Multi-room listening

[spc337]

I'm installing a Squeezebox in my loft and would like to have 3 pairs of speakers that can be individually controlled (i.e. Volume, On/Off). I don't need to have different sources play on different speakers simultaneously, just a single (SB3) source.

Does anyone have an Pre-Amp/Amplifier/Receiver (and/or Power Speakers) Suggestion?

Thanks

[badbob]

What is your budget?

[SoulSurvivor]

Hi there,

You should be able to do it in part.
I have a Denon AVR-1909, which has a feature where you can wire a 2nd pair of speakers for use in a 2nd room. You can switch between the two sets of speakers from the Denon remote. It cant, however, do 3 rooms and i cant think of an amp/receiver which can do 3 rooms, although i haven't researched it.

So, you can have your SB3 and Denon receiver in living room, wire up your 2nd set of speakers. Then assuming you have a Duet Controller, you can select your tunes from the loft.

Good luck.

[badbob]

What about a six channel poweramp, using the variable output from the SB's as the volume control? Rotel made a 60W x 6 poweramp for about £600 a while ago. That works if you want three multi-room systems - one SB3 per room and for each stereo use of the amp, but if you want to control each room seperatly you can't. Unless you split the SB3 for all six channels, so as you increase the SB3 it'll adjust all three rooms at the same time. I don't think using a Y splitter to three cables is a good idea you may need a multi-way switch.

[aubuti]

I'm installing a Squeezebox in my loft and would like to have 3 pairs of speakers that can be individually controlled (i.e. Volume, On/Off). I don't need to have different sources play on different speakers simultaneously, just a single (SB3) source.

Does anyone have an Pre-Amp/Amplifier/Receiver (and/or Power Speakers) Suggestion?

Thanks

Can you run speaker cable through the walls and make holes for wall-mounted volume controls, or do you need a more "non-invasive" installation? If you can tear into things, then a hefty amp and 3 impedence-matching in-wall volume controls would be a good way to go. The amp can be a multi-room amp that specifically supports 3 pairs of speakers, or you could use a conventional amp and wire the speakers in series, paying careful attention to the load/impedence that the amp will support.

How far apart are the rooms? A potential problem with powered speakers is that they will typically get a line-level output from the SB to the speaker. Ordinary line level is unbalanced, and if you run line level cable any distance you have a high probability of picking up interference, usually a humming sound. You could possibly avoid the interference with properly shieled cables, or use baluns to transfer the line level signal over balanced cable like cat5.

[spc337]

Budget for the amp/pre-amp solution is around $1000 could go higher if there is no obvious solutions at that price point.

I'm thinking Rotel (although more expensive) RSX-1550 which supports multiple zones would do it. I would like to use a single Duet/SB3. The maximum distance to the speakers will be 75ft so I guess I'll need some good speaker wire.

I'm not that familiar with these do it all receivers but I'm guessing that each zones volume can be controller separately without the need of a special volume control? Also, I'm hoping they can all be in "party" mode playing the same thing.

It also isn't clear if their zone outs are amplified? I'm guessing not.

I would prefer a solution at a better price point..

[radish]

I'm thinking about wiring ceiling speakers in a bunch of rooms in my house. Compared to your $1000 amp I'm going a little cheaper - $60 T-amp and $150 SBR per zone Cheap and extremely flexible.

[badbob]

The problem is he wants each room to be controlled, probably with remote unless he goes into the cupboard and adjusts the pot on the amp- that T-amp does not have remote control. Also if the SB has variable out, that'll effect all rooms rather than individual levels per room. So either he needs three integrated amps, or three SB's, or a amp with RF or RS232 wireless remote volume control.

I personally think a SB in each room is better sense, that way you can control volume per room with the unit itself, if you want the poweramp to control volume (remotely) you're looking at pretty expensive piece of kit- and have option to play different music in each room (and also see what's playing as you have a screen) With that six channel amp somewhere. What if you're in the two rooms without a SB and want to browse music? Better have x-ray vision to see into the room that has the SB. Or have some kind of touchscreen control either SB Duet or touch screen system to web interface.

Maybe pickup a NAD 916?

[aubuti]

Budget for the amp/pre-amp solution is around $1000 could go higher if there is no obvious solutions at that price point.

I'm thinking Rotel (although more expensive) RSX-1550 which supports multiple zones would do it. I would like to use a single Duet/SB3. The maximum distance to the speakers will be 75ft so I guess I'll need some good speaker wire.

I'm not that familiar with these do it all receivers but I'm guessing that each zones volume can be controller separately without the need of a special volume control? Also, I'm hoping they can all be in "party" mode playing the same thing.

It also isn't clear if their zone outs are amplified? I'm guessing not.

I would prefer a solution at a better price point..

No doubt I'm missing something, but why get a 7.1 home theater amp if your intention is to play music through 3 pairs of speakers (one left and and one right in each of 3 different rooms)? They just don't seem to fit. I would think that something more like these would be what you are looking for. That Marantz ZS5300 particularly looks like it has the features you want, although I don't know anything about how good it is. It has 3 different source inputs (one for each zone), but there may be an easy way to use 1 source going to all 3 pairs of speakers. That is, something more elegant than 2 Y-adapters coming out of your SB ;o) And it does have separate volume controls.

[badbob]

Good find on that Marantz however it has IR control, so you'll need IR to RF system in each room, then RF to IR next the Marantz.

Plus you would need three of those Marantz remotes. And not forgetting three SB remotes as well set up into IR to RF system (another blaster wire) And you've still drawback you won't be able to see what you're doing with SB menus.

All that will probably work out similar price to another pair of SB3. I still think a more basic 6 channel amp with 3 SB's is the better option.