As a home technology company, we love technology, but never for its own sake. Rather, we love how it can simplify our client’s lives and bring more enjoyment to everyday living. That’s why we love whole-home audio systems; they can bring music to every corner of your Atlanta home, including outdoors. Today’s technology brings amazing ease of use and audio quality to multi-room music setups, making it easier than ever to enjoy the mood-enhancing effects of music in your space. Let's explore some of our favorite solutions for multi-room audio solutions and how they blend seamlessly with your decor and lifestyle.  

We can’t take credit for Focal and Naim, two well-known and highly respected names in high-end audio, for getting together. That merger happened back in 2011, and it has been a fruitful partnership. But we can humbly and proudly take credit for being named a Focal/Naim Dealer of the Year in 2022, a sign of our great partnership with these stellar audio brands. 

GHT Group loves working with Focal because of their commitment to hi-fi audio excellence that doesn't sacrifice design and aesthetics, a vital part of the total audio experience. We're proud to display several of these beautiful speaker lines in our Marietta showroom and are equally pleased to be a top dealer in Metro Atlanta and the Southeast for Focal/Naim.

What makes Focal and Naim such a great combination? Both brands share the same core values and commitment to excellence in audio. Learn more about them below!

Are you considering diving or gently tiptoeing into the world of home automation and high-performance audio? Maybe you’ve been scrolling through Instagram, looking at different home theater designs, or reading up on whole-home audio systems that fill your home with incredible, immersive sound. And let’s not forget the outdoor entertainment area. 

Technology has left some remarkable choices on our plates. Where do you start? That’s where we come in. GHT Group has been providing custom technology solutions in Atlanta and Marietta, GA, since 1989. We know a thing or two or three about home theater design, whole-home audio, outdoor entertainment systems, and home automation.

Which brings us to the topic at hand—focal home speakers.

Does anyone need expensive high-performance audio equipment? It would likely fit – if at all –  into Maslow’s hierarchy of needs at the highest level, self-actualization. Translating Maslow’s top motivation to audio, It’s the desire to get the best audio quality you can possibly have or afford. For enthusiasts, high-performance audio is a hobby where getting to the next level makes them happy, just like golf and other endeavors sometimes become borderline yet satisfying obsessions. 

What makes an audio enthusiast excited? A new piece of gear that will add that je ne sais quoi improvement factor to his system. Let’s look at three reasons the Atlanta audio aficionado might want to upgrade a part or all of their system. 

If you know something about Focal, you know it is a different type of audio company. The company “rolls its own” in many ways, from its proprietary acoustic research to custom drivers and hand-built furniture-grade cabinetry. But did you know that Focal does architectural speakers too?

Despite the undeniable design and quality appearance of the company's freestanding speakers, Focal also understands some like the discrete nature of speakers that disappear into walls and ceilings. So what do you miss with Focal speakers that you don't see? The beautiful finishes, to be sure, but you'll never miss the exceptional sound. Keep reading below to learn more about the Focal 1000 Series, an elevated listening experience for both two-channel and surround sound systems in your Marietta, GA, home. 

Focal is a French speaker company that does things differently, much like other things French. If you’ve ever driven a Citroen, you might understand what we mean. Electronics today are built around supply chains, and a company can assemble a product from start to finish with off-the-shelf parts, contract design and manufacturing, and slap a brand name on it. Focal, however, eschews that approach.

There’s no shortage of high-end speaker companies in today’s audio market. Some have remained independent and true to their origins, while others have branched out into more lifestyle-oriented audio products. Focal has also expanded into areas like personal and automotive audio, but they have managed to stay true to their heritage and their way of building products. Keep reading below for four ways Focal speakers are different and what they bring to your Atlanta, GA, listening experience. 

The name Marant has always been associated with high-performance audio. And while the company has put its name on a number of audio components over the years, it’s always been known for its excellent receivers. Even today, iconic Marantz stereo receivers from the 1970s and 80s with the classic thumbwheel radio tuners are prized by lovers of vintage audio. 

Receivers are the workhorse do-it-all components in today’s home audio installations. While stereo receivers are still available, including from Marantz, multichannel receivers for home theaters are the most popular today for their sheer versatility. They form the heart of a home theater or media room system, offering every audio and video connection and audio format you need for a modern entertainment experience. GHT Group is proud to offer these hi-fi home audio components. Keep reading below to learn more about the exciting new Marantz receiver lineup!

Focal is an audio company that marches to its own tune (pun intended). The 40-year-old Saint Étienne, France-based company carries an influence in the audio world that goes far beyond the company’s size. First, most of their products are built in France in an era where audio equipment is usually designed in one country but manufactured in the far east. They also develop their own machines for manufacturing and handbuild 80% of the cones for their speakers. 

Ten years ago, Focal joined forces with Naim, a British boutique audio brand known for its excellence in audio engineering. To celebrate this “tin” anniversary, they’ve put together a Focal home speaker system powered by Naim components featuring a unique style. Read more about it below, and see how this new system could be the visual and aural centerpiece of your Marietta, GA, listening room. 

We know the great feeling we get when listening to good music. In this case, good music is whatever you like to listen to. One person's idea of captivating music is another's cacophony. It doesn't matter what you like; you know the rapturous feeling you experience when you hear it.

Yet music isn’t only about the emotional response. Critical listening on a high-fidelity home audio system can give you an entirely new appreciation of your favorite music or even music you're exploring as something new.

So, what is critical listening, and how can it increase your music enjoyment in your Buckhead, GA home? Let’s explore three key elements below.

We all know that streaming music is where it’s at for sheer convenience in listening to music. With a whole-home audio system, what could possibly be easier than choosing a streaming source, selecting an artist or playlist, and hitting play? The only thing easier is a Control4 multiroom audio system that makes all that child's play – even your kids can choose the right rooms to play the music without disturbing yours!

While a benefit of whole-home audio is the ability to play other sources like CDs and vinyl all over the house, streaming is likely where you'll spend most of your listening time. We thought it would be a good time to revisit some of today's top streaming services that offer stellar listening experiences for your Brookhaven, GA home. Ready? Keep reading below!

Naim may not be an audio name everyone knows, but it’s certainly familiar to hi-fi enthusiasts. Naim has never been a company to just follow the trend and make the same products as everyone else, nor do they sell products that need upgrades or replacement in a few years. Naim is a classic British hi-fi company that’s all about the sound.

GHT Group is proud to be one of the select Naim retailers in the Atlanta area. Keep reading below to learn about the Naim Uniti line, a streamlined solution for music streaming and playback that makes hi-fi audio simple. 

Want to know a little secret? There’s more to achieving great sound quality in a home theater than just having high-quality speakers, subwoofers, and electronics. Many DIY home theater buffs have experienced a “huh?” moment when they fired up their expensive sound systems and were less than overwhelmed with what they heard.

The truth is that room layout, furnishings, ceiling height, materials, and other factors all influence the sound in a home theater. Sometimes, despite the equipment, it’s fatiguing sibilance from higher frequencies or overwhelming bass in one corner with almost none in another. One of the ways that professional home theater designers overcome these aural issues is with acoustic treatment.

At GHT Group, we work with Vicoustic for easy-to-implement acoustic treatment solutions that help tame room audio ills. Keep reading below to learn how we get your Marietta, GA home theater to fulfill its full home cinema promise.

Is it absolutely necessary to spend a fortune to enjoy high-fidelity audio quality at home? We think not, but many will differ in their opinions on what constitutes high-fidelity audio – and how much one needs to spend. But what happens when a real hi-fi company decides to make a truly excellent speaker that delivers hi-fi level performance without the nosebleed prices? We say audio lovers everywhere should rejoice and take notice.

Focal is that company, one that sells speakers as expensive as Porsche 911s. With the Chora range, they decided to make an affordable speaker line that delivers true hi-fi sound that leverages their 40-year history in acoustic research and innovation. Learn more about the Chora range below, and we welcome you to experience Focal home speakers for yourself at our Marietta showroom.

In the world of high-end audio, most innovation is evolution rather than revolution. This isn’t to say there’s no innovation in hi-fi today—far from it. But the analog technology side of hi-fi is tried and true, and it doesn’t change that much from year to year. That’s why Mcintosh Audio, on its website, says that the lifespan of its components sometimes exceeds human ones. And they’re not exaggerating. Decades-old McIntosh amplifiers are passed down in families and prized by lovers of vintage audio.

Digital audio technology, however, changes more rapidly. In the past few years, high-resolution digital formats have evolved, and so has the HDMI connection standard, to name a couple. Streaming has become the standard for daily music enjoyment over digital downloads and physical media. So, it’s possible that a digital audio product from 10 years ago isn’t up to date in 2022.

McIntosh Audio doesn’t like to design products that last only a few years. That’s one reason that they have devised an upgrade path for the digital connections and capabilities of their integrated products. That’s one of the things that makes the new MA9500 integrated amplifier stand out. The analog side of this powerful amp is ready for decades of use, McIntosh style. And the digital connectivity and processing side is upgradeable when you need it down the road.

As a premier McIntosh dealer in Alpharetta and Metro Atlanta, GHT Group is excited to see this product evolution, as an integrated amp like the MA9500 might be the last one you ever need to buy for your listening room! Of course, we would hope to see you again.

Read on to learn more about the new McIntosh MA9500 integrated.

Right now, it may not be typical beach weather in Miramar Beach, but it’s a wonderfully cool respite from the summer heat in the Florida Panhandle. It won't last long, so enjoy it! If you need a little help envisioning the beach vibe in this season, there's no better way than music to bring it back. 

If you already have a whole-home audio system, you know the pleasures of music all over the house. If you don't, we can set you up with a system that will invoke any memories you want. From Sonos to Control4 and Crestron and Coastal Source, we can design and install a system that will keep your ears enthralled anywhere in your home, indoors or out. 

Let’s get the beach vibe started. Here are some of our favorite tunes to bring the memories of surf and sand back!