Redefining Standards for Smart Home Performance Data

By CEDIA - Thu, Aug 28, 2025 - Blog

Peter Aylett of Officina Acustica and Cinema Buro and Chair of the CEDIA Standards Committee, discusses the need, origins, and vision for RP1 ahead of its CEDIA Expo launch.

Where Did RP1 Come From?

For over a decade, there has been a fundamental gap in how performance information is shared in the smart home industry. About ten years ago, Anthony Grimani—this year’s CEDIA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient—began championing a crucial idea: the need for genuine, transparent engineering data in our market sector. While spec sheets are common, their real-world meaning for professionals has often been questionable. A specification might claim “100 watts per channel” or “50 Hertz to 20K” frequency response, but without context and detail, these numbers do little to inform integrators on the best product for their project.

Things look very different in the commercial audio world. Visit any pro audio manufacturer at industry shows such as ISE, and you’re likely to be handed a comprehensive document containing raw engineering specifications. This is a business-to-business environment where technical facilities managers and audio professionals demand rigorous data.

The residential world, by contrast, grew out of the hi-fi and consumer electronics marketplace, where such transparency wasn’t prioritized and consumers often lacked the background to dive into detailed engineering facts.

What Is RP1?

RP1, colloquially referred to as “performance facts,” is a new recommended practice being finalized by the CEDIA Standards Committee. The inspiration behind the initiative is akin to the nutritional information panels you find on food packaging. The idea is to highlight key attributes—those crucial pieces of data that allow for quick, informed decision-making—while still providing the ability to dig deeper into more granular details for those who need them.

The recommended practice asks manufacturers to provide clear, consistent engineering facts about the performance of their products, laid out in an accessible, standardized format. The goal isn’t to judge, rank, or review products, but to provide integrators with reliable facts so that they can make the best possible choices for their clients.

RP1 has been in the making for approximately six years, and the Standards Committee is now ready to launch the first iteration at CEDIA Expo 2025. This will be the industry review version of the RP1-1 loudspeakers recommended practice (the forthcoming documents—amplifiers, AV processors, projectors, screens—are already being worked on). The review period will begin in October and remain open for eight weeks, allowing the industry to process the information and provide feedback to the Standards Committee. Once these have been reviewed and the necessary changes implemented, the document will be properly published.

Why Do We Need RP1?

If the smart home industry aspires to enhance consumer trust and deliver predictable engineered experiences, then robust, standardized performance data is non-negotiable.

In the Integrator of 2027 white paper, we discussed the key processes that integrators need to complete—discovery, design, and engineering. It's at that stage that performance facts are going to be the most disruptive of all the recommended practices because the data from RP1 will allow integrators to professionally engineer systems. This then justifies integrators charging for their professional services, which let’s face it, in an era where margins are declining, is getting increasingly important.

RP1 is about empowering our industry to become technical authorities and transform the way we communicate and evaluate technology. With this Recommended Practice, the industry will be able to deliver quantifiable, objective information to clients and partners, elevating the professionalism and accountability of CEDIA members globally.

RP1 Education at CEDIA Expo

CEDIA is officially launching RP1 at CEDIA Expo, and education sits at the heart of this initiative.

During the show, attendees will have a unique opportunity to learn about RP1, explore what it means for their businesses, and understand how to implement its principles in their work.

There are seven sessions in total at the show—two classes that set the engineering foundation, two courses that focus on loudspeakers, and two sessions that talk about subwoofers. This concludes with a final class that gets all the instructors in the room together and we will challenge attendees to go further. You must attend at least one of the first courses to be eligible for this one.

Alongside this, we have been working on a white paper entitled Reference Audio Levels and SPL Capabilities, and this is also ready to launch at CEDIA Expo.

Our activities at the show will be supported by continued training and resources, ensuring that the knowledge and impact of RP1 extend long after the initial launch.

RP1 is the first step towards a broader transformation in the smart home industry. One that values transparency, technical expertise, and professionalism. With this Recommended Practice, CEDIA aims to elevate the industry and lay the groundwork for future documents that will further empower both integrators and build trust with their clients.

To register for the RP1 courses at CEDIA Expo, visit www.cediaexpo.com/show/schedule.