Custom Install Plan

[solarFlash]

I'm planning my first squeeze network and could do with a little help.

I've attached an image below of the floorplan of the house. After some initial thoughts I reckon I need 4 zones (which can play music independently of each other, but also synchronised if needed). But I'd also need to be able to turn off the music to the garden independently from the kitchen/dining area.

I'm planning on getting in-ceiling speakers as indicated by the diagram (a single stereo speaker for the kitchen and bathroom). I already have a 5.1 sub/sat system for the lounge. And I'll be buying a pair of speakers for the study and some outdoor speakers for the garden.

I'm about to upgrade my old 5.1 receiver with a newer model so I should be able to use the old model for amplification upstairs and the newer model (with 2/3 zones) downstairs

I was hoping to get away with using a pc in the study running squeezecenter, a SBR upstairs (located in the cupboard near the bathroom along with the old 5.1 amp) and a SB3 situated in the lounge for the zones downstairs. I'd then use the SBC to control the lot, or my harmony 555 if I'm in the lounge.

From the research I've done I think I’d need to run speakers in parallel from the amps in some cases. Does anyone have any beginner’s info on how to do this.

Stupid question – is it possible to control the amplifiers volume using the SBC?

I think I may have confused myself trying to work this out, any tips or advice would be much appreciated.

[haunyack]

– is it possible to control the amplifiers volume using the SBC?

A relevant question.
Yes the software offers digital volume control from the server.
Some here have suggested that it could be dangerous to your speakers/ears/marriage by not having analog control in case of software hiccup.

The recommended method is to set the server at 0db and control the volume with attenuation/preamp/amp etc downstream.

edit - oops, not sure if this applies to the SBC, although I assume it would.

.

[SuperQ]

I'm hoping you arn't talking about just wiring a pair of speakers to the same terminals on your amplifier. The amplifier is not designed to drive a load like that. It is likely you could fry the amplifier.

The rest of the plan sounds good.

[Skunk]

I'm planning on getting in-ceiling speakers as indicated by the diagram (a single stereo speaker for the kitchen and bathroom).

A single stereo speaker means you will only hear the right or left signal. It might work in the kitchen where you can stagger the channels between the dining room, but I'd try to put two speakers in the bathroom. Or you could figure out how to send the single bathroom speaker a mono signal.

I was hoping to get away with using a pc in the study running squeezecenter, a SBR upstairs (located in the cupboard near the bathroom along with the old 5.1 amp) and a SB3 situated in the lounge for the zones downstairs.

You need a player for each of the four zones. You can run Softsqueeze on a PC hooked to computer speakers in the study, and the SBR to the old amp for the bedroom and bathroom speakers, which leaves downstairs. If you want two zones down there then you need two more players. The SB3 would be hooked to the 5.1 system, but to have unique playlists in the kitchen/patio you'd need another SB3 or Duet, and another amp.

[solarFlash]

Thanks haunyack, much appreciated.

I was wondering if that was a possibility SuperQ, thanks for clearing that up. There should be enough channels on my amps to drive each pair of speakers with a terminal each I think...and if there isn't can i drive 2 pairs if the speakers are wired in parallel?

Skunk I was thinking of a dual tweeter single speaker just because the space is tight for 2 separate speakers...something like this-

http://www.onidserv.com/speakercraft/group/135/

Your right enough about my zones downstairs, although after thinking about it, I probably wouldn't want to listen to different music in the lounge, just a different source, (i.e. xbox 360/dvd/tv etc) so I might still get away with just the SB3 down there?

[Skunk]

There should be enough channels on my amps to drive each pair of speakers with a terminal each I think...and if there isn't can i drive 2 pairs if the speakers are wired in parallel?

Keep in mind they need to be front L & R (stereo) channels, not surround channels. So after you hook the 5.1 speakers up, you still need six stereo channels to drive the kitchen/DR/Garden. With all the receivers I've had you only get one extra set of stereo terminals. As SuperQ mentioned it isn't safe to drive more than a pair of speakers on a single set of terminals.

Your right enough about my zones downstairs, although after thinking about it, I probably wouldn't want to listen to different music in the lounge, just a different source, (i.e. xbox 360/dvd/tv etc) so I might still get away with just the SB3 down there?

It would be easier to get away with one SB3 than one HT Receiver, e.g. you can send the digital output to a receiver and the analog output to a four channel amp for the DR/Garden. Then you could switch sources on the HT receiver while still having music in the DR. Otherwise the receiver would have to be able to play different sources in the A or B zone.

[iSix]

Keep in mind they need to be front L & R (stereo) channels, not surround channels. So after you hook the 5.1 speakers up, you still need six stereo channels to drive the kitchen/DR/Garden. With all the receivers I've had you only get one extra set of stereo terminals.

All but one of the receivers I've had allow you to have zone A "bi-amp" (outputting full frequency on 4 terminals), plus zone B... so 6 terminals total, 3 stereo outputs... that'd sort the kitchen/DR/garden