AV Trade Talk

Bob Archer and Nyal Mellor discuss the launch of HYPERSUB and how the brand serves the luxury home theater market.

Taking a different approach to an age-old problem, Nyal Mellor, system designer for
HYPERSUB and founder of Acoustic Frontiers, a Calif.-based technology integration firm, is
applying his experience and science to residential low-frequency audio reproduction. Bob Archer hosts this episode to talk with Nyal about his experience and what drove him to develop the HYPERSUB line. As you'll hear, Nyal talks about a gap that existed in the market and need for higher-performing subwoofer systems that would better support reference home theaters. Working with Harbottle Audio, Mellor was determined to define the necessary parameters to achieve those reference levels of performance.

Tune-in to this episode of AV Trade Talk: Introducing HYPERSUB and learn about the origin of the brand, the performance specifications the lineup is built to achieve, and where to go to get more info.

Want to check HYPERSUB out now? Visit www.hypersubwoofers.com

 

Mastering Connectivity: The Future of AV Connectivity: Centered Innovation in an AI-Driven World [Sponsored by Kordz]

AV Trade Talk: Mastering Connectivity Series, Episode 7 – The Future of AV Connectivity: Human-Centered Innovation in an AI-Driven World

In this new episode of the Mastering Connectivity podcast series, presented by Kordz in collaboration with AV Trade Talk, host Katye McGregor Bennett is joined by tech industry leaders James Chen (Managing Director, Kordz), Rich Green (AV futurist and integrator), and Kris Hogg (former integrator, now with Samsung) for an eye-opening discussion about the future of AV connectivity, artificial intelligence, robotics, and the evolving role of the integrator.

🔗 Listen to “The Future of AV Connectivity: Expert Insights into What’s Next” and gain a clearer understanding of how exponential technologies—from autonomous homes to AI-powered environments—are transforming the built environment and elevating expectations for network infrastructure and human-centered design.

Topics explored include:

• The rise of edge AI, immersive interfaces, and sensor-based environments

• The technology integrators’ rapidly-evolving responsibility as digital stewards of smart homes and hybrid spaces

• The ethical implications of robotics, ambient computing, and predictive automation

• How to future-enable projects with robust cabling and connectivity strategies

• Why emotional intelligence, human connection, and user experience must lead technology design

“The integrator sits at the center of this transformation,” says Chen. “With the right mindset, they can ensure the future of technology enhances life—not overwhelms it.”

Whether you're designing next-generation smart homes or rethinking AV for immersive environments, this episode offers deep, practical insight into the skills, systems and human values that will define the next decade of connected living.

🎙️ Tune in now to stay ahead of the curve and explore more connectivity insights, episodes, and engineering resources at kordz.com/articles.

Thanks for listening, downloading, and supporting the AV Trade Talk podcast!

Introducing Alexa Centeno and the new VELLA HAUS luxury home staging franchise

In this episode of AV Trade Talk, host Katye McGregor Bennett sits down with Alexa Centeno, co‑owner of Systems Design & Integration (SDI Boston) and founder of the new VELLA HAUS franchise, to explore how premium home staging and home technology come together to sell faster, sell higher, and create lifelong clients. Alexa shares her journey from integrator to stager (without leaving integration behind), the moment a $10M project setback became rocket fuel, and why she’s taking her staging brand national.

You’ll hear about:

• How SDI evolved from hanging TVs to delivering 20,000‑sq‑ft smart estates with lighting control, theaters, outdoor lifts, motorized shades, voice control and more.
  
  
• The origin story of VELLA HAUS: turning a last‑minute “no” into a thriving staging business that completed 77 homes last year—and the systems she uses to scale.
  
  
• Staging with real tech to create emotion and demand: framed displays, full theater seating with screens and speakers, landscape audio, and why these experiences become powerful AV lead generators.
  
  
• Education as a differentiator: helping builders plan for shade pockets, lighting, and infrastructure—so design and technology align from day one.
  
  
• The big announcement: VELLA HAUS has launched and is now accepting franchise applicants for a national luxury home staging franchise with protected territories—starting in Massachusetts—and a highly selective (≈1%) award process. Who they’re looking for and how to raise your hand.
  
  
• A peek inside SDI Boston’s experience center: a Listening Room for cinema demos, an Experience Room showcasing Lutron, Ketra, Leon, Coastal Source, outdoor living, and more—curated to inspire designers, architects, builders, and homeowners alike.
  
  
• Highlights from Katye’s CEDIA Expo Smart Stage panel on design‑tech collaboration featuring Toni Sabatino (Toni Sabatino Style), Caitlin Stewart (Leon Speakers), Frank DeFilippis (Sonos), and Alexa Centeno (VELLA HAUS), and what those conversations signal for integrator–designer partnerships.

Whether you’re a designer, integrator, builder, or realtor, this conversation offers practical ideas for teaming up, differentiating your projects, and creating unforgettable client experiences before, during, and long after the sale.

#avtradetalkpod

Exploring CEDIA Expo 2025 with Jason McGraw of Emerald

AV Trade Talk: Exploring CEDIA Expo with Jason McGraw

In this episode of AV Trade Talk, host Katye McGregor Bennett sits down once again with Jason McGraw of Emerald to dive deep into everything you need to know about CEDIA Expo and its host city, Denver, Colorado.

Jason shares insider insights on what makes this event such a cornerstone for the custom integration community, including:

• The latest technologies and innovations in audio, video, lighting, control, energy management, and more.

• The growing overlap of residential and commercial integration through the co-located Commercial Integrator Expo.

• Must-attend sessions, keynotes, and networking events that make the show both a business builder and a community gathering.

• Why bringing younger and newer team members, design-build partners, and even students can help alter the future of the industry in a positive way.

• And of course, tips for making the most of your time in Denver—from iconic venues and local dining to after-hours parties, live music at Red Rocks Amphitheater, MLB Baseball at the ballpark, and all sorts of fun outdoor adventures.

Whether you’re a longtime attendee, a first-time visitor, or just curious about how the AV industry connects and collaborates, this conversation offers valuable takeaways about maximizing trade show experiences and building stronger ties within the integration community.

Tune in for a lively, informative discussion that captures the excitement, energy, and opportunities that CEDIA Expo—and Denver—bring to the table, year after year.

 

#cediaexpo #avtradetalkpod #hometechnology

Mastering Connectivity Series, Episode 5 — HDMI 2.2: Engineering the Future of AV Infrastructure

AV Trade Talk: Mastering Connectivity Series, Episode 5 — HDMI 2.2: Engineering the Future of AV Infrastructure

The future of audiovisual connectivity is here — and it’s doubling down. In Episode 5 of the Mastering Connectivity Series, produced in collaboration with Kordz, AV Trade Talk host Katye McGregor Bennett sits down with Kordz Managing Director James Chen and Operations Director Benjamin Yeh for an exclusive deep dive into the newly released HDMI 2.2 specification.

With a staggering data rate leap from 48Gbps to 96Gbps, HDMI 2.2 represents a seismic shift in AV performance and infrastructure requirements. But what does this mean for integrators, manufacturers, and tech-savvy end users? Our guests unpack the opportunities, the engineering challenges, and the road to certification that lies ahead.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. Why HDMI 2.2 is more than just a spec update — it's a generational leap toward 8K, 16K, and ultra-high frame rate applications.
2. The critical role of new cabling and testing standards, and why Kordz takes a deliberate, engineering-first approach to product development.
3. What integrators should really be doing today to prepare — including how to design for upgradeability and avoid the hype trap of premature marketing claims.
4. Which industries will benefit first, from immersive gaming and VR to surgical suites and high-end simulation environments.
5. How to spot quality HDMI cable.

James Chen and Benjamin Yeh emphasize a powerful takeaway: HDMI 2.2 is a spec for tomorrow’s experiences, not today’s quick sales. Certification timelines, strict performance requirements, and precise manufacturing mean that planning and patience will win the day.

Whether you're an AV integrator, system designer, or technology enthusiast, this episode offers essential insights into the future of high-performance AV connectivity.

🎧 Listen now to stay ahead of the curve and ensure your projects are ready for the next frontier of ultra-high bandwidth, high-resolution video distribution.

Learn more at Kordz.com/articles and follow AV Trade Talk for more deep-dive episodes.

Mastering Connectivity: Outdoor Network Cables: Challenges, Innovations, and Best Practices [Sponsored by Kordz]

In this episode of AV Trade Talk, we head outside—literally—to explore the critical role outdoor network cables play in today’s connected environments. Whether it’s powering up smart gardens, securing properties with surveillance tech, or enabling robust backyard entertainment zones, outdoor networking is no longer optional—it's essential.

Joining host Katye McGregor Bennett this time are expert guests Nathan Holmes of WhyReboot, Eddie Shapiro of SmartTouch USA, and Benjamin Yeh from Kordz, a leader in high-performance cabling solutions, who break down everything you need to know about outdoor-rated and direct burial cables. We’ll dive into the environmental challenges installers face, common mistakes to avoid, and how innovations like the Kordz SlimCat range are changing the game for tech pros working in harsh conditions.

You’ll hear about:

• Why the outdoor networking market is booming

• The critical differences between outdoor and direct burial cables

• Real-world challenges from the field—and how to solve them

• Installation best practices to ensure long-term performance

• What makes a cable truly professional-grade

Whether you're an integrator expanding into outdoor spaces or a design-build pro looking to future-proof your projects, this episode will equip you with insights and practical advice to deliver reliable connectivity—rain or shine.

 Tune in, download, subscribe now, and visit Kordz.com to explore professional cable infrastructure solutions built for the elements.

Tech Talk: How FutureCare Solutions Group Provides Meaningful, Proactive Health & Wellness Interventions

What does it take to provide proactive, meaningful health and wellness interventions? Up until now, that's been a real challenge. In this episode, recorded during ISE 2025 in Barcelona Spain, Katye chats with Kyle Steele of FutureCare Solutions Group and Global Wave Integration about a new, expanded service offering that can do just that. It was born from the notion that we can do better by harnessing AI and advanced sensor technology and brought to market with proven results, Kyle's passionate storytelling of how it all came to be and where it can go is captured in this fun chat. How can that be translated into a new or expanded service offering for those in the integration, healthcare, caregiver, and design-build communities? Tune-in and learn more!

Want to connect with Kyle to learn more about his offering?

Kyle@futurecare.ai

Kyle@globalwaveintegration.com

OR

www.futurecare.ai

www.globalwaveintegration.com

Tech Talk: An Illuminating Lighting Design Chat With The Light Lady, Lynne Stambouly, and Bruce Clark of Illuminated Lighting Design

Illuminated Lighting Design. What's all about? In this episode, recorded during ISE 2025 in Barcelona Spain for the Connecting Tech + Design pod, Katye chats with Lynne Stambouly, The Light Lady, and Bruce Clark, who together are part of a new collective — Illuminated Lighting Design — about their professional lighting design services now available to integrators, designers, architects, property managers and homeowners. Not only do Lynne and Bruce share details of that offering, but they also provide valuable insights and many humorous illustrations about the challenges that exist in getting lighting right. How can that be translated into a new or expanded service offering for those in the design-build-integration community? Tune-in and learn more! 

Tech Talk: Why We Need To Focus More On Air & Water Quality

Did you know? 99% of the global population breathes air that is below "good" quality levels. With water, we face similar challenges. In this episode, recorded at ISE 2025 in Barcelona Spain, Michael D. Ham of RePure talks about the need for far better air & water quality and how RePure's Healthy Home OS provides peace of mind by helping you identify, track, and remove harmful contaminants in your air and water. RePure's multi-award winning solutions are just the beginning. Michael shares news about a new partnership with Delos, discusses recent stage talks about Healthy Home Opportunities, and introduces the term Salutogenesis. What does that mean and how can the integration community harness it to help deliver a healthier home environment along with integrated systems? Tune-in and learn more! 

Mastering Connectivity: Building and Shipping The Ultimate Audio Demo Room [Sponsored by Kordz​]

Mastering Connectivity: Building and Shipping The Ultimate Audio Demo Room [Sponsored by Kordz​]

In this fourth installment of the Mastering Connectivity Series, Sponsored by Kordz, Peter Aylett of Officina Acustica, David Meyerowitz of Trinnov, Lars Johansen of Perlisten Audio, and James Chen of Kordz discuss the extensive work required to design, build, calibrate, commission, and prepare The Ultimate Audio Demo for a major international event. It’s a fun and lively discussion about what it takes to get a demo of this scale ready to debut as well as the logistics of packing it all up and shipping the FULL kit to Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) in Barcelona, Spain, and back home again after the show.  

To learn more about the demo, visit: https://hub.trinnov.com/ise2025

To learn more about Kordz at ISE 2025 visit https://www.kordz.com/trade-show-and-event/integrated-system-europe-ise-barcelona/.

To learn more about the brands participating in this episode, visit the websites below:

Officina Acustica: https://officinaacustica.com/

Trinnov: https://www.trinnov.com/

Perlisten Audio: https://www.perlistenaudio.com/

Kordz: www.kordz.com

Thanks for tuning in!