Austin Home Systems — Local services in Austin

My review of Austin Home Systems (Design, planning, specification, build, installation and follow-up).

I was moving to Austin from across the country and building in new house in Lakeway. I had decided that I wanted to go the route of home automation, including lighting, security, wireless, and audio/video. It was going to be a reasonably sized project for approximately 5000sq.ft, including landscape audio.

I setup meetings and interviews with five different companies offering home system automation in the Austin area. Overall, a very disappointing experience until I met Randall, Jason and the Austin Home Systems crew. First of all, and an amazing first impression, was how prepared Randal was for our first meeting in interpreting the draft plans I sent and my wishes from a brief initial phone call. Within 48 hours he had the first draft of their recommendations overlain on my plans for lighting control, security wiring, network cabling, audio and video, and media room suggestions. Nobody else had been even slightly prepared like this, nor demonstrated the depth of knowledge to give me confidence they would be able complete this project. Most had not even looked at what I had sent.

Their showroom was fantastic – they easily demonstrated everything that they could do right there! Very, very impressive.

Many plan iterations later, (my many changes) with AHS on board with my builder, they started integrating into the process and work. The builder was very impressed with their professionalism, communication, planning and timeliness, and gave me that feedback gratuitously. I can only reinforce that feedback. Step by step they put in place the structured wiring, they revised the electricians plans to accommodate the lighting automation, put in a lighting hub, built in wiring for shade control, audio and network cabling, security, and fed these back to two central electronic hubs for the sound system and electronics, one for most of the house, one for controlling the media room. I threw in at the last-minute a change to have them add mass loaded vinyl behind the drywall in the home theater for soundproofing, and they handled that in their stride, communicating and timing things with the builder. Their suggestions for AV equipment was spot on, totally in line with what I had wanted, no upselling pressure, just great suggestions and recommendations.

System. I have video / audio centrally managed and can stream to all the key TVs in the rooms I want. I have access to Apple, Roku, Amazon, whatever streaming app I need. I have in ceiling speakers in most rooms in the house and each can play the same or different music in any room, streamed from one or more different sources (Tidal, Amazon, Spotify etc.). Security and camera's are all available via phone or tablet at home or abroad. I have a workout area with multiple TV’s and central audio. Shades in the house are all remotely controlled and can be centrally programmed to lower and raise whenever we want. The lighting is all centrally controlled also from phone or table or on wall screen, and we can set scenes for different times of day or triggered by different events i.e. a sunset the exterior lights com on, shades get lowered, internal lights comes on according to the set scene – it is just amazing. Forgot to turn a light off when you get into bed? No problem – two clicks on the phone and it is off.

In terms of standing behind their products and work, that is as positive as the whole build experience to date. Everything works seamlessly, and any requests for updates and or changes are handled rapidly and efficiently by the team.

In summary, AHS were super friendly, professional, knowledgeable, patient, and a joy to work with. I highly recommend AHS for any home automation, sound, A/V equipment, wiring , or security needs you have.

I would not hesitate for one second to...

Great company!

Prior to finding Austin Home Systems, I went through a 3-year ordeal with another absolutely horrible Crestron installer who was recommended by a good friend. A lot of initial bragging by the installer about how good they were. Horrible communication. Long delays in stages. Never fully implemented. And, I finally gave up on them. And, I later found out from my friend who recommended them that he had played tennis with the Crestron installer for years and assumed he was good because of how highly he spoke of himself. Ugh. Facepalm.

I was told Crestron was superior to Control4. Maybe? But, I can't even imagine how. More expensive, more complex, requires Crestron programmers and installers. And, they seem to all be bad. Don't go Crestron for your home. Control4 is the way to go.

After spending more money than I'd care to admit publicly, I went to another Crestron dealer and, even though I owned all the equipment, they wanted to charge another small fortune, wanted to take my rack full of equipment back to their office to restack and rewire and then bring it back. Even then I wasn't going to get the full functionality I wanted. Plus, their review weren't great and the communication was spotty.

A good friend of mine had Control4 in his house and it worked flawlessly and seemed to be about half the price.

So, while I was considering the new Crestron pricing to fix the issues from the original Crestron installer, I decided to explore Control4.

I came across Austin Home Systems with excellent reviews and decided to look into them. I met with Dan, Donny and Randal. They were all very knowledgeable, direct and consultative. They came by the house to look at the current mess and identified exactly what we wanted done. They also made some recommendations we went with.

About a week later, we received their proposal. With all new Control4 equipment, programing, rebuilding the rack and wiring onsite, their proposal came in under cost of the 2nd Crestron dealer for just their services and no equipment. No brainer. We moved forward with Control4 and Austin Home Systems.

They came out a couple of weeks later and showed up every day for a week to finish things up. They provided excellent training and support. And, everything works flawlessly and the rack and wiring look like art.

The entire process was professional, quick, relatively affordable vs alternatives, and the work was top notch.

I wholeheartedly recommend using them and will refer them to friends and family.

The attached photos show the after and before photos of the rack and wiring. From rat's nest to art.

I wish I would have just performed by own research from the beginning and gone with Control4 and Austin Home Systems. It would have saved me so much aggravation, not to mention a ton of...

I recently had the pleasure of working with Austin Home Systems for the installation of a dedicated network, security cameras, and audio/visual equipment in our new home, and I couldn't be more impressed with the results. From start to finish, their attention to detail and commitment to quality were evident every step of the way.

The experience was exceptional, beginning with the consultation phase where I was introduced Randall and Dan. From the moment I reached out to Austin Home Systems, it was clear that they were not about the hard sell. Instead, Randall and Dan took the time to understand my needs and preferences before making any recommendations.

Their deep knowledge of the industry was immediately apparent, and it was evident that they approached their work at the very highest level. They patiently answered all of my questions, explaining the intricacies of all the available options without ever making me feel overwhelmed.

Next I was struck by the professionalism and expertise of their installers. Not only were they incredibly skilled at their craft, but they also took the time to explain each aspect of the installation process to me, ensuring that I understood how everything worked and how to get the most out of my new system. Their extensive knowledge was truly impressive, and it gave me confidence that I was in good hands throughout the entire project.

Speaking of equipment, I was thoroughly impressed with the high-end products that Austin Home Systems stocks and recommended for the project. From top-of-the-line security software/hardware, to cutting-edge networking tech and premium audio equipment, every piece they provided exceeded my expectations in terms of quality and performance. It's clear that they have access to the latest and greatest equipment on the market, and they know how to select the perfect solutions to meet their customers' needs.

Perhaps most importantly, the quality of the installation itself was impeccable. Every cable was neatly routed, every camera was strategically placed for optimal coverage, and every audio component was calibrated to perfection. It's evident that the team at Austin Home Systems takes great pride in their work, and their dedication to excellence truly shines through in the finished product.

Overall, I couldn't be happier with my experience with Austin Home Systems. From their attention to detail and the expertise of their installers to the high-end equipment they provided and the quality of the installation itself, every aspect of the project exceeded my expectations. If you're looking for a company that delivers top-notch service and results, look no further than Austin...