Rancho Santa Fe Flat Screen TV installation

If you are reading this article, you're in luck. You've probably found it difficult to find a home theater store in San Diego as many businesses have gone away. Not us! We've been around for 10 years and our specialities are audio/video sales, installation and service. There are some reasons to choose us for your flat screen installation:

Do you love music? The way the we enjoy music has changed over the years. Whereas we used to pop in a CD to listen to our favorite tunes, these days wireless sound systems have become all the rage. These devices allow you to control many of your favorite sources such as Pandora Internet radio, Spotify, any music that is on your phone, local AM/FM, etc. with your phone or tablet. However, there are many choices so which one should you choose? We're going to detail 2 two brands that we feel are the best you can buy. Read on for the pros and cons of Definitive Technology vs. Sonos. UPDATE AS OF 07/24/2020. SEE OUR NOTES BELOW RE: APP FUNCTIONALITY.

UPDATE AS OF 1/31/2022: DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY HAS NOW BECOME A PART OF SOUND UNITED. THIS PARTNERSHIP IS ALLOWING THE DEF TECH PLAYERS TO NOW USE HEOS INSTEAD OF PLAY-FI. THIS IS A BIG WIN IN OUR OPINION. SEE OUR VIDEO IN THE LINK BELOW THAT DETAILS SONOS VS HEOS AND THE PROS AND CONS OF THE TWO FORMATS.

 SONOS VS HEOS

Sonos: Sonos is the most popular offering in today's wireless systems and they have been providing these options for longer than any other manufacturer.

Definitive Technology: Definitive Technology is a renowned speaker company that has entered this wireless arena with their own line of audio products.

Pros of Sonos: Sonos has partnered with more companies than anyone else. What this means to you is that you have more music options with Sonos than with any other company. If you want the greatest number of choices for music, Sonos is what we recommend. Sonos also has fantastic after-market support. With wireless devices like Sonos and others, the wireless environment in your home can affect how well these devices work. If you have a house full of technology and many Sonos devices to boot, there can be times where support is required to determine why your system may not work as advertised. Sonos has great technicians that can "see" what is going on in your home to optimize your listening experience.

Pros of Definitive Technology: Sound quality! In our opinion, the Definitive Technology components sound MUCH better than Sonos at the same price point. Tests in our office between the Definitive Technology WAMP and the Sonos CONNECTAMP (these are both wireless music players that have amps built-in to power your speakers) instantly illustrated that the Def Tech WAMP was louder, cleaner and provided better bass. We also were fans of Definitive Technology's portable models (W7 and W9) over the Sonos option (PLAY5). We also liked the fact that when your phone or tablet goes to sleep that you can still control your Definitive Technology device whereas with the Sonos you have to go into your device to wake it up before you can control your Sonos piece. Ex: You are using the device in your Gym. A song comes on that makes you sleepy. With Def Tech, you can instantly skip over that track. With Sonos, you can't until you open your device up.

To sum it up, go with Sonos if you want the most choices for music or if you have more than 5 of these units throughout the house. Choose Definitive Technology if you want the BEST sound quality and if you like being able to control your music without having to wake up your devices constantly.

Want to check these out? We have both brands on display and any of our team can take you through the different options to determine which is best for you. Give us a call, make an appointment to meet and find out why Aire Theater Designs is San Diego's Sonos and Definitive Technology favorite dealer.

UPDATE AS OF 07/24/2020: SOME THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE WE ORIGINALLY WROTE THIS ARTICLE. SONOS NOW HAS WHAT THEY CALL THE SONOS AMP WHICH IS A MORE POWERFUL OFFERING (125 WATTS x 2). THIS UNIT OFFERS BETTER SOUND THAN THEIR OLD UNIT (CONNECTAMP). SONOS HAS A MUCH BETTER FUNCTIONING APP AND THIS ALONE IS THE REASON THAT WE'D RECOMMEND USING SONOS OVER DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY. EX: I AM USING THE DEF TECH APP AT THIS MOMENT TO CONTROL SPOTIFY. AT LEAST HALF OF THE TIME WHEN I TURN THE VOLUME DOWN ONE TOUCH, IT GOES DOWN ALL THE WAY. FRUSTRATING. THE DEF TECH APP ALSO IS INTERMITTENT IN GIVING ME PLAY/PAUSE CONTROLS WHEN MY PHONE TIMES OUT. THIS MEANS THAT I HAVE TO OPEN MY PHONE AGAIN, ENTER THE PASSWORD, ETC. BEFORE I CAN MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THE EXISTING MUSIC. DID I MENTION NO BASS/TREBLE CONTROLS OR VOLUME LIMITING IN THE DEF TECH APP? THE LATTER MEANS THAT I CAN'T GET THE DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY APP TO GET TO A MODERATE VOLUME LEVEL. IT IS EITHER TOO LOUD OR TOO SOFT. IN OUR HUMBLE OPINION, GO WITH SONOS AND BUY IT FROM US...SAN DIEGO SONOS EXPERTS. If you aren't in Southern California, please consider purchasing Sonos through the Crutchfield links below. We make a small commission via this medium and this helps support our video channel AND will let us go out to lunch. THANKS!

✅ Sonos AMP 125 watts X 2: https://www.gopjn.com/t/1-9448-301982-9448?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.crutchfield.com%2FI-rppjc15UE%2Fp_616AMP%2FSonos-Amp.html

✅ Sonos ARC soundbar in BLACK: https://www.pntra.com/t/1-9448-301982-9448?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.crutchfield.com%2FI-rppjc1A1R%2Fp_616ARCBK%2FSonos-Arc-Black.html

✅ Sonos ARC soundbar in WHITE: https://www.pjtra.com/t/1-9448-301982-9448?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.crutchfield.com%2FI-rppjc1A1Q%2Fp_616ARCWH%2FSonos-Arc-White.html

✅ Sonos BEAM soundbar in BLACK: https://www.pntrac.com/t/1-9448-301982-9448?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.crutchfield.com%2FI-rppjc1D94%2Fp_616BEAM2BK%2FSonos-Beam-Gen-2-Black.html

✅ Sonos BEAM soundbar in WHITE: https://www.pntrac.com/t/1-9448-301982-9448?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.crutchfield.com%2FI-rppjc1D93%2Fp_616BEAM2WH%2FSonos-Beam-Gen-2-White.html

✅ Sonos PORT streaming pre-amp: https://www.pntrac.com/t/1-9448-301982-9448?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.crutchfield.com%2FI-rppjc18DH%2Fp_616PORT1BK%2FSonos-Port.html

✅ Sonos MOVE portable speaker in BLACK: https://www.pntrs.com/t/1-9448-301982-9448?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.crutchfield.com%2FI-rppjc18DI%2Fp_616MOVEBK%2FSonos-Move-Black.html

✅ Sonos MOVE portable speaker in WHITE: https://www.pntrs.com/t/1-9448-301982-9448?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.crutchfield.com%2FI-rppjc1A8S%2Fp_616MOVEWH%2FSonos-Move-Lunar-White.html

✅ Sonos ROAM portable speaker in BLACK: https://www.pntrac.com/t/1-9448-301982-9448?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.crutchfield.com%2FI-rppjc1BWN%2Fp_616ROAMBK%2FSonos-Roam-Black.html

✅ Sonos FIVE best streaming speaker in BLACK: https://www.gopjn.com/t/1-9448-301982-9448?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.crutchfield.com%2FI-rppjc1A1S%2Fp_616SONOS5B%2FSonos-Five-Black.html

✅ Sonos FIVE best streaming speaker in WHITE: https://www.gopjn.com/t/1-9448-301982-9448?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.crutchfield.com%2FI-rppjc1A1V%2Fp_616SONOS5W%2FSonos-Five-White.html

San Diego Home Theater Installers Aire Theater Designs proudly serves all of San Diego County which includes Del Cerro, Allied Gardens, Talmadge, Kensington, Hillcrest, Mission Valley, Fashion Valley, El Cajon, Blossom Valley, La Mesa, Lake Murray, Friars, North Park, Balboa Park, Clairemont, Kearny Mesa, Mission Bay, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Point Loma and Downtown San Diego. We also gladly serve those in North San Diego County which includes Carlsbad, San Marcos, Vista CA, Elfin Forest, Oceanside, Torrey Pines, Alta Del Mar, Carmel Valley, Carmel Mountain, Coronado, Fairbanks Ranch, Escondido, Encinitas, Cardiff by the Sea, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, 4S Ranch, Santaluz, La Jolla, Poway, and Rancho Bernardo. Need help in Murrieta, Wildomar, Temecula, Fallbrook or Bonsall...we're there too. Home by Lennar, Shea, Pardee or other builders? We can help!

We just heard the news that a local audio/video business, Pacific Sales, has closed their home theater division. If you are a client of theirs that needs help with your products or if you have just purchased something from them and you need installation or support, give us a call! We are proud dealers of many of the same lines they carried including:

TVs: Sony, Samsung

Audio/video receivers: Yamaha, Denon, Pioneer Elite

Speakers: Monitor Audio, Martin Logan, Definitive Technology

We can also provide solutions that they didn't carry such as universal remotes, lighting control for your home, surveillance cameras for your home or business and much more. Interested? Give us a call and find out why Aire Theater Designs is San Diego's home theater installation and audio visual company.

San Diego Home Theater Installers Aire Theater Designs proudly serves all of San Diego County which includes Del Cerro, Allied Gardens, Talmadge, Kensington, Hillcrest, Mission Valley, Fashion Valley, El Cajon, Blossom Valley, La Mesa, Lake Murray, Friars, North Park, Balboa Park, Clairemont, Kearny Mesa, Mission Bay, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Imperial Beach, Pt Loma and Downtown San Diego. We also gladly serve those in North San Diego County which includes Carlsbad, San Marcos, Vista, Elfin Forest, Oceanside, Escondido, Encinitas, Cardiff by the Sea, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, 4S Ranch, Santaluz, La Jolla, Poway, and Rancho Bernardo. Need help in Murrieta, Wildomar, Temecula, Fallbrook or Bonsall...we're there too.

One URC MX780i remote replaced all of these - San Diego home automation 

One remote, two remotes, three remotes…

Where does it all end? How many remotes do you have? Let’s start with one for the TV. Two for the cable or satellite box. Three for the Blu-ray player. Four for Apple TV or Roku or whatever streaming device you choose. Five for a gaming console such as Xbox1 or Sony PS4. Six for your receiver to turn on surround sound. The list goes on and on.  Now let’s try to watch TV and see what’s involved for this seemingly easy task.

1) Turn the TV on.

2) Change the TV to the correct input.

3) Turn the cable box on.

4) Turn the audio/video receiver on.

5) Turn the audio/video receiver to the correct source.

6) Sixth, turn the receiver to desired sound setting.

After three remotes, six buttons and lots of frustration you’re probably ready to throw the remotes out the window. Why not let us at Aire Theater Designs simplify your life? We can program 1 remote with 1 button push to do ALL the above. A couple of our favorite remotes are the URC MX-780 or the step-up URC MX-980. We think you'll love them as much as we do. These are just one of MANY options we offer to make your life easier through technology and home automation.

Interested? Give us a call and find out why Aire Theater Designs is San Diego's home automation and universal remote expert.

San Diego Home Theater Installers Aire Theater Designs proudly serves all of San Diego County which includes Del Cerro, Allied Gardens, Talmadge, Kensington, Hillcrest, Mission Valley, Fashion Valley, El Cajon, Blossom Valley, La Mesa, Lake Murray, Friars, North Park, Balboa Park, Clairemont, Kearny Mesa, Mission Bay, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Imperial Beach, Pt Loma and Downtown San Diego. We also gladly serve those in North San Diego County which includes Carlsbad, San Marcos, Vista, Elfin Forest, Oceanside, Escondido, Encinitas, Cardiff by the Sea, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, 4S Ranch, Santaluz, La Jolla, Poway, and Rancho Bernardo. Need help in Murrieta, Wildomar, Temecula, Fallbrook or Bonsall...we're there too.

Reasons to treat yourself to some new audio, video and home automation treats. 1) The college football playoffs are coming...did you see last year's games? They were incredible! 2) Because you can. See the latest Sony and Samsung 4K TV sales and universal remote specials. NOTE: Some of these deals are close-outs and when the sets are gone, they are gone.TV pricing is presented by the manufacturer and can change at any time.

Ahhh...the day of recovery from overconsumption, chasing kids throughout the house (if Thanksgiving was at your home) and nursing soreness from the annual football game. Here's an installment of some of the Black Friday TV specials. NOTE: Most of these deals go through December 6th! This means you can skip the crowds today and still get fantastic deals.

As we discussed in our last article, we love Black Friday because we have the day off and are lounging around with family. We don't work or shop on Black Friday and you shouldn't either! Here's another one of our "Shop Black Friday early" specials. Sonos is running a sale where you save $50.00 if you buy a bundle pack of two PLAY1 units. We are accepting pre-orders and this sale begins on 11/15/2015. Ask any member of our sales staff for details. Below is a recap of one of our earlier articles about using two Sonosii as opposed to 1.

"Today I installed two Sonos Play1’s in a 10’x10’ kitchen.  It sounded good as usual. With the Sonos phone app I was then able to change the two speakers to stereo and WOW...it really changed the sound by separating the music and really filled the room. I demoed some jazz and the horns and the drums seemed to come from opposite ends of the Kitchen! It sounded REALLY fantastic.

The client then asked if I could put one of the speakers in another room. With the app I was able to easily remove the mode for one room (two speakers simultaneously playing in stereo) and change it to a mode that is best if you want music in two separate rooms. What a cool feature!  Sonos: Easy to move, control volume and pause with app, group all or some rooms and get all the music streaming you can imagine. Sonos: Easily add more speakers like the Playbar, the Sonos SUB for BIG BASS or 3 different sizes of speakers in a good/better/best set-up. Yep, I’m a fan and will have Two Please (in Stereo)."

Check out our Houzz page for some more specifics on the Sonos products.

http://www.houzz.com/photos/16885292/After-ATDSonos-surround-sound-and-a-VERY-clean-look-contemporary-home-theater-san-diego

 Love music? We do too! Call San Diego's leading Sonos dealer and experience how Sonos can enhance your life through music and movies.

San Diego Home Theater Installers Aire Theater Designs proudly serves all of San Diego County which includes Del Cerro, Allied Gardens, Talmadge, Kensington, Hillcrest, Mission Valley, Fashion Valley, El Cajon, Blossom Valley, La Mesa, Lake Murray, Friars, North Park, Balboa Park, Clairemont, Kearny Mesa, Mission Bay, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Imperial Beach, Pt Loma and Downtown San Diego. We also gladly serve those in North San Diego County which includes Carlsbad, San Marcos, Vista, Elfin Forest, Oceanside, Escondido, Encinitas, Cardiff by the Sea, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, 4S Ranch, Santaluz, La Jolla, Poway, and Rancho Bernardo. Need help in Murrieta, Wildomar, Temecula, Fallbrook or Bonsall...we're there too.

If you've done business with us before, you may know that we don't believe in Black Friday. To elaborate, we believe Black Friday should be spent with family and gorging on leftovers...not standing in line for hours. For this reason, we start announcing Black Friday specials as soon as we can. Here's our first sale from one of our favorite audio companies. Martin Logan has just announced some offers that provide you with FREE subwoofers and big savings. See below:

Buy a pair of ESL tower speakers or Motion 20/Motion 40s and get a FREE Dynamo500 subwoofer- Save $495!  

Buy a pair of THEOS tower speakers or Motion 60s and get a FREE Dynamo700 subwoofer- Save $695!

If you haven't heard Martin Logan, give us a call and make an appointment for a listen. You provide the ears and we'll provide the wine and acoustic alchemy. Enjoy movies and music in sonic perfection with some help from your friends at Aire Theater Designs, your San Diego Martin Logan and audio experts.

San Diego Home Theater Installers Aire Theater Designs proudly serves all of San Diego County which includes Del Cerro, Allied Gardens, Talmadge, Kensington, Hillcrest, Mission Valley, Fashion Valley, El Cajon, Blossom Valley, La Mesa, Lake Murray, Friars, North Park, Balboa Park, Clairemont, Kearny Mesa, Mission Bay, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Imperial Beach, Pt Loma and Downtown San Diego. We also gladly serve those in North San Diego County which includes Carlsbad, San Marcos, Vista, Elfin Forest, Oceanside, Escondido, Encinitas, Cardiff by the Sea, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, 4S Ranch, Santaluz, La Jolla, Poway, and Rancho Bernardo. Need help in Murrieta, Wildomar, Temecula, Fallbrook or Bonsall...we're there too.

Lutron Caseta light, shade and temperature control

"Home Automation" has become synonymous these days with huge home technology projects that cost 6 or 7 figures and that automate everything from audio/video systems to lighting, security, HVAC, appliances, etc. However, it is very easy to enter the fray with a simple, inexpensive addition that can make your life easier. Introducing Lutron Caseta, the lighting solution for every home.  

THE PROBLEM

To turn on/off the outdoor and pool lights, our particular client had to go outside to access the switches. The outside of their home in East County has little ambient light and is very dark at night. Unfortunately, there were plenty of critters outside like rattlesnakes and spiders that were in the way of the switches.

THE SOLUTION

The addition of the tiny box pictured above and a few dimmers/switches allowed our customer to now access their lighting with their phone and iPad. While being inside the house (and away from said rattlesnakes), the touch of a button on the phone/iPad turned the outdoor lights on, making it easy and safe to comfortably use their outdoor area and pool.

Lutron Caseta also allows you to:

1) Turn on/off your lights away from home. You can also turn on your house lights when arriving home from the safety of your car.

2) Turn all of your house lights on/off with just one button push.

3) Control your motorized shades, allowing one touch to raise/lower all shades in the home.

4) Control thermostats while away from home. Turn on your AC while returning from work and never come home to a 90 degree house again!   

This is just one of MANY options we offer to make your life easier through technology and home automation. Interested? Give us a call and find out why Aire Theater Designs is San Diego's home automation and lighting control expert.

San Diego Home Automation company Aire Theater Designs proudly serves all of San Diego County which includes Del Cerro, Allied Gardens, Talmadge, Kensington, Hillcrest, Mission Valley, Fashion Valley, El Cajon, Blossom Valley, La Mesa, Lake Murray, Friars, North Park, Balboa Park, Clairemont, Kearny Mesa, Mission Bay, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Imperial Beach, Pt Loma and Downtown San Diego. We also gladly serve those in North San Diego County which includes Carlsbad, San Marcos, Vista, Elfin Forest, Oceanside, Escondido, Encinitas, Cardiff by the Sea, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, 4S Ranch, Santaluz, La Jolla, Poway, and Rancho Bernardo. Need help in Murrieta, Wildomar, Temecula, Fallbrook or Bonsall...we're there too.

We have decided to title the here and now as "AUDIO OCTOBER". This is because a few of our favorite speaker companies, Definitive Technology and Martin Logan, have decided to offer some very attractive specials. In addition to the previous blog articles (See links: http://www.airetheaterdesigns.com/blog/item/150-definitive-technology-sales-speaker-sales-in-in-san-diego), Martin Logan has just announced some offers that provide you with FREE subwoofers and big savings. See below:

Buy a pair of ESL tower speakers or Motion 20/Motion 40s and get a FREE Dynamo500 subwoofer- Save $495!  

Buy a MOTIONVISION premium soundbar and save $300!

Buy a pair of THEOS tower speakers or Motion 60s and get a FREE Dynamo700 subwoofer- Save $695!

If you haven't heard Martin Logan, give us a call and make an appointment for a listen. You provide the ears and we'll provide the wine and acoustic alchemy. Enjoy movies and music in sonic perfection with some help from your friends at Aire Theater Designs, your San Diego Martin Logan and audio experts.

San Diego Home Theater Installers Aire Theater Designs proudly serves all of San Diego County which includes Del Cerro, Allied Gardens, Talmadge, Kensington, Hillcrest, Mission Valley, Fashion Valley, El Cajon, Blossom Valley, La Mesa, Lake Murray, Friars, North Park, Balboa Park, Clairemont, Kearny Mesa, Mission Bay, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Imperial Beach, Pt Loma and Downtown San Diego. We also gladly serve those in North San Diego County which includes Carlsbad, San Marcos, Vista, Elfin Forest, Oceanside, Escondido, Encinitas, Cardiff by the Sea, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, 4S Ranch, Santaluz, La Jolla, Poway, and Rancho Bernardo. Need help in Murrieta, Wildomar, Temecula, Fallbrook or Bonsall...we're there too.