Are There Security Systems Better Than a Honeywell Lyric Alarm System?

Whether or not there are security systems better than a Honeywell Lyric Alarm System is a matter of personal opinion. There is currently no alarm system that directly outclasses the Honeywell Lyric Controller. There are many users who would call the Lyric the best alarm panel available.

The Honeywell Lyric Controller is the newest and most advanced security system offered from Honeywell. It certainly has all the tools needed to compete with the best systems available today. The panel features a beautiful 7-inch touchscreen display, and it supports up to 128 wireless zones. It can interface with its own lineup of encrypted Honeywell SiX Series Sensors, as well as the diverse and versatile Honeywell 5800 Series Sensors. The panel also features a classic Z-Wave controller for supporting up to 72 different Z-Wave devices.

However, the biggest selling point of the Honeywell Lyric Alarm System is its ability to interface with Apple HomeKit. Very few alarm systems on the market today offer HomeKit compatibility, and it puts the Lyric in a very exclusive club. In fact, it is currently the only HomeKit-compatible system that allows for end user programming. This is excellent for iOS users, as they can control their Honeywell Lyric Controller remotely using voice commands that are sent through Siri. They can also include their Lyric into customizable HomeKit scenes to operate alongside other HomeKit devices. Please note that we still recommend retaining the Honeywell Total Connect 2.0 service and using it alongside Apple HomeKit. For more information regarding the differences between Apple HomeKit and Total Connect 2.0, please review this helpful FAQ.

But that's not to say that the Lyric doesn't face competition. The other two leading alarm systems on the market today are the 2GIG GC3 and the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus. Whether or not either of these would be considered "better" than the Lyric would come down to personal preference. Working in the Lyric's favor is its compatibility with HomeKit, which neither the GC3 nor the IQ2+ offer. Additionally, the Lyric uses Total Connect 2.0 as its interactive service platform, which is exclusive to Honeywell Systems. The GC3 and IQ2+ don't use TC2, but they instead use Alarm.com. ADC is very similar to TC2, and whether a user prefers one service over the other will ultimately come down to preference.

But the 2GIG GC3 and Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus both offer their own advantages over the Lyric. For the 2GIG GC3, the distinction is in its partitioning feature, called Smart Areas. Neither the Lyric nor the IQ2+ support any type of partitioning. So if partitioning is important to the user, they would probably say the GC3 is the best. As for the IQ2+, it is the only panel of the three that can support 915 MHz PowerG Wireless Sensors. These wireless sensors are protected by 128-bit AES encryption, and they offer a further signal range than any other wireless sensors on the market today. The Honeywell SiX Sensors for the Lyric also utilize 128-bit AES encryption, but they don't have nearly as far of a signal range. The GC3 does not support any type of encrypted sensors. Also in favor of the IQ2+ is the fact that it is the only panel of the three that can stream the live feed of compatible security cameras directly on its screen. So if these features are important, then one might choose the IQ Panel 2 Plus.

One last feature that both the GC3 and IQ2+ both support that the Lyric does not is Z-Wave Plus compatibility. Both of these systems include their own Z-Wave Plus controllers that allow for extended range and improved reliability when used with compatible Z-Wave Plus smart home devices. Meanwhile, the Lyric only has a classic Z-Wave controller. While the Lyric can also support Z-Wave Plus devices, these modules will only have the range and performance of classic Z-Wave peripherals when they are used with the system. A user could potentially overcome this issue by making the Lyric into a secondary Z-Wave controller. But even then, the GC3 and IQ2+ can both support more Z-Wave devices than the Lyric overall (232 vs. 72).

In some cases, the user might simply choose which panel with their favorite design. All three feature modern designs that fit in with almost any decor, and they each have beautiful full-color 7-inch touchscreen displays. However, it should be mentioned that the IQ Panel 2 Plus is the thinnest of the three and has the smallest profile. But many people note the exceptional build-quality of the GC3, while the Lyric receives praise for coming from a longstanding company like Honeywell.