William Gallagher
Initially offered in the UK, the Zuma Lumisonic is a ceiling light fixture that incorporates a smart speaker with AirPlay 2.
New UK and San Francisco-based technology firm Zuma has launched Lumisonic, a voice-controlled smart speaker that comes as part of a ceiling light fixture. Alongside the loudspeaker, it features a low energy LED light that the makers claim creates a circadian rhythm and mood lighting experience.
"There are many smart products on the market today that do one thing - be that audio, or lighting or security - they don't integrate with each other easily, if at all," said Morten Warren, founder and CEO of Zuma in a press statement. "Our vision is that through consolidating these core applications into a single integrated platform people can easily transform their living spaces in imaginative ways."
"Zuma doesn't just provide a totally new way to experience incredibly immersive high-performance lighting and superior audio, it discreetly becomes part of your home," he continued. "Users can connect iPhone, iPad, or TV and enjoy a thrilling, edge of their seat, room-filling soundtrack to any movie, with no sound bar required, from anywhere in the room."
At launch, Zuma is aiming at both individual home users, and property developers. It's sold initially in the UK for £375 ($520), though a light-only version is due in the summer for £125 ($173). It's available via the company's zuma.ai site.
Zuma Lumisonic supports AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and works with Alexa. The company says that HomeKit support is being worked on, though there is no definite release date yet. Similarly, US distribution is planned but no dates have been confirmed.
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Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
Chip Loder
Malcolm Owen
8 Comments
Combined light/speaker systems aren't a new idea, but I've always found them a curiosity to who the buyer might be.
Consumers:
Business/Corporate/Retail:
Then there are other curiosities, like syncing them to play in unison or binaural playback. The lack of homekit support (it's 2021 already) and as alluded above, the temperamental nature of wireless audio.
Good luck with the price.
Ceiling lights are typically on a wall switch. But when you turn off the light you would also be cutting power to the AirPlay 2 receiver.
^ I really hate you guys, you peed on this before I even had chance to enjoy the idea's for few minutes.
We're building a new house and I have been struggling how best to deal with whole home audio, we talked about homepod everywhere but Apple killed off the original and small one is no where as good as original, I looked at speakers everywhere connected to one or multiply atv via an amplifier and speaker matrix, there is a speaker matrix that supports airplay 2 but it's costly. Then we did not want speaker grills all over our house, this would have been good idea, but as it was pointed out, what about power, and it is probably not good light or speaker.
Now homekit the lights and airplay 2 the speakers this could work.