Multi Room Audio??
Discussion
Morning all
I am in the process of renovating an old house and at present it is a complete shell. I am looking to install a multi room audio system across the ground floor, it will only be in three rooms - a kitchen/diner, bathroom andlounge. We intend for the ground floor space to be a social one and when entertaining would like the ability to have music playing across the ground floor depending on which rooms we are in.
I have looked at several different options - Sonos, Pure Jango and also a wired type system using ceiling mounted speakers. I dont really know which option is best given the relative simplicity of what i am looking to acehieve, i would like a good sound quality and the baility to switch between rooms and an iPad/iPhone/iPod as the source.
What can people advise?
If i go the ceiling mounted speaker route and want to run cables before plastering etc. is completed - what sort of cables would i need?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Si
I am in the process of renovating an old house and at present it is a complete shell. I am looking to install a multi room audio system across the ground floor, it will only be in three rooms - a kitchen/diner, bathroom andlounge. We intend for the ground floor space to be a social one and when entertaining would like the ability to have music playing across the ground floor depending on which rooms we are in.
I have looked at several different options - Sonos, Pure Jango and also a wired type system using ceiling mounted speakers. I dont really know which option is best given the relative simplicity of what i am looking to acehieve, i would like a good sound quality and the baility to switch between rooms and an iPad/iPhone/iPod as the source.
What can people advise?
If i go the ceiling mounted speaker route and want to run cables before plastering etc. is completed - what sort of cables would i need?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Si
Hi Si,
I would go Sonos with in-ceiling speakers - great quality and lots of music available. It will tick a lot of boxes.
Just run individual runs of speaker cable from a central location (ideally where your internet router is) to the holes in the ceiling where you would like speakers. Not sure where the best place to source the cable is, retail is expensive for something which doesn't need to be.
Hope you enjoy the system.
I would go Sonos with in-ceiling speakers - great quality and lots of music available. It will tick a lot of boxes.
Just run individual runs of speaker cable from a central location (ideally where your internet router is) to the holes in the ceiling where you would like speakers. Not sure where the best place to source the cable is, retail is expensive for something which doesn't need to be.
Hope you enjoy the system.
If you want to run it all from iOS devices, then I wouldn't bother with a wired system, just do it all over Airplay.
Apple TV, Airport Express or some all-in-one Airplay speakers as required. Then you have native support for your multi-room setup from iTunes, Youtube, etc, rather than having to rely upon 3rd party applications which you might not get along with.
Apple TV, Airport Express or some all-in-one Airplay speakers as required. Then you have native support for your multi-room setup from iTunes, Youtube, etc, rather than having to rely upon 3rd party applications which you might not get along with.
londonbabe said:
If you want to run it all from iOS devices, then I wouldn't bother with a wired system, just do it all over Airplay.
Apple TV, Airport Express or some all-in-one Airplay speakers as required. Then you have native support for your multi-room setup from iTunes, Youtube, etc, rather than having to rely upon 3rd party applications which you might not get along with.
Apple TV, Airport Express or some all-in-one Airplay speakers as required. Then you have native support for your multi-room setup from iTunes, Youtube, etc, rather than having to rely upon 3rd party applications which you might not get along with.
You can pick and choose the speakers you want in each room, and are not stuck with the same ones. You can swap and change, and even take an airport express away with you on holiday, add a printer and external storage, use them as a bridge, wireless extension, or as a stand alone router.Brilliant bits of kit.
TheHeretic said:
londonbabe said:
If you want to run it all from iOS devices, then I wouldn't bother with a wired system, just do it all over Airplay.
Apple TV, Airport Express or some all-in-one Airplay speakers as required. Then you have native support for your multi-room setup from iTunes, Youtube, etc, rather than having to rely upon 3rd party applications which you might not get along with.
Apple TV, Airport Express or some all-in-one Airplay speakers as required. Then you have native support for your multi-room setup from iTunes, Youtube, etc, rather than having to rely upon 3rd party applications which you might not get along with.
You can pick and choose the speakers you want in each room, and are not stuck with the same ones. You can swap and change, and even take an airport express away with you on holiday, add a printer and external storage, use them as a bridge, wireless extension, or as a stand alone router.Brilliant bits of kit.
I'm looking into setting up my home with a complete AirPlay kit and it's miles cheaper than Sonos products and a lot more flexible too....
- Hub - AirPort Extreme
- Living room (main hifi through Apple TV)
- Kitchen - AirPort Express with powered ceiling speaker (all hidden within the ceiling cavity)
- Upstairs master room bathroom - Airport Express with powered waterproof ceiling speaker. Again hidden in cavity.
I'm still as yet undecided on the speakers, and I'm wondering if I should also add speakers into the bedroom too but that might be a little OTT. I just want the radio in the morning while I'm in the bathroom.
Honestly I have never had much success getting Airport Express stuff being reliable in its set up.
Once up and running it is ok but every time I need to add or change things it goes a bit flakey again.
For DIY it is fine a most put up with it, but selling a solution it is not robust enough for me.
Is the space your creating open plan or separate rooms? And how many of you in the house?
The way I would do it would may be a single Sonos box, an amp and then a splitter with volume controls to adjust the volume or turn on/off zones.
This config can then easily be upgraded to separate SONOS as budgets and usage requires.
As others have suggested, speaker cables from central location back to main play out hub, via keypad / volume controls
Actually, you could use one of these and a Sonos Connect.
http://www.nuvotechnologies.com/wired-systems/simp...
Then you have three other inputs to it, so you could add you sky box in as well.
TBH Sonos with in ceiling speakers would cost about £600 per zone to do. So about £2400 for 4 zones all be it independent zones.
The Nuvo option would be about £2000 with speakers and keypads for control.
SONOS, seperate amp, splitter and 4x speakers & rotary volume controls would be around £1200
V.
Once up and running it is ok but every time I need to add or change things it goes a bit flakey again.
For DIY it is fine a most put up with it, but selling a solution it is not robust enough for me.
Is the space your creating open plan or separate rooms? And how many of you in the house?
The way I would do it would may be a single Sonos box, an amp and then a splitter with volume controls to adjust the volume or turn on/off zones.
This config can then easily be upgraded to separate SONOS as budgets and usage requires.
As others have suggested, speaker cables from central location back to main play out hub, via keypad / volume controls
Actually, you could use one of these and a Sonos Connect.
http://www.nuvotechnologies.com/wired-systems/simp...
Then you have three other inputs to it, so you could add you sky box in as well.
TBH Sonos with in ceiling speakers would cost about £600 per zone to do. So about £2400 for 4 zones all be it independent zones.
The Nuvo option would be about £2000 with speakers and keypads for control.
SONOS, seperate amp, splitter and 4x speakers & rotary volume controls would be around £1200
V.
Airplay is fine, apart from the OPs requirement to use an iOS device as a source and send the music to multiple rooms at one. Unless someone can tell me different (and if you can I'l be delighted) the only way to send the same music to multiple airplay devices at the moment is via a computer, not iOS.
talkssense said:
Not as a full time job. I do help a mate out at busy times who does though. He also sells airplay speakers and would sell a lot more if you could do what the OP requested using just airplay, but as far as I know you can't.
Well, I was talking about Vex, but seemingly there are more sellers on these these forums than previously thought.What can airplay not to? It can do multiple airplay speakers, adjust volume n each individually from a single source, and so on, and so forth.
Yes, I sell Sonos and for shear reliability and usability it is excellent, but it adds up very quickly.
As I said, I honestly have not had much reliability in setting up AirPort stuff to be willing to sell it to clients. But I am sure it is good enough for some to put up with a DIY / Tinker solution.
V.
As I said, I honestly have not had much reliability in setting up AirPort stuff to be willing to sell it to clients. But I am sure it is good enough for some to put up with a DIY / Tinker solution.
V.
AirPlay can't do what the OP asked for, which, unless I am misunderstanding, is send music from an iOS device to single or multiple rooms through the ground floor of his house.
I have airplay speakers through my house, and the way we live it is very rare that we want the same music in more than one room at a time. When I do I use the laptop and airfoil and its no big deal for me.
The op asked for this functionality from an iOS device, which unless you can tell me different is not possible.
It is possible with Sonos, nuvo, control4, opus etc etc
I have airplay speakers through my house, and the way we live it is very rare that we want the same music in more than one room at a time. When I do I use the laptop and airfoil and its no big deal for me.
The op asked for this functionality from an iOS device, which unless you can tell me different is not possible.
It is possible with Sonos, nuvo, control4, opus etc etc
TheHeretic said:
If he has an iTunes source in the home, he can absolutely do that via his device.
I know. That's what I do on the rare occasion I need the same music in more than one room like I said above.He specifically asked to use an iOS device as a source and have the option to send it to more than one room simultaneously. Airplay can't do that, the other system he was looking at can.
Evening all
Thanks for all the responses, certainly some good suggestions and setups in amongst the replies.
Having gone away and thought about my question I couldn't really think of an occasion where I would want the audio playing through all the rooms. If we had people round or BBQ ten it would in the area we were rather than another empty room so I guess a system that could feed the source to individual rooms would also be acceptable.
I have been looking at ceiling speakers and saw these - http://www.m.richersounds.com/product/multi-room-c...
They seem good value for a pair and I was always under the impression Cambridge Audio was good kit??
So if I went for several sets of these, say two pairs for kit/diner and two pairs for lounge with a single in the bathroom I would then need a source or amplifier and this is where I get confused!
I need something that can benefit from using the iOS platform to control it, we have a iPad, myself and wife both have an iPhone, we have an iMac and Apple TV - if all these could be tied together so if I was say in the lounge and wanted to put some music on I could do so using one of these devices - how could I create a central library of audio which any of the devices could draw on?
Sorry if this is simple stuff I just want to be sure in my head.
Si
Thanks for all the responses, certainly some good suggestions and setups in amongst the replies.
Having gone away and thought about my question I couldn't really think of an occasion where I would want the audio playing through all the rooms. If we had people round or BBQ ten it would in the area we were rather than another empty room so I guess a system that could feed the source to individual rooms would also be acceptable.
I have been looking at ceiling speakers and saw these - http://www.m.richersounds.com/product/multi-room-c...
They seem good value for a pair and I was always under the impression Cambridge Audio was good kit??
So if I went for several sets of these, say two pairs for kit/diner and two pairs for lounge with a single in the bathroom I would then need a source or amplifier and this is where I get confused!
I need something that can benefit from using the iOS platform to control it, we have a iPad, myself and wife both have an iPhone, we have an iMac and Apple TV - if all these could be tied together so if I was say in the lounge and wanted to put some music on I could do so using one of these devices - how could I create a central library of audio which any of the devices could draw on?
Sorry if this is simple stuff I just want to be sure in my head.
Si
Hello,
Can you acomodate either wall speakers or floor standing speakers, these will generally give far superior sound to ceiling speakers.
I would think about my sources first, what do I actually listen to and what would I want available? I would strongly recommend against using CD, tuner or vinyl for this kind of system. I would focus on something streaming with a 'net connection for streaming audio. If I were going that way I'd look at either running CAT V network cables to each room (I would REALLY avoid Wi-Fi for streaming music, it's not designed for the job and you will get break up or stuttering sooner or later.) If you're in rented accomodation and cannot run CAT V cables, then consider something like the HomePlug system, Solwise do some very good units which give far better performance than the items found in PC World and their ilk.
Now plug in the streamer of choice, the Sonos streamers are good, as are the Logitech one's, but for my money I would consider a netbook with a TEAC UD-H01, absolutely superb quality, then connect this to a small amp from Cambridge Audio, and you have a great in room system, run from an off the shelf netbook. The only extra you may want to buy is J River Media Center which is one of the best media players packages on Windows. The other great thing is that the whole thing can be discreetly kept in a sideboard on bookshelves if it wasn't being used.
Hope this helps.
Dave
Can you acomodate either wall speakers or floor standing speakers, these will generally give far superior sound to ceiling speakers.
I would think about my sources first, what do I actually listen to and what would I want available? I would strongly recommend against using CD, tuner or vinyl for this kind of system. I would focus on something streaming with a 'net connection for streaming audio. If I were going that way I'd look at either running CAT V network cables to each room (I would REALLY avoid Wi-Fi for streaming music, it's not designed for the job and you will get break up or stuttering sooner or later.) If you're in rented accomodation and cannot run CAT V cables, then consider something like the HomePlug system, Solwise do some very good units which give far better performance than the items found in PC World and their ilk.
Now plug in the streamer of choice, the Sonos streamers are good, as are the Logitech one's, but for my money I would consider a netbook with a TEAC UD-H01, absolutely superb quality, then connect this to a small amp from Cambridge Audio, and you have a great in room system, run from an off the shelf netbook. The only extra you may want to buy is J River Media Center which is one of the best media players packages on Windows. The other great thing is that the whole thing can be discreetly kept in a sideboard on bookshelves if it wasn't being used.
Hope this helps.
Dave
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