Subtle tweaks are being made to the high-end home controllers
Home automation giant Crestron has unveiled the second generation of its Horizon keypads and dimmers.
The new home controllers follow the Horizon EX range that arrived back in 2019, with improvements to the customization options and design being the key changes.
Replacing the multi-piece design of the last-gen keypads, the new Horizon range is a single-piece unit that can be configured to include one to five separate buttons.
Color cues have also been updated, with owners now able to match up their automation with specific colors, rather than just having ‘on’ as illuminated and ‘off’ as dimmed.
So, for example, if one of the Horizon’s buttons relates to arming a security system, this could light up as red when armed and green when off.
The design adjustments don’t end there, either, with the new Horizon pads and dimmers able to automatically adjust the color temperature based on a room’s ambient light. And to aid this even further, the light bleed between different buttons and the faceplate has been reduced, Crestron says.
Engraving options are also being streamlined, with a new software tool allowing dealers to create tailored markings – complete with different fonts, icons, special characters and foreign character support – before shipping, which should see installation time cut down considerably.
In terms of availability, the new models will begin shipping in May and start at £330 / €382. Like with the old generation, plates are available in white, black or almond, and, handily, dealers with existing old-gen Horizon keypad and dimmer orders can convert to the upcoming model.
