Earlier this week, The Sherpa Technology Group, a distinguished Canadian specialty distributor, hosted a highly attended Origin Acoustics training event. Sherpa welcomed attendees to their Montreal office for two lively sessions, drawing 42 dealers and custom installation companies—including participants who travelled in from New Brunswick. The event’s success continued in Toronto with two additional sessions, engaging nearly 60 industry professionals.
Origin Acoustics, a respected leader in the audio and custom integration sector, is renowned for its innovative architectural in-wall, in-ceiling, outdoor, and specialty speakers designed for residential and commercial spaces. The dealer events focused on Origin’s patented technologies, which streamline installation and foster long-term client relationships—enabling installers to maintain meaningful connections well beyond the initial project completion.
Jose Coelho, Origin’s International Business Director, travelled from Brazil to personally deliver Origin training to many Canadian dealers—some of whom were new to the Origin Acoustics family. Coelho emphasized, “We don’t sell on sound alone. In today’s market, high-quality audio is expected. Origin distinguishes itself through our patented tool-less installation system and our ability to offer 25 speaker models, all fitting within a single 222-millimetre diameter cut.”
Coelho explained that homeowners can begin with a 6.5″ speaker and later upgrade to a premium 8” model without the installer needing to modify the existing cut-out or brackets. The original speakers are simply disconnected, and the new higher-end model clicks seamlessly into the same housing. Origin offers six levels of performance for each speaker size—except for the 3” model, which features two options. Coelho shared that leading global installers often revisit clients a year after installation, offering upgraded speakers for a week-long trial. This hands-on experience nearly guarantees a sale. Coelho also shared that high-end installers often opt to cut for a 10″ top-of-the-line speaker, where the bracket can still accommodate 6″ and 8″ diameter speakers with an adapter until the customer is ready to upgrade to the 10″ offering.
Coelho also highlighted successful collaborations in other markets, where installers partner with home builders to create “Origin Ready” properties. In these homes, speaker brackets and grills are installed during construction but left empty, allowing the new homeowner to complete the system by contacting the installer. This approach has driven sales increases of over 40% compared to homes without pre-installed housings. “There’s nothing like seeing a grill in the ceiling that doesn’t play sound to motivate a homeowner to complete their system,” Coelho added.
Throughout the morning, attendees were introduced to Origin’s comprehensive product lineup—including in-wall subwoofers, ‘Blends’ invisible in-wall speakers, landscape and outdoor speakers, and the OriginPro amplifier series, ranging from 60 to 400 watts with multiple zones for complex commercial installations.
Lunch offered a valuable networking opportunity, as well as a chance for installers to showcase their skills with Origin’s tool-less speakers. Jean-Francois Gilbert from Alliance-D in Laval, Quebec, impressed by installing two in-ceiling speakers in just 14 seconds. In the fast-paced world of custom integration, Origin Acoustics and Sherpa provided compelling reasons why Origin is considered an industry leader. The consensus among attendees was clear: Sherpa’s training events have created nearly 100 new Origin ambassadors across Canada.