This is the best ceiling speaker I've had in my possession to date. It's built very solid but more importantly it sounds like a floor standing tower speaker.

The wireless speaker market as we know it didn’t really exist until Sonos arrived with its modular system of small speakers which could be bought piecemeal and configured around the house as desired by the user. In a world of expensive, low quality speaker sets with unreliable connections, Sonos went from unknown to beloved brand overnight. Sonos has fended off competition from more recognized names including Bose, Samsung, and LG.

When purchasing a TV, you want to educate yourself on the latest TV technology trends, so you can invest in the features that will get the most use in your household, and will be compatible with your favorite content, programming subscription(s), and devices. In our last blog post, TV Technology Trends: The Death of the 3D TV, we discussed a TV trend that we believe is on its way out. Now, let's talk about two trends that we expect to gain popularity in 2014.

STREAMLINE YOUR DAY-TO-DAY WITH THIS LEADING BRAND

Imagine being able to control every electronic component—this means lights, music, appliances, and even the “smart” locks on your front and back doors!—of your home whether you are there or not.

Using Murfie (streaming Service) to Sync your record collection 

What is Murfie?

If asked to name the most popular streaming service, I am sure most people would say Pandora. I would guess most people that like to listen to music have heard of Pandora, Rhapsody and maybe even Spotify. These services are great because they allow you to listen to music on the go or at home without having to have the physical media, but what if you don’t want to start collecting music from scratch? What if you want to digitize your existing music collection?

Since we had a great response to our blog, “Digitizing Your Music Collection? Try Murfie,” we invited Tyler Stubbe from Murfie to give our readers an insider’s perspective on this unique streaming music service. Below, he explains how Murfie works, and what makes it an awesome choice for music lovers who want to digitize their collections.

Originally billed as a simple – if somewhat elegant – wireless lighting control system, the Lutron RadioRA 2 is actually a far more versatile total home control system that will amaze you with its range of capabilities. In addition to controlling the amount of in home lighting through the use of dimmers and other switches, the RadioRA 2 also affords remote control of the window shades and the thermostat settings as well as control of other appliances.

When it comes to home theater design there are several different types of televisions available for purchase. LED, LCD, and Plasma TVs are the most common types you’ll come across when working on your home theater design. Now this purchase is extremely important, as the television is often the central piece of equipment in any home theater.

A Comprehensive Look at Totem Acoustic Speakers

Despite being one of those memorable, two-syllable words that rolls right off the tongue, Totem is largely unknown to the casual audiophile, much less the average consumer. Depending on who you ask, that’s either sad or just fine, as Totem Acoustics has been happily supplying its niche with a reliably clean and detailed sound for over 25 years.

Of all the music services I have Songza is favorite.  They have in my opinion the best selection and most tailored genre playlists.  Every time I go to listen to music they have the ability to get me more closely to what I am looking for than the other lists.  For example, the other I was looking for something lively as we were headed to the Eric Church concert here in Tampa.  So I went to Songza, Genre, Country and here's a sampling of what was available:

I've heard a lot of people say or imply that Steve Jobs and Apple have ruined music. One of the more famous people being none other than Jon Bon Jovi himself, who is attributed to this quote, "Steve Jobs is personally responsible for killing the music business." - Bon Jovi.

Today we’re constantly moving and meeting goals. We live in Multi-task Nation where everything is a click or a swipe away. Our consistent need for our digital interfaces to be faster, clearer, and better practically outpaces the technology that supports us. With all that instant gratification and communication, as well as the ever-increasing demands of work and family, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and forget about some of the little things. Those little things that help keep you grounded, like listening to your favorite music.

Make Your Life Easier by Using the Right Components

I was reminded this weekend of the difference it makes dealing with a professional who is specifically trained in their field versus dealing with a big box retailer or an online store.  It started when the ceiling fan in our master bedroom started making a grinding noise.  For over a year now, I have been adjusting the fan in order to keep it quiet.  It now seemed we had reached the point of no return.  

Whether you’re discovering new musical artists and genres or watching a favorite-movies-of-all-time marathon over the course of a relaxing weekend, the types of audio components available for home use can transform your family room and favorite chair into a theatrical experience.

But to really appreciate how Eric Clapton can make a guitar “gently weep” and every nuance of Steve McQueen’s classic car chase in Bullitt, you want the best affordable quality that is installed to deliver the best possible sound. After all, if your home is the place you want to be, and excellent quality is important, there are several things to consider when configuring your present AV equipment or considering a new purchase.

Professionally Designed and Installed Home AV Systems Let Families and Friends Enjoy Being Entertained.

Home AV Systems are becomming a major staple in homes and residences today. Audio video equipment is vastly improving through technology. Televisions can now access the internet and provide life-like images, and audio systems are becomming even more resilient and realistic. Having a home audio video system professionally designed for your home or residence can provide an entertaining scene where movies are like the theaters and music is like a concert.

In life we sometimes get caught up in the everyday happenings and forget to enjoy things along the way. This is probably even more true at work. Being in the AV business, I sometimes get so caught up in things like client scheduling, finding the right dimensions to fit our recommended equipment and various other minutia that I forget why I got into this business to begin with, that being the enjoyment of music. I have been after better sound since when I was a young kid. Today I was reminded of this and thought I'd share my experience with you.

With recent advances in technology more and more people are able to afford the luxury of upgrading their home entertainment capabilities. However the upgrade to your audio video systems experience comes with more wires and clutter. Many people desire a “wireless” appearance, and this is something that is not easy especially with devices in multiple rooms. Unfortunately, the issue goes deeper than mere aesthetics, according to the U.S. Fire Administration there are 26,100 fires annually within residential areas. It is estimated that half of these fires are caused by faulty wires, poor maintenance, and dangerous handling. A great solution for people who want to improve the safety of their home and still enjoy a great home entertainment system is structured wiring.

In this article we’ll take a look at Totem Speakers. They have been around for over 25 years, making quality speakers that are not compromised by market pressure. The Totem Speakers name is synonymous with attention to detail, uncompromising design and engineering, and critical listening tests. Seriously consider this world class speaker manufacturer if you are looking for speakers to perfect your listening experience in your Clearwater home.

The journey to becoming an audio video systems specialist is an uncommon one. The first step is made not out of necessity but out of curiosity. The creative but disorganized young mind of the future specialist is exposed to a beautiful sound, perhaps details in a recording he’d never heard before, a simpler way to control his home system, or a unique application of technology that captures his imagination. From this moment on, the future specialist has laser focus knowing that the only satisfactory way he will ever earn a living is by designing and building these complex systems.