The Beyond Audio Blog
Articles on the products and ideas behind the world's most demanding home systems. Written by the team in Scottsdale.
Power Window Shades: A Practical Buyer's Guide
Motorized shades are a practical upgrade for any home with significant glazing. This guide covers what to consider before you buy…
Outdoor Entertainment: What Makes Systems Survive Monsoon + 115°F
Arizona's outdoor environment — extreme heat, UV, and monsoon humidity — destroys equipment that isn't built for it. Here's how…
Coastal Source: Outdoor Audio Built for Desert and Lakeside Environments
Coastal Source designs outdoor speakers and landscape audio systems for the harshest environments. Here's what makes them the…
AV Pro Edge: HDMI Infrastructure That Holds 4K Matrices Together
AV Pro Edge builds the HDMI extension, matrix switching, and distribution hardware that keeps 4K signals stable across large…
Kaleidescape vs. Streaming: Why Collectors Still Buy Local 4K
Streaming is convenient, but it isn't the same as local playback. Here's why serious home theater owners still choose…
Anthem Amp & Processor: The Case for Separates in Luxury Theaters
An Anthem separates stack — dedicated processor plus dedicated power amplification — is the foundation of a reference-quality…
James Loudspeaker Outdoor: Weather-Engineered Audio for AZ Patios
James Loudspeaker builds outdoor speakers designed to handle Arizona heat, dust, and monsoon humidity without compromise. Here's…
Holiday Lighting + Lutron: Scenes for November Through January
Lutron lighting control makes the holiday season easier to manage — from November dinner parties to January transitions. Here's…
Summer Outdoor Audio Setup for Arizona Patios
Summer in Arizona means long evenings on the patio. Here's how to build an outdoor audio setup that performs well in the heat and…
Service Plans Explained: Concierge, Platinum, Gold & Silver
Beyond Audio's service plans give your smart home system the ongoing support it needs. Here's what each tier delivers and how to…
Why We Go Wired Over Wireless (When It Matters)
Wireless is convenient. Wired is reliable. Here's how we decide which infrastructure gets a physical cable and why some things…
Networking for 4K AV-over-IP: Bandwidth, Latency & VLANs
A 4K AV-over-IP distribution system makes extraordinary demands on your network infrastructure. Here's what the network needs to…
Video Surveillance for Luxury Homes: Privacy, Perimeter & Cellular Fallback
A properly designed surveillance system for a luxury home balances comprehensive coverage with privacy, reliability, and cellular…
The Complete Guide to Projectors & Screens for a Luxury Home Theater
Aspect ratio, throw and seating distance, perforated vs. solid screens, laser vs. lamp, lumens, contrast, nits, lighting, and…
Lighting Control Options: Wired vs. Wireless on Crestron, Control4 & Lutron
All three major platforms — Crestron, Control4, and Lutron — offer both panelized (wired) and wireless lighting. Here is how to…
Lighting Control: Beyond Switches — Scenes, Schedules, Mood
Lighting control is about more than turning lights on and off remotely. Here's what a properly designed system actually delivers…
Camo Mode: The Luxury Video Wall That Disappears Into the Architecture
A direct-view LED video wall hidden inside a custom feature wall — invisible until game time. How camouflaged video walls work,…
How Big Should Your TV Be? A Luxury Great-Room Sizing Guide
Most luxury great rooms have a TV that's too small. Here's how to size a television to your viewing distance and feature wall —…
Wired vs. Wireless: Why a Cat6 Backbone Is the Right Foundation for Your Luxury Smart Home
A wired Cat6/Cat6A backbone is the single highest-ROI decision for a luxury smart home, and here is exactly why wireless should…
Home Theater Speaker Setup: 5.1 vs 7.1 vs 9.1 and Dolby Atmos
Confused by 5.1, 7.1, 9.1, and Atmos numbers like 7.2.4? Here's a clear buyer's guide to choosing the right theater speaker…
Home Theater Design 101: 5 Decisions That Define the Room
A great home theater starts with five foundational decisions made before a single product is selected. Getting these right…
AudioControl Room Correction: Making Real-World Rooms Sound Right
Room acoustics affect what you hear as much as your speakers do. AudioControl's room correction technology fixes the room's…
madVR Envy: What a Video Processor Actually Does for Your Theater
A video processor like the madVR Envy takes what your source outputs and makes it look better on your screen. Here's what that…
Pakedge vs. Araknis: Which Network Family Fits Which Install
Pakedge and Araknis are both Snap One networking brands, but they serve different project profiles. Here's how we choose between…