Welcome folks, and sit down if you’re not already, we’ve got a lot to cover this week in Playback. We’ve got a little bit of time between here and Lightapalooza, so I can’t think of a better time to check in how the industry has been holding up since CEDIA Expo.
ISE 2026 certainly showed us that there’s still plenty of excitement to be had with the channel (you can listen to myself and Executive Editor Zachary Comeau yap about all of that over on the latest edition of the CE Pro Podcast).
Beyond that, though, we’ve finally had a chance to go through all the responses our readers gave us in our annual State of the Industry survey, and now, I think we have a bit of a better picture of how the custom integration industry stands at the cusp of this new year. It’s not glamorous, nor is it flashy, but we think that’s a good thing.
As the saying goes, “What goes up must come down,” and CI has been going up for a while at this point. That might be why, when we hear integrators holding steady instead of crashing, it gets us a little excited. Stability is the sign of a mature business, and so, even if plenty of integrators are expecting flat years for 2026, that’s a sign of a healthy industry regardless.
Still, while CE Pro’s 2026 State of the Industry represents a level of maturity in the industry, it also highlights a level of division, one where the scaling paradox of a business in this industry is laid bare. And to help us out, we enlisted the insights of Hagan Kappler of Daisy as well as Andres Klein of MAXICON.
We’ll let you dig into that on your own time, though. There’s plenty of good stuff we wouldn’t want to distract from with this week’s Playback. Now, let’s see how the industry is holding up this week.
1. ARCAM Returns to Loudspeakers at ISE
Source: ARCAM Radia Speakers Mark the Brand’s Return to Loudspeaker Design – CEPRO
In CE Pro’s wrap-up coverage of ISE 2026, editor Nick Boever found that ARCAM, after nearly two decades, has finally returned to loudspeaker design with the Radia Series.
Visually, these new speakers follow the same design of the Radia amplifiers and receivers, featuring subtle yellow accents and cabinets finished in Black Walnut wood veneer.
Mechanically, ARCAM says these speakers were specifically designed with existing Radia components in mind, as the company points out that when paired with the ARCAM SA35 or SA45 streaming amplifiers, the speakers can be fine-tuned using ARCAM’s anechoic EQ.
There will be six Radia series speakers in the set, including a powered subwoofer, all set to be available to integrators in Q2 2026.
2. Power Grows into a New Foundation for Custom Integration
Source: The Power Imperative: A New Foundation for Custom Integration – CEPRO
Joining CE Pro’s State of the Industry Coverage, Executive Editor Zachary Comeau looks at the evolving category of power in the CI channel with heretofore unseen data gathered from integrators who have been working the field.
Kyle Steele of Global Wave Integration joins Comeau in analysis, looking at where power fits in today’s projects.
“We should be leading with power,” Steele says. “That’s the first conversation. AV and all the other tech should be at the end. If you don’t have good quality power, then nothing’s gonna work.”
According to the report, an overwhelming 80.7% of integrators expect their energy-related business to increase over the next 12 months.
3. Randy Stearns Steps Down as CEO of D-Tools
Source: D-Tools Appoints G Paul Hess as CEO in Planned Succession – CEPRO
Randy Stearns has officially stepped down as CEO of D-Tools as of this week, paving the way for a planned succession by G Paul Hess.
Over the past 10 years, Stearns, as CEO, guided D-Tools through a period of substantial expansion and modernization, transforming the company from a traditional on‑premises software provider into a dynamic SaaS leader for the electronic systems channel.
In an interview with sister publication Commercial Integrator, Stearns said now is the time for a leader with the “fire in their belly” to take D-Tools through the journey ahead. “And I think G Paul is a great choice for doing that,” he adds.
G Paul Hess has decades of experience in the electronic systems industry. He began his career as an integrator and, later, held senior and executive leadership roles across product, sales and marketing at organizations that include Snap One and ADI.
4. ‘Integrated’ is Starting to Dominate Design Conversations
Source: ‘Integrated’ is Dominating Residential and Commercial Design Dialogues – CEPRO
Technology is fast incorporating itself as an integral component of residential and commercial design said CEDIA Expo Show Director Jason McGraw this week.
“Smart technology has entered the next phase of adoption,” McGraw said. “Whether it’s new build or retrofits, home and business owners now expect enhanced connectivity and control. This expectation underpins each of these significant trends we’re seeing in 2026.”
As Show Director for CEDIA Expo, McGraw states he often sees many of these technologies introduced to the market while preparing and running the show each year.
McGraw’s statements come following several major developments revealed at ISE 2026, including Lutron’s planned growth across the EMEA region in response to broad adoption of its lighting control platform and fixtures by international audiences.
5. What Integrators Should Take Away from ISE 2026
Source: CE Pro Podcast #167: Recapping ISE 2026 – CEPRO
This week CE Pro Executive Editor Zachary Comeau and myself sat down to reflect on key themes from ISE 2026 in Barcelona, using the show as a lens to examine where the custom integration industry is heading in 2026.
During the conversation, we opted to look beyond product aesthetics and dig into some of the industry trends and how they might relate to the recent findings from CE Pro’s 2026 State of the Industry report.
Elsewhere in the discussion, we talk about how European design sensibilities are making their mark on the industry as well as the new entrants into American markets looking to make their mark on the CI industry in 2026.
The discussion serves as a cap off to CE Pro’s ongoing coverage of ISE 2026.
