For Immediate Release

Contact: Gerry Lemay
Home Acoustics Alliance
(618) 398-3311
lemay@homeacoustics.net

HAA TO HONOR AUDIO GURU OF THE YEAR

Home Acoustics Alliance to announce the Audio Guru of the Year and Component Engineering Excellence Award winners at an informal reception at CEDIA EXPO 2006; Dr Floyd Toole will be the guest speaker.

Belleville, IL, September 1, 2006 – The Home Acoustics Alliance, leaders in Sound Quality Management training since 2001, announced today that the first annual HAA Awards reception will be held in conjunction with CEDIA EXPO 2006. Members of the press are invited. The reception will be a mixer presented on Thursday September 14th at 6:30 in room 210 of the Colorado Convention Center.

The Master of Ceremonies will be Frank White of StayTuned who will present awards for Component Engineering Excellence and the Audio Guru of the Year. The guest speaker will be Dr Floyd Toole, Vice President of Engineering for Harman International. Dr. Toole will be discussing his latest paper on rooms and loudspeakers, a frank reexamination of many current acoustical assumptions in the design of listening rooms. His latest AES paper: “Loudspeakers and Rooms for Sound Reproduction—A Scientific Review” will create a lively discussion on some of the “myths” about acoustics still prevailing in the AV industry. In addition, Dr. Mark Waldrep founder and chief engineer of AIX Records will share his thoughts on the critical importance of compelling demos and the impact of high resolution, surround music on the future of home entertainment. Dr. Waldrep, a musician, composer and recording engineer, has worked on projects with the Rolling Stones, ELP, Kitaro, Tool and many others. His company, AIX Records, is an award winning media label and has established itself as a leading provider of high resolution, surround audio as well as HD video for the home theater marketplace.

Gerry Lemay, Director of the HAA explained “We are extremely pleased to present this event as our way of promoting the continued development of the art and science of great sound. By awarding those companies and individuals who are leaders, we hope to encourage and acknowledge all of the AV Professionals who truly strive for the best possible entertainment experience for the consumer”. The HAA has long been a standard bearer for the need for proper design and calibration in conjunction with high quality audio components to achieve optimum performance. Encouraging all consumers to consider proper design and calibration services as an integral part of the home theater system is a long standing HAA theme. As a fitting setting for the reception, CEDIA has graciously provided the site of its “Two Rooms Two Sounds” Demonstration which is an HAA production and is operating through Saturday at the CEDIA EXPO 2006. [back to top]

The HAA Audio Guru of the Year is awarded to the HAA Calibrator who best exemplifies the professional qualities and accomplishments of the AV Professional. The selections will be judged by the HAA Executive Committee composed of HAA board members. The selection process required each entrant to provide a resume, customer references and an essay entitled “My Best Day on the Job”. The essay concept was inspired by the myriad of wonderful stories HAA Calibrators have related about their success in thrilling customers. The winners’ essay will be published on the HAA website www.homeacoustic.net site. [back to top]

The HAA Component Engineering Excellence Award goes to the Consumer Electronics product that demonstrates technology, features, and capabilities that best enable the HAA Calibrator in their pursuit of great sound through science. This award is designed for consumer electronics components destined to remain in the system after calibration i.e. speakers, subwoofer's, processors, receivers, amplifiers, equalizers, sources, cables and acoustical treatments. Award is nominated by the HAA Membership and selected by the HAA CEE Award Committee which is composed of HAA Level II certified Custom Installation Technicians and Contractors. [back to top]

The HAA Awards Reception has been sponsored by some of the leading companies in the audio reproduction industry; the Green Glue Company, RPG Acoustics, Sencore Electronics, Triad Loudspeakers, Quest Acoustical Interiors and Audio Control Inc. The line-up of sponsors represents great manufacturers noted for their unique attention to the importance of the Custom Installer in achieving high-end performance. Each had been approached as sponsors because their products have been recognized as making HAA Level I and Level II Calibrations quicker and better. As Gerry Lemay puts it, “Sound Quality Management is painstaking work. Audio Guru’s recognize which products enable them and which ones make their job harder. I like the adage; work smarter not harder. The final result of the synergy between great products, a great design and expert calibration is the creation of the “experience of a lifetime” for consumers. “

Attendees will include members of the HAA, manufacturers and invited guests who will enjoy hor'orderves and beverages courtesy of our sponsors. Drink tickets will be available at the event through HAA and sponsors representatives.

About Home Acoustics Alliance
An alliance of audio/video professionals dedicated to the pursuit of sonic greatness in the home entertainment experience. Our mission is to create a network of expert practitioners whose mandate is divided equally between creating superb home audio and educating the consumer; we believe consumer awareness drives the evolution of excellence. An HAA professional stands out by defining excellence; releasing sound system performance from the realm of uncertainty becoming a modern art and science. HAA runs a series of CEDIA approved Level I and Level II seminars and workshops throughout the world. These classes teach Sound Quality Management techniques focusing on listening room design and calibration for high-end performance. For further information about HAA and its members, contact Gerry Lemay at lemay@homeacoustics.net (618) 398-3311. You may visit HAA on the web at http://www.homeacoustics.net/. [back to top]

About “CEDIA TWO ROOMS – TWO SOUNDS” Demo
An acoustics demonstration by members of the Home Acoustics Alliance.
Demonstration Schedule: Thursday Sept 14, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Friday Sept 15, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Saturday Sept 16, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Location: Colorado Convention Center, rooms 208 & 211. Seating is limited. Proper calibration and installation of audio systems can make a significant difference in room audio quality. The Home Acoustics Alliance and CEDIA, with the support of Runco, RPG Acoustics, Niveus Media, Stewart Filmscreen, Triad, Audio Control, and Lexicon, have installed two identical audio systems in two identical rooms at the Colorado Convention Center. In room 208, the system has been set-up to match the characteristics of a typical home theater installation. In room 212, CEDIA Subject Matter Experts and HAA calibrators have designed, set-up, and calibrated the audio system according to CEDIA standards. This is a dramatic demonstration of the techniques, skills, and results you can acquire through CEDIA University’s Designer courses. http://www.cedia.net/ [back to top]

About Dr Floyd Toole, PhD
Dr. Toole is noted for his research on the acoustics and psychoacoustics of sound reproduction, conducted during his 25 year tenure at Canada's National Research Council and which, since 1991, continues in the research group he created at Harman International, worldwide leader in the manufacture of high-quality, high-fidelity audio and electronic products. For papers on listening tests, loudspeaker sound quality, and aspects of perception related to listening in small rooms he has received two AES Publications Awards, and an AES Silver Medal Award. He is a fellow of the ASA, and a fellow and past President of the AES. http://www.harman.com/ [back to top]

About Dr. Mark Waldrep, PhD
Mark Waldrep, a musician, composer and recording engineer, founded AIX Records (originally known as Pacific Coast Sound Works) setting up one of the first digital audio workstations in his garage. He was one of the first to employ digital audio technology processing to CD projects for Warner New Media, Harmonia Mundi, New Albion and Telarc Records. Projects for the Rolling Stones, ELP, Kitaro and others helped to establish AIX as a leading provider of multimedia for the recording industry. AIX Records is dedicated to recording and releasing the finest quality audio products available anywhere in any format. Using state-of-the-art, high-resolution, digital equipment and a signal path that maintains 96 kHz/24 Bits fidelity throughout, they seek to enhance the experience of listening to music through improvements in sound quality, innovative 5.1 channel surround mixing perspectives and by adding plenty of interactive disc-based annotational materials. http://www.aixrecords.com/ [back to top]

About Frank White
Frank White, an engineer, expert trainer and distinguished business leader, founded StayTuned with Mitchell Klein as an industry consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations create and sustain competitive advantage. He holds a remarkable background in the industry including among many successes Principal and VP Sales & Marketing for Multiplex Technology almost single-handedly created the Channel Plus brand and VP Sales and Marketing at AMX building the company to over 100 million in sales. He was instrumental in the creation, growth and expansion of CEDIA, serving six years on the Board of Directors and delivering vision & leadership at a variety of volunteer levels since 1989. His high energy style of evangelical training has been instrumental in creating legions of qualified custom installers world-wide. Frank is a feature columnist for TechHome Builder Magazine, and a frequent contributor to a variety of industry publications. He is a sought-after spokesperson and lecturer. He may be reached at the Los Angeles office (714) 256-9922 or via email frank@StayTunedIn.com. StayTuned provides high value-added consulting in residential technologies, business development, strategic planning, market intelligence, training services, and speaking engagements for companies engaged in the development manufacture, distribution, installation of audio, video, networking and home automation products and services. staytunedin.com