Bienvenidos a todos! Or, welcome back everyone, since by now, most of our readers who attended ISE 2026 are probably back in the states. Thanks for catching up with the week in Playback. If you have been in Spain this entire time, chances are you missed out on what can only be described as a buying frenzy this past week.
Three acquisitions of note were made: Conesso bought out McPherson Connected Systems (MCS), Lutron bought out long-time supplier Tanury Industries, and Texas Instruments (TI) bought out Z-Wave developer Silicon Labs.
You can follow the links to each individual article to get more details regarding the acquisitions, but one central throughline seems to be resonating with each, and it almost reads like a response to the stunning performance of custom integration and its associated technologies in recent years.
Ryan Prestel at Connesso put it succinctly, “As an industry, custom integration is at an inflection point,” citing his firm’s acquisition of Ohio-based MCS as one meant to build a strong foundation for growth with a clear roadmap planned for future acquisitions.
While he spoke on behalf of his own company there, it’s difficult to discount the sentiment of the other two as both Lutron and TI cited vertical integration of manufacturing capabilities to bolster product delivery in their respective announcements.
It seems that everyone is hard at work building a foundation for a strong level of growth they see on the horizon. It’s a drum that Daisy has been beating as it pursues its own string of acquisitions in the industry. Outside eyes are taking notice of the growth potential custom integration has exhibited.
The biggest question, though, continues to be: who benefits the most with this added interest? As the AI trade shifts and the companies once seen as winners are now risking being dethroned, I wonder, too, if we might see similar, though perhaps less earth-shattering, shifts within CI. Only time will tell.
For now, we have the Playback to get to. So, grab a coffee, and indulge us, if you would, as we take a trip back through some of the highlights of ISE 2026 to get you up to date on all that’s new in the world of custom integration.
The Week in Playback
- Announcing the Winners of the 2026 Top New Technology (TNT) Awards in Residential
- ADI Previews Upcoming T5 Models as Well as New Connect Subscription for X4 Platform
- HARMAN Drops Nine New JBL SCL Speakers (Plus Two Processors and a Receiver)
- MadVR Moves Towards Software-First Experience on Envy with Commander Web Tool
- Selective Design to Distribute Spain-made ZION Micro-LED Displays in U.S. and Canada
And the Winners of the 2026 TNT Awards Are…
The 2026 TNT Award winners were announced opening night at ISE 2026.
Highlighting some of the newest and most outstanding products and services being introduced at ISE, the awards are a collaboration between CE Pro and its sister publication Commercial Integrator.
This year saw thirteen categories in the residential segment ranging from best software application to best subwoofers.
Winners of the 2026 TNT commercial segment can be found over on CE Pro’s sister publication, Commercial Integrator.
ADI Previews X4 Subscription
While at ISE 2026, ADI previewed some of the features in an upcoming subscription designed for the new X4 control platform.
According to ADI, the subscription (called Control4 Connect) will be entirely optional and focus mainly on improving the end-user experience.
Subscribers will gain access to continual updates of the X4 platform in addition to remote accessibility to core systems.
The company assures a Control4 Connect subscription is not required to run the X4 platform and only serves as an optional service add-on for integrators.
HARMAN Announces…How Many JBL Speakers?
HARMAN delivered one of the biggest releases in a long while from its JBL Synthesis brand, with nine speakers and subwoofers, as well as two receivers and a processor.
JBL states that, contrary to previous design philosophies which may have looked at each product as an isolated entity, this release was designed with the intent of being an interconnected system on projects.
The new speakers span both architectural in-wall, in-room and on-wall solutions with all models being timbre-matched and engineered to integrate simply within complete JBL Synthesis systems.
MadVR Releases New Control Platform for Processors
MadVR announced its Commander web platform this week, introducing a new range of configuration, monitoring and long-term management options.
According to the company, Envy Commander is a browser-based control and administration layer for all madVR Envy video processors developed primarily for custom integrators.
The platform seeks to trim operational burden within AV systems by allowing integrators to cut down on configuration time and reduce truck rolls for troubleshooting issues.
More manufacturers have begun developing standalone software and baked-in capabilities to products designed specifically around simplifying configuration and troubleshooting.
Spain’s ZION is Coming to U.S. Market
Luxury microLED manufacturer ZION announced its entry into U.S. markets this week through a partnership with distributor Selective Design.
Designed and manufactured in Spain, ZION’s lineup includes indoor microLED displays as well as high-brightness outdoor LED televisions intended for residential environments.
Selective Design manufactures and distributes Nakymatone invisible loudspeakers and serves as the exclusive U.S. and Canadian distributor for Architettura Sonora, Gray Sound, Waterfall Audio and Zero Ohm.
The company is headquartered in Toronto and provides order fulfillment to U.S. and Canadian integrators from Western New York.
