In the early 2000s, Good Sounds was hired by homeowners in Dana Point to outfit their still-in-construction home with a Crestron-based system that controlled a multi-zone distributed audio and video system, all the home’s lighting, as well as the HVAC system. When it was completed, it was a stunning example of what could be accomplished with the smart home technology of the day.
It is also a stunning home in its own right. It has three levels. The bottom level is subterranean and features a custom garage with an automobile showcase, a swimming pool, sports bar, media room, and gym. As you enter the maid (middle) level, you pass over a glass bridge that overlooks a Koi pond. On this level, you’ll find the family room, dining room, kitchen, a guest room, and a dedicated home theater. You’ll also be dazzled with the two-story atrium with custom aquariums. The upper floor houses the master suite and three additional bedrooms, as well as an exercise room and a home office. The west side of the home faces the Pacific Ocean. The outdoor area features a pool, BBQ area, and a lovely yard.
When this home was first designed, the homeowners of this luxury Dana Point residence were looking for a system that would allow them to easily control all the systems in their home—from audio visual systems to climate to lighting to motorized shades. The Crestron-controlled system served the homeowners well for many years, but like with any technology, the time eventually comes when things need to be updated.
Earlier this year, those same homeowners contacted us again. They now want to take advantage of the advances in AV and smart home technology to update their Dana Point home, from the ground up. The team at Good Sounds worked with them to design an updated system that would meet all their needs and utilize the latest in whole-home control and AV technology.
We recently received authorization to move ahead with an engineered plan for replacing the entire Crestron-based control system with a very high-end Savant-based control and distributed IP audio system. That system will interface with a 4K video distribution system from the cutting-edge vendor AVPro Edge.
One of the challenges with this Dana Point home is that we will be utilizing the original CAT5e wiring infrastructure, which was pre-wired in the home when it was custom built in the early 2000s. AVPro Edge will provide 4K video distribution on the existing infrastructure to all of the brand new Sony 4K televisions, which will replace the outdated displays in 15 locations throughout the residence.
A new Savant system will provide full control of all video and audio sources and endpoints, as well as the new Lutron lighting and the HVAC system.
When complete, this Dana Point residence will be outfitted with AV and smart home systems that will rival those in any brand new custom home in Orange County!
The Experience to Work on Existing AV Systems
Not all Orange County AV companies are willing to work on existing systems. Some will only work on new builds or will insist that everything be replaced in an update, even if some of the infrastructure is still useful.
One of the main advantages of working with the team at Good Sounds is that we have been in the residential AV industry in Orange County for more than three decades now. We have pretty much seen it all when it comes to AV systems, smart home systems, and networking systems. We are willing to take on challenging projects—especially when they involve updating existing systems.
Good Sounds frequently takes over projects in high-end custom residences that were built prior to the advent of pre-wire for category cabling. These are homes that currently have no ethernet cable in the walls, but are needing audio, video, and networking system upgrades. By applying the use of specialized networking hardware, we are able to adapt the existing wiring infrastructure in order to support a backbone for high-speed networking and Wi-Fi.
Savant Systems: The Industry Leader in Smart Home Systems and Home Entertainment
At Good Sounds, Savant is our go-to for home automation systems and is what we chose for the Dana Point home mentioned above. There are other options out there, of course, but we’ve found that homeowners love the ease of use that Savant provides. Savant Systems allow homeowners to use their own iPhones or iPads to easily control their AV systems, lighting, motorized shades, security cameras, and climate control systems. The Savant app is intuitive and easy to navigate, even for those who wouldn’t consider themselves “tech savvy.”
Savant provides homeowners with the customized entertainment experience they crave. Using the Savant Pro app on your Apple device, you can play music from any source in any room in your home—or even outdoors. You can turn the volume up or down from anywhere, or have the volume adjust down automatically at a certain hour.
With the app, you can also keep an eye on what’s going on in any room of the house or see who’s pulling up to your gate by having your security cameras connected to your Savant app. You can even monitor your security cameras when you’re away from your home.
Savant pairs well with Lutron HomeWorks (another favorite system used often in the smart homes designed by Good Sounds). With their sophisticated technology, you can adjust the lighting to fit the atmosphere you want to create. You can also automate your shades to take advantage of natural light during the day and provide you with privacy at night.
Contact Good Sounds for Smart Home Upgrades in Orange County and the Coachella Valley
Are you ready to outfit your Orange County or Coachella Valley home with the latest in AV or smart home technology? Is your current system outdated and in need of a refresh? Contact us at Good Sounds. We specialize in providing homeowners with the luxury experience they crave, coupled with the ease of use they want.
