AudioControl Video Q&A: Staying Focused on CI Channel

AudioControl recently celebrated its 40th year in business, but CEO Alex Camara is already looking forward to bringing new innovations to the market over the next 40 years to come.

“We are solely focused on the custom integration channel, and that will continue to be important to us for the next 40 years,” says Camara.

Among the new innovations the company is working on include voice control integration with Amazon Alexa, Josh.ai and others coming.  He also says the company will continue to focus on DSP advancements.

Meanwhile, AudioControl focuses strictly on enhancing the quality of music from the source. The company has 22 different multi-channel amplification solutions for its dealers, ranging from two-channel amps up to 16 channels. 

“Speaking with other manufacturers we deal with and speaking with the dealers, they love our focus. They love the sound quality, and they love the build quality… all our amplifiers are made in the USA. All our products have a 5-year warranty,” he says.

New Platforms for M Series, E Series

Camara touts that AudioControl has launched new platforms for both its M Series and E Series products in the past five years. “Those platforms have really caught the imagination of speaker manufacturers,” he comments.

That excitement is proven by the rapid expansion of AudioControl’s Sound Partner Program that now includes Triad, James Loudspeaker, Origin Acoustics and many more.

The Sound Partner Program means the DSPs from the speaker companies are built in to the AudioControl amp, allowing dealers to go into the platform, load the DSP software, click on the particular speaker brand and select the speaker for the zones.

“That is just one example of the innovation we are pushing forward to help create a multi-room experience in the home,” says Camara.   

Maestro M5 Surround Sound Processor

The company recently debuted its Maestro M5 surround sound processor, which offers Dolby Atmos and DTS-X immersive audio surround formats and Dirac Live room correction along with dual balanced XLR inputs and balanced XLR outputs for all channels. There are inputs for seven HDMI sources plus dual HDMI outputs (ARC compatible) as well as an ultra HD 4K video pass-through and upscaling capability that includes support for High Dynamic Range (HDR).

The M5 features unbalanced RCA outputs on all channels as well. Each input can be named and renamed to match the source unit as desired by the user, and there is a USB input on the rear panel for connecting an external source and/or for facilitating firmware updates.

The M5 comes equipped with an intuitive programmable remote control and has Ethernet plus RS232 jacks and software drivers available for compatibility with popular smart home platforms. But it’s biggest advancement is its lower price point. The M5 is well suited for use in sub-$10,000 home theater projects, says Camara.