Sony’s 165″ Crystal LED display
Privileged to a preview, with a select few, prior to its extended three days Expo, IER attended AWE’s Show Apartment, newly upgraded with amazing new AV products.
On entering, there was an immediate WOW factor to congratulate AWE becoming Europe’s first Sony Professional Crystal LED showroom at its newly upgraded Show Apartment in Epsom, with the milestone forming a central part of AWE Expo 2026, held last week for industry professionals and installers.
The three-day event gave visitors hands-on access to the latest residential technology from AWE-distributed brands, while showcasing how premium cinema, audio, lighting, display and networking solutions can be specified in real-world home environments. Alongside the Sony Crystal LED showcase, the event marked the unveiling of significant upgrades throughout the Show Apartment, including enhanced cinema demonstration spaces, a completely refreshed Music Room, and a brand-new Media Room featuring the latest invisible speaker 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.”
Industry professionals / Installers at one of the 3 event days.
Sony Crystal LED Takes Centre Stage
A key highlight of the refitted Show Apartment is AWE’s appointment as Sony Professional’s European Showroom for Crystal LED, with the main showroom transformed around Sony’s 165″ Crystal LED display. More than a screen, it acts as a striking digital canvas that can completely change the atmosphere of the room.
Designed as a fully realised multi-purpose living space, the room also features Stealth Acoustics Invisible Speakers and RAY healthy lighting, showing how premium technologies can be combined to enhance a space without cluttering it. The result is an elegant, immersive environment that also demonstrates the growing importance of wellness-led lighting in high-end residential design.
For installers, the space is also a powerful sales tool. Direct comparisons of LED, RGB LED, CLED and OLED technologies, including Hisense, Sony and LG displays, provide clear reference points for client conversations about performance, design impact, space planning and budget.
Performance Cinema Room
Two Cinema Experiences
The renowned AWE cinema rooms returned for 2026 with two distinct demonstration environments.
New Media Room
The Reference Cinema was enhanced with DIRAC Active Room Treatment alongside Epson QL7000 projection, boasting 10,000 lumens, and Adeo screen solutions. Together, they gave visitors a masterclass in what custom acoustic optimisation sounds like in a true-to-life space, while helping installers communicate the value of high-end cinema investment to clients.
The Performance Cinema hosted one of the show’s most popular features: a live projector shoot-out comparing Epson, Optoma, and Sony side by side under identical conditions. The room also featured a full cinema demonstration with Marantz and Bowers & Wilkins, giving installers with mid-range projects plenty of inspiration.
Denon 200 & 600 Series
Premium Audio and Flexible Living Spaces
The upgraded Music Room focused on 2-channel Hi-Fi and multi-room audio, showcasing the Denon Home 200, 400 and 600 series alongside Bowers & Wilkins and Marantz. The demonstrations reinforced how a carefully designed listening environment can support more persuasive client conversations around premium audio.
Bowers & Wilkins
Another major addition was the upgraded Media Room, built around Stealth Acoustics 8th Generation Invisible Speakers. One of the most talked-about spaces at the event, the room paired Sony BZ displays with Bowers & Wilkins CI600 architectural speakers, eero networking and live stereo demonstrations to show how a flexible work-and-play space can deliver high-end performance without compromising design.
The Foundations of Every Smart Home
The Gallery remained dedicated to CI essentials, the fundamentals that underpin every clean installation, including Kordz cabling, eero wired and wireless networking, URC control, HDA video distribution, Kinetik fire hoods, Bowers & Wilkins back boxes, and Sanus racking and mounting solutions. Designed to spotlight the infrastructure behind reliable smart home projects, the space highlighted solutions that are simple to deploy, robust and well supported by the team at AWE.
Visit the AWE Show Apartment
The AWE Show Apartment in Epsom is open year-round, giving installers the opportunity to experience the latest residential technology in realistic, fully integrated environments beyond the Expo. To book a visit, contact the AWE team.
