Sonos & multi-room audio

Sonos, done properly

Sonos out of the box is a set of shelf speakers. Sonos installed properly is a distributed system: amplifiers in the rack, architectural in-ceiling and in-wall speakers throughout the house, every zone independently controllable, all of it grouped and ungrouped from the Sonos app, a Control4 keypad or a touchscreen.

The advantage of the app-plus-keypad approach is that guests can use it without instruction. Press the top button in the kitchen and music plays. No login, no explanation, no phone required.

Speakers you don't see

In houses where the joinery and stonework are the point, visible speakers are a compromise. We specify in-ceiling and in-wall architectural speakers with paintable or fully plasterable bezels, invisible in-wall drivers that finish flush with the skim coat, and pendant or landscape speakers where the space demands them. Placement is planned at pre-wire against the reflected ceiling plan, not guessed at on site.

Outdoor and terrace audio

Colorado's altitude, UV and temperature swings punish outdoor equipment. We use landscape and terrace systems rated for it — buried subwoofers, satellite arrays distributed through planting rather than two loud boxes on a wall, and amplifiers that live indoors. The result is even coverage across a terrace at conversational volume, rather than one hot spot and a lot of noise for the neighbours.

Beyond Sonos

Where the brief calls for higher performance we specify Episode, Triad and McIntosh systems, and where a client already has a serious two-channel setup we integrate it rather than replace it. Whole-home audio should raise the floor without lowering the ceiling.