Finding patterns and pulling key data points from a list of more than 60 technology and business operations categories is always difficult, and this year was no different. But if there’s one mantra that’s a custom electronics industry favorite that can be applied to the 2023 CE Pro 100 Brand Analysis rankings of the most-used manufacturers, “a rising tide lifts all boats” is it.

As usual, the caveat to CE Pro’s annual highly anticipated Brand Leaders and Bullet Brands list is that the data is pulled from the CE Pro 100 entry forms, in which we ask candidates to name their top brands in this massive swath of categories impacting the custom channel. On one hand, the 100 leading integrators who choose to participate present a mighty successful group from which to gather such detailed data; on the other hand, it still represents only a fraction of the thousands of dealers in the industry.

This year especially, CE Pro saw a big turnover in the CE Pro 100 rankings, which as usual were announced in the May issue immediately preceding June’s Brand Analysis coverage. A dozen “new” members of the CE Pro 100 were among those earning the prestigious recognition this year, and companies had to earn nearly $3 million in custom revenues (the No. 100 integrator had $2.95M). Of course, some of those dealers could have been on the list in previous years.

That said, surges by “Bullet Brand” companies such as Kaleidescape, Josh.ai, James Loudspeaker, Origin Acoustics/Artnovion, ICE Cables, AVPro Edge, AudioControl, Samsung and Masimo Consumer (formerly Sound United) heritage brands Marantz and Denon speak loudly. Especially when compared with falling totals for Sonos in the majority of their categories — of course, the popular company’s reach is so widespread it still handily won multiple — as well as the mammoth portfolio of Snap One brands (again, still handily won many of the 60+ categories).

This telling trend appears to validate what the CE Pro 100 and, really, the entire custom industry is all about: solutions that go beyond what the general public demands, because CEDIA channel clientele demand and pay for so much more. Based on this year’s Brand Analysis, dealers and their valuable vendors are clearly giving their “public” what they want.  

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CE Pro 100 Top Brands

Here is a list of the top brands in each category. In all, Snap One and its sub-brands are leaders in 20 categories. Sony is the top brand in five categories. Sonos and Lutron each lead in three categories.

Access Control: Control4 (Snap One)

Acoustical Treatments: Artnovion/Origin Acoustics

Audio Amplifiers: Episode (Snap One)

AV Receivers: Sony

Blu-ray/UHD Players: Sony

Business Management/Proposal Software: D-Tools

Buying Groups: ProSource

Cell-Phone Signal Boosters: Wilson Electronics

Central Vacuum: Dirt Devil/H-P Products/Vacuflo

Cyber Security/FireWalls: Araknis (Snap One)

Energy Storage: SurgeX

Fiber-Optic Cabling: Cleerline

4K & 8K Televisions: Sony

Floorstanding/Bookshelf Loudspeakers: Bowers & Wilkins (Masimo Consumer)

Furniture: Salamander Designs

General Distribution: Snap One Local Stores

HDMI Cables: Binary (Snap One)

Headphones: Sony

Home Networks: Araknis (Snap One)

Home Theater Processors: Marantz (Masimo Consumer)

HVAC / Energy Management: Control4 (Snap One)

Indoor Air Quality Systems: (tie) Delos and Intellipure

In-Ceiling/In-Wall Loudspeakers: Sonance

IP Surveillance Cameras: Luma (Snap One)

Landscape Lighting Fixtures/Controls: Coastal Source

Lifts: Future Automation

Lighting Controls: Lutron

Lighting Fixtures: Lutron (Ivalo, Finire)

Media Servers: Kaleidescape [Bullet]

Motorized Window Shades: Lutron

Mounts: Strong (Snap One)

Multiroom AV Distribution Systems: (tie) Control4 (Snap One) and Sonos

Networking/Data Wire: Wirepath (Snap One)

Outdoor Audio: Sonance

Outdoor Video: SunBrite (Snap One)

Phone Systems/Intercoms: Control4 (Snap One)

Power Conditioners: WattBox (Snap One)

Projectors: Sony

Racks: Middle Atlantic (Legrand AV)

Rack Cooling Systems: Cool Components

Remote Managed Services: OvrC (Snap One)

Satellite: DISH

Seating: Fortress

Security / Fire Systems: DSC (Johnson Controls)

Smart Locks / Deadbolts: Yale (Fortune Brands)

Smart Major Appliances: Samsung

Soundbars: Sonos

Speaker Wire/Interconnects: Binary (Snap One)

Structured Wiring Enclosures: Wirepath (Snap One)

Subwoofers: Sonos

Tools & Testers: Fluke

Turntables: Pro-Ject

Unified Communications: Crestron

Universal Remotes/Tablets: Control4 (Snap One)

Vehicles: Ford

Video Distribution/Switchers/Extenders: Control4 (Snap One)

Video Doorbells: Ring (Amazon)

Video Filmscreens (Projection Screens): Screen Innovations

Voice Control: Amazon

Water Leak Detection: Control4 (Snap One)

Whole-House Automation/Integration: Control4 (Snap One)

Wireless Audio: Sonos

CE Pro 100 Bullet Brands

These are the brands that showed significant increases in the number of CE Pro 100 integrators using their products.

Acoustical Treatments: Artnovion/Origin Acoustics

Audio Amplifiers: AudioControl

Business Management/Proposal Software: iPoint, Portal and Bi4ci

4K & 8K Televisions: LG

Lighting Fixtures: DMF Lighting

Media Servers: Kaleidescape

Networking/Data Wire: ICE Cable

Outdoor Audio: James Loudspeaker

Outdoor Video: Samsung

Projectors: Barco

Remote Managed Services: Parasol (Snap One)

Seating: RowOne

Subwoofers: James Loudspeaker (Sonance) and JL Audio

Video Distribution/Switchers/Extenders: AVPro Edge

Video Doorbells: 2N (Axis Communications)

Video Filmscreens (Projection Screens): Stewart Filmscreen

Voice Control: Josh.ai

Water Leak Detection: Waterbug

CE Pro Senior Editor Robert Archer contributed to this report.

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