2020…this year has really been a bummer. One of the only good things we’ve seen from it are some of Sonos’s new products! Sonos has some fantastic new products for 2019 and 2020 that have made listening to your favorite music more impactful, easier and better-sounding than ever. Listed below are two of our favorite new Sonos products; the Sonos AMP powered streaming amp and the Sonos ARC reference soundbar.

Sonos AMP - $649.00: This piece has become our go-to when powering areas of audio, especially when these areas are separated from where all of the audio/video equipment is housed. In the past, you would need to walk to where all of the equipment was located, pick your music, push a few more buttons to make speakers in other areas play and then walk back to the area you wanted to listen in. Now, you can be in any room with speakers, touch a few buttons on your phone and you’re rocking! This is great for outdoor areas or large homes where the equipment is located in a room/closet that is far away.

The included 125 watt X 2 channel amplifier is powerful enough to drive most speakers on the market. In fact, this will make most existing audio systems sound MUCH better than they currently do. This is because many existing whole-house audio set-ups are using amplifiers that deliver 5-30 watts/channel to the speakers. This increase in power from using the Sonos AMP will in most cases, give you better bass, clearer highs and more-defined sound. NOTE: If you already have amplifiers or a surround sound receiver, you can use the Sonos PORT streaming device to provide these streaming services without the power that the AMP provides. The Sonos AMP also includes the Sonos “brain” which gives you access to almost every app known to Man such as Spotify, Pandora, iHeart, Apple Music, etc. You can use Sonos AMPs to power different areas of the house or landscape. If you opt to do this, each area can either have its own source (ex: one room could have “The Smiths” on Spotify while another room has “The Beatles” station on Pandora) OR you can touch a button and all of the areas are playing the same thing! This is great for gatherings or parties.

NOTE: When using the AMPs in large homes or in spacious backyard settings, you need to ensure that your WiFi network is sufficient to provide adequate range and bandwidth. See our article HERE that discusses a great WiFi network.

Sonos ARC - $799.00: The Sonos ARC is their new soundbar for 2020 that replaces the Sonos PLAYBAR model which was their staple for many years. This 8 woofer, 3 tweeter, 11 channel marvel sounds fantastic, allows you to play the Sonos music sources detailed above and can be incorporated into surround sound set-ups with the separate Sonos SUB subwoofer and Sonos ONE rear speakers. The limitation of most soundbars in the past is that they have frankly, sounded middling at best. Thin mid-range, minimal bass and operational issues have been the norm (the need to power cycle cheapy soundbars is very common…this is when they lock up, won’t do anything and you have to unplug them/plug them back in to get them to work). This isn't the case with Sonos. The Sonos ARC can provide GREAT sound in a soundbar format, which can be cheaper and easier to wire than a conventional surround sound system. We give it two thumbs up!

Looking to see how Sonos can enhance your life with music? Call us! We are the experts on Sonos 2020 products AND everything they've ever made! We also have Sonos on display in our by-appointment only San Diego showroom.

Sonos experts are here! We've been selling Sonos since it came out! Aire Theater Designs proudly serves all of San Diego County which includes Del Cerro, 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, Elfin Forest, Oceanside, Escondido, Encinitas, Cardiff CA, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Cielo, The Bridges, The Crosby, The Lakes, Torrey Pines, Alta Del Mar, Carmel Mountain, Carmel Valley, Coronado, Fairbanks Ranch, 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. House by Pardee, Shea, Lennar or other builders? We can help! 

RIDICULOUS speaker and subwoofer sales are here for a limited time!

In our industry, if you can save sales tax on an item, that's a good deal. Saving 25% as you see above...that's INSANO! For a limited time, save 25% on in-stock speakers from one of our favorite speaker brands. The Dynamo series of Martin Logan subwoofers and the Motion series of bookshelf and tower speakers are all 25% OFF until May 31st!!!!!!!!

We are currently offering free delivery on Martin Logan purchases of $400.00 and up. Want to get some amazing sound and have some change left in your pocket? Give us a call. Our client Roy just took us up on a wonderful set of Motion35 bookshelf speakers and his quote "These things sound amazing!" is the common response from new owners. 

Subwoofers: Dynamo400, Dynamo600, Dynamo800, Dynamo1100, Dynamo1600 - Put some boom in your room and depth in your music without the distortion found in many subwoofers.

Bookshelf/tower speakers: Motion15i, Motion35XTi, Motion20i, Motion40i, Motion60XTi (these are our favorite!) - These provide clarity and accuracy that we don't hear out of many speakers.

Center channel: Motion30i, Motion50XTi - Dollar-for-dollar, this and your subwoofer are the most important speakers in your surround sound system. Go big and bad here. You won't be saying "I can't hear what he said!" anymore!

Surround speakers: MotionFX, Motion AFX - Put yourself into the movie with amazing surround effects from these on-wall/on-table surround speakers.

Need a sound or audio expert? We are Martin Logan dealers and know the line! Aire Theater Designs proudly serves all of San Diego County which includes Del Cerro, 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, Elfin Forest, Oceanside, Escondido, Encinitas, Cardiff by the Sea, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Torrey Pines, Alta Del Mar, Carmel Mountain, Carmel Valley, Coronado, Fairbanks Ranch, 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. House by Pardee, Shea, Lennar or other builders? We can help!

During this strange time, we’re understandably getting more questions about computer and network health than ever before. We wanted to provide you with some technology health elements and troubleshooting tips. These are points that may help to cut down on frustration and make you more productive. This is somewhat of a long read but please check it out as we’re confident this can help now and in the future. See below:

Got an important Zoom or video call tomorrow on your computer?

• PREPARE: If your meeting is at 8 AM, don’t start doing updates and tweaks at 7:50 AM. If you do, you’re not going to make that meeting. Do these updates the day before DURING TECH SUPPORT HOURS and go onto the needed web platform to ensure that you can connect. Updates can cause certain functions to stop working so you want to make sure that tech departments are open in the event that you need to call to get support.

• DON’T USE THE INTERNET FOR OTHER THINGS: While you’re on your call, tell your children to stop playing video games, no Facebook Live, etc. These types of activities can slow up your network drastically and can contribute to glitching, delays, etc.

• DON’T CALL THE CABLE COMPANY IF YOU DON’T HAVE TO: With everything that is currently going on, the cable companies are more taxed than they have ever been. This is not the time to raise your Internet speed (see our point below about the Gigabit lie/Internet speed and why it isn’t that important), attempt to change providers, get new services, etc. We would recommend waiting on any non-essential tweaks until things get back to normal. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

• CHECK YOUR BACKGROUND PROCESSES: If you have anything going on such as Carbonite back-ups, Dropbox syncing, iCloud uploads, etc. these services can all cut down on your Internet bandwidth and can cause issues with video conferencing. Turn these off if you have important video calls that need to be perfect. NOTE: If you do turn these off, make sure you turn them back on.

Want Healthy web browsing?

• RESTART YOUR MODEM AND ROUTER REGULARLY: This will help to prevent lock-ups and disruptions in your Internet service.

• RESTART YOUR LAPTOPS, TABLETS, PHONES, ETC: Restarting your devices regularly (turn off power, wait 30 seconds and then power them back up) will help to keep your electronics working properly.

• CLEAR YOUR BROWSER CACHE: Another phrase for this is “Don’t have 57 windows open on your laptop”. Close these unused browser windows and history for better surfing performance.

• MAKE SURE THAT YOUR BROWSER AND OPERATING SYSTEMS ARE UPDATED REGULARLY.

Random tips and opinions

• DON’T WORRY ABOUT INTERNET SPEED: The cable companies have been advertising their Gigabit service very frequently. Don’t believe the hype as you don’t need 1 Gbps for quality Internet connections. Here’s why Gigabit is good and bad:

• Most of our clients that have “gigabit” service are receiving 250-400 Mbps (25-40% of Gigabit speeds). Based on speed solely, ANYTHING in the house will run perfectly with this. Typically, most networks at 100 Mbps+ will allow household networked devices to run properly. Another point about this is that ALL of your devices, wallplates, connections and cables need to be Gigabit to theoretically get Gigabit speeds. Unfortunately, they almost never are. Our recommendation is not to get hung up on the idea of getting specifically Gigabit speed but just to know that having a Gigabit package will allow you to get GREAT speeds that should work with anything in your home.
• Throughput vs. speed: Throughput is how much network information (packets) gets to a location successfully. Elements such as using wired connections when possible, being in rooms/areas close to your WiFi routers and practicing good device health (see points above) will do more for your throughput than just concentrating on speed alone.

• ONE DEVICE WON’T CONNECT: If you have 1 device that won’t connect but 39 others that do, focus on the device that won’t connect as opposed to working on the other 39. If everything else works aside from one component, do the potential updates, resets, etc. on the device that won’t connect before you start resetting everything else.

• “IT AIN’T GOT NO GAS IN IT”: In the movie “Sling Blade”, this is one of Carl’s iconic lines. The point being made in this movie is that Carl looks for the simplest solution first. If your lawn mower doesn’t work, don’t take it completely apart and starting oiling the motor…check the gas first. Getting back to networks, if you have something that isn’t working, think about what might be the simplest thing first. This picture is of an Ethernet cable.

My computer stopped connecting to the Internet the other day. All of my other wired devices were working as well as my WiFi devices. Therefore, the simplest thing was to replace my Ethernet cable. TA-DA! My computer was working again! There was no reason that the cable should have gone defective…but it did. The point is that most problems are fixed by doing the simple stuff first.

We hope that this information helps you to become more Internet-savvy and that your devices behave. Need further help in San Diego with WiFi, computer troubleshooting or electronics...give us a call! NOTE: LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to our Youtube page below for future tips, reviews and information.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9T427K3ZMta3YAa6um_rsg/featured

Wattbox IP power piece to provide easy system resets and network monitoring

Luxul WiFi access point, wireless controller and router providing GREAT WiFi

We get calls frequently from clients that haven’t dealt with us before that go something like this:

“Our WiFi only works in certain portions of the house.”

“We seem to have problems all the time with WiFI not working.”

“Our Internet keeps dropping out.”

“Our Netflix keeps pausing.”

We LOVE these calls as it lets us provide these new customers with reliable WiFi and Internet connectivity that just works. Here’s a story from one our recent Projects Of The Day.

A client was referred to us and their long story-short was:

A friend technician had put in a high-end wired/WiFi network for them

The WiFi dropped out constantly and there were areas throughout the property where WiFi just wouldn’t connect.

These issues were a work hindrance when they tried to accomplish tasks from the home and were a nuisance for the family when they all tried to use their gaming systems, iPads and entertainment devices.

We looked at their set-up and recommended and installed 3 components.

• Single WiFi network with tech support and remote compatibility:
• Remote visibility tools:
• IP piece with triggered on-off:

The benefits to these specific components for them and for MANY of our clients are:

Single WiFi network with tech support and remote compatibility: A network that acts as a SINGLE entity is important so you don’t have to change networks on your device as you walk around your house and property. Network product with tech support is important so we can call someone if odd issues come up. Many of today’s solar devices and DIY equipment can act in a strange manner and having a tech department that you can talk to is important in solving many issues that arise from this gear. One of the most popular networking brands out there has literally NO support. This client previously had this brand which is one of the reasons they were never able to uncover some of their issues before they met us.

Remote visibility tools: We see this as the most important element for us and for you in order to ensure reliability and satisfaction. These tools let us “see” in real time if your network is up, down, slow or if certain devices are attached to the network. Ex: With this client, we were able to see remotely that their network had 79 drops in service within 2 days AFTER we put the equipment in. Normally we see 0-10 drops in a 30 day period. This let us know that the issues were from the cable company and we then facilitated getting this handled. This client had dealt with years of bad Internet and we were able to get to the bottom of it right away. Our devices also let us see your connectivity at any given time. Netflix not working? We can let you know if it is a problem with the modem, the router, the switch or the device providing Netflix and take you fixing this quickly and easily. We offer these tools from Domotz and OVRC.

IP piece with triggered on/off: It’s great when you don’t have to deal with problems at all and this piece fixes many issues automatically. Many of today’s devices need to be power-cycled from time-to-time to get them to behave. However, unless you know which electronic gadget to unplug and the order and timing that is needed for this, it can be frustrating to get your Internet working again. Our 3 and 5 port IP piece AUTOMATICALLY resets your modem, router and associated pieces in the correct order any time it can’t get out to the Internet. This gets your Internet working again and in most cases, you wouldn’t even know this happened! We get a notification on our side that lets us know this happened and this ensures that you know there were potentially issues. When Internet pieces are starting to go defective, we see lots of disconnects and this helps us head off any catastrophic drops that might come at inopportune times (Ex: Big presentation due that you need to work on, work meeting on Skype, Friday Movie Night, etc.).

To recap, if you want the best network available that is reliable, covers your property with WiFi and that makes troubleshooting easy or non-existent, you need:

• US!
• WiFi solution from Eero, Araknis or Luxul
• Remote visibility tools
• IP piece with triggered on/off

We supply all of the equipment, provide the design and make it all work so you don’t have to worry about the mumbo-jumbo above. Want the best WiFi available for you and your family? Start with San Diego WiFi experts at Aire Theater Designs!

Eero won't work with your new device? We've solved that one before.

Does Eero not work with your new:

Smart Bulb?

Solar system?

Security system?

Baby monitor or pet cameras?

Smart home technology?

Here's why it doesn't work and how to fix it.

UPDATE as of 2/3/2022: See our latest video HERE that illustrates this process.

Eero is great product and we love it. See the article HERE why it's one of our favorite offerings. HOWEVER, there are some limitations to Eero and it's why we also have better WiFi offerings for certain applications. Eero emits both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz wireless networks and the way their product works is that your device will "see" 5Ghz until you get out-of-range. At that point, connected devices "see" the 2.4Ghz WiFi network. As a refresher, 5Ghz is faster than 2.4Ghz but it doesn't propagate as far in space.

Here's the problem, many of today's inexpensive DIY devices are cheaply constructed or engineered and as a result, the initial set-up app (or sometimes the device itself) only operates on the 2.4Ghz band. In most cases when you are trying to set these devices up with Eero, you are in range of the 5Ghz network and not the 2.4Ghz network that the device can attach to. As a result, the app from your smart device may display "no network", "set-up failed", etc. You can fix this in one of two methods:

• Move far enough away from the device so you are in "2.4Ghz land" instead of "5Ghz land". As 2.4Ghz travels farther in space than 5Ghz, moving away from your Eero system will allow the app and device to communicate to the 2.4Ghz band.

• You can call Eero and have them turn off your 5Ghz band for a short period of time. Once you set the app up, you can then call them to turn the 5Ghz band back on. As long as your device can see 5Ghz, you will then be back-in-business. Sometimes just the APP won't work with 5Ghz but the device will. NOTE: If you have a device that only works on 2.4Ghz, you may be out of luck.

This is an issue that has perplexed MANY people. However, this is a simple one for us. Want help from network professionals? Call San Diego's WiFi and Eero experts!

Having problems with AppleTV?

Having issues with AppleTV? You're not alone? We've experienced a number of problems over the last 12-15 months with clients reporting that it takes some time to get picture and sound from their AppleTV devices. Here's some brainstorming, thoughts and a possible fix.

We are only getting these calls with the older AppleTV units (generation 3). The newer units are generation 4 and we haven't seen the same problems with these. If you bought your unit 2+ years ago, you may have a generation 3 model. If you have one of these, read on as these ideas may be pertinent to you.

DISCLAIMER: This is my own theorizing and isn't based on any fact or anything I've read...Apple, please don't sue me. BEGIN: I noticed problems started on my older Gen 3 AppleTV unit about 18 months ago. When I would turn on the system as I always did, instead of the Apple menus and icons for Netflix, Prime Video, etc. coming up after 5-10 seconds, I regularly had just a black screen. My TV and all other components, including the AppleTV were on...I just had no picture or sound. After doing some testing, I experienced that the picture and sound would normally come back on after I would repeat the TV input commands. This is normally indicative of an HDMI "handshake" issue where the components don't recognize each other and you have to do the equivalent of reaching out your hand again (in this case, the TV's hand) so the TV can communicate with the AppleTV. Once I would choose the correct input on the TV again, I almost always get picture and sound and my AppleTV is functional.

I think the Apple changed their protocol via a firmware update and this changed the way that the AppleTV communicates via HDMI. In turn, this made it so the AppleTV doesn't behave the way it used to. The reason I think this is that prior to 18 months ago, we didn't come across this problem. Now we see it very regularly with older AppleTV units and it happens with different brands of TVs and audio/video receivers. So what's the fix?

If you turn on your older AppleTV and you don't get picture or sound, give it about 10 seconds and then repeat the TV input command. This will reinitialize the handshake and you should be in business. If it still doesn't work, this could be a common power-cycle issue and this is typically fixed by unplugging the power from the AppleTV, wait 30 seconds and then plug it back in. Add one of our BOBs to make this simple.

Simple system resets

Still have questions? Let San Diego's technology experts help you with your stereo, television and streaming device needs!