New Lossless and High-Resolution Streaming Services Raise the Bar for Digital Music Sound Quality

To some audiophiles, streaming music has had a bad connotation. In large part, it has to do with services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music all using compressed audio formats for streaming to devices like mobile phones. Some audio purists only want to listen to lossless music or the warm analog sound of vinyl records.

You can't blame audiophiles for eschewing compressed music. They spend many thousands of dollars on their high-end audio systems, and good equipment exposes all the warts in heavily compressed music. If you’re a high-end audio enthusiast in Lincoln Park, IL, you want your system to sound as good as possible. But there's no denying the convenience of being able to call up most of the world's recorded music with a few taps on your smartphone or tablet.

Fortunately, after years of focusing on interfaces and easy access at the expense of audio quality, there is a return to the pursuit of better sound with digital music. Music services like Tidal, Amazon Music HD, and Qobuz are leading the way with lossless and high-resolution music, available for easy streaming. If you're still digging through racks of CDs, you may want to keep reading!

Gain More Flexibility and Security with Pro-Level Solutions

You don’t have to look hard these days for home security devices. A myriad of cameras, video doorbells, sensors, and other consumer electronic devices are available for do-it-yourself home security and surveillance.

So are these products effective home surveillance systems for your Chicago, IL home? The answer depends on your needs. The devil, as they say, is often in the details. We won't tell you these consumer solutions are not effective; they are. On the other hand, we'd like to point out some of the advantages you get with a professional-level solution. And, when consumer solutions start offering the level of features that professional solutions have, their pricing starts looking much more expensive as well.

Let's take a closer look and give you a better awareness of three critical features of home surveillance systems, which will help you make informed choices.

Motorized Shading and Window Treatments Are the Crowning Touch for Smart Homes

As an architect or designer, chances are you have something that distinguishes your work from the rest. It may be a specific design flair that you include in every project, and your clients may even seek you out specifically for that signature design element.

We would humbly like to suggest another element that will be sure to capture your clients’ imagination – and continue to please them every time they use it. Motorized window treatments can be the epitome of luxury and convenience in your Chicago residential projects, whether for a high-rise condominium off the Magnificent Mile or a townhouse remodel in Lincoln Park.

One of the best names in powered shades and window treatments is Lutron, the same company that leads in lighting control solutions. Keep reading to explore the best features of two of Lutron’s high-end motorized windows treatment options.

Upgrade Your Home Theater Installation with the Best in Seating, Projection, and Audio

We’ve all spent much more time at home than ever. Fortunately, as the health situation slowly improves in Chicagoland and across Illinois, we are starting to get back to some level of normalcy. That said, no doubt you have depended on home entertainment to provide a much-needed mental break. If you have a home theater or media room, it’s probably gotten a workout lately.

With all the time you may have been spending in your home theater, you might be dreaming about some ways you could enhance it. Perhaps a larger screen and sharper projector for more cinematic visuals? Bigger, bolder sound that truly immerses you in the show? Or maybe even more luxurious seating that makes you never want to leave your home theater?

If any of those have crossed your mind lately, we have some excellent suggestions for upgrading your home theater installation in Naperville. Read on to see some of our favorites.