Do you remember carrying around that 8-pound binder you had filled with all of those shiny little round things called CDs? The audio quality was fantastic on all the new music and even Steve Miller Band’s greatest hits sounded amazing remastered. And then came along this little device called the Ipod. And we said, “You mean I can take all my Weezer, Nirvana, and Pink Floyd CDs and put them in my hip pocket? Count me in.
” All of that convenience and portability was great but…there was a catch; the compression of bit rate and bit depth. Without getting into a lot of technical jargon, what that means is all of that uncompressed data on a CD had to be smashed to a smaller size for transportation and storage on an Ipod or MP3 player. And the result? Lower sound quality. Most of us now accept the quality of our stored music as “normal”. Most millennials don’t even have any idea what else they can compare it to. The CD format to them is like an 8 track to my generation. And this generation has moved into the world of music streaming. Music is now stored in a cloud server and played on demand through the network on your computer or mobile device through various streaming services. But yet again all of streamed data requires compression…until now. Our recent advancements in computer processing, networking bandwidths and speed have made lossless audio accessible outside the realm of the CD format. The music and audio industry have gotten behind a new standardization called High-res or high resolution audio. With High-res audio we will have the ability to steam or download music in as good or better than CD quality audio. New high-res audio players will be able to play and stream the new format.
How can I access this new technology?
Well, Control4, the nation’s leader in Home Control systems, has included high res audio access in each of their new line of EA controllers. Native apps like Tidal and Deezer are accessible to stream to your stereo or whole house audio system for the best audio format EVER HEARD. Per usual, Control4 has set the trend in the technology curve. And let’s not forget that each these controllers can add video control, lighting control, HVAC control and much more…. Check out these entertainment solutions for more information. Huston is a proud installer and supplier of all Control4 Home Control products. Paired with our line of Paradigm pro-audio speakers and amplifiers, you will not only hear the difference, you will feel it.
Nate Cushman – Custom Electronics Integrator – Huston Technology
Huston Inc. was founded in 1939 and has divisions specializing in electrical contracting and service, home and business automation, smart boards, lighting retrofits, telecommunications, visual communications and signage, generators and compressors. Huston Electric has four locations including Lafayette, Kokomo and Westfield, IN. To learn more about Huston’s products and services, please visit www.hustonelectric.com
Matt Huston was born and raised in Lafayette, IN. During the summers beginning at age 13, Matt worked for the family electrical business, Huston Electric, first as a warehouse helper and then truck driver delivering material to jobsites. After graduating from Harrison High School, Matt attended Purdue University and finished at Indiana University-Purdue University (IUPUI) in 2013. Matt started his career as the Electrical Service Manager in Huston’s Lafayette location. Hitting the ground running, Matt built countless service-based relationships and has grown and morphed Huston Electric’s service division and market offerings. Matt was promoted to Director of Electrical Services in 2019 and was the driving force behind Huston’s solar division that launched in 2020. Currently, Matt serves as President of Huston Electric and is leading the company into its 85th year in business. Matt is excited and humbled to be able to follow in the steps of his father (Jon), grandfather (Dave), and great grandfather (Don) and looks forward to carrying on the legacy and growth at Huston Electric. Matt is an active member in many industry peer groups, community events, and trade conferences. He is a member of the Region4 Workforce Board and is Huston Electric’s appointed representative to ELECTRI International.