In the automotive world, the old adage goes, "There's no substitute for horsepower." Indeed, if you want a car to go fast, you need an engine that delivers the beans. Fat tires, spoilers, and racy styling do nothing for speed, but an engine that delivers power to the wheels does.

But can you have too much power? In cars, perhaps, but power is good if used judiciously. After all, Dodge seems to sell all the 800 horsepower Hellcats it can make. Does anyone need 800 horsepower? No, but it sure is fun.

In high-performance audio, power is good too. With high-end speakers, the more power they are fed, the better they tend to sound. In fact, many speakers don’t sound their best unless they are supplied with copious amounts of power. That’s when you start hearing things in familiar recordings that you’ve never heard before. And it’s because the amplifier is wringing every last detail from your music.

McIntosh is an audio company that needs no introduction to hi-fi enthusiasts. The company recently celebrated its 70^th anniversary, and while today it offers a full array of high-end components, nothing has cemented its reputation more than its beefy, iconic amplifiers.

Where can you find McIntosh amplifiers? GHT Group is proud to be a McIntosh dealer serving Cumming, GA and the metro Atlanta area. Keep reading below about two of our favorite McIntosh amplifiers to bring the power to your system.

If you happen to be old enough, you might remember a different time in electronic products. In the 1950s and 1960s, when they began exploding in popularity, many TVs and audio products looked like pieces of furniture instead of technology. You may remember the all-in-one turntable, AM-FM radio, and speakers that were all housed in an elegant wood credenza back in the day. Even separate components were encased in wood housing, and far more speakers had natural wood finishes that were not just black.

Today, technology looks like…technology. It is a rare product that incorporates unique design flair. Don't get us wrong; it does exist – in beautifully finished audio gear from McIntosh and Klipsch, to name but two examples. But many otherwise superb products don't always jive with the interior design visions of many of our customers.

We have solutions to that issue. If you don't like to see flat panel screens when they're not in use, you don't have to. On our blog, we've discussed many architectural speakers that deliver incredible sound without taking up any real estate in your room – including subwoofers.

This month, we want to tell you about a company that makes exceptional solutions to hide the technology bits you don't wish to be visible until they're called upon. Future Automation is an engineering company highly skilled at making equipment that looks custom-built for your home. So if you want a media room design that features more design than media equipment in your Buckhead home, there' likely a Future Automation solution.

Read on to learn more about innovative Future Automation products to hide your technology.

GHT Group is big on high-performance audio, as evidenced by some of the brands we carry – McIntosh, Klipsch Heritage, and Monitor Audio, to name a few. We're always on the lookout to offer more for our audio enthusiast clients, and we're proud to introduce our latest brand partner – Focal.

For some well-versed in high-fidelity audio, Focal needs no introduction. But others may not think of Focal when thinking about high-end audio. Focal has been making unique speakers and audio equipment since 1979, adding their distinctive design principles to home, pro, and automobile audio. The company is proud of its French heritage that shows in the stylish appearance of its products. In a world where many audio products are designed in the origin country but manufactured overseas, Focal still assembles their high-end audio products in France.

Keep reading below to learn more about Focal home speakers for your Atlanta, GA listening or media room.

In this highly connected world we live in, much of what we do is tracked. No one is lurking in the shadows snapping pictures of us like in old detective shows, but it’s far easier than that. Your smartphone tracks your location continuously, and a variety of apps for which you grant access to your information knows where you go and where you’ve been.

Now, most of you already know that much of your activity is being watched. Your browsing history is used to target advertising. Your Facebook activity is a fountain of information that may understand more about you than you do. Google and Apple Maps know where you go, by car and on foot. Yet, there's a tradeoff we make for sharing all this information. We get some beneficial, dependable, and free services like navigation around Brookhaven and Atlanta and just about anywhere in the world (remember when navigation devices cost hundreds of dollars?) and a host of other free information services we use without a second thought.

What does that have to do with home automation? Plenty. Keep reading for more.

Recently, GHT Group changed its name from Georgia Home Theater. Why? While AV and home theater remain central to our mission, the name did not reflect everything we do in smart technology in both the residential and commercial markets. In the past few years, we have made a significant investment in adding additional smart technology products and services, as well as our 20,000 square foot Marietta showroom, to become the “one-stop” smart home company in the metro Atlanta area.

We are also committing ourselves to partner with designers, architects, and builders to be the smart home company of choice for integrating the latest technology in new and remodeled homes. To that end, we have recently joined the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association to become part of the community of builders and real estate professionals, bringing our expertise in the rapidly changing and expanding smart technology landscape. Keep reading to learn more about why GHT Group should be your choice for smart technology solutions in Atlanta.

Georgia Home Theater has been building custom home theaters and media rooms in the Alpharetta and Atlanta areas since our inception in 1989. Home theaters are in our name for a reason; it’s the bread and butter of our business.

But if you think a custom theater or media room is only for the very well-heeled, you might be in for a pleasant surprise. Today’s equipment and technology can accommodate a wide range of media use and room types. Sure, you can still get the full home cinema experience with the movie décor, lounge chairs, soundproofing, and the best equipment, but you don’t need to go that route if that doesn’t fit your lifestyle.

Let’s explore some of the latest trends in custom theaters and media rooms.

As the sun shines brighter and temperatures soar, summer in Vinings, GA, can be both welcome and challenging. But what if we told you that you could make the most of this season by turning your home into a smart, energy-efficient, and comfortable haven? A skilled home automation contractor can transform your living space into a summer sanctuary, helping you enjoy the best of Vinings' warm weather while making your home cool, comfortable, and efficient. So, let's dive in and discover how to beat the heat with smart technology!

In the fast-paced world of smart home technology, staying ahead of the curve is no small feat. As Atlanta homeowners, you might be concerned about investing in smart home technology. As with most technology these days, will it be outdated next year? The solution to avoiding rapid obsolescence is engaging the expertise of a home automation company. In this blog, we'll explain why partnering with a home technology integrator is the key to a smart home that stands the test of time.

In the past, technology has often been seen as an obstacle that interior designers need to work around in order to create distinct, beautiful spaces. Things have changed, though.

Home technologies have evolved with design in mind, and manufacturers are building smart home devices that are tools interior designers can use to transform a room and make it more functional.

Design is about more than just aesthetics. It informs how people relate to their surroundings, and as technology changes the nature of that relationship, design needs to embrace the possibilities these smart devices provide.

Smart lighting control systems are especially valuable for designers, making spaces more versatile by allowing homeowners to change the atmosphere with the push of the button.

Keep reading to learn about the ways smart lighting systems in the Buckhead area can enhance your interior design projects.

Social distancing may be easing, but things are not going back to "normal" immediately. With most activity now confined to the home – be it work, school, or entertainment – stress levels have been rising. Having the entire family at home, doing all the things they often do elsewhere, can become a balancing act.

However, there are things we can do to make everyday life more comfortable in Brookhaven, GA. When you're home a lot, you might tend to notice some routine tasks that you often do, over and over. Fortunately, smart technology offers some solutions to take a bit of the load off. And these things will be just as valuable timesavers when social distancing is a distant memory. Read on to see how a Control4 smart home control system sweats the small stuff while you make the most of your time at home. 

Smart home control is all about seamless and comprehensive integration. It’s not enough to have one remote that controls the AV system in your home theater. If you really want to live in a smart home, everything should be connected to one robust home automation system. By tapping an icon on a smart touchpad, you should be able to control the lights, surveillance cameras, home audio and video, and every other smart home technology.

Control4 is a leading provider of advanced home automation systems. They help homeowners enjoy one-touch command of every connected technology in their homes. In this blog, we’ll focus on three of the most impressive ways you can enjoy a Control4 home in Atlanta, GA. Keep reading for all the details.

We have written before on these pages about many smart home technology topics. We’ve also written about how it pays to work with a professional company for your smart home and AV installations, as you need a reliable, trained team that stands behind their work.

What you might not know is how to go about choosing a smart home company to install the technology in your Alpharetta home. In this blog, we’d like to share with you four areas that can indicate the seriousness of a professional home technology integration company.

Ready to learn more? Keep reading below.

If you’re making an investment in a home theater or media room, whether it’s a replica of the Strand or a more modest multi-purpose room, you want great sound to go along with a great picture on a big screen. While it’s a fact that better quality speakers and components will deliver better audio quality, sometimes other factors affect the sound adversely no matter how good the equipment is.

The inherent acoustics of your Atlanta media room or home theater layout might have more effect on the sound than you think. For example, too many hard surfaces might make some sound frequencies overly harsh. Things like windows along one wall and other room features can affect the sound, creating the impression that you might not be able to achieve the enveloping sound you want that rivals the local multiplex.

Don’t worry though; there are solutions. Home theater is in our name, so we know a thing or two about home theater sound. Read on to learn more.

As we all know, the current COVID-19 health crisis has presented significant challenges to everyone. With Georgia now officially under stay-at-home orders, home life has all family members under one roof pursuing typical activities at the same time – work, school, entertainment, and staying in touch with friends and family.

This time may bring about some new stresses on home life, but we have some technology solutions that may help. GHT Group has always maintained that smart home automation offers a variety of important benefits in various areas, including security and safety, comfort, efficiency, and even wellness. If you have some aspects of smart home technology in your home, you may already appreciate that. If you don’t, we have some solutions that you can consider to make this time a little easier. GHT Group is still open for business and available to help with your home technology needs.

How can home automation help with this period in your Johns Creek, GA home? Read on for some ideas.

Is home automation merely a luxury? We would be the first to assert that it's not a necessity for your home. But contemporary society does adjust quickly to modern technology – after all, how many of us want to give up our mobile phone? How about your refrigerator, dishwasher or washing machine?

All of the things we mentioned above were once luxuries which are now standard equipment of today's world. And all those devices had a profound influence on shaping modern lifestyles.

Will home automation have the same level of impact as these standards of modern life? We think that ultimately the answer is yes, which is why we also believe that home automation technology is a smart investment for your Buckhead, GA home right now – financially and otherwise. Read how below.