(August 25, 2026) CEDIA Expo 2026 attendees will have a couple of chances to win a product built around one simple promise: press play and let your audio system handle the rest. Amp Genie, the signal-sensing controller we reviewed earlier this year, is part of two show giveaways tied to the PowerHouse Alliance and Residential Tech Today. It’s a small box with a surprisingly useful job: making it easier to play music through an AVR by automatically waking the receiver, switching inputs, selecting a listening mode, and setting the volume. In our testing, once Amp Genie was configured, it largely disappeared into the background, which is exactly the point. For anyone with a streamer, turntable, CD player, disc player, or TV audio source feeding an AVR, that kind of simplicity is a genuine game changer.
At CEDIA, attendees have two pathways to win. The first is through the PowerHouse Alliance Scavenger Hunt at Exhibit #1506. The scavenger hunt is an all-digital game played from a smartphone, with participants scanning a QR code or visiting a registration URL, then completing questions and challenges around the show. Two of those challenges feature Amp Genie. Completing challenges earns spins on a digital prize wheel, and landing on Amp Genie wins one of four Amp Genie controllers available through the promotion.
Amp Genie is also part of the 2026 Residential Tech Today Prize Pack Giveaway at Exhibit #844. Entries will be collected at CEDIA Expo and online via a QR code, with three winners selected for Grand Prize, Second Place, and Third Place packages. Prize packs will feature products and services from participating partners, including an Amp Genie, Residential Tech Today-branded swag, and more.
But let’s not kid ourselves here, Amp Genie is what you want to win. Why? Because it’s built around a simple idea: when an audio source starts playing, an AVR-based system should know what to do next. Tap play on a streaming app, drop the needle on a record, start a CD, or use a voice command, and Amp Genie detects the incoming audio signal, then configures the AVR for playback. The company says it supports leading receiver brands, including Anthem, Arcam, AudioControl, Denon, Integra, Marantz, Onkyo, Pioneer, Sony, Yamaha, and others.
In our review, what stood out most was how much everyday usability Amp Genie brought to a complicated AVR-based system. Universal remotes and control systems certainly have their place, but they can also add cost, programming, batteries, apps, networks, and yet another thing to find before the music starts. Amp Genie takes a different route. It senses a signal, issues control commands, and lets the room come alive without making the user think through inputs, sound modes, volume settings, or power states. Once it’s wired and configured, the product does exactly what it promises, turning a receiver-based system into something far more approachable for family members, guests, or anyone who just wants to hear music through the good speakers.
If you're headed to CEDIA this year, keep this giveaway opportunity on your map!
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