Bose brought its SoundTouch wireless-multiroom audio technology to the custom-install channel with the launch of a single-zone amplifier/streamer equipped with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
The $499 2×100-watt SA5 drives two speakers or two pairs of speakers in parallel. It can be used to drive in-wall and in-ceiling speakers as well as outdoor speakers.
Also at the CEDIA Expo, Bose:
— said it opened up its SoundTouch API to enable control of SoundTouch products from home-control systems,
–and unveiled its first four in-wall and in-ceiling speakers with narrow bezels.
Like Bose’s SoundTouch-equipped speakers, soundbars, and home theater systems, the SA-5 amp features embedded vTuner Internet Radio, Pandora, Spotify, Deezer, and iHeart, with SiriusXM coming early next year. SoundTouch products also stream music from networked computers and NAS drives as well as from Bluetooth-equipped mobile devices. The Bluetooth streams can be rebroadcast to other SoundTouch products.
With the addition of the SA-5 amp, consumers can use Bose’s iOS or Android app to control a home-wide SoundTouch system consisting of a mix of SA-5 amps, soundbars, and home theater systems.
The amp can be mounted in multiple locations ranging from a closet in the room where it will be used, in the room’s ceiling, or in a central equipment rack with other SA5 amps. If mounted in the room where it will be used, it can be connected to other local audio sources, including TVs, via its three analog inputs. The aux inputs can be selected from the SoundTouch app.
To integrate home-control systems with the amp and other SoundTouch products, Bose released its SoundTouch API so that home-control suppliers can build SoundTouch drivers. Drivers are already available for Key Digital, RTI, Staples Connect, and SmartThings home-automation systems. Drivers are also in the works from Control4, Crestron, Elan g!, URC, and AMX.
The drivers enable the companies’ home-automation apps to control the most common SoundTouch functions: volume, play, pause, skip, presets, and zones.
