July 26, 2022 - No, your eyes do not deceive... indeed there are no HDMI ports on this newest offering from AVPro Edge, the AC-AEX-RC-HUB audio matrix.

"Heresy!" you proclaim, however, permit us an explanation. Like you, and your clients, we're also audiophiles who appreciate great sound in every nook and cranny of our homes.

"So, what gives" you ask, "how did you come up with that?" Here's the true* story, from an unidentified source, retold, secondhand…

It was an otherwise nondescript, blustery South Dakota day, where inside the AVPro Edge engineering department (to which, mere mortals are forbidden entry) the team gathered for lunch. Seated, and as was the norm, sporting a round of Yoo-Hoo (strawberry, if reports were accurate), someone remarked hearing news of how the chip-draining void in the marketplace was plaguing audio distribution product availability. In less than a picosecond, as if on cue, all lunged for a napkin.  A chorus of what ifs? arose harmoniously, reverberating about the walls of the hallowed room, as all began furiously sketching ideas at a pace fervently equal to Wagner's Ride Of The Valkyries. 

The Problem: How to collect audio from sources located in any room of a home, traffic them to a central location for distribution with the aid of familiar automation systems and their support products, then select these sources for private localized listening, or whole-house enjoyment.

One hour and six Hot Pockets later, a solution lay gloriously revealed, drawn full size, artfully detailed, three and one-half napkins wide: The AC-AEX-RC-HUB.

 *Okay, perhaps that was a slight embellishment (subsequent rumors insisted only four Hot Pockets, nobody had two) but a story like that has got to be true.

Of far greater importance than its genesis is how the new AC-AEX-RC-HUB can work transparently with your distributed audio systems seamlessly in the background, its API interfacing with and controlled by the third-party systems you are using, such as Control 4, Crestron, Elan, Savant and more. Perhaps highest in importance, the first link in your supply chain begins in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. 

The AC-AEX-RC-HUB configuration features 12 audio inputs and 12 audio outputs with I/O connections using Toslink or analog RCA, with eight of the inputs uniquely designed for retrieving audio from sources located remotely from core system distribution components, via Power over Cable (PoC) category wire. Distances up to 100m are possible with Unshielded Twisted Pair, extending to 130m when using Shielded Twisted Pair. An AVPro Edge AC-AEX-T Digital/Analog Audio Extender Transmitter (not included with the AC-AEX-RC-HUB) must be paired to each of these eight inputs for complete operation. All Toslink signals are 2 CH PCM stereo (there is no multichannel downmixing) and analog signals are Left/Right stereo via RCA connectors.

The AC-AEX-T transmitter may be discretely placed behind the thinnest OLED, sending audio from TV-led apps or ATSC tuners back to the AC-AEX-RC-HUB for routing to the system, then passing on to architectural speakers at the TV location through system distribution components. It may also be placed in the system rack, using a short RJ-45 jumper for connecting to the AC-AEX-RC-HUB for rack-based sources such as multi-output music streamers.

System designs often consist of more audio-oriented areas than video destinations. Another interesting application for AC-AEX-RC-HUB is expansion of the audio outputs from a video matrix, such as the AVPro Edge Axion series, to 12 additional zones. 7 onboard pre-set EQ curves shape the sound as desired, and output volume may be tailored to meet your installation needs.   

However you may choose to incorporate the new AC-AEX-RC-HUB into your next installation, be assured it is built with the same rigid standards and reliability you expect from any AVPro Edge product, fully backed by our no-nonsense, 10 year warranty.  The AC-AEX-RC-HUB and the AC-AEX-T are shipping soon, order yours today.