CE Pro May 2021 - 16

INTERVIEW
Audio+Video

Franco D'Ascanio
President, Coastal Source
How has the coronavirus pandemic impacted Coastal
Source, and how has the company adjusted to what is
becoming the " new normal " now more than a year later?
We are fortunate, actually. Our outdoor audio and lighting
systems can be fully integrated with the home's interior
systems, or completely standalone, meaning nobody needs to
enter the home to set up a Coastal Source standalone system.
This removes any concern from the homeowner and that
barrier to entry.
Obviously, the increase in home and outdoor living
enhancements has had a positive effect on business.
With people rediscovering their home electronics,
where do categories such as outdoor lighting and AV fit in
to the mix as residential systems surge in popularity?
Healthly living and being in the open air is a trend that will
continue. We know that integration clients are interested in
creating restorative respites and at-home outdoor experiences
to effectively boost a person's mood. A well-maintained outdoor living area that considers all the senses, especially sound,
becomes a sanctuary created for enjoying downtime and also
making memories with family and friends.
Are there any differences or special considerations
specifying interior vs. outdoor lighting? How does Coastal
Source help integrators spec outdoor lighting?
Yes, there are huge differences in specifying and implementation. Indoor lighting requires much more planning, management and craftsmanship. When you're dealing with an interior
ceiling, generally the interior designer, contractor, project
manager, electrician and HVAC contractor all have their space,
territory and input, not to mention conflicts in those same
areas. Outdoor lighting involves a much smaller group of participants and has more flexibility.
A simple example: Say a change needs to be made or a
fixture moved. With our Coastal Source fully engineered systems and our patented Plug+Play Outdoor Cabling System,
it's a matter of minutes, not hours like it would be on an
indoor project.
Looking at the outdoor audio category, does Coastal
Source provide the same level of dealer support to help
dealers install these systems - especially dealers who are

new to the outdoor technology market?
Yes, as most integrators know, Coastal Source goes about system design and engineering differently than most. Not for the
sake of being different, but our aim is to offer installing dealers
and their clients higher fidelity, SPLs [sound pressure levels],
reliability, profitability and repeatability with our catalog of
products. And, although our systems are simpler to install,
they are different.

" Our in-house professional
design services provide
[integrators] with full
support from the conceptual
design/specification stage all the
way through the fully engineered,
end-to-end system documentation
and proposal stage. "
Our installing dealers tell us that our in-house professional design services known as CS | DS, provide them with full
support from the conceptual design/specification stage all the
way through the fully engineered, end-to-end system documentation and proposal stage.
Are there any new products dealers should be aware of
to grow their business?
The luxury market is hot, so we are pleased to share that our
unparalleled Line Source outdoor speakers, 18.0 high-output
subwoofer, matching amplification and Uni-Connect cabling
systems have started shipping. As many know, our current
outdoor audio line has set the standard in high-fidelity
outdoor audio. The Line Source system sets an entirely new
standard for outdoor sound reproduction. For homeowners
looking to achieve concert quality sound with unrivaled outdoor coverage, this system offers a uniquely superior outdoor
audio system that goes the distance.
On the outdoor lighting side, we've introduced an elegant,
contemporary series with Match Light featuring a flexible Gimbal LED Module. This spring, we'll be rolling out our Niche Flex
line including pre-assembled models of our best-selling Niche
modular components.

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CE Pro May 2021

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