by Bob Archer | Jan 9, 2026 | Blog, KMB Communications, Kordz, Leon Speakers, RoseWater Energy, SONOS, Trade Show news
For most of us the holiday season goes holiday season goes by entirely too fast. For those in the technology industry, including the smart home and commercial AV markets, the end of the holiday season means the beginning of trade show frenzy season with several events set to take place in concurrent weeks.
Starting things off of course is the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) show with other shows such as Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), International Builders’ Show (IBS) that includes the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), and Lightapalooza 2026.
KMB Comm will have feet on the ground at both IBS and Lightapalooza supporting brands such as RoseWater Energy, Sonos, and Leon Speakers, and ISE lending support to Kordz and Sonos.
What’s Happening in the World of Consumer Electronics
Getting back to the start of the winter’s run of trade shows, there is news coming out from CES from all the major global brands that include LG and Samsung. Looking at audio, Ecoustics has an item from Onkyo’s CES announcement in which the popular company introduced a new line of compact, smart-home friendly amplifiers. The article points out this year marks Onkyo’s 80th anniversary, and the new Muse Network Streaming Amplifier Series includes the Y-40 and Y-50 models.
Check out the new Onkyo products here.
Over in the audiophile world, Future Audiophile has a product review on the VPI Signature 21. The review points out that VPI Industries was started in 1978 by Harry Weisfeld in Cliffwood, N.J. with the goal of selling turntable solutions to local audiophile hobbyists.
Fast forward to 2026, the review goes on to point out the company offers a complete line of turntables ranging from the $1,500 Traveler to the top-of-the-line Titan Direct that retails for $64,000.
To read the entire review for the $8,700 Signature 21 go here.
Rounding out the KMB Comm look at the residential side of the electronics industry is an Amazon Alexa item from LinkedIn.
According to the LinkedIn post, Amazon has introduced a new website that allows site visitors to interact with Amazon’s Alexa+ AI assistant. The post also includes news about other newly announced Amazon products.
To learn more about the browser-based version of Alexa AI+ go here.
Commercial AV News for the Week of Jan. 5
If you like the Star Trek franchise this story from SCN may be your favorite news item of the week. The story explains the German company UNWARE has launched its Holodeck portable VR CAVE that delivers cinema-grade immersive experiences that are inspired by the fictional show’s holodeck simulation room.
SCN notes the system includes a 6.5-foot high, 220-degree curved screen, spatial audio, and AI-powered body tracking.
Click the link to beam over to the UNWARE story on the SCN’s AVNetwork website.
KMB Comm National News Wrap Up
Earlier this week Yahoo Finance posted a story on the U.S. Midwest grid teaming up with the tech company Microsoft. The alliance between the parties will allow Microsoft to utilize its technologies in the Midcontinent Independent Operator grid that provides power for 42 million people in 15 states, as well as the Canadian province of Manitoba.
According to Yahoo Finance, the Microsoft technologies will be used to predict weather-related incidents, along with transmission line planning and other operational elements.
To read about the new Microsoft partnership, click this link.
Wrapping the KMB Comm Week in Review up, we thought we would take a bit of a diversion from electronics with a rundown of game times for the National Football League’s (NFL) Wildcard weekend.
NFL.com has the full slate of dates and game times on its website to help football fans plan their weekend of couch potato activities. Games this weekend include MVP (most valuable player) candidate Matthew Stafford and the L.A. Rams traveling to North Carolina to play the Panthers, then one of the league’s oldest rivalries with the Bears playing the Packers.
Sunday, the Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills travel down to Florida to play the Jacksonville Jaguars at 1 p.m. The 4:30 p.m. game features the champion Philadelphia Eagles taking on the San Francisco 49ers. The Sunday night primetime game features Drake Maye and the New England Patriots hosting the L.A. Chargers in Foxboro.
Concluding Wildcard weekend slate of games, the Houston Texas and the team’s number one ranked defense traveling to Pittsburgh to play Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers.
KMB Communications hosts a podcast called AV Trade Talk. Listeners can check out the podcast to learn about the latest happenings in the custom installation electronics industry. To listen to the KMB AV Trade Talk Podcast, click here.
by Bob Archer | Dec 15, 2025 | Blog, D-Tools, KMB Communications, Leon Speakers, Quantum Media, Somfy, SONOS, Torus Power, Wall-Smart
As 2025 draws to a close, it is time to take a look what KMB Communications (KMB Comm) has been doing to support its clients—and help to contribute to the smart home industry’s growth.
Led by founder and CEO Katye Bennett, the veteran public relations professional works closely with the popular smart home B2B (business-to-business) publication Residential Systems contributing monthly columns that focus on a range of topics.
KMB Comm’s Lisa Montgomery, another veteran market professional, has also written a range of content items for publications across the consumer electronics industry.
Highlighting Bennett and Montgomery’s contributions to the smart home industry in 2025, here’s a look at some of their articles.
A Look Back at KMB Comm’s Residential Systems Columns for 2025
Over the course of the year Bennett’s monthly column tackled a variety of topics to stir conversation, while providing thought leadership to help integrators streamline their businesses.
Here is a recap of the KMB Comm Residential Systems for 2025:
Highlighting a few of these columns, March’s “Outsmarted by a Smart Toilet” demonstrated that just because a product incorporates the latest technologies, it does not mean people will use the product if the solution isn’t intuitive to operate.
In May issue of Residential Systems, the KMB Comm column, “How to Stand Out in a Competitive Marketplace” looked at ways integration firms can make their businesses stand out. A few points of interest from the column include the importance of clear communications and the ability to deliver ongoing support and maintenance.
The column also provides examples of ways that integrators can validate their work to show potential clients their capabilities.
Towards the end of the year, the KMB Comm Residential Systems’ column, “From Browsing to Beling: Turning Clients into Community” examined why it is important for dealers to make clients feel like they are a part of something bigger.
The column makes the point that homeowners aren’t just buying a smart home system, they are buying integrators’ solutions and culture. Bennett recommends several ways that dealers can involve their clients in their communities—and most importantly make them feel like a valued member of a community.
Content for Other Media Companies
Montgomery has also been active throughout the year providing stories to publications that include CE Pro and Residential Systems.
Using her decades of industry experience, which include work at the consumer publication Electronic House, as well as the B2B publication CE Pro. Earlier this year Montgomery contributed an item to CE Pro on how to sell power management and energy storage, and just recently she contributed an item on high-performance, luxury home theater.
The KMB Comm account manager & copywriter’s contributions to Residential Systems includes an item on how to use the popular audio brand Sonos in light commercial environments such as restaurants and retail stores. Another interesting contribution Montgomery made to the large publication was a story on the rise in high-performance video walls in luxury home theaters.
In addition, the newest KMB Comm team member is former CE Pro staff member Bob Archer. Joining the team about a month ago, he had written a couple of noteworthy items for CE Pro earlier this year.
In the spring of 2025, he put together a story on the grassroots industry organization BIG AV. BIG AV’s goal is to provide more educational and employment opportunities to its diverse membership to help grow the smart home industry and fulfill its need for qualified labor. The other noteworthy story he wrote was the second annual CE Pro Women to Watch List for 2025. This story recognizes the contributions of women to the growth and prosperity of the smart home industry.
Of course, KMB Comm has its own website where visitors can learn about the PR firm’s roster of clients and what’s happening in the residential and commercial electronics industry. Go here to check out everything KMB Communications has to offer.
KMB Comm Sponsors CEDIA Awards
Helping to fuel the public relation firm’s profile within its core market, KMB Communications served as a sponsor for the CEDIA. The trade organization points out that KMB served as the headline sponsor for its 2025 Smart Home Awards, along with the firm’s clients that include Apex Technologies, Leon Speakers, Quantum Media Systems, Somfy, Torus Power, Wall-Smart, and D-Tools.
The awards recognize industry professionals that are driving current and future trends as the home technology market continues to evolve.
Commenting on the sponsorship of the annual CEDIA program, KMB Communications founder Katye Bennett emphasizes the awards provided her firm a platform to showcase its support of the smart home industry.
“At KMB, our support of the industry runs deep. So much so, that we were compelled to be the headline sponsor of the CEDIA Awards at CEDIA Expo. This provided us the opportunity to share who we are, what we do, and why we love and support the industry as we do—creating, distributing, sharing, and celebrating compelling content, creative, communications, and strategies for some of the best brands and people in the biz,” states Bennett.
“It was nerve-wracking at first [read the post on the event on LinkedIn] that was published in KMB’s feed the week after the show) but for me personally, it served as a career-defining moment. KMB turns 15 in 2026, and you will be hearing a lot more about our company, partners, offerings, and growth plan. Until then, you’re just going to have to wait eagerly …”
KMB Communications hosts a podcast called AV Trade Talk. Listeners can check out the podcast to learn about the latest happenings in the custom installation electronics industry. To listen to the KMB AV Trade Talk Podcast, click here.
by Bob Archer | Dec 3, 2025 | Blog, KMB Communications, Kordz, Leon Speakers, Somfy, SONOS
On the surface gift giving sounds easy, but for the person that seemingly has it all, gift giving can be difficult. Unless of course, they are living a smart home lifestyle.
Because of the nature of technology with it always moving forward, staying on top of the latest technologies and trends can be a losing battle, particularly in the fast-moving smart home industry.
The ever-evolving nature of smart home living provides an evergreen level of opportunity for family members and friends to find gifts for the hard to buy for people in their lives. Whether it’s something simple like a Netflix gift card to ease those streaming subscription burdens or something more elaborate, here are some suggestions to help family and friends lead a more tech-savvy lifestyle in 2026:
6 Smart Home Products for a Holly Jolly Holiday
Epson QB1000 4K Projector: The QB1000 is a part of the company’s recently released high-performance Q Series of products. Epson specifies the QB1000 to produce up to 3,300 lumens of color and white brightness to allow the projector to reside in dedicated home theaters and multipurpose rooms. The projector also provides HDR10+ compatibility, and technologies such as the company’s Epson QZX Picture Processor.
Kordz ONE Outdoor Speaker Cable: At the recent 2025 CEDIA Expo show in Denver Kordz featured several new products that included the ONE Outdoor Speaker Cable. Designed for use as an above-ground connectivity solution, the 14AWG speaker cable utilizes a UV-resistant outer jacket. Internally, the cable employs OFC copper connectors, and the company says the smart-home friendly outdoor cable is packaged in easy-to-pull boxes to facilitate termination in the field to allow for efficiency when setting up outdoor AV systems.
Leon Speakers Ente SoundTile: Leon Speakers is a defining smart home audio manufacturer, and a good example of the company’s heritage can be found with its Ente SoundTile. Combining art with audio, the product features a set of stereo speakers with the option of Sonos amplification. Homeowners can choose the Ente SoundTile’s artwork and the option of LED lighting to discreetly integrate audio into home environments.
Somfy Motorized Awnings: Earlier we noted the increase in popularity of outdoor technology solutions. Somfy’s Motorized Awning solutions are a good example of bringing the benefits of smart home living to outdoor spaces. Somfy’s motorized awnings offer users protection from the elements, and the products can be activated through a simple button push.
Sonos Ace Headphones: Often overlooked by music fans, the high performing Ace headphones offer a combination of active noise cancelling, immersive audio (Dolby Atmos), and the ability to complement users’ existing Sonos’ systems. The competitively priced headphones also provide up to 30 hours of battery life, and a choice of Bluetooth, USB-C, and 3.5mm connection options.
The Sonos Ace headphones are the perfect complement for smart home audio and travel. (photo credit: Sonos)
Torus Power TOT Series: The Canadian company’s compact line of power isolation and filtration products can bolster the performance of smart home components that include networking and AV gear. The TOT components like the rest of the Torus Power product line employ isolation transformers to eliminate line noise issues. The TOT Mini is rated at 7 amps, and it can be used with projectors, TVs, source components, and network products. The TOT Max is rated at 15 amps, and it can be used with amplifiers and subwoofers.
KMB Communications hosts a podcast called AV Trade Talk. Listeners can check out the podcast to learn about the latest happenings in the custom installation electronics industry. To listen to the KMB AV Trade Talk Podcast, click here.
by Bob Archer | Nov 20, 2025 | Apex Technologies, Blog, Kordz, Leon Speakers, SONOS, Torus Power
One of the most underappreciated American holidays is Thanksgiving. The fourth of July, Christmas, Labor Day and Memorial Day are popular because of gift giving, cookouts and beer. Naturally, people love to celebrate those days for all those reasons and more.
Thanksgiving however, is taken for granted in many cases. Kids are home from college, families gather or they simply stay home to enjoy a day of turkey, stuffing, potatoes, pies, cakes, cookies, and adult beverages with no second thought.
What makes Thanksgiving great is that regardless of whether you are a sports fan or not, you’re likely to turn to the TV and home AV system for some entertainment. Of course, the National Football League (NFL) offers a full schedule of football from about 1 p.m. to about 11:30 p.m., so that solves the question of entertainment for many people, but what options are there for those people that aren’t football, hockey or basketball fans.
Home AV Streaming Options for the Thanksgiving Holiday
Focusing on the NFL game action on Thanksgiving, the slate of football begins with the Green Bay Packers vs the Detroit Lions at 1 p.m on Fox. Following the Lions game, the Dallas Cowboys will then play the Kansas City Chiefs at 4:30 p.m. on CBS. Wrapping up the trio of games are the Cincinnati Bengals taking on the Baltimore Ravens at 8:20 p.m. on NBC.
Moving onto the streaming services, here are some movies and TV shows to check out on your home AV systems:
HBO Max: The latest “Planet of the Apes” movie, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” is now available on the service along with popular series that include, “It Welcome to Derry,” and “The Chair Company.”
HBO Max also has movies such as “Elf,” “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” and “Weapons.”
Disney+: The popular streaming service offers a wealth of content that is sure to provide a workout for a home AV system. Some of those titles include “The Fantastic 4: First Steps,” “Zootopia,” and “Avatar: The Way of the Water.”
Naturally, Disney+ provides a host of holiday titles such as, “A Very Jonas Christmas Movie” and “Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause.”
Prime Video: Amazon’s streaming service is available to anyone with a Prime account, and it offers a range of live sports, movies, documentaries, and TV shows. Some of the latest content options from Prime Video include the series “King Conqueror” and “Hazbin Hotel.” Movie options include classics such as “Uncle Buck,” recent blockbusters such as “Spider-Man: Coming Home,” and rental titles like “One Battle After Another.”
Netflix: Netflix, the largest streaming service is now offering shows such as “Death by Lightning,” “The Beast in Me,” “Stranger Things,” and the “Last Samurai Standing.” Movie choices include “Frankenstein,” “The Thursday Murder Club,” and “The Marksman.”
Component Recommendations to Foster Food Coma TV Binging
One of the fun things that attracts people to home AV as a hobby and/or as a means of entertainment is the fact that it provides an array of options to deliver those entertainment options.
Price while a factor is not the sole point in determining a home AV purchase. Ease-of-use, industrial design, and size are also factors. With these factors in mind, here are a few suggestions that can be used to help homeowners achieve their home AV entertainment goals:
Sonos Arc Ultra Soundbar: The fully featured Arc ($1,099 retail) is a popular choice for homeowners that want immersive audio in a solution that provides a room-friendly footprint. The Dolby Atmos immersive audio soundbar can be paired with other Sonos components such as its Sub 4 subwoofer and Era 100 speakers. An additional benefit with the Sonos ecosystem is that beyond its home theater capabilities, it also provides homeowners with the ability to stream and playback music as part of a whole-house audio system.
Leon Speakers TIMBRE TI44UX Speakers: The Mich.-based audio company Leon is known for its one-off custom speaker products, as well as its combination of design and audio technologies. The TIMBRE TI44UX ($2,750 per pair) is available in a list of standard finish and grille options, and the speakers are backed by Leon’s custom finish program. Internally, the speaker utilizes a 4-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter, and the speaker can be used as part of a full immersive audio system or as part of a stereo or 2.1 system when combined with a subwoofer.
Quantum Media Systems XDR4 8K Extreme LED Wall: At the top end of the home theater market there has been growing momentum for the use of custom video walls in home spaces. Quantum Media Systems’ newly announced XDR4 8K Extreme Video Wall is a custom solution that professional integrators can utilize to meet the performance goals of luxury consumers and enthusiasts. The XDR4 8K Extreme LED wall delivers DCI compliant images using proprietary image processing and panels that employ a 0.7mm pixel pitch.
Epson Lifestudio Flex Projector: Retailing for a price of about $780, the Lifestudio can be used to project images as large as 150 inches on walls and projection screens. The compact and affordable Epson projector incorporates the Google TV smart services operating system (OS), and it delivers 1080p HD images at brightness levels up to 700 lumens.
A couple of other points of interest that homeowners should consider for their home AV systems include power protection and quality infrastructure. Products from respected manufacturers such as Torus Power and Kordz, provide proven reliability and performance in environments such as recording studios, luxury home cinemas and other similar environments.
Check out this luxury theater installation from Global Wave Integration: From Set to Sofa: Quantum Media System’s DCI-Certified Video Wall Delivers True Hollywood Magic at Home
by KMB Communications | May 17, 2024 | Leon Speakers, News
Presented in partnership with Sony, Leon’s “Sound As Art” collection demonstrates how audio can contribute to—rather than detract from—the design of the surrounding space.
[Ann Arbor, Michigan, May 15, 2024] – Leon Speakers announced today its upcoming participation at the prestigious International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York City. Taking place from 5/19 to 5/21 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, ICFF serves as an ideal platform for Leon to share its innovative design-oriented audiovisual, framing, and art solutions to the global design community while leading the conversation between designers and integrators.
Leon’s Booth #563 is co-sponsored by partner Sony, who joined forces with Leon to showcase the Leon Studio Frame for Sony BRAVIA XR: a game-changing new way to transform Sony’s popular BRAVIA XR TV into a work of art.
“Our solutions have always been about merging design with technology,” said Noah Kaplan, Leon’s Founder and President. “This show represents an opportunity for us to bring AV integrators and designers together and demonstrate the power of that mindset from both sides. We hope that this collection will serve to show how audio can—and should—function as a crucial component of the design process.”
Leon will also be joined at ICFF 2024 by Mera Studio Architects, the Calgary-based architect and design firm with whom Leon has partnered on the development of the groundbreaking Mera Sound Sconce. Available now for pre-order, this highly anticipated solution represents a revolutionary fusion of high-performance sound, dimmable LED lighting, and artisan-inspired aesthetics.
In addition to the Mera Sound Sconce and Leon Studio Frame, Leon will be showcasing a diverse array of art-as-audio solutions, including the Ente SoundTile art speaker—a wall-mounted ultra-thin speaker whose grille doubles as a custom-printed work of art—and the iconic Elite moving art screen, which seamlessly reveals or conceals any TV behind a handcrafted frame and museum-quality giclée print.
Visitors to the Leon booth will explore simple solutions powered by Sonos, including the TcBar—a mounting solution designed to seamlessly incorporate an existing Sonos soundbar to match the width of the TV. Leon’s acclaimed Edge Media Frame delivers a craftsman-quality hardwood frame custom-built to the exact dimensions of any TV.
This showcase of cutting-edge AV solutions, designed to seamlessly integrate into any design, challenges both designers and integrators to go beyond the basics and toward a more comprehensive view of technology as informed by art and design.
“ICFF presents an unparalleled opportunity for us to engage with the design community and showcase the transformative power of AV in design,” adds Kaplan. “We look forward to igniting conversations, inspiring creativity, and forging meaningful connections.”
Leon invites attendees to visit their booth at ICFF 2024 to experience firsthand the harmony of design and technology, and to discover how Leon is leading the way in redefining the future of AV integration within the world of design.
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About Leon Speakers
Leon brings a creative approach to the AV industry by designing and manufacturing customizable speakers and technology concealment solutions that enhance the sound and style of any space. For over 25 years, they have been a leader in the conversation on merging design with technology, creating innovative products that serve both the Residential and Commercial markets. Learn more on their website.
All products, product names, trademarks, and registrations mentioned are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Media Contacts
Company Contact:
Carolyn Ceccoli
Sales & Marketing Director at Leon Speakers
(734) 926-4092
cceccoli@leonspeakers.com
