Darryl Wilkinson

In-Wall Speaker Reviews
Origin Acoustics Director D108 In-Ceiling Speaker Review
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Nov 05, 2015

Performance
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $1,600 each, $14,400 as reviewed

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Tool-free twist-lock mounting
10-inch woofer fits an 8-inch cutout
Aimable tweeter and midrange
Minus
Requires 7.5 inches of mounting depth
Wants lots of power
Raised soundstage

THE VERDICT
No in-ceiling architectural speaker is perfect, but the D108 comes stunningly, spectacularly close.

Love him, hate him, or simply wonder what’s up with all the tattoos, there’s no denying the fact that Jeremy Burkhardt is one of those distinct personalities who has had a profound effect on the custom audio/video industry. Then again, he may be someone you’ve never heard of, unless you’re in the custom installation business. Unlike other notables—such as Polk, Carver, and Bose—Burkhardt isn’t the name of a speaker brand. Nevertheless, if you’ve listened to a set of in-wall or in-ceiling speakers, especially one of the bazillion or more models SpeakerCraft has produced over the past 25 years (including tons built for other brands), you’ve felt—or, rather, heard—Burkhardt’s influence on architectural audio.

Continue Reading >
Remotely PossibleCEDIA 2015
Been There, Installed That: CEDIA EXPO 2015 Highlights
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Oct 22, 2015
I heard what seemed like hundreds of vendor pitches and saw thousands of new products at CEDIA EXPO 2015 before it closed on Saturday, October 17th. Here are some of the coolest things we didn't cover previously in our (should have been) award-winning CEDIA blog...
Continue Reading >
CEDIA 2015
Control4’s OS 2.8 Ups the Ante with Cool Features and Exciting Personalization Routines
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Oct 17, 2015
Control4 announced the release of the company’s latest software release, OS 2.8, during EXPO. As part of this release, updated Control4 HC-250 and HC-800 controllers will add native integration of three additional audio streaming services—Pandora, Deezer, and TIDAL—to the three that were already a native part of the Control4 OS (Rhapsody, Napster, and TuneIn). OS 2.8 also sports a new My Movies and My Music screen that offers a grid-view for showcasing high-res cover art or a Details View for presenting metadata.

Control4’s OS 2.8 update involves more than adding a few streaming services and a new interface for My Movies and My Music, though. The new OS includes...

Continue Reading >
CEDIA 2015
Nuvo’s New Neato In-wall Keypad
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Oct 17, 2015
One of the things I dislike about most dedicated multiroom wireless music systems (i.e., Sonos, HEOS, Bluesound, etc) is that the only way to control them is through an app on a smart device, unless you’ve integrated the components into a larger whole-home control system, such as Control 4. Nuvo aims to eliminate that annoying lack of tactile control with its new P10 Keypad, a wall-mounted keypad utilizing Power-over-Ethernet (PoE), that provides “quick access to the system’s basic functions, including volume/mute, play/pause, next/previous track navigation, as well as a “Favorites” button that allows the user to quickly scroll through up to five of their preset favorites at the preferred volume.” The Nuvo P10 will be available in three choices of finishes (white, light almond, and nickel) and is expected to begin shipping in November. Pricing was announced.
CEDIA 2015
Edimax Shows Smart, Super-Small, Affordable Wi-Fi Switch
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Oct 17, 2015
You may not have heard of the networking component-making company, Edimax, but that’s to be expected because the majority of what the company has made in the past has been targeted at commercial use or has been sold under other companies’ brand names. Edimax is starting to bring more of its own branded devices to the market, one of which will be the new SP-2110W, a very small Wi-Fi smart outlet switch with power metering capabilities. Of course, Wi-Fi-based smart outlet switches aren’t a new concept. Edimax’s SP-2110W, however, is one of the smallest such switches that I’ve seen so far. Its rounded, shallow design is much preferable to the standard wall wart-style of most smart switches available from other companies today. The SP-2110W is controlled by Edimax’s app and is capable of email push notifications of on/off status, as well as real-time power-usage statistics. MSRP is expected to be under $30 with availability in early 2016.
CEDIA 2015
BOCCI Changes Your Outlook on Outlets
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Oct 16, 2015
If you hate the way AC outlet and light switch wall plates look, Canadian design company, BOCCI, can change your outlook on outlets with its series of in-wall mounting plates.
Continue Reading >
CEDIA 2015
Super-Thin Fibaro SWIPE Provides Hidden Wireless Gesture Control
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Oct 16, 2015
Polish home automation company, Fibar Group, is wiping up the competition in gesture control devices with the introduction of the Fibaro SWIPE.
Continue Reading >
CEDIA 2015
Beale Gets Real Thin In-Ceiling and In-Walls
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Oct 16, 2015
Beale Street Audio’s Sonic Vortex technology is the secret sauce behind—actually, inside—the company’s in-ceiling speakers. Sonic Vortex technology turns the speaker’s integrated back box into “a compact, integrated, tuned cabinet that offers a ‘twist’ on Ported Transmission Line design by optimizing air movement” to produce stronger, deeper bass response more efficiently.
Continue Reading >
CEDIA 2015
A PlayBox Is a Box for Playing Sonos PLAY:1 Speakers
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Oct 15, 2015
The PlayBox isn’t hard to understand. It’s an enclosure (a.k.a., a box) that allows you to mount a Sonos PLAY:1 speaker in a recessed niche in a wall.
Continue Reading >
CEDIA 2015
Rosewater Energy Hub: The Most Power-filled Product at CEDIA
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Oct 15, 2015
I finally was able to make it by the Rosewater Energy Hub booth on the EXPO floor earlier today. RoseWater says the Energy Hub is “the first all-in-one residential and light commercial power solution to integrate three capabilities into one platform to serve the entire needs of one premises. The Hub protects all home and office electronics by delivering clean and conditioned power and offers seamless and total system integration using a dual inverter system. With everything integrated into the Hub, prewired and tested upon delivery, the potential for installation and set-up problems are greatly reduced.” While that’s a mouthful, the Energy Hub is essentially a surge suppressor, power conditioner, and UPS backup power supply for your entire house. It can also serve as a power manager by integrating alternative sources of power, such as solar and wind, into your home along with traditional AC from the power grid. This tower of power is more sophisticated than that simple description, however; and a peek inside the rack reveals designs and parts suitable for long-term industrial use. You have to have money to get all this power, though. The two-rack system on display with its included advanced lead-acid batteries runs approximately $80,000. RoseWater Energy Hubs are available for order and shipping now. It seems expensive—oh, what the hell am I saying? It is expensive. Really, really, really expensive. All it takes, however, is a few days of suffering through a major power outage or incurring a serious loss from a lightning strike to become aware of how valuable electricity is. The RoseWater Energy Hub is certainly worth the money. I just wish I could afford it.

Pages

X