Lutron is expanding its home automation system beyond mere lighting and shade controls into the realm of audio with its new Pico Remote Control for Audio ($49) — a solution designed to allow Sonos users to tie their music into their Lutron system, unifying it with their lighting. Integrated with Lutron’s Caséta Wireless System, the new Pico audio remote pairs with the Caséta Smart Bridge, which also includes built-in Sonos integration, all using the standard Lutron app. It’s also compatible with Lutron’s RadioRA 2 and HomeWorks QS smart home systems.
The design of the Pico Remote Control for Audio mirrors the company’s standard Pico lighting remotes, with buttons labeled to pause and play music, adjust volume, and skip tracks in the same way that lighting and shades can be controlled. An individual Pico remote — standard or audio version — can be used to control lighting, shades, and Sonos speakers, allowing you to easily trigger and sync lighting and music with a single press. The standard design of the new Audio remote also allows it to be table- or wall-mounted with Lutron’s existing lineup of wall plates and stands. Sonos speakers can also be integrated into Lutron scenes along with customized lighting, allowing for a variety of scenarios, such as having music automatically start playing when you arrive home from work at the same time your lights come on. Since this is a direct partnership between Lutron and Sonos, it doesn’t tie into HomeKit directly, although it’s worth noting that Sonos and Apple partnered earlier this year to make Apple Music available on the Sonos platform. If you’re a serious home automation enthusiast with a Sonos system — and let’s face it, many are — this is just another reason why Lutron’s Caséta system remains one of our top choices for the ideal HomeKit setup.
