Crestron Bows IP-Based Audio Solution; Inks Speaker Partnership With Origin

Crestron partnered with Origin Acoustics on a co-branded line of in-wall, in-ceiling and landscape speakers, it said Monday. The control company also announced the DM NAX matrix/amplifier and streaming music player for high-performance audio-over-IP and native integration with the Crestron Home platform. Partnering with Origin allowed Crestron to fill a need in the residential market for a “no-compromise” solution combining speakers and distributed audio that “scales across project sizes,” said John Clancy, Crestron vice president-residential. The company identified a gap in the market for an audio solution that could “fully integrate into a smart home platform" and provide high-resolution and high-output audio for discerning audiophiles, he said. Clancy told us Crestron has had numerous audio and video distribution solutions over the years, and its NVX video distribution system “defines the industry standard.” The company sees an opportunity to do the same with audio via DM NAX, he said. Crestron will continue to work with other third-party partners, he said, “but market shifts and advancement in audio-over-IP technology has seen increasing demand from custom integrators for solutions that work actively with our systems,” he said: The development of DM NAX and work with Origin on the speakers created an “integrated high-performance solution that has been missing from the market.” The speaker line divides into two performance series: Reference and Ultimate. The baseline Reference tier of in-ceiling, in-wall and landscape models have Origin’s patented silk tweeters and glass fiber drivers. The step-up Ultimate speakers use carbon-fiber components and ceramic-coated aluminum tweeters; it also has a marine-grade option. The DM NAX matrix/amplifier line offers native connectivity with music streaming services Pandora, Sirius XM and iHeartRadio, with "more to come," said a spokesperson. Crestron Residential Speakers made by Origin Acoustics are due to ship in April; the Crestron DM NAX line is slated for early June. Preorders for both product lines begin March 30. Several distributed audio companies have teamed with speaker makers over recent years. Control4 bought Triad before its acquisition by SnapAV. The SnapAV website said Monday Triad’s “fully custom high-performance speakers are coming soon.” And Sonos inked a partnership with Dana Innovations in 2018 for co-branded Sonos and Sonance architectural speakers, also for the custom channel.