NuVo is previewing its Renovia powerline-based multiroom audio system, targeted to retrofit installs, and it’s unveiling its first wireless handheld controller for of its Grand Concerto and Essentia E6G multiroom audio system.
For the Renovia system, the company is showcasing prototype components, which are designed to create a multiroom-audio system without integration with the company’s existing hard-wired systems. After the Expo, the company will put the system through field tests before shipping final product. A timetable wasn’t announced.
The system consists of a hub that distributes up to six audio sources to up to 12 zones. A powerline-receiver/audio amplifier mounts inside a wall in the remote room and taps into the home’s powerline. The receiver/amp in turn connects to an in-wall keypad and to custom-installed speakers.
Additional details were unavailable.
“The custom installation industry must increase and sharpen its focus on the retrofit market,” a spokesperson said. “We are previewing Renovia technology in an effort to educate and initiate discussions with installers about the Renovia system and how it will fit into their changing business models.”
The wireless handheld controller for the Grand Concerto and Essentia E6G systems is a 5-inch by 2-inch by 1-inch two-way RF remote that lets users control any zone from any room in the house. It displays metadata and source feedback on its 1.6-inch OLED screen, which measures 5 by 2 by 1 inch. The RF technology uses the IEEE 802.15.4 personal area network (PAN) standard, whose range is up to 200 feet.
The wireless control pad is targeted to homeowners who don’t want an in-wall control panel in every room, who have outdoor locations where an in-wall pad can’t be installed easily, and who have rooms where brick or concrete walls make it difficult to install a wired in-wall controller.
Pricing was unavailable.