Aeria Sound Environments has announced an operating agreement with X-Spot Products to incorporate the company's installation tools with mounting disks for the Aeria's line of invisible speakers.

X-Spot makes a variety of accessories that aid installers in hiding and running wires within the wall. Use a magnetized X-Spot product in the pre-wire phase to mark the desired location, run the wires through the X-Spot strap, and place it behind the wall. Then, use the magnetized locator tool to find the spot through up to 1" of wood. Use reverse polarity to confirm that it is indeed the X-Spot piece you've found and not a screw or nail, then mark the spot with a pen (via four holes provided in the Xcentric tool) and drill. According to X-Spot, the tools are accurate within ¼" every time. What's more, as Aeria's General Manager Jeff Stewart points out, you can return to a job at any time and find what you need.

"I am incredibly pleased with X-Spot products coming on-board and helping make our Accoucentric modules even easier to mount," says Stewart. "In my opinion, they will be a great addition to our team!"

Aeria is the first manufacturer to license X-Spot technology, a relatively new company started up by Mark Sipe from Gold Canyon, AZ. X-Spot is a division of Prime Industrial Design LLC.

In addition to the reusable Xspot wire location tool that's placed behind the wall (it has 2" holes for wires; a Mini version can accommodate 1" wires), the Xtreme Locator, and the Xcentric tool, X-Spot offers a slew of other installation aids. For example, there's the Xstrap, which marks every 6" and holes ½" apart to help installers place pre-wire locations where desired; and the Xbox (no, not the gaming console), a patented, low-voltage wallbox that can accommodate future data jacks, volume controls, or other similar gadgetry.

For more information on X-Spot products, visit www.xspotproducts.com. For details on the partnership with Aeria Sound and that company's speakers, contact Aeria at (250) 597-0080, via e-mail at info@aeria.ca; or visit www.aeria.ca.

[Photo: Once you locate the Xspot tool behind the wall, use the Xcentric tool to mark your "X" and drill.]

See the X-Spot products in action at CEDIA Expo 2009 below.

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