AWE has unveiled Europe’s first Sony Professional Crystal LED showroom at its newly upgraded Show Apartment in Epsom, with the new facility forming the centrepiece of AWE Expo 2026, held last week for installers and industry professionals.
More than simply introducing new products, the extensive refurbishment reinforces a design philosophy that has become increasingly apparent at AWE in recent years: demonstrating technology as an integral part of contemporary interior design rather than as equipment that dominates a room. Throughout the Show Apartment, visitors are encouraged to experience complete living environments where audio, lighting, displays and control systems work together to enhance a space as much as the technology itself.
The three-day event offered visitors hands-on access to the latest residential technology from AWE’s portfolio while showcasing how premium home cinema, audio, lighting, display and networking solutions can be specified in realistic residential environments. Alongside the new Sony Professional Crystal LED showroom, AWE also revealed major upgrades throughout the Show Apartment, including enhanced cinema demonstration spaces, a redesigned Music Room and an all-new Media Room featuring the latest invisible loudspeaker technology.
Stuart Tickle, Managing Director at AWE, said, “It has been another fantastic Expo, a real showcase of what our industry does best. The fully refitted main showroom and media room generated brilliant conversations, and it has been hugely rewarding to see the upgrades across the whole Show Apartment land so well with visitors. If you weren’t able to make it along, get in touch and book your visit. We’d love to show you how we can help support you generate new business.”
Sony Crystal LED Takes Centre Stage
The newly transformed main showroom establishes AWE as Sony Professional’s European showroom for Crystal LED technology, centred around Sony’s impressive 165in Crystal LED display. Designed as more than simply a display, the screen acts as a dynamic digital canvas capable of changing the atmosphere of the living space, demonstrating how large-format LED technology is evolving beyond commercial environments into premium residential applications.
The installation also perfectly reflects AWE’s wider philosophy. Rather than presenting the Crystal LED display in isolation, the room demonstrates how a statement display can become part of a carefully considered interior, complemented by Stealth Acoustics invisible loudspeakers, RAY healthy lighting and discreet smart home technology. It is a compelling example of how high-end residential technology is increasingly being specified around lifestyle and interior design rather than individual products alone.
For installers, the space also provides a valuable comparison of LED, RGB LED, Crystal LED and OLED display technologies from manufacturers including Sony, LG and Hisense, helping support customer conversations around performance, aesthetics, room planning and budget.
Two Cinema Experiences
AWE’s cinema demonstration rooms also received significant upgrades for the 2026 event.
The Reference Cinema showcased DIRAC Active Room Treatment alongside Epson’s QL7000 10,000-lumen projector and Adeo projection screens, demonstrating the impact of advanced room optimisation in a realistic home cinema environment. Rather than focusing solely on specification, the demonstration illustrated how careful system design, acoustics and calibration combine to create a genuinely immersive viewing experience.
Meanwhile, the Performance Cinema hosted one of the event’s most popular attractions: a live projector shoot-out comparing Epson, Optoma and Sony models under identical conditions. The room also featured demonstrations using Marantz electronics with Bowers & Wilkins loudspeakers, providing installers with practical insight into premium cinema solutions aimed at a broader range of projects and budgets.
Premium Audio and Flexible Living
The refreshed Music Room focused on two-channel Hi-Fi and multi-room audio, featuring Denon Home 200, 400 and 600 speakers alongside products from Bowers & Wilkins and Marantz. More than simply demonstrating products, the room reinforced the value of dedicated listening environments, helping installers communicate the emotional appeal of premium audio alongside the technical benefits.
Another standout addition was the new Media Room, centred around Stealth Acoustics’ eighth-generation invisible loudspeakers. Combining Sony BZ professional displays, Bowers & Wilkins CI600 architectural speakers and eero networking, the room showcased how today’s media spaces are expected to support work, entertainment and family life without compromising interior aesthetics. By concealing much of the technology, the room illustrated the growing demand for performance that integrates seamlessly into modern living spaces.
The Foundations of Every Smart Home
While the headline attractions naturally centred on the cinema and display demonstrations, AWE also continued to emphasise that exceptional smart homes are built on strong foundations. Cabling, networking, control and mounting solutions rarely grab the headlines, yet they remain the elements that determine whether an installation performs reliably long after handover.
The Gallery reflected this philosophy, bringing together Kordz cabling, eero wired and wireless networking, URC control, HDA video distribution, Kinetik fire hoods, Bowers & Wilkins back boxes and Sanus mounting and racking solutions. The display highlighted the importance of specifying dependable infrastructure that is straightforward to install, easy to support and capable of underpinning premium residential projects for years to come.
More Than a Showroom
Beyond Expo itself, the refurbished Show Apartment underlines AWE’s belief that demonstration remains one of the most effective sales tools available to integrators. Rather than viewing individual products on exhibition stands, installers can experience complete living environments where technology, design and usability have been considered as a whole.
It is an approach that reflects the continuing evolution of the smart home market, where successful projects are increasingly judged not by the amount of technology installed, but by how naturally that technology enhances the way people live.
The AWE Show Apartment in Epsom is open throughout the year, with demonstrations available by appointment through the AWE team.