Custom electronics professionals (CE pros) have an advantage over the rest of us. They get to experience some of the best technologies available every day as they do their jobs.

Granted, they’re usually installing these technologies into the homes of clients, but having daily exposure to lighting control systems, audio/video equipment, automation systems, etc. must come in handy when choosing electronic systems for their own homes.

Some manufacturers provide discounts to CE pros to make it more affordable for them to set up their own home-based “test beds.”

But they’re just like the rest of us in this sad economy, buying only the key essentials and focusing on solutions that’ll add real value to their homes or saving up to buy big-ticket items that’ll make their homes a high-tech showpiece worth bragging about.

We asked three CE pros to tell us about, and show us, their own setups.

Ryan Herd, 1 Sound Choice
Home: Four-bedroom Cape Cod-style, northern New Jersey
Family: Married with a 2-year-old son and a dog
High-Tech Profile: Hosting parties, a great back yard

Tricking out the back yard was just as important to Ryan Herd as doing up the inside of his four-bedroom home. Even without technology, Herd’s yard is fantastic. There’s a swimming pool, and a small brook that runs along the back, as well as two sheds (one for his motorcycles and the other for his tools). Naturally, outside is where you’ll find him and his family most of the time.

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