For custom installers, the main action at ISE 2026 is in Halls 1 and 2, which are filled with well-known CEDIA channel companies. And while the majority of the show (Halls 2 through 8.1) is dedicated to commercial AV and live sound, clearly the stars of the show are the first two halls. First in number; first in importance. At least that is how I see it.
Hall 1: Hello, Amp Multi
Hall 1 hallmarks include giant exhibitions from both TCL and Hisense, each showing off their newest displays, but also leaving plenty of room for their digital signage businesses. TCL had crowds interested in its ultra-low-power and Art TVs, as well as its latest Mini LED models. Hisense had a three-sided cube with three different models of its Laser Cinema projectors in use.
Sonos had a commanding presence in Hall 1, with a sizeable booth built around its new Amp Multi multichannel amp. There, dealers could receive a demo of the unit in use and check it out in person, with an exploded view behind glass. The Amp Multi feels solid and has a nice heft to it, as a Class D amp should, but the weight is well distributed thanks to the GaN power architecture, which, combined with the Amp Multi’s design, allows for fanless cooling.
Hall 2: Highly Caffeinated
Hall 2 most resembles a traditional CEDIA Expo except for the espresso machines at nearly every booth. [I’m not jittery — you’re jittery!]. That point is even more driven home when the first exhibit to greet you is a massive ADI Global Distribution booth. There, the company showed is Control4 X4 OS, which is now available outside the U.S., and the new Control4 T5 touchscreen, which features magnetic trims with Lux Lighting color‑matching options. ADI also showed a new outdoor Triad speaker — the Stratus Series — that has 70-volt/8-ohm tap settings and is designed to integrate with Triad Hybrid Amplifiers.
Sonance had a host of speakers and subwoofers at its booth, including the new VX52R UTL ultra-shallow in-ceiling speaker. And with its 1.41-inch mounting depth, it is ultra-shallow!
Architectural speakers seemed to have a moment at ISE, as Meridian Audio and JBL Synthesis also had new models. Meridian offered the 2026 Editions of the DSP750 and DSP730 in-wall speakers. Both models feature Meridian’s Atlas software core, a new platform that increases DSP capability, and a sealed aluminum enclosure and double-baffle design to minimize unwanted resonances.
JBL Synthesis announced nine new SCL Custom Loudspeakers (SCL) at the show, including in-wall units as well as in-room and on-wall ones. Four of the nine are in-walls, with the new SCL models updating and expanding the flagship in-wall lineup with updated transducer technologies, compression drivers, and HDI horn geometry. The other five include both in-rooms and on-walls, including the new SSW-5 12-inch, 1000-watt powered subwoofer.
Harman also debuted three new JBL Synthesis processing and amplification components, as well as three amplifiers, a 16-channel processor, and two power amplifiers as part of the Arcam Radia Series. Whew!
Take a Listening Break
ASCENDO, Barco Residential, StormAudio, PrimeTheater, and Technology Integration Partners teamed up to present the Luxury Immersion Cinema, and it lived up to the name. Larger than the one at CEDIA Expo, the team put on a spectacular show with the new Barco Residential Runar MicroLED video wall taking the place of a projector. The Runar provides ultra-deep black levels and up to 1000 nits peak brightness, and it looked great. It is compatible with DCI-HDR content, which the theater showed with trailers for the upcoming Mortal Kombat II and The Cat in the Hat.
For sound, ASCENDO employed six THE8 PRO Passive LED Wedge loudspeakers for screen channel reproduction, while surround and height channels were handled by four THE10 Passive Wedge 30 speakers, four THE10 Passive on-wall speakers, and six THE10 Passive LED Phantom loudspeakers. THE28 SUB PRO Squared subwoofers delivered the low end.
Related: Residential Systems Announces Best of Show Winners at ISE 2026
High-power amplification was provided by ASCENDO AIA2-10K2 IS for subwoofers and AIA ULN 3-6004 for front-stage channels. A StormAudio Impulsion 8 took care of amplification for the surrounds, while a StormAudio Elite 32 was used for the immersive processing.
The non-DCI content was supplied by Kaleidescape and included part of the final fight scene from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the time-bending musical number from Sinners, and Tom Cruise’s escape from a downed, rolling submarine as featured in Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. (I’ve seen the clip a dozen times, and I still don’t know if he makes it out…)
I also got the chance to hear Devialet speakers in action. I have been fascinated by their form, but I never had the opportunity to try them out until now. I sat in a small glass booth and sampled three models — the Phantom Ultimate 98 dB, the Phantom Ultimate 108 dB, and the wireless portable Mania.
All sounded great in the glass box, but I found the Mania fascinating. It has 360-degree stereo sound that uses its Active Stereo Calibration and four room-calibrating microphones to automatically adjust the sound to its position and surroundings. The Mania was directly facing me when I first entered the cube, but when it was spun 45 degrees to reveal a second speaker, it switched in stereo mode. Pretty cool.
Special Mention: Hall 3
The Show Daily office, where I spent a good deal of time, was right above Hall 3, which had many of the big commercial screen manufacturers. There were so many eye-catching models that I often found myself meandering through the electronic forest on my trips back and forth.
Some CI regulars were featured there, as well, including Crestron, whose booth was mobbed every time I passed it; maybe because of the new 80 Series touch screens. LG was there, too, with mostly collaboration and digital signage products, but its MAGNIT Active Micro LED was there, too. Same story at Samsung, which, even though it had plenty of commercial screens, still found a crowd gathered around the Micro RGB LED television we saw at CEDIA Expo.
Sony was there, too, with a full line of new BRAVIA professional displays. It also had its new Crystal LED S Series displays, which are always a joy to behold.
One more cool-but-not-CI thing was the live sound exhibits and demos in Halls 8 and 8.1. It is not too often you enter a convention hall to booming bass, smoke machines galore, and spotlights flying all around you. For a second, I thought I was on-stage at the Eras tour…
Some Other Cool Stuff Seen at ISE 2026
A cool hallway:
Miscellaneous others:
