An Upper East Side pre-war co-op approves a renovation. The integrator has to design every wire run around plaster walls, original molding, and a building staff that controls when work happens and when it stops. A Bridgehampton estate is occupied seasonally, and the Lutron lighting and Crestron AV systems have to wake up cleanly when the family arrives in May. A Tribeca loft conversion hits a 14-foot ceiling and a homeowner who wants no visible speakers anywhere. Each scenario is a different integration discipline. New York City’s residential technology market lives at three points on the same map. Estate-tier work runs in the Hamptons, Westchester, and the Connecticut Gold Coast. Luxury work runs in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Mid-premium apartment-scale work runs across the five boroughs. The wiring, the building rules, the aesthetic expectations, and the budget tolerance change with the address.
The four companies below were selected from a much larger field on the basis of three criteria. The first is years of verified operation in the New York metro market. The second is manufacturer authorization at the higher tiers, including Lutron Black Diamond, Savant Platinum Elite, Crestron Elite, Lutron Gold, and similar designations earned through proven volume and training rather than paid placement. The third is a documented service footprint that reaches the actual New York City client base, not catalog-style claims of national coverage. Each firm operates at a slightly different point on the price and project-scale spectrum, which is intentional. A penthouse on Central Park West and a one-bedroom in Long Island City both call for different operational profiles, and the four firms below cover that range.
Quick Comparison
| Firm | Founded / Tenure | Primary Platforms | Geographic Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audio Command Systems | 1976 (49 years) | Lutron (Black Diamond 2025), Crestron, Savant, HTSA, CEDIA | Manhattan, Long Island, Westchester, Hamptons, Tri-State |
| Elevated Integration | 2012 (13 years) | Savant Platinum Elite, Lutron Gold, HTA Luxury Certified | Manhattan high-rises, Tribeca, Central Park condos, MDU |
| Smart Home Worx | Multi-decade combined | Lutron, Savant, Control4, RTI; HTA Luxury Certified | Five boroughs, Long Island, NJ, Tri-State, Hamptons |
| DTV Installations | 2007 (19 years) | Lutron HomeWorks/RA3, Savant, Control4, Sony AV | Manhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island, Westchester, NJ, CT |
1. Audio Command Systems
Manhattan office: 121 E 31st Street, Suite 1D, New York, NY 10016
Corporate headquarters: 694 Main Street, Westbury, NY 11590
NYC Design Center at the DDC: 134 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Phone (Manhattan): (212) 260-4715
Phone (HQ): (516) 997-5800 / (800) 382-2939
Website: https://audiocommand.com
Founding and Leadership
Audio Command Systems was founded in 1976 by Robert Kaufman, operating out of his parents’ garage in Long Island with then-partner Brian Hagerty. The two built what they describe as the first digital multi-room audio control system. That makes ACS one of the actual founding companies of the custom electronics integration industry, rather than a firm that arrived during the smart-home boom of the last fifteen years.
Robert Kaufman remains CEO. President Jonathan Flamm joined more than forty years ago and now runs the company alongside Kaufman. Tom Clancy, a CEDIA Certified Outreach Instructor and HTSA Board Director, holds the Executive Vice President seat. Jonathan Flamm holds a master’s in Industrial Design from Rhode Island School of Design and Stanford.
Certifications and Brands
ACS holds Lutron Black Diamond Dealer status for 2025, the highest tier in the Lutron authorized dealer hierarchy, and operates as an HTSA member with offices in New York, Connecticut, California, and Florida.
Lutron Black Diamond is the top tier of the Lutron dealer pyramid, awarded annually based on certified-installer training depth and lighting-volume thresholds. It is held by a small percentage of US Lutron dealers in any given year. The status indicates that Audio Command Systems has both the technical bandwidth and the project pipeline to operate at the highest tier of residential lighting work.
Authorized brands include Lutron (control, lighting, and shading product lines), Crestron, Savant, Sony, and Basalte. The Manhattan office on East 31st Street handles direct client work for the city itself. The design center at 134 Madison Avenue inside the Decoration & Design Building exists primarily for architects and interior designers serving luxury residential projects.
Project Portfolio and Service Areas
ACS operates mostly at the high end. The portfolio includes a Tribeca penthouse, a Westchester waterfront residence, a Continuum South Beach project, projects in Bridgehampton, Southampton, Sagaponack, and East Hampton on Long Island, and Greenwich, Darien, and New Canaan in Connecticut. Trade partners include Karen Thomas Associates, Kean Development, Meyer Davis, Mojo Stumer Architects, Taconic Builders, and Silver Lining Interiors.
The dealer’s AfterCare subscription program is a structured ongoing-service model rather than a pay-per-call arrangement, with tiered plans that include 24/7 support and proactive system monitoring. ACS partners with the trade community through formal ASID and AIA programs.
Client Validation
The ACS site features client testimonials including statements from Jerry Cobaugh of Hobbs Inc. (a luxury homebuilder) and from Bob Hurst, who credits the team with explaining options, pricing them appropriately, installing properly, and following up as needed. The Lutron Black Diamond Dealer designation itself is volume- and training-based and is held by a small percentage of US Lutron dealers in any given year.
ACS partners with the trade community through formal ASID and AIA programs. The integrator sits in a short list of New York-metro firms operating continuously in the high-end residential AV space since before the term “smart home” entered industry usage. The HTSA Project Configurator on the dealer’s site provides a published price-range estimation tool that operates independent of the inquiry process.
2. Elevated Integration
Address: 5 North Greenwich Road, Armonk, NY 10504
Phone (office): (212) 634-9091
Phone (cell): (914) 374-2046
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM
Website: https://elevatedintegration.com
Founding and Market Position
Elevated Integration was established in 2012 by founder and CEO Nick DeClemente, a 20-year industry veteran. Elevated has built its reputation in the bespoke high-rise residential market. Elevated Integration operates from Armonk in Westchester County but holds a 212 Manhattan number for client work. Elevated is the technology contractor for high-profile projects including Central Park high-rise residences, Tribeca condominiums, and Upper East Side brownstones. The service area extends from New York into Connecticut, Los Angeles, and the Hamptons.
Certifications
The certification depth is unusually concentrated. Elevated is a Savant Platinum Elite Dealer, the top tier of the platform’s dealer program, along with being a Savant Ambassador and a member of the Savant Advisory Council. On the Lutron side they hold Gold Dealer status with HomeWorks, Sivoia QS, and RadioRA2 authorizations. The dealer is also a KEF Gold Dealer, a Coastal Source Certified Installer, a CEDIA member, and an Azione Unlimited Member of Excellence. The Home Technology Association certifies them at the Luxury tier.
This combination matters because each of these designations requires proven volume, ongoing training, and (in several cases) a formal business review by the manufacturer. Being a member of the Savant Advisory Council, in particular, means the integrator contributes to product roadmap decisions at the manufacturer level, which is a designation extended to a small handful of integrators nationwide.
Service Catalog
The service catalog covers residential, commercial, multi-dwelling-unit (MDU) high-rise buildings, energy management through Savant Power, cybersecurity for connected homes, and a dedicated Architects & Designers program. The MDU specialization is worth noting. Integrating a smart home system into a Manhattan high-rise requires coordination with building management, board approval, and shared infrastructure constraints that single-family homes do not present.
Their brand list runs through Savant, Lutron, Meridian, Mark Levinson, Bowers & Wilkins, and Samsung at the display tier. The VIP service program is structured for clients whose lifestyle requires the team to manage technology issues without owner involvement, which gives a sense of the typical Elevated client.
Recognition and Credentials
The Savant Platinum Elite Dealer status is held by a small group of US dealers per year and requires sustained sales performance and project complexity. The operation’s Azione Unlimited Member of Excellence designation is similarly restricted, reflecting business operations standards within the buying group. Their portfolio descriptions on the HTA Certified Luxury tier reference whole-home technology systems with project budgets typical of the upper-end Manhattan condo and luxury single-family market.
For clients building or renovating in a Manhattan high-rise, particularly in newer developments where the building itself supports integrated systems, Elevated should be one of the natural first calls. The MDU specialization and Savant Platinum status are the anchors.
3. Smart Home Worx
New York office address: 469 7th Avenue, Suite 744, New York, NY 10018
Phone (New York): (212) 537-6179
Phone (Philadelphia): (215) 600-3358
Phone (toll-free): (866) 960-3109
Website: https://smarthomeworx.com
Service Footprint and Team
Smart Home Worx serves the New York City, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, Staten Island, Bronx, New Jersey, and Tri-State Area markets, with a second office in Philadelphia. Smart Home Worx describes its team as a combined group of home theater designers, home automation engineers, and audio-visual technicians with 35 years of collective experience. More than 3,000 completed projects are reported across the service footprint. The Hamptons coverage extends to Bridgehampton, Southampton, East Hampton, Remsenburg, and Speonk.
Certifications and Brand Authorizations
The brand authorizations skew toward a broad multi-platform portfolio rather than a single-system specialty. Smart Home Worx is an authorized dealer and installer for Savant, Lutron, Control4, RTI, Elan, and Qmotion at the control-system level. Across audio, video, networking, and rack equipment they pair with Samsung, Sony, KEF, JBL, Bose, Polk Audio, Marantz, Denon, Pakedge, Netgear, Middle Atlantic, JVC, and IC Realtime.
The Lutron certification specifically covers HomeWorks QS along with Caséta, Sunnata keypad systems, and the Palladiom shade and keypad lines. The Home Technology Association certifies SHW at the Luxury tier.
Service Categories
Service categories include smart home automation, whole-house audio, whole-house video, lighting control, motorized shades, climate control, security systems, video surveillance, home theater installation, and commercial AV systems. The dealer runs a free consultation model and emphasizes design consultation, full installation, equipment sales, and programming as bundled services rather than separate billable line items.
Reference Customers
Client Rosina G. has noted the team’s responsiveness on follow-up service issues and praised the design phase as considerate of cost constraints, with a thoughtful A/B proposal approach during the design conversation. Jonathan C., a multi-year client, describes the team as outstanding, professional, knowledgeable, and reachable for short-notice issue resolution. Client Jim D. references a complex apartment home theater installation, citing clear communication on pricing and scope before installation began with no surprises.
The 3,000-project volume across NY/NJ/PA/CT and the HTA Luxury Certification together place the team in a rare market category. The footprint is broad enough to handle projects ranging from single-room installations to whole-home systems. The credentials are deep enough that the work meets luxury-tier standards.
For clients who want a single contractor across audio, video, lighting, shading, and surveillance without coordinating multiple specialists, the breadth of the Smart Home Worx authorization list is the strongest argument for the company. The NYC office at 469 7th Avenue, Suite 744 in the Garment District puts them within easy reach of Manhattan and Brooklyn projects.
4. DTV Installations
Address: 116 E 31st Street, New York, NY 10016
Phone: (212) 540-1199
Service area: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island, Westchester, parts of New Jersey and Connecticut (Fairfield County)
Website: https://www.dtv-installations.com
Founding and Service Mix
DTV Installations LLC was founded in 2007 by Shota Kimeridze and has been operating in the New York metro for nineteen years. DTV Installations operates as a residential and commercial AV integrator, with secondary offices and service coverage extending to Brooklyn, Oceanside, Yonkers, and Paramus, NJ.
The work mix includes home theater design and installation, smart home automation, LED video walls, home audio systems, and lighting control. The catalog also covers motorized shading, intercom and access-control systems, CCTV security cameras, TV mounting, and universal remote control programming.
Brand Authorizations
On the control-system side, DTV pairs with Lutron HomeWorks and RA3, Savant, Control4, and Sony AV systems. DTV also runs a residential e-commerce shop carrying Sonos and several speaker product lines (Createor, Cinergy, Super Slim, Invisible, AWC, Climate, Climate Garden, Vecta). This positions DTV as both an installer and a product retailer for clients who want to source equipment directly.
Commercial work includes conference rooms, churches, gyms, restaurants, sports bars, hotels, and digital signage installations across the same New York metro footprint.
Pricing and Project Scale
The DTV positioning sits at the mid-to-premium end of the New York market, distinct from the estate-tier custom integrators above. Per the dealer’s own published guidance, home theater installations in NYC typically start in the low-to-mid five figures, with dedicated cinemas scaling higher depending on room size, finishes, and equipment selection.
The integrator specializes in small-room and apartment-scale projects that the luxury-tier integrators often decline because the project ceiling is below their minimum. That makes DTV one of the few options for serious AV work in a one-bedroom Manhattan condo or a Brooklyn brownstone parlor floor without a million-dollar budget.
Customer Testimonials
Daniel R. of Brooklyn references a three-theater installation in his home with a multi-system buildout, including a setup with KEF Reference floor-standing speakers. Maria C. Ferraro from Tribeca describes a full AV installation including dismounting old equipment and procuring new gear, noting the team’s professionalism and response times. Andriy N. from Manhattan references a free written estimate process and on-schedule follow-through.
The shop is on the same East 31st Street block as ACS, which gives a sense of how concentrated the Manhattan AV trade has become in the Murray Hill corridor.
Reference Notes
What does each operator’s published service profile cover? Which manufacturer dealer tiers (Lutron Black Diamond, Savant Platinum Elite, Crestron Elite, HTA Luxury) appear on each public site? Which submarkets across Manhattan, the outer boroughs, the Hamptons, Westchester, and Connecticut does each operator name? The four operators above each present distinct credential combinations with separate New York-area geographic concentrations. Notes that follow draw on each website plus relevant manufacturer dealer locator entries.
Operating profiles. Audio Command Systems carries Lutron Black Diamond 2025 status, Crestron and Savant authorization, plus HTSA and CEDIA membership. Service coverage spans Manhattan, the Hamptons, Westchester, and the Connecticut Gold Coast. Elevated Integration runs Savant Platinum Elite and Lutron Gold authorization with HTA Luxury Certified standing, operating from Armonk in the Westchester-Connecticut estate corridor. Smart Home Worx carries Lutron, Savant, Control4, and RTI authorization plus HTA Luxury Certified status, with five-borough plus Long Island and New Jersey coverage. DTV Installations holds Lutron HomeWorks and RadioRA 3, Savant, Control4, and Sony AV authorization, with Manhattan and Brooklyn-focused apartment-scale coverage extending into Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
A note on what the credentials actually mean. Lutron Black Diamond, Savant Platinum, and HTA Luxury are not marketing labels. They are dealer-tier designations awarded annually based on project volume, certified-installer training depth, and client-reference standards. A firm that holds one of these tiers is operating at a different scale than a firm that does not.
For independent verification, each operator’s website along with the manufacturer dealer locator listings (Lutron, Savant, Crestron, Control4) and the HTA Certified directory entries can be reviewed directly.