Sue says she was surprised and impressed when the Think Simple people came back after the audio system was installed and tuned each room with Crestron's Surround Sound Tuning Kit, using a microphone to compare the sound coming from the speakers with a reference tone generated by a computer. "It's night and day how much better it sounds."
As concerned as she was about sound and image quality, Sue did not want to look at the A/V equipment when she wasn't using it. Think Simple installed an equipment rack in the attic, mounted speakers in the ceilings, and hid TVs in cabinets whenever possible. In the master bath, they installed Seura mirror TVs, which disappear when powered off. If someone wants to play a movie or song list from a phone or tablet, they can connect wirelessly via AirPlay. The sound system defaults to the room they connect from, but it's easy to play music in multiple rooms or throughout the house.
Getting the details right was a bit of a challenge. Gilbert says he had the bathroom vanities custom built so that the glass would match the glass in the Seura mirrors perfectly. "We also had to use linear actuator motors in the living room to keep from damaging the artwork," he adds.
Think Simple owns its own "CNC" computer-controlled lathe and milling machine, which they used to build bronze plates for security cameras and wood plates for some of the outdoor lighting fixtures, all of which exactly match fixtures chosen by Schaub interior architect Christine Pokorney.
Network, Lighting and Security
In addition to the A/V systems, Think Simple installed the home network, a home telephone system including a cellular antenna, and Crestron controls to integrate the security, lighting, shading, climate and A/V, coordinating with the family's security and IT suppliers based near their main home in St. Louis.
"The name of the company [Think Simple] is interesting," Sue says. "As technical as they are, they really do make it very simple for the end user. I was impressed, too, with their service after the sale. I was watching a movie with some friends one evening and something happened – the movie just quit. I called Will, and he fixed it immediately by connecting remotely to my house. We went right back to our movie."
"The Think Simple people are all kind of nerdy but a good nerdy," she adds. "They are all truly excited about what they do, and they are always looking for the next thing that will be great to use in a home."
That's one reason she recommended the company to a neighbor down the street. But the other is simply that she loves her integrated home.
She says her son is building a new house now and she told him to be sure to include an automation system. "I said, 'Do it now before the house is finished. You'll be really glad you did.'"
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Tagged With: audio, audio system, home audio, home automation, home automation system, home control, home control system, home entertainment, home systems, integration, smart home, video
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