CEDIA 2016 is coming to Dallas on September 13-17. CE Pro spoke to Greg Stidsen, Director, Technology and Product Planning, Lenbrook International (the umbrella company of Bluesound, NAD Electronics and PSB Speakers) about the company's plans for the show and what to expect in booth #5716.
For those looking to become a dealer, call 1-800-263-4641.
What would you say to dealers who are already familiar with your product line?
We are extending the Bluesound networked multiroom hi-res audio operating system, BluOS, across all the categories we serve.
Under the NAD brand this will include AV Receivers, Stereo and Multi-zone Amplifiers, and the NAD Masters’ line of high-end separates. Since they will all share the same operating system they are reliably compatible, interoperable and don’t require middleware to interoperate.
Plus, we are now fully integrated with Control4, Crestron, RTI (and many others in the works) so you can use our BluOS App or an existing whole-home automation system as you please.
What would you say to dealers who are stumbling across your company for the first time?
We have the expertise to make the audio portion of your installation sound amazing and better than it ever has. NAD and PSB are two of audio’s most highly regarded brands, and both are known for being affordably excellent.
Bluesound brings network expertise to the mix, which perfectly complements the major custom integration trend of this new century. Our brands are very innovative and provide well thought out solutions that serve the premium sector of the market.
If an integrator stops by your booth with only 5 minutes to spare, what’s the one product he should examine or one question he should ask?
Our CI 580 Network Audio Player. It combines four stereo zones in a 1U rack space, can be expanded up to 64 zone, and features our BluOS operating system which supports a growing list of 14+ music streaming services, uses standard network infrastructure, and is certified by Control4, Crestron, and RTI for seamless integration.
This is a true hi-res audio system with full 24/192 support and MQA decoding. We have matching amplification and also have a single-zone amplifier solution, the CI 720, in a unique ‘blade’ form factor. As part of the BluOS ecosystem, these components are completely compatible with Bluesound’s line of wireless zone players and active speakers.
What’s your most memorable CEDIA moment?
I’ll never forget the incredible rush of optimism that came out of the 2001 Expo, which concluded on September 10th. The next day was 9/11.
Think of your closest competitor. What is one thing you do offer that they don’t?
Unlike Sonos, Bluesound is a true hi-res audio system with full 24/192 support and MQA decoding.
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