The 7 Best Affordable Companies to Upgrade Your Performance Venue’s AV System

Modern-day audiences demand high-quality experiences from performance venues. They are keenly aware of what a well-designed audio-visual (AV) system looks and sounds like. Since technological advancement has been exponential in recent years, many are accustomed to high-end or cutting-edge hardware.

If you’re trying to find an affordable company to upgrade your performance venue’s AV system, you’re not alone. While a basic system may run you a few thousand dollars, professional-grade installations can cost tens of thousands, and the latter option is the best for performance venues. These seven affordable, yet top-grade, companies may help you save money.

1. Illuminated Integration

The full-service design-build company and AV equipment supplier Illuminated Integration is a first-choice vendor. Its stellar reputation stems from its value-driven designs, high-quality work, and outstanding ongoing support. Its end-to-end services cover video, audio, lighting, rigging, acoustics, networking, and controls.

While most of Illuminated Integration’s past clients have been based in Pennsylvania — near its headquarters in Harrisburg, the state’s heart — it offers its end-to-end design-build services throughout the United States.

The company’s creative team designs, engineers, and integrates unique, permanently installed systems. They understand there is no one-size-fits-all solution for performance venues, so they never recycle old ideas. Instead, they build from the ground up every time to capture your vision and optimize the audience’s experience.

Unlike other AV consulting companies and equipment providers, Illuminated Integration stays with you past installation. During the training stage, they provide operational guidance and instruction so your employees understand how to make the most out of the upgraded AV system. They also offer post-implementation maintenance and technical assistance.

2. Crunchy Tech

For decades, Crunch Tech has been a leading commercial AV consulting company. Its engineers and installers have years of hands-on experience building affordable custom solutions in the corporate, retail, and hospitality industries. However, it only serves clients in Orlando, Chicago, New York City, and Las Vegas.

Crunchy Tech and its partners — Philips, Canon and JBL — guide you through design, planning and installation. Although its post-implementation support is not as robust as those offered by Illuminated Integration, its customer service team is available around the clock.

3. Mood Media

As an international provider of integrated AV technology and digital media, Mood Media is able to provide global resources. For instance, it partners with leading hardware manufacturers like Klipsch and Bose Professional. Its size allows it to offer exclusive pricing on high-end, commercial-grade equipment, ensuring you get great value.

Despite being a large corporation, Mood Media’s services are available to any organization, regardless of size, project complexity, or venue location. Its professional local installers work with business owners to design AV systems and manage projects.

Like Illuminated Integration, Mood Media can develop a networked AV system, integrating digital components, music, and signage into a single cohesive network. This enables workers to remotely manage mechanisms and streamline content distribution, which is both convenient and resource-conscious.

4. Audiotek

Founded in 1982, Audiotek has over four decades of experience in the industry. It is a full-service AV design and integration company with offices in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the U.S., and Spain. Like other international organizations, it offers world-class services. You can go to them for consultancy, system installation, or both.

Like Illuminated Integration, Audiotek offers post-implementation training to ensure your team gets the most out of your newly upgraded system. Also, its technicians provide ongoing maintenance to keep your hardware in peak condition, minimizing repair and replacement costs.

5. Electrosonic

Unlike the other organizations on this list, Electrosonic is an international IT service consulting and management company. Despite not specializing in AV systems, its AV technologies and services are robust because its overall expertise is extensive. It has been in the business for over six decades. In that time, it has won dozens of awards and received over 175 certifications.

Electrosonic’s custom AV solutions cover design, construction and support, prioritizing energy efficiency and resource conservation. It aims to give you and your stakeholders access to global resources and expertise.

Frankly, the firm’s portfolio is impressive. In the past, it worked with household names like Coca-Cola, Marriott, Deloitte, Apple, and Honeywell. Based on this client list alone, you probably assume it is well out of your price range. While its services are likely more expensive than others on this list, a third-party report found it can provide a high return on investment (ROI).

A Forrester Research report found Electrosonic’s managed services — where AV technicians provide on-premises support — can help organizations achieve a 139% ROI within three years. Productivity increases and labor cost reductions add up to a net present value of $339,000.

6. LD Systems

The audio, lighting, and video hardware provider LD Systems has worked with leading acoustical consultants to optimize performance venues’ AV systems. In some cases, it has even pioneered new equipment standards for outdoor and open-air environments.

Since LD Systems is a direct AV equipment dealer, it has access to major professional product manufacturers like Audio Technica, dBTechnologies, Yamaha, and Panasonic. Its experienced sales consultants help with pricing and purchasing, potentially getting deals for its clients. Its employees also have decades of experience completing cost-effective bid-spec projects.

LD Systems also offers AV equipment repair through a dedicated technician team. For some brands, it is even a factory-authorized warranty service center. Although this company is based out of Texas, all of these services are available throughout the country.

7. Multi-Media Consulting Inc.

Founded in 1999, Multi-Media Consulting Inc. — an AV system and electro-acoustic design consulting firm — has decades of experience. It covers the design, implementation, and testing of audio, video, broadcast, and control hardware.

This corporation can partner with the building architect and your company’s design team to create a venue-specific AV system. Since it uses the latest relevant hardware and software available, it effectively future-proofs the design. An installation that lasts for years to come is more cost-effective than the alternative.

What Makes These Companies the Best Options?

Most organizations offering AV equipment and installation services won’t post prices on their websites. Instead, they direct you to contact their sales team. This is because they offer custom, venue-specific solutions, so costs vary considerably. However, there are still a few ways to tell which ones are the most affordable.

You can find an affordable company to upgrade your performance venue’s AV system by seeking experience. A knowledgeable team can avoid overengineering or underspecification, both of which can lead to costly design reworks or unnecessary technical elements.

A well-designed network of hardware, software, and controls can minimize resource usage and maximize energy efficiency, ensuring usage is as cost-effective as possible. Saving money on operation may not seem as significant as reducing installation costs, but the savings add up. Firms that offer operational training can help you maximize value and prevent costly mistakes.

Moreover, experienced designers, engineers, and technicians can create a future-proof AV system, ensuring you won’t need to upgrade any time soon. This protects your investment from expensive overhauls, helping you stretch your budget.

Some of these companies have experience with bid-spec projects, where you present contractors with documents that outline your project’s design and material requirements and they enter bids for the construction phase. This approach can be cheaper than design-build projects because it clarifies the project scope early on and allows for competitive bidding.

Choosing Between the Best Affordable AV Installers

Many performance venues are located in historical buildings with strict regulations regarding modifications and retrofitting. Noncompliance can be costly, more so than hiring a top-rated professional to upgrade AV components. The only other alternative is to accept a subpar, out-of-the-box solution that may not meet audiences’ demands.

Commercial AV experts use innovative, creative techniques that won’t compromise the building’s structural integrity or architectural beauty. Even the most affordable of these companies may require tens of thousands of dollars. However, if you choose right, that price includes design, engineering, installation, training, and maintenance, which is a steal.

You can determine whether service providers are affordable by assessing their offerings and analyzing the value of their services. Ultimately, the best — and most straightforward — way to find an affordable option for your performance venue’s AV system is to request a free quote.

Ankita Sharma

Ankita is the Senior SEO Analyst as well as Content Marketing enthusiast at The Next Tech. She uses her experience to guide the team and follow best practices in marketing and advertising space. She received a Bachelor's Degree in Science (Mathematics). She’s taken quite a few online certificate courses in digital marketing and pursuing more.

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