Multi Room wired AV
Discussion
VEX said:
I don't know the S7 system, need to look into it if for nothing else just to understand it.
What I cant see from the website (with some glaring spelling mistakes) is how the keypads wire into the system.
One of my pet hates from the previous generation of the Systemline Multiroom systems is the way they have to be wired. It used to make it a unique and proprietary wire. Not knocking the S7 system as I don't know it specifically, I just don't like projects tied to products by wiring.
MrSparks, can you comment?
V.
Hi Vex,What I cant see from the website (with some glaring spelling mistakes) is how the keypads wire into the system.
One of my pet hates from the previous generation of the Systemline Multiroom systems is the way they have to be wired. It used to make it a unique and proprietary wire. Not knocking the S7 system as I don't know it specifically, I just don't like projects tied to products by wiring.
MrSparks, can you comment?
V.
That was one of my pet hates too as I'm always a believer of pre-wiring and future proofing but you'll be pleased to know that the S7 wires as per a standard multi room audio system.
2 Core Speaker Cables from hub > each speaker
Cat 5/6 from hub > room keypad (you can add up to 4 keypads to a zone by daisy chaining them)
Cat 5/6 from hub > TV or other audio input for local source.
So now you can change almost any standard system for S7 and you're safe in the knowledge that if you wired for S7 you've wired for most other systems as well.
If you want to know anything specific about it please let me know.
VEX said:
Thanks Mr Sparks.
Might give them a call and see what sort of costs it runs up to compared to the usual sonos bundle.
V.
£400 more for a straight 4 zone app controlled compared to Sonos (retail) I provide S7 to trade mostly as I'm a wholesaler for them, let me know if you want a price list.Might give them a call and see what sort of costs it runs up to compared to the usual sonos bundle.
V.
But that's allowing for higher quality playback (FLAC) and ability to add keypads and local inputs which you can't on Sonos.
Obviously it'll get more expensive if you add keypads, local inputs, netpower 100w zone amplifiers etc.
MrSparks said:
£400 more for a straight 4 zone app controlled compared to Sonos (retail) I provide S7 to trade mostly as I'm a wholesaler for them, let me know if you want a price list.
But that's allowing for higher quality playback (FLAC) and ability to add keypads and local inputs which you can't on Sonos.
Obviously it'll get more expensive if you add keypads, local inputs, netpower 100w zone amplifiers etc.
Email sent.But that's allowing for higher quality playback (FLAC) and ability to add keypads and local inputs which you can't on Sonos.
Obviously it'll get more expensive if you add keypads, local inputs, netpower 100w zone amplifiers etc.
I have recently wired my whole house for multiroom and for the best sound quality and convenience at a reasonable price I did the following:
Wired every room for ceiling speakers along with outside for the garden back to a central cupboard.
Installed an Apart 16 channel amp with auto sensing etc - very good quality and powerfull around £1100.
Installed Monitor Audio 8" ceiling speakers Pro IC80 about £75 each when bought in packs of 10.
Installed waterproof Polk Audio outdoor sub and satellite speakers
Installed a Gramofon for each room, these have gone up in price recently but still only 59 Euro each.
You then have the functionality like Sonos, with the capability of grouping rooms in any way you like or play something different in each room. Personally I mainly use Spotify and with Spotify Connect you just use your phone or tablet to start it playing. It might not be quite as slick as Sonos as you need to pop into another app to group rooms etc but for the cost savings its a small price to pay.
As for these wall switches etc, I cannot see the point of them as everyone has a smartphone now on them at all times and its so convenient to use it to control the system instead of having to go to a panel on a wall.
Wired every room for ceiling speakers along with outside for the garden back to a central cupboard.
Installed an Apart 16 channel amp with auto sensing etc - very good quality and powerfull around £1100.
Installed Monitor Audio 8" ceiling speakers Pro IC80 about £75 each when bought in packs of 10.
Installed waterproof Polk Audio outdoor sub and satellite speakers
Installed a Gramofon for each room, these have gone up in price recently but still only 59 Euro each.
You then have the functionality like Sonos, with the capability of grouping rooms in any way you like or play something different in each room. Personally I mainly use Spotify and with Spotify Connect you just use your phone or tablet to start it playing. It might not be quite as slick as Sonos as you need to pop into another app to group rooms etc but for the cost savings its a small price to pay.
As for these wall switches etc, I cannot see the point of them as everyone has a smartphone now on them at all times and its so convenient to use it to control the system instead of having to go to a panel on a wall.
cerbfan said:
As for these wall switches etc, I cannot see the point of them as everyone has a smartphone now on them at all times and its so convenient to use it to control the system instead of having to go to a panel on a wall.
This is completely true some of the time, and completely false some of the time.Therefore i would always recommend a combination of both. It only has to be a retractive standard looking light switch with simple inputs to a basic control system.
Getting your phone out to turn music on when you get home is a PITA. Getting your phone out to mute music (because your phone is ringing and you want to use it as a phone) is a PITA.
Using your phone to browse your library from your sofa is ace.
paulrockliffe said:
No, to be honest I didn't know auto sensing was a thing until someone mentioned it up above!
http://www.russound.com/product_detail.php?i=3267http://www.russound.com/product_detail.php?i=3108
Chaps, thanks for a so far illuminating thread! I am currently wiring my renovation project, and was going to wire to different places for different rooms. I am using Bluesound, which is similar to Sonos.
Excuse some silly questions...
- is it best to wire every speaker back to one location? Or each room back to its own streaming amp (expensive!)
- if I want different sound In each room, does each room require a separate Bluesound Powernode (think a streaming stereo amp)? I know one amp can run many speakers through a dedicated switch, but doesn't this mean a) lack of power and b) whole house is one zone and can only play the same music?
- or is there some sort of multi-channel amp that can play different music in different rooms, from different sources?
- if I want subs in rooms, presumably I also need to run the sub line out cable for each room back to a central point if the above 2 things are possible?
I really would like everything to be app controlled and wife friendly, so auto-on from the app would be really helpful rather than having to go to a cupboard and fiddle with a rack of amps/speaker switches etc!
Any help appreciated...
Excuse some silly questions...
- is it best to wire every speaker back to one location? Or each room back to its own streaming amp (expensive!)
- if I want different sound In each room, does each room require a separate Bluesound Powernode (think a streaming stereo amp)? I know one amp can run many speakers through a dedicated switch, but doesn't this mean a) lack of power and b) whole house is one zone and can only play the same music?
- or is there some sort of multi-channel amp that can play different music in different rooms, from different sources?
- if I want subs in rooms, presumably I also need to run the sub line out cable for each room back to a central point if the above 2 things are possible?
I really would like everything to be app controlled and wife friendly, so auto-on from the app would be really helpful rather than having to go to a cupboard and fiddle with a rack of amps/speaker switches etc!
Any help appreciated...
I assume having multiple chromecasts will not let me play different songs in different chromecast zones at the same time? If so that could work if each room has its own amp going to the ceiling speakers, although in some rooms I'll need to work out how to run a sub (bluesound streaming amps have a sub line out), and how to turn the amp off by app (sonos and bluesound give this functionality)...
Reading around this, there are multi channel amps like the revamp 1680 - how do you do different source in different rooms with these?
Reading around this, there are multi channel amps like the revamp 1680 - how do you do different source in different rooms with these?
Edited by Harry Flashman on Monday 14th March 20:13
Harry, this is almost the setup I have a revamp 1680 however use multiple Gramofons instead of Chromecast. It works perfectly. I can play different songs in every room or link some or all through the AllPlay app and have them all playing the same. To have different Spotify streams playing each person will need there own premium account. Streaming from a NAS people can also stream to different rooms no problem. Revamp has auto sensing so if nothing is playing on that channel it is turned off. Also it has line outs so you could connect a sub via this. Give me a PM if you have anymore questions.
I think think this is the simplest and cheapest way to get good quality multi room.
I think think this is the simplest and cheapest way to get good quality multi room.
I like that Revamp 1680 amp! 10 Watts more per channel than the equivalent Russound at 8 Ohms and getting on for half the price.
Those Gramofons are great aren't they? Had mine 6 months now and couldn't be happier, regular OS updates and very good/rapid customer service when I needed them once.
Those Gramofons are great aren't they? Had mine 6 months now and couldn't be happier, regular OS updates and very good/rapid customer service when I needed them once.
@cerbfan @harryflashman
This sounds like a genius idea.. have i missed something?
The Revamp 1680 sits centrally and all your speakers cable back to it. Then you have a series of gramofons or chromecasts which connect to the amp, representing each distinct zone. With that system you can stream to any zone, or combination of zones?
This sounds like a genius idea.. have i missed something?
The Revamp 1680 sits centrally and all your speakers cable back to it. Then you have a series of gramofons or chromecasts which connect to the amp, representing each distinct zone. With that system you can stream to any zone, or combination of zones?
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