Can Zuma be a game-changer for custom installers?

In this piece originally published in Essential Install magazine, we dive into what Zuma can bring to the competitive and technologically demanding world of custom home installation.

Zuma, the pioneering speaker-light brand, has become a popular solution for homeowners seeking high-quality, smart home audio and illumination. But Zuma is so much more than just a great option for end users seeking a lifestyle lift from their lighting and listening. 

Zuma can be a powerful addition to the product line of Custom Installers nationwide – either as an in-room system enhancement for large, whole home systems, or as a quick, dedicated install that delivers revenue in programme gaps on larger projects. Either way, Zuma delivers discreet, wireless sound and light your clients are sure to love.

In this article, we’ll dive into what makes Zuma unique in the marketplace, and discover how it can help open up new custom install audiences without compromising on quality. 

What is Zuma?

Zuma is a compact HiFi-grade loudspeaker and an LED light, intelligently paired inside a single downlight unit in the ceiling. Installed in an array, Zuma bathes each room with immersive, spatial audio and intuitive, user-friendly lighting with a CRI of 90+ and hundreds of tunable warm to cool light settings. Zuma’s connects and operates wirelessly, minimising the visible footprint of your installations and saving space in your rack – whilst giving you a near invisible solution that delivers seriously high quality. 

Zuma carries undeniably impressive design and engineering credentials. Its design team collaborated on leading products for Bowers & Wilkins and Bentley Motors’ in-car audio system, and was built by some of the engineering minds behind Vivid Audio, Naim Audio, Native, and more. Together, they have created one of the most compact and technologically groundbreaking HiFi loudspeakers available on the market, paired alongside a premium LED light engine, and installed into the ceiling cavity for total design discretion. When multiple units are installed into the ceiling, the immersive audio experience created is unlike anything else out there. Think of it like headphones for the room – the ‘sweet spot’ disappears, and in its place the whole space is bathed in immersive, spatial audio. In-room audio is elevated from a two speaker solution, to a whole network of connected speakers hidden away in the ceiling. 

Zuma recently announced two new integrations that will serve to place it firmly on the radar of smart home specifiers nationwide. The first was with Rithum, introducing Zuma functionality into the popular smart switch’s wall-mounted control interface. The second was with leading lighting control specialists, Rako, opening up a whole world of compatibility through Rako’s comprehensive lighting system. Utilising either integration means Zuma can seamlessly sit alongside other household smart solutions like Philips Hue, Tado, BluOS, and more. 

Zuma & Custom Installs

Zuma is flexible enough to integrate into custom installation specifications of pretty much any size, scale and budget. For installers planning large-scale systems, Zuma has lighting drivers available for most major control systems (Control4, Crestron, Savant) and can offer effective support to many of the other electronics brands you may choose to employ. Zuma is a Roon Ready device, meaning it will work flawlessly alongside a broad range of high end HiFi brands and audio components, all controlled via Roon’s popular music library and management system.

As an AirPlay 2 speaker, Zuma can be paired with any other AirPlay 2 compatible speaker, including Sonos – these connectivity options mean Zuma can be utilised as part of a broad range of devices, potentially in rooms where conventional audio systems can be found wanting. Zuma is particularly powerful in the kitchen and bathroom, where convenience and design discretion are important factors to consider.

Bringing high quality audio to these two frequently-used home spaces often requires considerable budgets and design compromises – both of which are counteracted by Zuma’s discreet installation and comprehensive compatibility. Zuma allows installations to reach even further into the home than ever before.

Opening up new markets

Zuma can also act as a great installation solution for customers with a more modest budget. With drastically reduced cabling, and no control racks or amplification required, Zuma allows custom installers to specify a premium-level sound and lighting system at a much more budget–conscious price point. 

It means companies seeking new and more regular contracts can significantly expand their market reach and diversify their audience with a product that still delivers the level of quality their customers expect. And with Zuma’s wireless connection and straightforward installation process, contracts can be turned around at speed and at scale. Whether it’s just one room, or a multi-room, whole home sound and lighting system, Zuma is equipped to handle whatever is required. 

Book a Zuma demo

Interested in finding out more? You can book a demo from the Zuma team today. And with their new ‘Demonstration Van’, the Zuma team can bring a fully-fledged Zuma system to your doorstep! 

Get in touch at zuma.ai/book-a-zuma-demo/. Or fill in the contact form below to hear more…