which multi room audio system to chose - Page 3 - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

cavu · 2011-08-04, 12:29 AM

You can do EVERYTHING you want with Sonos and control it with iPhone or iPad, etc.!

nbhms · 2012-02-23, 03:14 PM

Just to throw my two cents into the discussion. I looked at Sonos, and love the specs and look of the system, but . . .

What I ended up doing at my house is central iTunes computer playing to several Airport Express base stations around the house, some wired, some wireless, connected to amps and speakers. Good quality powered speakers could be used if the cost/space of a full size amp and speakers isn't wanted or required. Other computers with iTunes can see the speakers as well, so a single computer can play to all speakers in the house, or different computers can play to different zones if desired.

iPhone and/or iPads can be used as remote controls.

Not as fancy or slick as Sonos and some of the others, but can be done at a fraction of the cost, especially in rooms that already have amplifiers and speakers in them for other applications. And the Airport Express devices can be connected with either stereo RCA cables or digital toslink cables, so it's up to you how much you want to spend and what quality of sound reproduction you want in a zone.

nbhms

redzone · 2012-02-23, 05:52 PM

i tried using itunes myself between 3 computers and could never get the audio in sync. maybe with airport expresses thats not an issue .

i ended up using logitec squeezebox server + a program called softsqueeze. could sync up my rooms without issue and was free. if you wanted to do 12 zones youd need a big plate amp and a bunch of sound cards in a pc. on the plus side it could laso be your media server and would work with iphone/android phones or pc's without issue.

But im not sure i would recomend it for 12 zones. the Sono's systems are REALY impressive for there simplicity.

Arcanum · 2012-02-23, 06:39 PM

I currently have my main Home Theater area in my family room with HTPC and receiver, a separate receiver in the living room wired to a pair of speakers, and two outdoor speakers that are run off a third receiver. My wife and I are doing an addition and I am thinking of adding speakers for the master bedroom and the deck. Can someone tell me what the required hardware would be to add a Sonos system to this?

The HTPC has my music collection on it and is plugged directly to our router and sits next to the main receiver. the others are all satellites.

Do the wireless Sonos speakers work well enough or should I do in wall or ceilings of better quality with the connect amp? Would it be better to run a Cat 6 to each box - as we are renovating and it would be easy enough for me to do and avoid the wireless all together?

Thanks

übermusik · 2012-03-30, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nbhms

What I ended up doing at my house is central iTunes computer playing to several Airport Express base stations around the house, some wired, some wireless, connected to amps and speakers....Not as fancy or slick as Sonos and some of the others, but can be done at a fraction of the cost, especially in rooms that already have amplifiers and speakers in them for other applications.

An Apple AirPlay based system is a pretty good alternative to Sonos, but unfortunately it has its limitations (i.e. can only play from iTunes/iOS and multi-zone support is a kludge). If you want a solution that has AirPlay support but with features more like Sonos, you may want to check out Plethra's audio|acacia (still in beta).

Quote:

Originally Posted by redzone

i tried using itunes myself between 3 computers and could never get the audio in sync. maybe with airport expresses thats not an issue .

Not sure exactly what you tried here, but iTunes itself will not play in sync with other iTunes on the network. iTunes can only play in sync with AirPlay devices such as the AirPort Express, Apple TV, etc. A full list of AirPlay devices can be found here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arcanum

I currently have my main Home Theater area in my family room with HTPC and receiver, a separate receiver in the living room wired to a pair of speakers, and two outdoor speakers that are run off a third receiver. My wife and I are doing an addition and I am thinking of adding speakers for the master bedroom and the deck. Can someone tell me what the required hardware would be to add a Sonos system to this?

If you want to continue to use your existing speakers and amplified receivers, the cheapest option would be to purchase a "CONNECT" (aka the ZP90) to connect to each receiver.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arcanum

Do the wireless Sonos speakers work well enough or should I do in wall or ceilings of better quality with the connect amp? Would it be better to run a Cat 6 to each box - as we are renovating and it would be easy enough for me to do and avoid the wireless all together?

The Sonos speakers work very well in my experience, but you can't mount them in the ceiling.

So you'll just have to decide what is your preferred setup. If your already renovating, I would most definitely use that opportunity to pull Cat6 even if you end up not using it. A wired connection is always more stable than a wireless connection, plus cable is pretty cheap.

redzone · 2012-03-30, 02:53 PM

trust me i could not get audio to sync. theres a big thread on all the combos i tried.

in the end im using logitech media server + soft squeeze. all devices in perfect sync.

übermusik · 2012-03-30, 03:18 PM

I would be interested to hear what you've tried to see why they weren't in sync. Maybe its something peculiar in your network/hardware configuration. Where is this thread you speak of?

redzone · 2012-03-30, 04:07 PM

heres the link it was in the HTPC area

http://digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=149416

basicly even with 1 airplay device and the pc you are playing music from you cant sync the music. I tried many many ways without success.

If itunes/air play requires that all locations are airplay devices its kind of silly to have to have a 2nd "airplay" specific device in the same room as the pc thats running itunes since it is capable of filling that room with music.

EDIT* i realize i never finished the thread with my solution lol. i now use logitec media server and softsqueeze players on my devices. works great!

übermusik · 2012-03-30, 06:01 PM

I responded to that thread with an explanation to your AirPlay woes.

Quote:

If itunes/air play requires that all locations are airplay devices its kind of silly to have to have a 2nd "airplay" specific device in the same room as the pc thats running itunes since it is capable of filling that room with music.

It doesn't require this. iTunes itself should be able to stay in sync with the AirPlay devices it is playing to. I was under the impression you were trying to get multiple instances of iTunes running on different computers on the network in sync (which is not possible).

99semaj · 2012-04-16, 10:26 PM

I'm using Airplay with pretty good success, certainly no challenges with syncing. My zones range from a basic room with PC speakers (2+1), to a home theatre room with an Apple TV driving an AVR to a fully professional grade outdoor system with Klipsch all weathers (incl sub) driven by a club-grade amplifier.

Everyone in my house has an iPhone, plus we have a couple iPads we leave sitting around, so the system is very accessible.

danthelabman · 2012-10-07, 01:10 PM

Hi ,Just joined this forum and have some questions on what to look for hooking up our new house. All wiring was put in when house was built with wires ran for cinema room and ceiling speakers in every room,. Wherw do i start looking for systems ? Do i look at a receiver or a computer in the tv room that feeds music to all rooms that have a location to put in controls ready to connect? Looks like your budget determins a lot about the system you can put in . Any advice for where to order these controls,what option is there etc. I am just starting to research this stuff as i am tired of the MiMouse stereo in one room.Time to set up properly.Thanks Daniel

DustyTHX · 2012-10-13, 01:07 AM

Budget will always determine what kind of system you can put in. Sonos is a great solution for the "average joe" that wants to listen to music in different rooms, house wasn't preired, and doesnt care about sound quality. However if your home has been prewired properly with proper audio video distribution then there is a plethora of solutions available ranging in price some starting at a price point that would make Sonos blush. I would suggest contacting your local custom audio video installers. They usually have a wealth of knowledge regarding this stuff (It's what I do for a living) and hopefully can steer you in the right direction. Hope ths helps

audacity · 2012-10-13, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DustyTHX

Sonos is a great solution for the "average joe" that wants to listen to music in different rooms, house wasn't preired, and doesnt care about sound quality.

Can you please explain how a audio could be delivered to a amp in such a way that would have better sound quality than a ZP90 using s/pdif? Or even using a ZP120?

The vast majority of distortion happens at speakers, so I don't see how a digital audio signal distribution system could really affect the audio quality in a way that humans could notice.

DustyTHX · 2012-10-25, 02:19 AM

Sure we can discuss signal flow and which cables we need to use, however I was merely suggesting that Sonos isn't for everyone. What about the person that wants more then 55watts a channel. Sure we can use a Sonos system and feed sources into distribution amps however there are Lots of different options out there and I was just trying to make readers aware.

audacity · 2012-10-25, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DustyTHX

however I was merely suggesting that Sonos isn't for everyone.

You implied that there was something wrong with Sonos sound quality when you said "and doesn't care about sound quality".

But I'll take your failure to defend your statement as a concession.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DustyTHX

Sure we can discuss signal flow and which cables we need to use,

Please, go on. What cables do we need to use?

2011-08-04, 12:29 AM	#31
cavu Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Geographic Centre of North America Posts: 491	You can do EVERYTHING you want with Sonos and control it with iPhone or iPad, etc.! __________________ CAVU 92-inch Infocus Theatre

2012-02-23, 03:14 PM	#32
nbhms Rookie Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 5	iTunes and Airplay Just to throw my two cents into the discussion. I looked at Sonos, and love the specs and look of the system, but . . . What I ended up doing at my house is central iTunes computer playing to several Airport Express base stations around the house, some wired, some wireless, connected to amps and speakers. Good quality powered speakers could be used if the cost/space of a full size amp and speakers isn't wanted or required. Other computers with iTunes can see the speakers as well, so a single computer can play to all speakers in the house, or different computers can play to different zones if desired. iPhone and/or iPads can be used as remote controls. Not as fancy or slick as Sonos and some of the others, but can be done at a fraction of the cost, especially in rooms that already have amplifiers and speakers in them for other applications. And the Airport Express devices can be connected with either stereo RCA cables or digital toslink cables, so it's up to you how much you want to spend and what quality of sound reproduction you want in a zone. nbhms

2012-02-23, 05:52 PM	#33
redzone Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 1,026	tried itunes method but couldnt get zones in sync i tried using itunes myself between 3 computers and could never get the audio in sync. maybe with airport expresses thats not an issue . i ended up using logitec squeezebox server + a program called softsqueeze. could sync up my rooms without issue and was free. if you wanted to do 12 zones youd need a big plate amp and a bunch of sound cards in a pc. on the plus side it could laso be your media server and would work with iphone/android phones or pc's without issue. But im not sure i would recomend it for 12 zones. the Sono's systems are REALY impressive for there simplicity.

2012-10-07, 01:10 PM	#41
danthelabman Rookie Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 1	Home wired audio system Hi ,Just joined this forum and have some questions on what to look for hooking up our new house. All wiring was put in when house was built with wires ran for cinema room and ceiling speakers in every room,. Wherw do i start looking for systems ? Do i look at a receiver or a computer in the tv room that feeds music to all rooms that have a location to put in controls ready to connect? Looks like your budget determins a lot about the system you can put in . Any advice for where to order these controls,what option is there etc. I am just starting to research this stuff as i am tired of the MiMouse stereo in one room.Time to set up properly.Thanks Daniel

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2012-02-23, 06:39 PM	#34
Arcanum Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 303	I currently have my main Home Theater area in my family room with HTPC and receiver, a separate receiver in the living room wired to a pair of speakers, and two outdoor speakers that are run off a third receiver. My wife and I are doing an addition and I am thinking of adding speakers for the master bedroom and the deck. Can someone tell me what the required hardware would be to add a Sonos system to this? The HTPC has my music collection on it and is plugged directly to our router and sits next to the main receiver. the others are all satellites. Do the wireless Sonos speakers work well enough or should I do in wall or ceilings of better quality with the connect amp? Would it be better to run a Cat 6 to each box - as we are renovating and it would be easy enough for me to do and avoid the wireless all together? Thanks

2012-03-30, 02:53 PM	#36
redzone Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 1,026	trust me i could not get audio to sync. theres a big thread on all the combos i tried. in the end im using logitech media server + soft squeeze. all devices in perfect sync.

2012-03-30, 03:18 PM	#37
übermusik Rookie Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 13	I would be interested to hear what you've tried to see why they weren't in sync. Maybe its something peculiar in your network/hardware configuration. Where is this thread you speak of?

2012-03-30, 04:07 PM	#38
redzone Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 1,026	heres the link it was in the HTPC area http://digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=149416 basicly even with 1 airplay device and the pc you are playing music from you cant sync the music. I tried many many ways without success. If itunes/air play requires that all locations are airplay devices its kind of silly to have to have a 2nd "airplay" specific device in the same room as the pc thats running itunes since it is capable of filling that room with music. EDIT* i realize i never finished the thread with my solution lol. i now use logitec media server and softsqueeze players on my devices. works great!

2012-04-16, 10:26 PM	#40
99semaj Veteran Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: /dev/null Posts: 2,662	I'm using Airplay with pretty good success, certainly no challenges with syncing. My zones range from a basic room with PC speakers (2+1), to a home theatre room with an Apple TV driving an AVR to a fully professional grade outdoor system with Klipsch all weathers (incl sub) driven by a club-grade amplifier. Everyone in my house has an iPhone, plus we have a couple iPads we leave sitting around, so the system is very accessible.

2012-10-13, 01:07 AM	#42
DustyTHX Rookie Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Kelowna,BC. Runco Projector 106" Screen, Sunfire,Integra,Monitor Audio, Control 4. DCX3400's Posts: 8	Budget will always determine what kind of system you can put in. Sonos is a great solution for the "average joe" that wants to listen to music in different rooms, house wasn't preired, and doesnt care about sound quality. However if your home has been prewired properly with proper audio video distribution then there is a plethora of solutions available ranging in price some starting at a price point that would make Sonos blush. I would suggest contacting your local custom audio video installers. They usually have a wealth of knowledge regarding this stuff (It's what I do for a living) and hopefully can steer you in the right direction. Hope ths helps

2012-10-25, 02:19 AM	#44
DustyTHX Rookie Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Kelowna,BC. Runco Projector 106" Screen, Sunfire,Integra,Monitor Audio, Control 4. DCX3400's Posts: 8	Sure we can discuss signal flow and which cables we need to use, however I was merely suggesting that Sonos isn't for everyone. What about the person that wants more then 55watts a channel. Sure we can use a Sonos system and feed sources into distribution amps however there are Lots of different options out there and I was just trying to make readers aware.