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CES 2015
OOMI Cube Aims to Streamline Smart Home Setup
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Jan 08, 2015
Most of the current DIY smart home automation systems suffer from multiple drawbacks, many of which become apparent during the setup of the smart home hub and identifying the smart devices in the system. When it comes to market, OOMI’s Cube is designed to change all that.

The OOMI Cube is the heart of the...

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CEDIA 2013
Opalum Enjoys a Cool BREEZE
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 28, 2013
Scandinavian speaker maker Opalum showed off the company’s chameleon-like BREEZE.1010 digitally amplified on-wall speakers. The design of the new speakers is very similar to Opalum’s FLOW.1010; but, in a addition to the incorporation of a slightly less costly set of 10 two-inch drivers aligned in two parallel columns along the front of the speaker baffle, the BREEZE.1010 uses high-density felt faceplate panels that can be quickly interchanged (Opalum says in less than one minute) without tools.
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On-Wall Speaker Reviews
Opalum Flow.1010 On-Wall Speaker System
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Aug 09, 2013
Performance
Build Quality
Value
Price: $4,747 as reviewed ($2,499/pair) At A Glance: Transmits digital audio and power over 18-gauge wire • 24-volt DC low-voltage wiring • Can be used vertically or horizontally

I worked at an A/V shop back in the Middle Ages when customers actually drove to a local store and spoke with a salesperson face to face about the gear they were interested in. Every now and then during that golden era, a speaker manufacturer would come along with the “revolutionary” idea of building an amplifier(s) into a speaker. With all the benefits that came with such a design, it seemed like such a no-brainer.

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CEDIA 2016
Origin Acoustics Adds Speakers, Amps, and Enclosures
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 14, 2016
As has become standard practice, architectural speaker company, Origin Acoustics, announced a slew of new products and initiatives at this afternoon’s press conference, including a preview of products that will be part of an exclusive, co-branded line of architectural speakers with Bang & Olufsen. Rather than attempt to make architectural speakers invisible, the new Origin Acoustics/B&O speakers will incorporate extremely attractive, specially designed grilles that match the typical aesthetics found in traditional B&O products.

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CEDIA 2015
Origin Acoustics Continues to Be Original
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Oct 14, 2015
Jeremy Burkhardt took the stage today on the eve of CEDIA Expo to introduce multiple new products for the already massive Origin Acoustics architectural speaker product line. Notable among the bunch are two in-ceiling subwoofers that use a flexible “bass tube” to port bass from a separate enclosure containing dual-voice-coil 6” or 8” long throw subwoofers...
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In-Wall Speaker Reviews
Origin Acoustics Director D108 In-Ceiling Speaker Review
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Nov 05, 2015

Performance
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $1,600 each, $14,400 as reviewed

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Tool-free twist-lock mounting
10-inch woofer fits an 8-inch cutout
Aimable tweeter and midrange
Minus
Requires 7.5 inches of mounting depth
Wants lots of power
Raised soundstage

THE VERDICT
No in-ceiling architectural speaker is perfect, but the D108 comes stunningly, spectacularly close.

Love him, hate him, or simply wonder what’s up with all the tattoos, there’s no denying the fact that Jeremy Burkhardt is one of those distinct personalities who has had a profound effect on the custom audio/video industry. Then again, he may be someone you’ve never heard of, unless you’re in the custom installation business. Unlike other notables—such as Polk, Carver, and Bose—Burkhardt isn’t the name of a speaker brand. Nevertheless, if you’ve listened to a set of in-wall or in-ceiling speakers, especially one of the bazillion or more models SpeakerCraft has produced over the past 25 years (including tons built for other brands), you’ve felt—or, rather, heard—Burkhardt’s influence on architectural audio.

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In-Wall Speaker Reviews
Origin Acoustics/Bang & Olufsen BOC106 In-Ceiling Speaker Review
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Aug 29, 2017

Performance
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $1,595/each ($7,975 as reviewed)

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Zip-Cliq mount for easy install
IPX6 rated for use in high-moisture locations
10-inch woofer
Optional billet aluminum Advanced Grille
Minus
Expensive

THE VERDICT
The overhead fruit of Bang & Olufsen’s partnership with Origin Acoustics combines superior, finessed sound quality with remarkably refined looks for any ceiling.

Although the story of its beginning may sound like it, Bang & Olufsen isn’t one of those up-and-coming startups that briefly create a lot of noise and then are never heard from again. B&O’s is a classic tale, though. Two engineers, Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen, tinkering in the Olufsen family’s attic (not garage) in Struer, Denmark, start building and selling radios. They didn’t do a Kickstarter campaign because, well, it was 1925, and Kickstarter hadn’t been kickstarted yet. The fledgling company’s first “commercially viable” product was the ominous-sounding B&O Eliminator, a device that allowed a radio to run off of AC (alternating current) from a wall outlet instead of DC (direct current) from expensive batteries. This early innovation set the tone for Bang & Olufsen ever since: be innovative, use quality materials, and above all (some would argue), do things your own (e.g., the Bang & Olufsen) way.

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CEDIA 2011
Out of the Woodwork
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 10, 2011
Once a pioneer of the home AV furniture world, the venerable CWD brand has been resurrected by one of the company’s original founders. But where the original CWD furniture was almost exclusively RTA (ready to assemble) – I think we called it “knockdown” back then – the current iterations are pre-configured and shipped mostly assembled. In other words, they’re more along the lines of fine traditional furniture rather than just an AV rack. The cabinets don’t include any particle board pieces, and each unit has a multitude of AV-friendly features such as generous ventilation and cable management. Customers who’d like to configure and price a unit for themselves can visit imagecraftersinc.com and use the online configuration tool.
CEDIA 2013
Outdoor Light and Sound
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 26, 2013
I spent some time in the Coastal Source booth getting the scoop on the Florida-based company’s interesting assortment of landscape lighting products, as well as its Turtle Audio System. The system starts with a rectangular fiberglass shell that holds a down-firing 10” JL Audio marine-grade woofer, a 500-watt marine-grade amp with a built-in electronic crossover, plus an Apple AirPort Express. By adding one, two, or three 150W DC power supplies, the internal amplifier in the sub enclosure can power from two to 16 satellite speakers.

Multi-satellite systems with the Turtle sub start around $5,000.

Audio Video News
Outlaw Shoots for Your Shelf
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Mar 19, 2007
According to Outlaw Audio, exceptional consumer demand is the reason why it is now offering its first not-a-subwoofer loudspeaker. Calls for transducers from these electronics producers increased dramatically following the introduction of the company's not-multichannel RR 2150 Retro Receiver.
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