CE Pro April 2023 - 17

provided some incredibly
immersive audio effects as
well, with the auto-calibration
via Digital Cinema Auto
Calibration IX having dialed
in a very impactful experience
when sitting at the
center of the theater.
Then everything turned
over to the 360 Reality Audio
demonstration. Having
mostly used this technology
in its headphones up to this
point, the ES receiver is the
first time Sony has dipped
into creating immersive
audio environments in a
physical space. While there
are limitations (there's a
specific format that songs
need to be recorded in to
work with the feature), you
can still color me impressed
on the implementation.
Having come from a
wellness background, spatial
audio is something that,
while deeply rooted in
creating immersive environments
(something I believe
every AV integrator wants
to create), has mostly stayed
within the commercial
sphere. Now, having seen,
and experienced, what Sony
is doing here, I find myself
very excited for the future
of home audio, especially as
more artists begin recording
in this 360 Reality format.
Circling back to the greater
emphasis Sony put on
the custom install channel,
the ES receiver comes with
many built-in integrations.
With custom drivers for RTI,
Savant, Crestron Home,
Control4 and Elan to make
setup and integration simpler
than ever before, the ES
series are also the first products
from Sony to include
cepro.com
Works With Sonos.
Sony stated that this new
addition to receivers allows
wireless Sonos devices to
connect directly to the
receiver. When placed on
the same network as the
receiver, integrators can easily
connect wireless Sonos
speakers in a process that
takes roughly 15-20 minutes,
according to Sony.
By integrating with OvrC,
integrators can also wirelessly
set-up, monitor and
repair any issues customers
may end up having with the
receiver without sending
someone out in person.
Control4 integrations,
meanwhile, offer a secret installer
dashboard that even
comes with instructions for
first-time installers on the
setup of the device within
the system.
We also got to taste the
versatility of the ES series
from fulfilling luxury clients'
full home setups to satisfying
audiophiles with some
smart devices also present.
In the lower section of the
demo home, Savant showed
how the receiver could
work within the company's
sophisticated whole-house
control system, while also
incorporating cleanly in with
many of its Cync products
thanks to Alexa.
These partnerships, Sony
says, are what it wants to
emphasize as being a core
strength of the new ES
receiver line, and I can see
it. In the age of post-Matter,
interoperability is the feature
everyone expects in the
smart home, and installers
expect that interoperability
to come headache free.
Camara Steps Down
as AudioControl
President
AAMP GLOBAL announced that Alex Camara will be leaving
his position as Executive Vice President of AAMP Global
and President of AudioControl to pursue new opportunities,
effective March 1, 2023. Camara will remain a shareholder
in AAMP Global and an observer to the company's
board of directors.
Camara acquired AudioControl in 2013, advancing the
company to one of the most trusted and relied-upon suppliers
in both the professionally installed home entertainment
and 12-volt automotive aftermarket channels. Under
Camara's leadership, AudioControl consistently experienced
double-digit growth while simultaneously garnering
numerous awards for design innovation, product quality and
outstanding customer service.
Based in Seattle for over 45 years, AudioControl is the
No. 3 brand in the 2022 CE Pro 100 Brand Analysis for home
theater processors (33% market share), the No. 6 brand for
AVRs (32% market share) and the No. 6 brand for amplifiers
(37% market share).
" I am not retiring, " Camara tells CE Pro emphatically. " The
timing just makes sense for me to create some 'white space,'
take some time to decompress with my family and look for
new opportunities. I am an entrepreneur at heart so I will
be looking to find an opportunity and grow the business. I
remain very supportive of AAMP's strategy and I am staying
vested with the company as a shareholder. AAMP has integrated
the car technology business and home technology
business together very well. "
Right now, Camara does not have any particular opportunity
in his sights, but he noted that he loves the custom
electronics industry and
technology.
AAMP Global acquired
AudioControl in April 2022
with the goal of leveraging
numerous market and
operating synergies between
the two businesses. In the
past year, Camara has worked
with the AudioControl and
AAMP Global teams to help
integrate and drive the 12-volt
business, while also leading
AudioControl's residential and
commercial audio business.
Under Alexa Camara,
AudioControl consistently
experienced
double-digit growth.
April 2023 CE Pro | 17
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CE Pro April 2023

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