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These are the latest home audio product to release from the company since the reveal of the JL Audio Primacy back in May.

Inside the JL Audio Pavilion

Inside the JL Audio Pavillion, Garmin says the motor, suspension and cone modeling systems provide tight, clean, booming bass at all power levels. This includes the Concentric Tube Suspension design that allows for a more compact fit.

Garmin highlights their uses for in-wall and in-ceiling installations, with a shallow 3.8-inch mounting depth to allow for seamless placement and fit without needing a dedicated enclosure. The dog-leg mounting system also eliminates the need for a backplate.

The subwoofers are also designed for both indoor and outdoor use, with Garmin stating they can withstand some harsh environments like salt-fog, being made from marine-grade materials.

A flush-mount grille is included in square or circular shape, and white or black color options that can also be painted to fit any home’s décor. The grille also attaches magnetically and matches the look of the Pavilion outdoor in-ceiling speaker.

Why integrators should take note

While still pulling from the engineering heritage of JL Audio, these speakers excel at flexibility. Between the shallow mounting depth, box-less design and supposedly marine-grade construction, the speakers are built to be installed just about anywhere inside or outside of the home.

Other features like the dog-leg mounting system, as well as brackets for new construction that can be added during the framing and drywall process add to the subwoofer’s versatility.

Pricing and availability

The JL Audio Pavilion thin-line subwoofers have a suggested retail price of $1,000.00.

The post Garmin’s Thin Subwoofers Offer Sleek Sound in an Inconspicuous Package appeared first on CEPRO.

Announced June 9, the acquisition brings Vienna-based StreamUnlimited into Bose’s Audio Technology business, which licenses Bose audio innovations and technologies to manufacturers across multiple industries. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

According to Bose, the acquisition provides a pathway to integrate its proprietary audio technologies into a broader range of streaming and connected products, including smart home audio systems, mobile devices, wearables, multi-room platforms and emerging audio applications.

“As connected ecosystems scale and become more complex, how devices work together is a central driver of value,” said Nick Smith, president of Bose Audio Technology and chief strategy officer, in the announcement. “StreamUnlimited has built a trusted position at the center of this coordination layer, where interactions between devices are defined and orchestrated.”

Founded more than 20 years ago, StreamUnlimited develops software solutions, hardware modules and engineering services for connected audio and IoT products. The company serves manufacturers across consumer electronics, smart home technology, high-performance audio and products sold through the custom integration channel. The company employs more than 100 people across offices in Vienna, Bratislava, Shenzhen and Osaka.

Bose said the acquisition will strengthen its Audio Technology division, which packages and licenses technologies such as Sound by Bose and the Bose WaveForm Audio Engine for integration into third-party products.

“We look forward to joining with Bose as we expand StreamUnlimited’s offerings and accelerate the development of next-generation intelligent audio experiences for our customers,” said StreamUnlimited CEO Frits Wittgrefe.

StreamUnlimited CTO Markus Rutz added that the companies see opportunities to further develop orchestration capabilities that enable more seamless and adaptive audio experiences, including AI-driven applications.

Latest Move in Broader Home Audio Push

The acquisition comes just weeks after Bose introduced its new Lifestyle Collection, a three-product wireless home audio lineup consisting of the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker, Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar and Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer.

The new products mark Bose’s most significant home audio platform launch in years, emphasizing multi-room audio, Dolby Atmos home theater, wireless connectivity and interoperability with third-party ecosystems through Google Cast, Apple AirPlay and Spotify Connect.

Notably, Bose positioned the Lifestyle Collection as an open platform that allows users to group Bose products alongside compatible speakers from other manufacturers using Google Home or Apple AirPlay. The products also feature proprietary technologies such as TrueSpatial processing, CleanBass technology, SpeechClarity dialogue enhancement and CustomTune room calibration.

The focus on interoperability and multi-room experiences aligns closely with StreamUnlimited’s expertise in streaming platforms and connected-device orchestration, areas that have become increasingly important as audio manufacturers seek to create seamless experiences across multiple devices, rooms and ecosystems.

Continued Investment in Premium Residential Audio

The StreamUnlimited acquisition also follows Bose’s November 2024 purchase of McIntosh Group, bringing luxury audio brands McIntosh and Sonus faber under the Bose umbrella.

That deal represented a notable expansion into the premium residential audio market and gave Bose greater exposure to products frequently specified in luxury custom integration projects.

At the time, Bose executives said the acquisition would allow the company to expand its premium audio portfolio while continuing to invest in innovation across home, mobile and automotive audio categories.

While the McIntosh and Sonus faber acquisition expanded Bose’s footprint in high-performance hardware, StreamUnlimited adds software, streaming and platform-development expertise that could help the company extend its technologies across a wider range of connected audio products and services.

The move is particularly noteworthy given Bose’s 2023 sale of its Bose Professional division, which included architectural loudspeakers, amplifiers, signal processors and conferencing products traditionally associated with commercial and integration-focused markets.

StreamUnlimited to Remain Open to Third-Party Ecosystems

Bose stated that StreamUnlimited will continue supporting both existing and new customers following the acquisition. The company also said StreamUnlimited’s solutions will remain interoperable with third-party technologies, products and ecosystems.

Bose’s recent acquisitions and product launches suggest the company is pursuing a broader strategy that spans premium audio brands, consumer home entertainment products and the underlying software platforms that enable connected listening experiences throughout the home.

For the custom integration industry, the acquisition highlights the growing importance of software, interoperability and ecosystem management as audio manufacturers look beyond individual products and toward whole-home experiences that connect multiple devices, services and platforms.

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“ARTA came into existence from asking the same question over and over: what is there still between the listener and the music? Through our collaboration with Rinaro Isodynamics, we’ve arrived at something that doesn’t quite sound like headphones anymore, but simply music occupying real space,” explains Alex Grigoras, Acoustic Engineer for Meze.

ARTA introduces Meze’s highest-impedance driver to date

Image courtesy of Meze Audio

Behind the Arta’s sculptural looks is a MZ5 HΩ Driver, the single highest-impedance planar magnetic headphone driver Meze has put out to date. According to Meze, this allows the headphones to deliver on exceptional linearity, stability, and signal purity through a high-voltage, low-current operation.

Meze describes the sound signature as being warm-neutral with a soundstage that is meant to expand naturally, mimicking, in the company’s words “an acoustically treated listening room, where instruments occupy real positions within a vivid, three-dimensional stage.”

Enclosing the hardware is a design that leans into a more futuristic, Art Noveau look, sculptural and architectural in appearance, with organic textures like leather and metallic sheens composing the distinctive look.

Why integrators should take note

One noteworthy quality about the ARTA is that, according to Meze, the headphones were built with full serviceability in mind. Every component, from the earpads and headband to the drivers and earcups, can be fully disassembled, serviced, or replaced, making them a solid investment for any avid listener due to their potential longevity.

“Because an artistic headphone made to this standard should never become waste, but rather appreciated with the passing of time,” writes Meze in its announcement.

Pricing and availability

ARTA’s market availability will be announced soon through Meze Audio’s official channels, with a suggested retail price of $6000.

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