7.1 and zone 2

[stuart313]

Just playing with a few ideas and I have done some reading on how 7.1 amps work. I understand you can use the rear pair for a second zone one some, either playing the same as the front or a different source. I know there are loads of different makes out there but how do they work generally.

Say you had the 5.1 speakers arranged round the seating area as normal, you could position the rear pair a few meters further into a big room just for stereo music down that end, or even outside, would the sub still be operating if as I presume you could turn the 5 speakers off and just use zone 2. If this works in this way would you get away with connecting a pair of outdoor speakers to the same zone as the indoor speakers in zone 2 via speaker switch.

Whay I'm trying to do is have 5.1 for the TV, a pair of ceiling speakers for the kitchen area further away but in the same room and a pair of outdoor speakers, all with one amp which will probably be fed from a HTPC and maybe networked music. I know speakers switches work ok as my friend has 3 zones running off a Sonos connect amp and it seems happy enough.

Hope some of the above makes sense.

[NorthDave]

I think you are pushing the limits for most amps there! If it was me I would daisy chain a second amp off the AVR and use that for the outdoor speakers. You could use the 12v triggers to bring it on automatically and things.

[NorthDave]

Should have also said this assumes you would want them all on at once. If you switch between kitchen and outdoor you should be OK. I guess this is what your friend is doing?

[stuart313]

NorthDave said:

Should have also said this assumes you would want them all on at once. If you switch between kitchen and outdoor you should be OK. I guess this is what your friend is doing?

He has certainly had 2 of the 3 zones playing at the same time and it seems to work ok, obviously not quite as loud as it would be with just one zone on. I think the speaker switches alter the impedance to suit though depending on which switches are on so you cant overload the amp.