No Wires Sound System Revealed

A radical new sound system that can distributed across several zones in a house and installed in a day by an electrican is set to revolutionise the sound industry. Developed by NuVo Technologies the new sound system eliminates cables and instead of delivering music over Ethernet or speaker cable NuVo’s Renovia system uses existing electrical wiring to distribute music and other data throughout the house.

Key to the NuVo system is the Renovia hub which has a built in source that delivers dual AM/FM tuners. Users can also plug in two iPod docks and two additional analogue sources. Up to six sources can be connected with all music and metadata distributed to up to 12 in-wall zone amps via the powerlines, using the new HomePlug technology.

NuVo touch pads are used to control the sources and connect to the amps via Cat 5 if needed. Two speakers connect to each amp via speaker wires.

The system is also able to control and play additional digital content on the network via the use of a NuVo music port module.

According to NuVo the Company decided on one integrated box for the powerline solution because “the goal of the system is for the installer to do a one-day job,” NuVo CTO Rick Kukulies told CE Pro Magazine in the USA. “That’s paramount for obvious reasons – like there’s just one visit – but I think the main reason that people don’t retrofit because of the disruption.”

The electrician does nothing more than wire the power module like any other light switch or outlet. The integrator pops in the amp, connects a jumper cable to the power, and runs a Cat 5 cable to the keypad – any of NuVo’s standard control pad touch controllers will do.

“It works just like the NuVo Concerto or Essentia,” Kukulies says. “You just don’t have to run any wires.

The Renovia system accommodates 12 zones of audio. Currently you cannot “HomePlug-enable” NuVo’s traditional hardwired multiroom audio systems but such a solution may be forthcoming say NuVo.