In the iconic 1989 version of Batman, Jack Nicholson’s Joker asks, “Where does he get those wonderful toys?” After near back-to-back visits to both CES and ISE, I think I know.
Sure, one is consumer technology and one is trade, but it is hard not to make comparisons when they have a similar structure — throngs of exhibitors showing off the latest and greatest in large, feet-destroying venues. Exhibitor-wise, CES takes the cake with 4100 to ISE’s 1700, but somehow ISE feels bigger. Also, CES and ISE may have similar versions of products, but the ones at ISE are built to be run over by a truck and keep working.
For those who don’t know, ISE is a joint venture between CEDIA and AVIXA that takes place the first week of February in Barcelona. There are eight halls filled with gear (8.1, technically), with residential tech being the main focus of Halls 1 and 2 and the rest taken up with commercial displays, sound reinforcement, collaboration, digital signage, and much more.
The resi halls did not disappoint, with the first in-person look at the new Sonos Amp Multi, more than a dozen new products from JBL Synthesis/Arcam, a new super-thin in-ceiling speaker from Sonance, and giant booths from TCL and Hisense (which also lent space to their digital signage businesses). The Luxury Immersion Cinema demo, which featured gear from ASCENDO, Barco Residential, and StormAudio, and built by PrimeTheater, was a real treat.
And while I loved all that, I really enjoyed getting to explore the creativity of our adjacent industries — and they did not disappoint, either!
The ISE Show Daily office, where I spent a lot of time, was next to Hall 3, which had the giant commercial displays. They were dazzling in both the images they could produce and the unique shapes they could be found in. Samsung was there with its innovative screens, but crowds still formed around the Micro RGB TV that debuted at CEDIA Expo last September. The compelling power of resi in action!
Not surprisingly, the most lively part of the show was the live sound area. Walking into the hall made you think you were hitting the stage at the Eras Tour: Smoke machines were blasting from several booths, while spotlights danced around the ceilings and aisles.
Then there were the audio demo rooms, many of which were set up as if a live performance was about to take place — full rigs of speakers, lights, and, of course, smoke. Though the rooms were closed off, the bass could be felt at different beats as you walked down the hallway.
If you have gone to a concert and stared at the line arrays or been overly critical of your local commercial movie theater (who, us?), then you would be in awe in most of the halls at ISE. I appreciated the chance to take it all in.
I started with a movie quote, and now I will end with one: As Dorothy said, “There’s no place like home,” so, while I enjoyed my escapades in Halls 3 through 8.1, Halls 1 and 2 will always have my heart.
