Retrofit installations are becoming increasingly common in the United States, which has led to the creation of a digital audio and communication system that uses Ethernet over the power line.

It seems Australia isn’t the only nation suffering from a housing shortage, particularly in regards to the rate of new building construction. This is also the case in the United States – and companies such as Russound are taking advantage of this lucrative opportunity to develop products specifically targeted at the retrofit installations.

As the Collage Powerline Media and Intercom System made its Australian debut at the CEDIA Expo, Connected Home met with Russound director of international sales Jon Le Blanc to discuss the US-based company’s new product.

“Domestically, we have a challenge because we depend on new home construction and, as a result, the primary markets in the US have taken a severe beating,” he says.

“So we figured out a way to create a system that lets people enjoy audio in their existing home, without it being a hassle to install. It’s a win-win situation with Collage: the installer can get a job that might not be available otherwise and the home owner can have a system that isn’t costly or inconvenient to install.”

Following two years of research and development, Collage distributes network accessed music and intercom communication over a home’s residential electrical system. The expandable system is well suited to retrofit installations as it provides access to two-way transmission of audio, video and data without the need to run new zone-to-zone wiring.

“There’s always a greater opportunity for installations in existing homes, but retrofit is difficult. Adding wire, drilling holes and tearing a house apart is expensive, takes a lot of time and in some cases isn’t even possible,” Jon says.

“Collage solves this as it uses HomePlug power line carrier technology to establish an IP data network over a residential electrical system. This decentralised system allows system components to be installed almost anywhere in a home where electrical wiring is run. People tend to call it a wireless product, but in fact it is Ethernet over the power line.”

As a result, Collage is geared to access the open media platforms of today, including ‘cloud-based content’ such as internet radio and digital music services.

“It’s a nice little package that is meant to go quickly and easily into a home. The product is modular and expandable, so you can easily create multiple zones in a short time frame. It’s so fast that you can put four to five zones of the Collage system in half a day,” he says.

“There are no specialist skills required for installation and there is practically no programming – you install it, connect to the internet, update it and you’re ready to go. However, an electrician must be involved in the installation process as it is a product that is connected to the power line.”

According to Jon, Collage has an advantage over other audio products that are RF-based or depend on WiFi, as they are susceptible to factors such as solid wall construction.

“Collage can be installed anywhere in Australia, but it is more difficult in Western Australia because the existing houses have more bricks and solid walls than other parts of the country,” he says.

“I’m not saying that we have the perfect product, but it’s a very good solution overall. If you take into consideration what Collage does, how easy it is to install and the fact that there is no labour or wiring cost, it makes a huge difference to the market.

“We have a saying that ‘Retrofit is Retroquick’ – so you get a job, get in, get out and get a cheque. That’s the key.”