About
Thirty years of homes in two counties.
Westchester AV opened on Purchase Street in Rye, New York in 1996 with a van, a van's worth of tools and one idea: home technology should be a pleasure to own, not a project to manage. We are in Armonk now, several thousand houses later, and that is still the whole business.
From the founder
When we started, the work was speakers, wire and a good pair of hands. Today a house expects lighting, shades, climate, networking and entertainment to act like one thing, and the job takes far more planning than it used to. What has not changed is who we are working for: a family that wants to come home and relax.
I spend a good deal of my time explaining this trade to people outside it. CEDIA certified me as a Registered Outreach Instructor, and I have taught architects and designers, including at the New York School of Interior Design, how to plan for technology while the drawings are still on the table. It is the same conversation I have with homeowners, only earlier.
I still like to see a room before we design for it. Plans give you dimensions. Standing in the space tells you where people will sit, what they will look at, and what they will never bother to walk over and switch off.
Bob Krasne, Founder
Part of the Elevated family
Nick DeClemente
Owner, Westchester AV and Elevated Integration
Why we joined Elevated.
For most of thirty years this was a small company with a big reputation in two counties: Bob Krasne, a crew that stayed, and houses that worked. The trade changed around it. A house that once wanted speakers and a good television now expects lighting, shades, climate, networking and entertainment to behave as one thing, the equipment behind that is more demanding every year, and the manufacturers who make it reserve their best training and support for the dealers who commit to them most.
Elevated Integration is the company Nick DeClemente built for that end of the work. It holds the standing a small company cannot hold on its own, including Savant's Platinum Elite tier and a seat on Savant's Advisory Council, and it runs on a discipline of drawings, documentation and follow-up that bigger projects demand. Bringing Westchester AV into the Elevated family put all of that behind a company that already knew every town between Armonk and Darien.
The decision that mattered was the one not to merge them. Elevated does one kind of job and Westchester AV does another: the family that wants a house that simply works, without a project that eats the year. So Westchester AV kept its name, its showroom in Armonk, its own crew and its own two counties. Bob still picks up the phone. What changed is what stands behind him.
How we work
Everything happens under one roof: design and engineering, project management, prewire and installation with our own crew, calibration, custom remote programming, tutorials for the family, and support for as long as you own the house. Nobody here will ask you to chase five contractors to find out whose problem it is.
We build for the tenth year, not the first. Systems are documented and labeled, and every network we install is monitored around the clock, so a new television or a new streaming service is an afternoon rather than an ordeal. The crew that installed it is the crew that comes back, and on a service plan you hold next-business-day response.
And we build for the whole household, not the enthusiast in it. If a guest cannot turn on the kitchen music without a tutorial, we are not finished.
In their words
“The Westchester AV performed a surgical-quality installation in our finished home.”
“Wonderful company to work with – knowledgeable, professional staff. Bob spent a great deal of time going through all of the available choices for my husband & myself. The whole system is controlled with a remote that even I can use with ease.”
“We have been using them for many years. They are always polite, timely, creative and reasonable. Most importantly, they provide quality service. Highly recommended.”
“They took the time to design several different home theater/whole-house music system solutions for us taking into account our needs, wants and budget and ultimately let us select what package we liked best… Best of all, they trained my whole family on how to use everything and we've been enjoying our system immensely.”
“They carefully outlined the system before starting and suggested using equipment we had when feasible and up to their high standards… It is now almost 2 years since we moved in and we remain happy with everything they did.”
“Bob Krasne and his team were very responsive and provided accurate job quotes. The on-site technicians arrived right on schedule and were very knowledgeable. They did their work efficiently and clearly had thought through our system carefully before their arrival…”
“Westchester AV worked with me from start to finish. Bob and his team have access to the finest equipment at reasonable prices, they are professional, and I am very happy with the end result…so happy that I have recommended them to friends.”
“Thank you for all your help in designing, installing and maintaining the audio/video system in my house. The level of support has been truly outstanding.”
Start a project
Tell us about the space. We'll come out and give you a straightforward plan.
The consultation is complimentary and it starts with a walkthrough or a set of drawings. You will leave it knowing what is realistic in your house, what it costs, and what can wait until phase two.