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Patent-pending speaker installation highlights A Plus International’s return to High Point Market
Powell Slaughter, March 30, 2017
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ARLINGTON, Texas – Home furnishings marketing and design company A Plus International is returning to High Point Furniture Market after a 10-year absence with a series of patent-pending home entertainment consoles incorporating Bluetooth-compatible built-in speakers.
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In the High Point Radisson Hotel’s Colonial Ballroom, A Plus will show an assortment of consoles, three of which use the patent-pending sound capability.
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A Plus Controller Daniel Chen said any consoles using the new technology require FCC certification, so it’s starting out here with just three. “We’re still in the concept stage now, and hopefully by October (High Point) Market, we’ll come out with as many as 30 new consoles,” he said.
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A Plus launched the console speaker concept at an open house in Arlington last December.
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“Where we got a big heads up was the quality of the speaker,” Chen said. “We did a demo here for a large retailer, and he tried to blow the speaker out. He wasn’t able to. We then went to the Tupelo Furniture Market where it was a hit.”
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Chen said incorporating the speaker into the case construction itself is what sets A Plus’ offering apart from most other products on the market, and that’s where the pending patent applies.
“You see a lot of sound bars and speakers added on to the case but not so many where (the sound) is built in and fully integrated,” he said.
Some consoles will include fireplace inserts. At retail, Chen said aggressive pricing could range from $999 to $1,099, but he thinks the sweet spot will settle around $1,299 for consoles alone. Consoles with fireplace inserts should run around $1,499.
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