Summer has come to Atlanta, and with summer comes backyard cookouts, lazy days hanging out poolside and warm summer nights perfect for enjoying the company of friends and family. And the ideal complement to the sizzling sounds of the grill, the splash of the pool and the chirping of crickets at night is outdoor speakers.

With the right outdoor speaker setup, you can enjoy your favorite music while tanning by the pool or listening to the big game as you grill. One of our favorite outdoor audio brands is Origin Acoustics, so today we’d like to highlight their landscape speakers and what makes them special. If you want to enjoy the highest-quality outdoor entertainment at your Atlanta home, keep reading to learn more.

SEE ALSO: What is the Best Way to Take Your Entertainment Outdoors?

BOLLARD LOUDSPEAKERS

Origin’s collection of Bollard Loudspeakers (pictured above) are some of the best outdoor speakers available today. Bollard speakers are an excellent first purchase when building an outdoor audio system, or they can make for a worthy upgrade.

Having the right equipment is vital when taking your favorite entertainment outdoors. Employing indoor speakers and TVs will result in lower quality and damaged equipment. You can get more out of your outdoor spaces during the warmer months with products that deliver the ultimate quality and withstand extreme weather and debris.

Are you curious as to where to find the best outdoor speakers and televisions for your Alpharetta, GA home? Read this blog to learn about two of our favorite manufacturers: Origin Acoustics and SunbriteTV. Do you want to watch the baseball game on the patio or listen to music while you lay out in the backyard? Each of these companies offers a wide range of products to meet all your outdoor entertainment needs.

SEE MORE: What is the Best Way to Take Your Entertainment Outdoors?

Outdoor Sound System

No outdoor entertainment solution is more popular than a dedicated sound system. Anyone can take a portable speaker outdoors or mount a couple on the exterior wall, but to cover the entire space efficiently, you need a dedicated outdoor sound system. Not only do you need products designed for outdoor use, but also the right layout to make them work.

Do you want to hear music on your patio? Then Origin Acoustic's Bollard Loudspeaker is an excellent option with an omnidirectional sound that will cover the area evenly. With a 70-volt amplifier behind it, you get great reach and power to overcome ambient noise.

Very few technology upgrades are as simple and rewarding as adding motorized shades to your home. Even just adding a few throughout the house will reduce your monthly energy bills, make your TV sessions more enjoyable and enhance your family’s privacy. Not only that, but motorized shades reduce clutter by eliminating the need for cords and wands to manage them.

If not installed correctly, though, motorized shades can bring some dangerous clutter of their own. Once you add the shades, you need to power them, which in a worst-case-scenario means messy wires running from the window to the nearest outlet. 

Wireless battery-operated shades offer one excellent alternative for a more streamlined installation. You can also go with professionally installed hard-wired solutions with wires hidden behind walls. Once you read this blog outlining the pros and cons of each option, you’ll be able to gauge which is the best one for your Atlanta, GA home. 

SEE MORE: Why Your Shades Need to Be About More Than Just Style

Should You Go with Battery-Powered Shades?  

Whether you’re trying to avoid tripping over shoes left at the foot of the stairs or illuminating the perimeter of your property, lights can help make your nights a little safer. Featuring both indoor and outdoor solutions, Control4 Smart Lighting can brighten up your home with ease. Thanks to centralized control, customizable configurations, When >> Then personalization, and more, you’ll never have to walk into a dark room or yard again.

How can Control4 keep your Atlanta, GA home safe? In this blog, we’ll explore the important role your lighting automation system plays in the safety and security of your home.

Control4 Unifies and Simplifies Lighting

Control4 Smart Lighting simplifies use of all your lighting fixtures with centralized control from a smartphone, tablet, wall-panel, or dedicated controller. Its easy-to-use interface lets you dim or ramp up the lights in one room, multiple rooms, and throughout the entire property with a few swipes or with a simple voice command.

Completely customizable, Control4 can orchestrate and unify even the most expansive lighting systems. Imagine automating smart lighting fixtures throughout the yard, in the pool, on walls, under the stairs, and along pathways that can be scheduled, triggered by motion sensors, or set to come on at sundown. Imagine being able to control and even modify lighting scenes around your home from anywhere—whether you’re in the garage or on vacation. Total home control and peace of mind is possible with Control4.

When >> Then Lets You Adjust and Personalize

Not sure which routine or lighting scheme works best for your lifestyle? With When >> Then, a feature of the new OS 2.10.4, you can adjust and personalize your lighting scenes and other smart home settings without having to contact a pro. For instance, if you’ve become concerned by mischief in your neighborhood, you can intensify your outdoor lighting and set all perimeter lights to turn on automatically when you lock the door at night so you never forget. With When >> Then your home is yours to command.

When you think of an intercom you probably imagine a clunky eyesore with limited capabilities circa 1985 and, given the technology we have today, it’s not something you'd expect to consider as an upgrade for your home. But with so many new ways to communicate, we need to redefine the “com” in intercom. That’s exactly what Control4 has done with Intercom Anywhere. Not only does Intercom Anywhere let you speak with anyone in any room, but it also lets you see and control what’s going on in your home while functioning as a highly effective video doorbell. Read on to find out all the things it can do for you.

Answer and Unlock Your Front Door Remotely

The Intercom Anywhere app works with the Control4 Door Station to provide homeowners with two-way audio, high-definition video, and motion sensor snapshots when someone is at the front door. When visitors ring, the door station then calls all connected touch screens and mobile phones giving you the ability to not only see and hear the visitor but also control certain smart home functions. These actions, or scenes, appear in the Intercom Anywhere app and are defined by the owner.

These scenes can be quite comprehensive. For example, you might choose to have a “Welcome” scene that turns on entryway lights and unlocks the front door, then locks it again when the door closes. Alternatively, you might design a “Secure Home” scene that locks all outside doors, rolls down window shades, and arms the alarm just in case you do not trust the visitor.

You might even have a “Delivery” scene that unlocks the front door or rolls up the garage door just enough for a package to fit through. The “Delivery” scene could temporarily disarm your home security and then two minutes later rearm the alarm and send you a notification if the door is not closed.

Of course, scenes like these would mean having smart door locks and other smart home and security devices, all of which can be installed and programmed by Atlanta Audio & Automation located in Atlanta.