>> sound advice
I Have Seen
(And Heard) The Light
I
Neal Check
Special to the Jewish News
0
nce in a while, a product comes
across my desk that is so innova-
tive, it's just all around fun to use,
talk and write about.
To appreciate this better, go into your
kitchen and look up at the ceiling. You see
those recessed light cans over your island?
Imagine unscrewing a couple of those old
incandescent light bulbs and replacing
them with new energy-efficient LED bulbs.
Now imagine plugging your iPhone or
other smart device into a tabletop dock
and, voila, stereo music is playing through
your new light bulbs. Simply amazing!
Have you noticed the shortage of good
old incandescent light bulbs around your
local hardware store? When George W.
Bush signed the Energy Independence and
Security Act (EISA) in 2007, it seemed to
spell the beginning of the end of standard
light bulbs. This act does not ban regular
light bulbs, but rather requires them to
use less energy. So in January 2012 and
continuing into 2020, the wattage for each
light bulb, as we know it, must use about
30 percent less energy.
This new light bulb standard has
spurred innovation in lighting and given
consumers more choices. One innovative
company has taken LED light bulb choices
to an unheard of level; or, should I say,
"heard-of" level. This is where the fun
comes in.
Already a winner of the CES Innovation
award and the Electronics House Tops
Award, Montana-based IAV LightSpeaker
(www.iavlightspeaker.com ) is the first
patented product to combine efficient LED
lighting and wireless sound into a single
unit that installs like a light bulb into a
recessed light fixture or a table/floor lamp.
The system consists of a pair of fully dim-
mable LED light bulbs, a two-source wire-
less transmitter and a wireless remote con-
trol. You simply replace two of your existing
light bulbs with the LightSpeakers and then
plug an audio source into the wireless trans-
mitter. The transmitter has about 150 feet
of range. Ready for this...the whole system
will only set you back about $400.
You can have as many as 16
LightSpeakers playing off of one transmit-
ter, so it is easy to expand, and there is
no wiring involved; you can even take it
with you if you move. There is an optional
wireless subwoofer as well as rechargeable
rock speakers allowing you to bring the
music outside.
Admittedly, this is not high-end audio
quality, but for background music, it
gets the job done nicely. More so, it's just
downright cool, and when you think about
the cost savings of pulling wire and its
inconspicuous profile, it's just about the
best game in town for the do it yourselfer!
What would Port Huron, Michigander,
Thomas Edison have to say? ❑
Neal Check is the owner of SoundCheck LLC
in Southfield, specializing in custom home
theater, sound, lighting and automation, www.
soundcheckllc.com .
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June 13 • 2012
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