When Mozaic Smart Technology Design took on this residence in Brownsboro, Alabama, the brief was simple: deliver top-tier audio in every corner of the home, from a dedicated theater to a fully distributed music system that matched with the client’s discerning tastes. However, part of that also involved finding a way to incorporate the homeowner’s vintage electrostatic speakers into the modern control ecosystem.
Honoring electrostatic legacy without compromising performance
The centerpieces of the project were the KLH electrostatic speakers, now decades old, that the client refused to part with. Beyond their size, the speakers carried deep sentimental value having been refurbished by David Janszen, son of the original designer behind the technology.
For Mozaic, the job was to make them the proud focal point of the main living area.
Elsewhere, Mozaic needed to get crafty to preserve the room’s sightlines while building out the system’s lower end to support the speakers. With no floor space to spare for subwoofers, the team designed concealed enclosures flanking the fireplace.
In this way, the team paired cherished legacy components with new high-resolution equipment throughout the house, creating a hybrid audio architecture both aesthetically and technologically.
From cinematic isolation to house-wide high-resolution audio
Moving into the home theater, Mozaic mechanically decoupled the room from the rest of the structure for true acoustic isolation. A 9.4.6 system built off JBL Synthesis speakers provides reference-level cinematic sound without a single decibel bleeding into the living spaces beyond.
Throughout the remainder of the house, Origin Acoustics speakers powered by AudioControl amplifiers drive the audio experience for the homeowners. Those whole-house speakers were chosen deliberately for their low-profile design, delivering acoustic performance while staying out of sight.
Tying it all together is an Autonomic streaming server, which feeds high-resolution tracks to every listening zone in the home.
“We embraced the complexity of a hybrid system. We expertly blended the client’s cherished components with new high-resolution audio equipment, ensuring aesthetic harmony and uncompromising sonic performance throughout the entire residence,” noted Michael Johnson, Founder and President of Mozaic Smart Technology Design.
Equipment list
Speakers
- JBL — SCL-2 — LCR loudspeaker (3, bi-amped)
- JBL — SCL-7 — Wide/side/rear surround loudspeaker (6)
- JBL — SCL-5 — Atmos in-ceiling loudspeaker (6)
- Power Sound Audio — TV-21 IPAL — Subwoofer (4)
- KLH — Model Nine — Electrostatic speaker (2)
- Origin Acoustics — D83 — Distributed audio speaker (8 pairs)
- Origin Acoustics — D63 — Distributed audio speaker (3 pairs)
- Origin Acoustics — TF37 Thin Fit — Distributed audio speaker (2 pairs)
- Rythmik — E22 Servo — Subwoofer (2)
Amplification
- SpeakerPower — SP2-8000-HT — Subwoofer amplifier (2, rack-mounted)
- AudioControl — Avalon G4 — Speaker amplifier
- AudioControl — Savoy G4 — Speaker amplifier (2)
- PS Audio — PerfectWave BHK S250 — Power amplifier
Processing / Preamplification
- JBL — SDP-75-24 — Surround sound processor
- PS Audio — PerfectWave BHK — Preamplifier
- PS Audio — PerfectWave DirectStream — DAC
- MoFi — Phono Preamp — Phono preamplifier
Sources
- Technics — SL100C Direct Drive — Turntable
- Kaleidescape — Strato E — Movie player
- Panasonic — UB820 — Blu-ray player
- Oppo — BDP-105D — Blu-ray player
- PS Audio — DirectStream Memory Player — Transport
- Apple — TV 4K — Streaming media player
Video
- JVC — NZ9 — Projector
- Stewart Filmscreen — Studiotek 100 — Projection screen (16:9, 120″ wide, 138″ diagonal)
- Stewart Filmscreen — Wallmask — Horizontal masking system
Power Management
- SurgeX — SEQ-1U — Power sequencer
- SurgeX — SX-AX20E — Power conditioner
- SurgeX — SX-DS-208 — Surge suppressor (2)
- Furman — F-1000 — UPS
- PS Audio — PerfectWave Power Plant 10 — Power conditioner / regenerator
- WattBox — Surge Protection — Surge protection
Home Automation / Control
- Josh.ai — Core — AI home automation controller (1)
- Josh.ai — Nano — AI voice control device (2)
- Josh.ai — Micro — AI voice control device (2)
Distributed Audio / Music Server
- Autonomic — MMS-5E — Music server (1)
- AudioControl — Director M6800 — Multi-zone audio controller/amplifier (2)
Racks
- Strong — 27u Rack — Equipment rack
This project is part of our coverage for the 2025 CE Pro Home of the Year Awards. Presented annually at CEDIA Expo alongside the BEST Product Awards, the Home of the Year Awards represent the best of the best smart home innovations within the CEDIA channel. Check to see when the next submission window is open in case you have a project you would like to submit and don’t want to miss your opportunity.
