Parks Associates, a leading international IoT research firm, will discuss new data on high-end audio and home systems at CEDIA EXPO 2016, September 14-15 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.

“Both high-end audio and smart home systems are pushing into the mass market in 2016, and these CEDIA sessions will examine the impact of new sales channels and the role of traditional custom installers,” said Barbara Kraus, Director of Research, Parks Associates. “We will also discuss the focus and impact of mass-market companies such as Sony and Samsung as they look to compete in high-end home systems.”

“Two-thirds of U.S. broadband households use a streaming audio service, and as prices for high-end audio devices drop, solutions traditionally targeted at audiophiles can leverage this usage to expand their market,” said Brad Russell, Research Analyst, Parks Associates. “However, audiophiles clearly have different expectations than average consumers, while high-end audio experiences can come in many forms. Companies looking to move into the mass market may need to recalibrate the price-to-value equation in developing, marketing, and selling their high-end audio solutions.”

Parks Associates research shows a strong correlation between home size and adoption of smart products. Nearly one-third (32%) of U.S. broadband households with a home with 3,000 square feet or more own an average of 2.5 smart home devices. By comparison, the average U.S. household owns less than two smart home devices.

Kraus will moderate the session “High-end Home Systems: Adoption, Channels, and Competition” on Wednesday, September 14 at 3:00 p.m. The interactive panel discussion will highlight adoption of high-end home entertainment systems and the home controls market as it relates directly to custom installers. The session will also feature insights on the state of the connected home, as well as channel competition from manufacturers and mass-market solutions from telecom, cable, security, and retail channels. Kraus will be joined by the following panelists:

• Mark Crandell, VP of Sales, TiVo
• Troy Holtby, Managing Director of Sales, Control4
• Joe Lautner, Director of Business Development, Core Brands (ELAN Home Systems)
• Bill Lee, VP of Smart Home, Samsung
• Frank Sterns, Director of Sales, Sony Electronics, USA
• Shannon Townley, CEO and President, Stewart Filmscreen

Russell will lead the session “Growth and Future Outlook for the High-end Audio Market” on Thursday, September 15 at 1:30 p.m. The session will address growth trends for streaming audio, high-resolution audio, whole-home audio, and wireless technologies, as well as the future outlook for key audio devices, including headphones, sound bars, speakers, home theater audio, and multiroom audio systems.

Parks Associates research shows that 66% of U.S. broadband households use a streaming audio service, with 26% subscribing to a paid streaming audio service and 40% using a free service to stream audio.

The panelists for the audio session include:

• Brett Crockett, VP, Sound Tech R&D, Dolby Laboratories
• Dr. Petros Belimpasakis, Senior Business Manager, Head of Premium Sound Category, Bang & Olufsen
• Dannie Lau, General Manager, Networked Audio Division, DTS
• Owen Kwon, President, IRIVER Inc. (Astell & Kern)
• Michael Papish, Director of Platform Marketing, Sonos

Parks Associates will launch its annual U.S. dealer survey, Security Dealer Survey: Smart Home and DIY Systems, later in 2016. The firm’s previous dealer research reveals that at the end of 2015, 31% of security dealer installs included networked video cameras and 15% included connected lighting controls.

Media interviews with Barbara Kraus and Brad Russell are available. To request a meeting or specific research data, contact Holly Sprague at hsprague@gmail.com or 720-987-6614.

About Parks Associates

Parks Associates, a woman-founded and certified business, is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates provides business intelligence and research services through its proprietary methodologies developed over decades, including quarterly surveys of 10,000 internet households.

The company's expertise crosses many industries: home security and smart home, streaming video, broadband and pay-TV services, digital media and platforms, gaming, Wi-Fi and home networks, connected health, support, consumer electronics, home control systems, energy management, and tech solutions for the multi-dwelling (MDU), small-to-medium business (SMB), and commercial building markets.

Each year, Parks Associates brings thousands of leaders together for its webinars and annual events. The firm hosts the annual executive research and strategy conferences CONNECTIONS™, Connected Health Summit, Smart Energy Summit, Smart Spaces, and Future of Video. https://www.parksassociates.com

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