Russound Powerline-Based Collage Audio/Intercom System to Ship in October

Russound's powerline-based Collage multiroom audio system will ship in October, the company says.

Meanwhile, Russound is abandoning Avenue, its original multiroom audio system based on powerline technology.

Avenue essentially was a fancy HomePlug powerline adapter for Russound's CAV 6.6 music distribution system.

"We were really just extending the analog signal over powerline," says Russound research director Michael Stein.

When Russound showcased Avenue in 2007, "I think we underestimated the demand for a good multiroom audio system for the retrofit market," Stein says.

That sentiment led Russound to develop a more feature-rich HomePlug solution, starting from scratch: Collage.

Refresher: What is Collage?

Collage combines multiroom audio, intercom functionality and CCTV surveillance capabilities in a single solution. (Check out the complete Collage story.)

The company created a whole new keypad and multiroom architecture for Collage. All of the "smarts" in the system are contained in an in-wall controller that includes both the interface and the processors.

On the front: a capacitive touchpad, click wheel and quarter VGA display; behind that: a 30-watt amp, power supply, HomePlug technology and a CPU.

Where do the sources go? One of them – an FM tuner – is built into each keypad. The others can plug into any AC outlet in the home to be accessed from any zone.

Russound has created a new communications protocol called Gridcast that is built into every product in the Collage ecosystem, including the keypads and the powerline plug-in modules. There's a Gridcast iPod docking station, and Gridcast bridges for connecting (and controlling) analog audio sources and surveillance cameras.

The Gridcast-enabled Media Manager gateway delivers IP-based content from media servers and DLNA-compliant devices, as well as Web-based music from sources such as Rhapsody, Shoutcast and Internet radio stations (no PC required).

Does Powerline Work?

According to Russound product manager Walt Zerbe, "Usually the number one question we get [from dealers] is about powerline technology."

Dealers often are skeptical at first because they associate high-speed powerline technology with the glitchy low-speed X10 protocol.

"But once we talk about HomePlug technology and Ethernet adapters, dealers will say, 'Oh, I've used those things and they work,'" Zerbe says.

Still skeptical?

Collage has a site-survey tool built into its software:

• Take a Collage keypad and wire the pigtails to a plug
• Plug the keypad into the outlet from which it will draw the AC
• If you're pulling from a light switch, simply replace the bulb with a screw-in replacement outlet
• Check the signal quality on the keypad's LCD screen

Not only is this a nice diagnostic tool, says Stein, "It allows you to actually demo the system while you're at the client's home, without installing it."

Stein says that Russound's HomePlug partner Devolo has monitored millions of powerline nodes and that a "satisfactory signal" should be available for Collage about 98 percent of the time.

Stein says there are typically two problems that may crop up for a powerline-based audio solution that requires excellent quality of service (QoS):

GFCI-protected circuit breakers could compromise the QoS. "We might suggest a different brand of GFCI – some work better than others – or find a different circuit to tap off of," Stein says.

Another problem: there may be a power-sucking nuisance plugged into the same circuit as a Collage unit.

Troubleshooting that problem is straight-forward: Unplug the devices, and then plug them back one at a time until you've found the offending device. Add a filter to it.

"We expect that the lion's share [of homes] will not have any issues that need to be mitigated," Stein says.

His own home, however, was another matter. Built in the 1850s, Stein's house had one zone with intermittent problems.

The culprit, he determined, was faulty old wiring, "which needed to be fixed anyway."

There you have it: Collage as a safety feature. Stein's house might have burned down had he not come across the faulty wiring!

Collage software is in Beta 3 testing and the hardware "looks like it will be going through regulatory without any problems," Stein says.

The Collage keypad and Media Manager will be priced at $849 and $549 MAP, respectively.

Still waiting for NuVo's powerline-based Renovia system? We'll have that news on July 14.