If your audio system does not extend outdoors, then you are missing out. Outdoor audio gives you a reason to utilize your oudoor space more often. It beats having to carry an iPod doc and speaker outside. Plus, it adds an additional level of entertainment to a cookout or pool party.

Outdoor audio is weatherproof, though we like to install amps indoors. Speakers, such as the Bose fs50 pictured above, can stay outside yearound. There are even TVs that can remain outdoors all year without incurring damage. This is where hiring a knowledgeable installer is imperative. He or she will put you will guide you to the best products for their durability, quality and price.

With kickoff only 9 days away, it's time to start getting all your big orange gear ready for another season. Lucky for you, we've compiled a list of all our favorite stuff to get you game day ready.

1. Woven Tristar Tie in Orange from Volunteer Traditions

There is no doubt you'll be the most dapper fan at the game with this festive orange tie. Going for a more casual look? Volunteer Traditions also has a great selection of shirts, pullovers, and hats.

2. Power T Tervis Tumblers

These tumblers are perfect for game day. Whether you're tailgating on campus or watching from home, these tumblers will keep hot beverages hot and cold beverages ice cold. They come in all kinds of different designs and are made right here in America.

3.  Ray-Ban Clubmaster Sunglasses with Dark Havana Orange Frame

Ray-Bans never go out of style. Throw in some classis clumasters with an added hint of orange in the frame and you'll be the coolest Vol fan on the block.


4. Tennessee Volunteers Pet Hat from Football Fanatics

We can't leave out all the pups on our list. This adjustable dog hat is perfect for any sized pooch looking to show off some good old fashioned volunteer pride.

5. Sonos Playbar and Sub
Watch the game with incredible HiFi sound with the Sonos Playbar and Sub. Then get the party really started after the big win by streaming all your favorite music wirelessly and effortlessly. This pair will provide your guests with soul-shaking sound they won't forget. Rocky Top will never sound the same again. 

Go Vols!

There are many reasons that people use rack enclosures now a days to help tidy up their automated world. While TVs continue to get thinner and more beautiful and soundbars are making surround sound more discreet, the components we connect to them, such as our Blu-ray players, cable boxes, game consoles etc...have largely remained dull black or silver boxes. And there are still all those ugly wires to manage! So now we have these neat and tidy solutions to all these issues, and putting them on display can have lots of great advantages as well! Lets learn more..

          CEDIA is the international trade association and central touchpoint for 3,500 member companies that represent every facet of the ever-evolving technology market. The expo places you at the epicenter of the furture in home experience and lets you experience the intrigue of how it is all connected!

BEST NEW PRODUCT:

Two of the products we offer recieved the Best New Product reward at the expo this year! The Seura Storm Outdoor TV and Sonance DSP Amplifiers with SonARC.

Seura’s Storm Outdoor TV is built to last in a variety of climates and, through careful calibration, is capable of delivering quality images during sunny days. It also has a great wide viewing angle!

The Sonance DSP amplifiers add Amazing audio in any environment! The new line of DSP amplifiers feature SONARC (Sonance Advanced Room Correction), which offers hundreds of EQ presets designed specifically for Sonance speakers available through simple pull down menus. The presets enable effortless DSP without the need for additional hardware, software, and more importantly time.

Seura Outdoor TV Video: http://ow.ly/U3twM                            Sonance DSP Amplifiers Video: http://ow.ly/U3uwT

                                           CEPro Editor's Choice Picks:

There were also two of the speakers that we offer picked as the CEPro Editor's Choice, The Sonos Play:5 and the KEF LS50!

Hear it just like they played it. Pure and true. The PLAY:5 uses six state-of the-art digital amplifiers individually coupled with six speakers to deliver great sound to any room. Each instrument, each voice, every detail shines through, pure and precise. With remarkably distinct clarity. And zero audible distortion. Even when you crank it up loud. Really loud! 

The KEF LS50 was also quite an awe inspiring product at CEDIA 2015! An innovative concept inspired by the legendary LS3/5a, LS50 mini monitor speaker is designed to bring professional studio monitor concept into the home. Rarely the case in such a compact design, the LS50 monitor delivers a rich, multi-dimensional ‘soundstage experience’ that is out of all proportion to its size. Patent-pending acoustic designs, together with state-of-the-art technologies from KEF’s latest flagship Blade loudspeaker, provide the ultimate studio experience – even in the smallest of spaces.

Play:5 Video: http://cnet.co/1Q1coIk                                   KEF LS50 Video: https://youtu.be/E0B-l2eoVtg

Many companies had some pretty amazing products this year that became quite the show stoppers! Call us today to learn more about any of our great products. 

• Sony    
• Orgin Acoustis
• Screen Innovations
• Martin Logan
• Golden Ear
• Atlona
• Pakedge
• SnapAV
• Kwikset
• WIlson
• BOSE
• SunBrite TV
• Lutron
• Peerless AV
• Luxul
• Yale
• This list GOES ON & ON 

This week I am so excited about the new software update from Sonos. Just when I thought the Sonos Playbar Soundbar couldn’t get any better, now the update can turn it into a 5.1 surround system by allowing the Connect Amp to drive two rear channels turning the Soundbar into a 5.1 DTS surround sound system. Before, users would be limited to using the Play:3 speakers, but now you can use other options. I used my existing Sonance Invisible Series speakers for the rear channel and it worked out perfectly. I love that this update gives you complete control on rear channel type and placement. Now the options are truly endless. The software update, which released this month, is quick and only takes about two minutes. Other features with the update allow the mute button to function as play, pause, or skip.

This is why I love Sonos so much. Without having to buy new equipment, they released a whole new set of features that can completely transform already existing speakers.

Sonos also recently introduced the Play:1 just in time for the holidays. This would be the perfect gift for the music lover in your life. It's definitely going on my Christmas list! Its small size doesn't compromise on big sound and it is so easy to use that anyone could figure it out. Wirelessly stream your favorite music from your library or online streaming services and control the Play:1 right from your smart phone. Start with one and over time add a Play:1 in every room to fill your entire home with music.

Home automation has become all the rage these days and if you have experienced it yourself then you will most likely agree that is has become a convenience you just don't want to live without! Well great news! Now when you vacation or even when you take the boat out, you don't have to be without the automation luxuries you have grown so accustomed to!

AUTOMATION IN YOUR VACATION HOME:

What?: It would be easier to tell you what you cant have because the possibilities are truely endless. 

• Security systems 
• Audio & Video
• Home Theaters
• Media Rooms
• Outdoor Automation
• Lighting control
• Shade Control
• Temperature Control
• Music in Every Room
• Entry Systems
• Energy Management
• Scenes & More!

Imagine being an hour away from your vacation home and being able to get everything ready for your arrival with the touch of a few buttons! Turn on the spa, heat up the pool, turn on the lights, raise up the shades, set the perfect tempature, start your favorite music and be vacation ready as soon as you walk through the door! Check it out for your self... VIDEO HERE

BOAT AUTOMATION:

Boat Automation has several options as well and of coarse as the size of the boat increases so do the options. A Control4 System can be used to manage different things throughout the vessel, access navagation equipment, make service requests for staff, Incorporate state of the art secuirty systems and several other options such as:

• • Remotely controlling lights and heating or air conditioning to turn on shortly before arrival, ensuring everything on the vessel is set to preference yet reducing energy consumption
  • Automating exterior running lights to allow the crew to move around safely
  • Adjusting the thermostat to ensure appropriate interior cabin temperatures
  • Providing GPS and navigation data through the television or touch screens so owners and onboard guests know the current location of the vessel and anticipated arrival
  • Triggering lights to automatically turn on, off or dim, based on detected light levels or specific times of the day
  • Opening and closing blinds, according to when the sun sets or the skies become cloudy to allow for optimum levels of natural light
  • Centralizing audio and video collections from multiple sources and allowing selection of music or movies by cover art from a single library from any room on the vessel
• • Outdoor TVs that can withstand the elements of the ocean or water as well as weather, and even theaters and media rooms!         Check it out: VIDEO HERE

CALL iSS Today and start living the Smart life even when you are away from home! 

Do yourself a favor and review your history of speaker selection. It’s akin to examining one’s choices in past haircuts – a bit perplexing/scary. What was it about those hefty black box speakers that was so awesome? They were half the size of your couch.  Alas, bigger was better. It meant greater sound, or so we thought. Then again, we thought big hair meant big living, too. Let’s learn from our lapses in judgment.

Before investing in new home audio, let us stress to you that you have options. We all know that speakers have gotten smaller, but they’re also more stylish than ever.  Today’s speakers say something about your style. Take a look at a few of our favorites, and ponder what you want yours to say.

Hey Knoxville, want the best in home audio? Then get excited about Sonos's upcoming release of the Playbar - an exclusive soundbar system. The Playbar is a stand out product that is both pleasing to the ears and eyes and a pleasure to use. Many of you may already be Sonos fans. For those of you whom are new to the brand let us explain what makes Sonos products fan favorites. First, simply put, they are stylish. They have a hip look and their products sound great. They have an Apple-esque allure. Second, Sonos can stream music from nearly every source under the sun. Imagine having Pandora, Spotify, Amazon cloud, Rhapsody, and your personal music collection at your beckon call. Pretty great, right? Now imagine incorporating that technology with a product that enhances movies with surround sound-like technology in a slick, stylish product. You have imagined the Playbar.

What is a Smart Home?

While there are many smart products available today, it isn’t until these devices work together in orchestration, that you experience the magic of a smart home. From homes small to large, new and old, Control4 delivers power and performance on one platform that coordinates the technology in your house into complete, brilliant experiences—interactions that fit your lifestyle and are easy for your family to enjoy. With one touch, dim the lights, stream high-resolution music, turn up the heat, lock the doors and arm the security system. Or, check in on your home no matter where you are. It’s a smarter living experience that you’ll wonder how you ever lived without. We call it, the New Normal.

WHAT CAN CONTROL4 DO FOR YOU? GET READY TO BE AMAZED!

HOME THEATER: 

A high-end home theater experience is more than just a nice TV with surround sound. With a home theater system from Control4, you’ll be the envy of every movie theater goer in town. Turn the lights off, turn on the surround sound and start the movie all with the touch of a button.

CLIMATE:

Forget about ever touching that thermostat again, in fact, forget about the thermostat all together. With our automated climate control, your thermostat is anywhere you are. Curb your monthly bills and ease your eco-conscience. Advanced temperature control is a simple and affordable addition to any home with Control4.

CALL ISS TODAY TO LEARN MORE TO DESIGN YOUR CONTROL4 SMARTER LIVING EXPERIENCE!

Last week we blogged about what screen and projectors would look best in certain home entertainment areas. This week we would like to take a look at what audio systems would be best in those home entertainment areas, too.

With any media room you want to get the most sound coming towards you. Many media rooms are open areas and multifunctioning, which means distractions can come around very easily. The best audio element for a media room would be a great sound bar. Sonos’ PlayBar is one of the best on the market, and is our featured product for this week. The PlayBar gives you amazing sound quality, and complements HD TV’s with richly textured HiFi sound. It provides you full theater sound for TV, movies, music, and video games. The PlayBar wirelessly connects to your home WiFi network, and can be controlled by free apps with Android and Apple.

Home Theaters are fantastic and can really bring the grand cinema experience right to your home. Whether you have a small soundproof room with nice recliners or the whole package with theater style sitting, a concession bar, and movie memorabilia; you have to have a great picture and amazing sound quality for that true movie theater experience. The ONKYO Home Theater Package with Dobly Atmos is a great audio system for any home theater. The package comes with everything you need from speakers, receiver, to a subwoofer. It brings 360 degree sound and makes you feel every element of a movie with Dolby Atmos technology.

Last but not least, Sonance Landscape Series outdoor speaker system is fantastic for some good outdoor entertainment. This system delivers perfectly even coverage and unbelievable sound quality though out any sized space. Sonance Landscape Series system is hidden completely out of sight, and is built to handle extreme weather conditions. With easy flexibility, you can direct the sound exactly where you want it, and not at your neighbors.

If you need some help in making the most out of your home entertainment areas, just give us a call. We are always here to offer you better life solutions.

Ah, that time between Spring and Summer has finally arrived in Knoxville. Pollen covers every exterior surface imaginable in yellow blankets of dust. The quickly-warming temperatures remind you that the humidity of a Tennessee summer isn’t far off. Right now it is baseball season, but soon enough, the UT fight song will be echoing from every living room in Rocky Top while we watch our football team make it all the way to the national championship this year (a girl can dream). You begin to think about the home theater you always wanted, and how great these games would look on a big screen. You think of the home theater that would allow you to be immersed in the experience of the stadium, without having to buy tickets to the game or spend eight dollars on a beer--that theater with state-of-the-art audio technology, the one you always put off on installing because other things came up along the way. Hey, we know that life happens, and things get put off. Here at iSS LLC.  we are here to make your life a little easier—and a lot more fun. Now featuring Control4 home automation software, we can create the home theater of your dreams--and tailor home automation installations to your personal wants and needs. Still not convinced? Check out a few of the things we can do for your home or your commercial business space by clicking the link below.

 CLICK ME!

There was a time when the term "home automation" made you think of a friendly robotic maid buzzing around the house, cleaning, doing laundry, and cooking meals. 

Robots have indeed started to pop up and are starting to play a role in our lives at home. But the reality of home automation in the 21st Century is quite a bit different than what was thought of in the post-World War II era. Instead of a robotic hub, home control is centralized in the palm of our hands! 

Companies like Control4 can coordinate all the technology in your home into complete, brilliant experiences that fit your lifestyle and are easy for your family to enjoy. With one touch, dim the lights, play music, turn up the heat, lock the doors and arm the security system. Or, check in on your home from your smartphone, no matter where you are.

Being able to adjust temperature and lighting, check cameras, and unlock your front door from your smartphone is a wonderful convenience, but it's only the tip of the iceberg of what you can expect from a professionally designed and installed home automation system. So many options is SCARY!!

Home Automation can also be a GREAT tool for creating a SPOOKTACULAR set up for your Haunted Halloween Home! From automated lighting & music or singing pumpkins, to projection screen scenes. The possiblities can make your  nightmares.... I mean dreams come true! Click the links below & Check out some examples that are to DIE FOR :)

Thriller Light show: http://ow.ly/TXTq5      House projection: http://ow.ly/TXTvk                 Spooky effects: http://ow.ly/TXTzr            Singing pumpkins: http://ow.ly/TXTEH

 Everyone Here at iSS Hopes You Have A Frightfully Awesome Halloween!

♪ ♫ ♬ AMAZING AUDIO IN ANY ENVIRONMENT! ♪ ♫ ♬

If you want your sound systems to sound great no matter what type of space it is in, this amp is deifinitely the way to go! Heres why:

The new line of DSP amplifiers feature SONARC (Sonance Advanced Room Correction), which offers hundreds of presets designed specifically for Sonance speakers! They make it very easy to access with simple pull down menus. The presets enable effortless DSP without the need for additional hardware, software, and more importantly time. Additionally, should there be a need for further customization, SONARC provides options for that as well! 

Sometime Less can give you MORE!

How to Create an Outdoor AV Haven for all Seasons:

If you’re planning your new home, you’ve probably noticed that “interior” design has found its way outside. In modern homes, the backyard patio, deck or pool area can often be as elaborate as any inside space, sometimes incorporating a full kitchen, extensive seating and dining areas, and, of course, electronic entertainment. That means getting sound and video, normally enjoyed under the protection of a roof, safely outdoors. It also means being sure your AV equpiment is protected from the weather in all seasons.          

Outdoor Sound:

There are several approaches ranging from simply plopping down a wireless portable speaker that can be brought back inside when its too cold or the weather is bad to permanent, wired solutions.

The easiest way to get good sound outdoors today is with the new generation of high performance wireless speakers. Most use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi communication  to route Internet radio services like Pandora or your favorite playlists from your phone, tablet or computer to the speaker. Some of the newest and best options for this would be the Bose Soundlink II or one of there cheaper options might be the SoundLink Mini or SoundLink Color. Another great option would be the new Sonos Play:5 smart speaker. All have AMAZING sound and are the easiest route to go for sound. Keep in mind that Bluetooth transmission range usually tops out around 30 feet; Wi-Fi solutions will go farther.

For those looking for more permanent and wider range solutions, I recommend checking out Sonance's Landscape Series. Sonance Landscape Series is a totally scalable outdoor speaker system that delivers perfectly-even coverage and unbelievable sound quality throughout any sized space. SLS provides jaw-dropping sonic performance from small satellite speakers and below-ground subwoofers that are hidden completely out of sight amongst plants and under foliage.                  

Outdoor TVs & Screens:                

Enjoying your outdoor space can also mean watching television sports coverage by day and sharing a movie by night. Bringing video outside is more complicated than audio due to both the weather elements and the need to feed both audio and video signals along with AC power. If you only desire to keep an eye on the big game while you put away a few beers with the gang, most small indoor LCD televisions are light enough to carry outdoors in fair weather and plop down on the patio table. They can be easily brought back inside during inclimate weather or on colders days.

For a bigger screen and more permanent arrangement, you’re probably looking at investing in a dedicated, weatherproof outdoor television. Manufacturers like SunBrite and SEURA make LCD televisions up to 80 inches that are ensconced in housings designed to keep the elements (and animals) out and temperatures within normal operating range.           

 Want bigger? Of course, the ultimate outdoor big screen experience calls for home theater-style front projection, with a separate projector and screen. A permanent installation might involve the use of a glass rear-projection screen mounted on an exterior wall facing the outdoor viewing area. A dedicated projector shed can also be created with the screen mounted on the side facing a pool or patio area, though forced ventilation or even air-conditioning might be required to keep the projector cool. There are also companies like Camp Chef and Stuart Film Screen that provide easier options like The Outdoor Big Screen or Stuarts Outdoor Oasis Series Screens. These are the ultimate in portable screens!

Outdoor Control:     

Thanks to Control4 the options in automating & controling your outdoor oasis are practically unlimited now a days. There are also several great options that help you control things with just the touch of a button to help keep you cool in the summer, warm in the winter and protected from the elements. For example, we have a customer who has a mostly covered patio area but it is still subjected to the outdoors and the weather. For him we set it up so that at the touch of a button he is able to turn on and off heaters throughout the area, turn the outdoor fireplac eon and off, control the ceiling fans, and even bring down or put up bug screens surronding the space! Again the possibilites are endless!

Call us TODAY to Start Designing Your Own Outdoor Haven you Can ENjoy Year Round!