Honeywell Lyric Controller vs. DSC Iotega

The Honeywell Lyric Controller and the DSC Iotega are frequently compared, as they are two of the only alarm panels on the market today that support Apple HomeKit. We recommend the Lyric over the Iotega, due to the fact that the Iotega is extremely limited in terms of end user programming.

At first glance, the Lyric and the Iotega really aren't that different. They both support up to 128 wireless zones. And they are both compatible with Apple HomeKit for smart home functionality. By pairing your Lyric or Iotega with Apple HomeKit, you can have other devices on your HomeKit network activate automatically with events that occur on your system. And if you have a dedicated HomeKit Hub set up, then you can control your system remotely using Siri voice commands on your iOS device. Compatible HomeKit Hubs include an iPad, a HomePod, or an Apple TV (gen 4 or higher).

But beyond that, the differences between the Lyric and the Iotega quickly become noticeable. The first major difference is that the Lyric has a 7" touchscreen for local operation, while Iotega users are forced to rely on a light-up numeric touchpad for operation at the system itself. However, there is an add-on touchscreen keypad called the DSC WS9TCHWNA that you can use with the system. But if you really want to control your system using touchscreen controls, then you may as well just get a panel with a built-in touchscreen!

The Honeywell Lyric Alarm System and the DSC Iotega are also completely different in terms of supported sensors. The Lyric has its own exclusive lineup of encrypted wireless sensors in the Honeywell SiX Series, which offer 128-bit AES encryption and a wireless range of about 300 nominal feet. The panel is also backwards compatible with every one-way Honeywell 5800 Sensor, as well as every 2GIG 345 MHz Sensor. This makes the Lyric the clear winner in terms of having a diverse sensor lineup.

Meanwhile, the DSC Iotega only has one sensor lineup option to choose from, and that is the DSC PowerG Sensor lineup. But the PowerG Sensors certainly get the job done, as they utilize 128-bit AES encryption, frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) to combat RF jamming, and offer a wireless range of more than 2,000 feet away from the Iotega Panel when used in an open air environment. While Iotega users may not have as many sensors to choose from, the sensors they can choose from are more powerful than anything used with the Lyric.

But how you enroll sensors on these two systems is a totally different story. And with that, we now get to the biggest reason why we feel the Lyric is the clear winner over the Iotega. The Lyric allows users to enroll compatible wireless sensors with the system locally using a standard auto-enrollment method. This is what you would expect from pretty much any wireless alarm panel. But the Iotega is a rare exception in that aspect. For you see, the Iotega does not offer any local end user programming. Instead, all programming must be completed remotely by your alarm monitoring company. This means that you will need to contact your monitoring provider every time you want to add, edit or delete system sensors. This goes against everything you would want in a DIY alarm panel, making the Iotega a truly unfriendly DIY system.

On the other hand, you can easily program and enroll wireless sensors on the Lyric yourself, and it really isn't too difficult once you know what you are doing. The panel even offers a special SiX Programming Mode that allows you to quickly set up SiX Sensors with the system. And this goes beyond just enrolling sensors. You can also enroll home automation devices with the Lyric yourself and change various programming settings on the system without needing to get someone else to do it for you. The Iotega does not allow you to add home automation devices on your own, and you can only change a very limited selection of settings at the panel itself. Technically, the Iotega is superior in terms of home automation, as the Iotega has a built-in Z-Wave Plus controller, while the Lyric only has a standard Z-Wave controller built-in.

If HomeKit compatibility isn't important to you, then you might consider the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus over both of these systems. The Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus also offers support for PowerG Sensors, as well as one (1) legacy frequency (319.5 MHz, 345 MHz, or 433 MHz). It has a built-in 7" touchscreen, which matches the Lyric. But the IQ Panel 2 Plus is sleeker in design than the Lyric. Best of all, the IQ Panel 2 Plus allows for local end user programming, which you won't get on the Iotega. The IQ Panel 2 Plus also impresses in terms of home automation, as it has a built-in Z-Wave Plus controller, and you can learn-in your own smart home devices. We have an FAQ that compares the IQ Panel 2 Plus and the Iotega if you want more info.

However, it is important to understand that the IQ Panel 2 Plus cannot support Apple HomeKit like the Lyric and the Iotega. You should also understand that neither the Iotega nor the Qolsys IQ Panel can be used for IP-only monitoring service like the Lyric. Per Alarm.com requirements, any panel set up with Alarm.com must utilize a cellular communication path. This means that you will need a monitoring plan that includes cellular communication. Examples of compatible monitoring plans that include cellular communication include the Alarm Grid Gold and Platinum Level Plans, which can be viewed here.

Since the Iotega is also an Alarm.com Panel, it also requires cellular communication. Fortunately, the Iotega features a built-in LTE communicator, just like the IQ Panel 2 Plus. Both the Iotega and the IQ Panel 2 Plus also have built-in WIFI cards, making them dual-path ready right out of the box. The Lyric has a built-in WIFI card, but it needs an added cellular communicator to utilize cellular communication. If you want to save money and use IP-only connectivity for monitoring, then the Lyric can do that. This is because the Lyric connects with the Resideo AlarmNet360 Servers and Total Connect 2.0, which don't have the cellular requirements of Alarm.com. Just understand that cellular monitoring is more reliable, as an internet outage will take your panel offline if you do not have cellular backup.

Please check out the extensive table below for more information on how the Lyric compares with the Iotega:

	Honeywell Lyric Controller	DSC Iotega
Wireless Zones	Up to 128	Up to 128
Encrypted Sensor Support	Honeywell SiX Sensors	DSC PowerG Sensors
Legacy Sensor Support	Honeywell one-way 5800 Sensors, 2GIG 345 MHz Sensors	None
Automation	Z-Wave Classic	Z-Wave Plus
LTE Communicator	Yes (Add Separately)	Yes (Built-In)
WIFI	Yes (Built-In)	Yes (Built-In)
Interactive Platform	Total Connect 2.0	Alarm.com
Internal Sounder	85 dB	85 dB
Touchscreen Display	Yes	No
Built-In Camera	2 MP Camera	None
Local Programming	Yes	No
HomeKit Support	Yes	Yes