Save Time, Energy, and Money with Lighting that Manages Itself

You may think home automation is all about convenience and luxury. While that is undeniably true, automation also has real benefits in energy efficiency and security. Perhaps the one area of home automation that delivers on every one of these benefits is smart lighting control.

It may come as no surprise that smart lighting is the catalyst that gets homeowners to invest in other smart home features. Once people experience the added convenience and comfort, they want more! And more smart control brings increased benefits, as features like climate control, motorized shades, and automated AV management bring added convenience, luxury, and efficiency when it all works together.

Let’s explore some ways you can use lighting automation to simplify and enhance your Chicago, IL lifestyle.

These 6 Songs Can Give any System a Sonic Workout

Those of you with an audio obsession – often referred to as audiophiles – you are always on a quest for the perfect sound quality. Of course, you probably know it, but it's more of a journey than a destination. There's always some new amplifier, speaker, turntable, or piece of equipment that takes things up another notch, right?

There’s nothing wrong with your obsession. It’s what makes audiophilia a fun, if sometimes expensive, hobby. And isn’t it fun to hear your favorite music reproduced with the kind of impact and presence as if the artist or band is right there in the room playing just for you?

Most likely, when you audition new speakers you might want to buy, you have some go-to music that you know well that helps you evaluate how that new component will perform. That’s an excellent way to see if the new equipment will move the needle for you. Along that line, we’d like to suggest some songs that can help you evaluate your next high-end audio upgrade for your Chicago home. These were chosen for the way they push the envelope of a speaker and system’s capabilities. Ready to test these out? Let’s go!

New Lossless and High-Resolution Streaming Services Raise the Bar for Digital Music Sound Quality

To some audiophiles, streaming music has had a bad connotation. In large part, it has to do with services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music all using compressed audio formats for streaming to devices like mobile phones. Some audio purists only want to listen to lossless music or the warm analog sound of vinyl records.

You can't blame audiophiles for eschewing compressed music. They spend many thousands of dollars on their high-end audio systems, and good equipment exposes all the warts in heavily compressed music. If you’re a high-end audio enthusiast in Lincoln Park, IL, you want your system to sound as good as possible. But there's no denying the convenience of being able to call up most of the world's recorded music with a few taps on your smartphone or tablet.

Fortunately, after years of focusing on interfaces and easy access at the expense of audio quality, there is a return to the pursuit of better sound with digital music. Music services like Tidal, Amazon Music HD, and Qobuz are leading the way with lossless and high-resolution music, available for easy streaming. If you're still digging through racks of CDs, you may want to keep reading!

Gain More Flexibility and Security with Pro-Level Solutions

You don’t have to look hard these days for home security devices. A myriad of cameras, video doorbells, sensors, and other consumer electronic devices are available for do-it-yourself home security and surveillance.

So are these products effective home surveillance systems for your Chicago, IL home? The answer depends on your needs. The devil, as they say, is often in the details. We won't tell you these consumer solutions are not effective; they are. On the other hand, we'd like to point out some of the advantages you get with a professional-level solution. And, when consumer solutions start offering the level of features that professional solutions have, their pricing starts looking much more expensive as well.

Let's take a closer look and give you a better awareness of three critical features of home surveillance systems, which will help you make informed choices.