Distribution systems - "whole house" audio.

EDS_ · « **on:** 19 Jun 2011, 03:16 pm »

Links/thoughts appreciated.

Context/ramblings:
1. Plan to run front end through my Mac for music access and iPhone remote reasons.
2. Probably will buy a low end USB DAC. This system will be located away from my main listening system so I'll likely lug my Mac back and forth in the short term.
3. Need 8 to 12 zones.
4. Need minimal processing. A dist. amp with one set of "global stereo inputs" and 8/12 outputs @30/50wpc would work. But a very simple volume up/down/off per stereo set would be better.
5. Would go with a receiver that outputs the same/similar power to all channels.
6. Could go with a dist. pre amp and two amps of different power ratings - could use more power for 6 of the channels.

Thanks all.

tvyankee · « **Reply #1 on:** 19 Jun 2011, 03:19 pm »

Niles zr6

For the money you will get what you are looking for. If you want to step it up go nuvo concerto.

Good luck.

EDS_ · « **Reply #2 on:** 19 Jun 2011, 03:35 pm »

Quote from: tvyankee on 19 Jun 2011, 03:19 pm

Niles zr6

For the money you will get what you are looking for. If you want to step it up go nuvo concerto.

Good luck.

The Niles looks really nifty. But it's six zones. The nuvo appears interesting. Thanks.

tvyankee · « **Reply #3 on:** 19 Jun 2011, 04:40 pm »

Hey,

You will find there all six or eight and the ones that are eight need an external two ch amp for the other two zones. Just strap two frames together. Master slave. If you look on eBay you might find some good deals

Let me know if you need help.

Phil A · « **Reply #4 on:** 19 Jun 2011, 04:42 pm »

Here's another site - http://www.zonaudio.com/home/

Haoleb · « **Reply #5 on:** 19 Jun 2011, 04:50 pm »

I used to work in the custom av field and have worked with many different systems.. niles, elan, etc.

In my experience Xantech makes the most reliable and easy to use product. The MRAUDIO8x8 would probbably suite your needs, but if you get the nice mrc88djkp keypads for every zone it will cost you. But it is a very reliable and flexible product.

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #6 on:** 19 Jun 2011, 05:17 pm »

Ok, I'm game, how in the world does this fit into Cheap and Cheerful audio?

srb · « **Reply #7 on:** 19 Jun 2011, 05:34 pm »

Quote from: Letitroll98 on 19 Jun 2011, 05:17 pm

Ok, I'm game, how in the world does this fit into Cheap and Cheerful audio?

Each "system" is less than $1000 per zone?

Steve

EDS_ · « **Reply #8 on:** 19 Jun 2011, 05:50 pm »

Quote from: Letitroll98 on 19 Jun 2011, 05:17 pm

Ok, I'm game, how in the world does this fit into Cheap and Cheerful audio?

Because I'm guessing there are ways to do this that are more thrifty than than others.

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #9 on:** 20 Jun 2011, 01:37 pm »

Quote from: EDS_ on 19 Jun 2011, 05:50 pm

Because I'm guessing there are ways to do this that are more thrifty than than others.

Fair enough, I'd love to see some cheap and cheerful whole house systems as we often have a hard time staying within price limits for one system around here.

Actually, I have a C&C distributed system for my upstairs that came with the house, ceiling speakers in bedrooms and bathrooms hooked up to a central receiver, hardly multizone tho. So I suppose it's possible.

Phil A · « **Reply #10 on:** 20 Jun 2011, 01:51 pm »

I went cheap when my house was being built in 1997. I have remote speakers going to four places from the bedroom system (3 on Niles volume controls) and a couple from the main system (although I don't have there currently hooked up). I didn't need them all playing at once and I did not need to change the source from a remote place although I do have Pyramid repeaters (which are also cheap) and I could move those around. While I understand others may have differences in priorities and tastes, I frankly never get spending so much on distribution. Many moons ago (over 10 years), an old boss got a silly expensive quote (like $77k for mid-fi equipment) that included distribution and $4k to have a zone in the kids loft playroom. With stuff like iPods, docks and other stuff, I don't personally see the need. I interconnected the bedroom system to the main system (they back to each other) and the bedroom system as noted feeds multiple other places. I could easily play for example the Squeezebox Touch in the main system and also in the bedroom system and also I use two channels of the bedroom system to drive the remote speakers via a switcher. So with what I have now, I can play 3 spots at once. I also ran cables to the basement system so technically if I wanted to I can also extend that playback to the basement system and on the other side of the basement I have a bedroom with a PC and cabling going to behind the basement system. So really if I wanted to go through a drop more minimal effort (like a just connect cables to the basement receiver and basement bedroom receiver), I could play 5 spots at once. For background listening I can't see spending megabucks - but that's just me

wgscott · « **Reply #11 on:** 20 Jun 2011, 01:53 pm »

Have you thought about Apple TV2? In my bedroom, I have one plugged into a 1st generation Zeppelin. I server music to it from my main system's mac mini server in the living room. It works as a "zone player" in the sense that it plays from the ATV2 rather than streaming what is played on the main system (although I also have that option).

Anything that uses an optical input should work. They are $100 each, and you don't need to hook them to a TV or monitor except for the initial configuration.

tvyankee · « **Reply #12 on:** 20 Jun 2011, 02:34 pm »

hey,

2 more i thought of are the Knoll System's

http://www.knollsystems.com/prod-amp-gsz67.html

And this one too.

http://www.htd.com/Products/Lync

These all work, but for the money the one you get the most flexibility and for the money is the Nuvo stuff. It has a music port and the whole thing can be controlled by an apple device natively with all the meta data. This is the one i install and recommend to people and they love it.

pearsall001 · « **Reply #13 on:** 20 Jun 2011, 04:23 pm »

Check out the SONOS system. It can do up to 32 zones within one house.
http://www.sonos.com/Default.aspx?rdr=true&LangType=1033&gclid=CKvz2J2Sl6cCFYh_5Qod_wuBeQ

richidoo · « **Reply #14 on:** 20 Jun 2011, 06:54 pm »

+1 for Sonos, it is the ultimate whole house audio system. It can be controlled by iPod or Mac, and can sync zones sample perfect, and a lot of other advantages. It is an excellent value, but it's not exactly cheap.

Here's a cheap, traditional wired whole house audio system:
http://www.htd.com/Products/Whole-House-Audio

I have no experience with HTD, but they have been around for a long time, and been selling and refining these whole house systems for at least 7 years since I first found them. I believe you get what you pay for, but passing along the link because it is cheap and hopefully also cheerful.

wgscott · « **Reply #15 on:** 20 Jun 2011, 07:20 pm »

What are the advantages of Sonos over Apple TV2? I had at one point considered a Sonos system, but now I am glad I didn't, because I think I am getting the same functionality for a lot less money and equipment, unless I've missed something obvious (in which case, sorry for the distraction).

srb · « **Reply #16 on:** 20 Jun 2011, 07:35 pm »

Quote from: wgscott on 20 Jun 2011, 07:20 pm

What are the advantages of Sonos over Apple TV2? I had at one point considered a Sonos system, but now I am glad I didn't, because I think I am getting the same functionality for a lot less money and equipment, unless I've missed something obvious (in which case, sorry for the distraction).

With the original Apple TV*/Airport Express you will always be listening to the same music in all zones. I believe the Sonos will let you stream different music to each zone. There may be limitations - I can't imagine it would stream 32 different selections from the same hard drive to 32 zones without some problems.

* Edit: I was unaware that the Apple TV 2 could be uniquely addressed through the iPod/iPhone/iPad Remote app and play different music from the computer/Airport Express. Thanks wgscott.

Steve

ctviggen · « **Reply #17 on:** 20 Jun 2011, 08:52 pm »

I added four zones, each with independent local impedance matching volume control, but each zone plays the same thing. Even that wasn't "cheap" by any stretch. By the time you buy four sets of speakers (two sets ceiling, two sets outdoor), pull a permit, then buy a splitter, four volume controls, and run all the wire (and especially run the wire), and get it inspected, that's over $600 and you don't even have multizone. And I ran the wire myself. If I had to pay an electrician, add $1,000 or more to that figure for my particular setup.

wgscott · « **Reply #18 on:** 20 Jun 2011, 09:25 pm »

Quote from: srb on 20 Jun 2011, 07:35 pm

With the Apple TV/Airport Express you will always be listening to the same music in all zones.

This is no longer true, with Apple TV 2. I don't know what the upper limit is for the number of different zones you could have.

I just got mine a couple of months ago, and was pleasantly surprised. It cost the same as my now dead airport express, and has much greater functionality (even when you don't factor all the TV stuff into it). The only thing it doesn't do is bridge the network (which my airport express never seemed very capable of doing either).

srb · « **Reply #19 on:** 20 Jun 2011, 09:41 pm »

I would assume that you need a monitor connected to each zone's Apple TV to be able to select that zone's music. Or is there a way to select different music for each zone with an iPod/iPad/iPhone?

I believe the Sonos can do it with one remote controller.

Steve