Find the Components that Work for You

 
If you’re a fan of music, you know there’s nothing better than the sound of a resonant, high-performance speaker in your Honolulu home.

But during the summer, you don’t want to stay cooped up inside, letting the sunshine go to waste.

The perfect solution is an outdoor sound system. You can enjoy your favorite tunes while basking in the warm air – without missing a beat.

Obviously, the components for an outdoor system aren’t going to be the same in an indoor system. In this blog, we’ll explore some of the differences between indoor and outdoor speakers.

Just keep reading for more.



 
See Also: Get Ready for Summer with an Outdoor Sound System
 

Bullet Speakers

In an indoor system, speakers are usually configured in pairs. A two-channel system is the perfect way to listen to music staged as if it were performed live.

But outside, there are other considerations: Ambient sound and lack of reflecting surfaces means you can’t count on the environment to help you out. And wood would likely rot when left too long in the elements.

Instead, bullet speakers are made from durable materials like brass or plastic. Their cabinets are long and slim, and they point in the direction you want to listen. Plus, they’re usually configured with four or more units throughout your yard, facing in toward the listening zone, so you can listen at a comfortable volume without disturbing the neighbors.

 

360-Degree Speakers

On the other hand, there are also semi-buried 360-degree posts. These components play loud and reach every corner of your space.

Most common in commercial applications, these are large units that are designed to draw attention. However, some manufacturers disguise them as elegant art pieces or as art of the stonework layout, so you can get the most out of the sound without looking at clunky components.

 

Wall-Mounted Speakers

Wall-mounted speakers are perfect for a deck or patio space. As the name implies, they hang off a wall and offer great sound for movies and music around a sitting space.

They typically offer bigger cabinets than bullet speakers. Otherwise, they look very similar to indoor bookshelf units.

 

Underground Sub

Perhaps the single most important speaker you can find is an underground subwoofer. Subs help deep bass notes resonate, giving your music a much higher impact.

Of course, on the island, you probably aren’t going to bury anything too deeply. In those cases, the sub can be placed below your deck to hide it.

If that’s not an option, you can select a semi-buried style that will help protect the device but won’t completely cover it. The above-ground part is designed to be aesthetically pleasing, so you won’t have to worry about it disrupting your landscaping.

 
Want to learn more about what you can get out of your outdoor sound system? Just click here for more info!

 

Enhance the Beauty of Your Oahu Property with Smart Lighting

 
While the islands aren’t known for their big seasonal climate shifts, summer is still the perfect time to get out and enjoy all the natural beauty Hawaii has to offer.

Getting out and spending some time in the sun is a blast – but the fun doesn’t have to end when it sets.

Instead, why not make your summer nights special with outdoor cookouts, movies under the stars, and quality time with your property’s backyard and pool areas.

To make it all possible, it may be time to invest in advanced landscape lighting technology. Want to find out more? Keep reading.



See Also: Want a 4K Home Theater System?
 

Types of Fixtures

Landscape lighting is designed to work within a space, not dominate it with clunky components. That’s why many outdoor lighting fixtures are discreet and easily hidden within the natural foliage.

Many systems feature simple, directional lighting that help highlight the areas that you want to showcase. Some can be installed under stairs or along walkways to accent the existing look of your perfectly maintained backyard.

You can also install fixtures within your pool for added safety and beauty.

 

Connecting to Your System

Landscape lighting may exist in the backyard, but that doesn’t mean you have to re-learn how to control everything.

Most systems integrate seamlessly into your current smart home control ecosystem, allowing one-touch commands for every fixture – indoor and out.

Plus, when you integrate with a smart home system, you can set timers, combine controls, install sensors and other smart features that make using your lights a breeze.

 

Environmentally Friendly

Most modern outdoor lighting fixtures feature LED illumination. Those are beneficial for many reasons.

First LED are much more energy-efficient than their incandescent or fluorescent counterparts. They use up to 80 percent of the energy used to light them – unlike the other two which burn off most of the energy as heat.

Due to this, LED can last up to 11 years under normal use. Plus, LED lamps’ less frequent replacement  and recyclable materials means you won’t have to worry about your system’s environmental friendliness.

Exploring the Capabilities

When you add landscape lighting, you don’t just enjoy more lights. You can get the most out of your property and craft a uniquely beautiful look.

From arranging the lights in a beautiful, layered way that accentuates the parts of your yard you love, to adjusting the hue of your LED fixtures for a simple splash of color, there’s plenty to love about learning to use your system.

 
Want to learn more about landscape lighting? Reach out to us here, or just click the button at the bottom of your screen to chat with a real person right now!

Here are 5 Important Things to Consider

You’ve heard a lot about 4K, Ultra HD, and other terms.  You want that razor-sharp picture in your home theater.

Maybe you already have a home theater.  In that case, you may be wondering what you’ll need to upgrade.

If you don’t have a home theater system, the good news is you can plan to get new equipment with less concern about what will be compatible with the old.

Let’s look at five important considerations for achieving 4K home theater nirvana in your Maui home.



 
SEE ALSO: Why Should You Invest in a Professional Home Theater System

 

4K Screens: Flat Panel or Projector?

The traditional approach to a full-on home theater has been a ceiling or rear projection system, but recent trends have developed new options.  Flat Panels are now available up to 100 inches in size, with 75-85 inch models becoming quite affordable.  If you don’t like integrating projectors in your room, a large flat panel may be the way to go.  LED backlight dimming, OLED screen technology, HDR (high dynamic range) and Dolby Vision (Dolby Labs’ special version of HDR) offer incredible sharpness, detail, and black level performance.

Projectors have not been standing still.  There are many models to choose from that offer 4K resolution, but one of the things to watch out for is support for HDR.  Look for models that support both HDR10 and Dolby Vision, or at a minimum are software upgradeable for those features. Ultra short-throw projectors are also a viable option now; these models are more easily installed and calibrated than ceiling mounted or rear projection setups.

4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

The next generation of 4K Blu-ray is here, and the prices of players have come down to mainstream levels. More titles are being released in the 4K format, and many old popular titles are also being released in this format, as has typically happened before when the technology changes.  4K Blu-ray is a must for the best quality picture and sound in a theater.  While an increasing amount of 4K content is being streamed, typically the actual picture quality will not equal local playback from a disc.  Further, streamed 4K content will not have the highest definition sound formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.  Movies in 4K Blu-Ray will particularly wow you with their enhanced contrast and brightness.

4K Streaming

You likely know about streaming devices like Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.  All these vendors have 4K versions of their devices available now.  Apple, Amazon, and Google have varying amounts of movies and shows in 4K.  They all support HDR, but only Apple TV currently supports Dolby Vision.  Netflix has an ever-growing number of shoes and movies available in 4K.  Movie service VUDU (available on all but Amazon’s Fire TV) has a growing library of 4K movies as well.

AV Receivers and Preamps

If you’ve had a home theater audio setup for a while, chances are it’s not compatible with 4K.  You need support for passing HDCP 2.2 signals, which is the standard for enabling 4K video content.  If your receiver or multichannel preamp is not compatible with this, then it may make for some tradeoffs in your video source switching and audio playback possibilities.  We can guide you through those considerations, and decide whether your current equipment can be used in a 4K theater upgrade.

Networking and Internet

Last but not least, 4K video puts considerable demands on a home network.  If you want to stream or distribute 4K signals around your home – including your theater – you may need a router and perhaps cable upgrades.

If reading this has created more questions than answers, you are not alone.  There’s much to consider in planning a 4K home theater.  Contact us; we will guide you through all the choices to create the perfect Maui home theater for you.

 

We are super excited to have reached the top for each of these manufactures. We have been Lutron and Crestron dealer for over 20 yrs and Control 4 just over 2 years now. On-words and up-words we go.