CES 2010

The future of mainstream multi-room entertainment is wireless, whether it be Wi-Fi, Powerline, RF, or some other magical, yet-to-be-discovered communication protocol. Easy end-user installation is important, too. (Thus the popularity and success of multi-room audio systems such as Sonos.) Klipsch is getting into the act with a new product called the LightSpeaker. Although it was impossible to hear a demo during last night’s CES Unveiled event, the LightSpeaker’s particulars make it something we’ll be searching for on the CES floor. The LightSpeaker combines an LED light with a powered speaker and fits most 5-inch and 6-inch recessed lighting fixtures using a standard Edison socket. Klipsch says there are only about 620 million recessed can light fixtures in the U.S. alone. (Now that’s a market worth paying attention to.)

The LightSpeaker replaces your current light bulb and supposedly will pay for itself in savings (energy usage, installation, and traditional multi-room hardware) in as few as five years. The system uses 2.4GHz wireless technology with a standalone transmitter that streams audio up to 50 feet from two different sources. Up to eight speakers can be used with one transmitter. Pricing is $599 for a pair of LightSpeakers and transmitter. Additional speaker pairs are available for $499.