Robert Archer
Q. I have just bought a new house, and before the house was plastered I got extra wiring done by the electrician. I have wiring in all rooms for speakers (ceiling in all rooms apart from sitting room where speakers will be free-standing). All wires go back to one area under the stairs except for surround sound for sitting room. I haven’t done anything else in regards to amps, systems etc. Can you advise me as to what to do from here or what systems I need, or what you recommend I do?—Alex, Dublin
A. Alex, it sounds like you have a good start on a multiroom audio and home theater system. Depending on your finances there are a number of things you could do. I would develop a budget for these systems and I would write down a few key points that you want the system to do, then I would contact a professional installation company.
An installer will be able to work with you to outfit your home with the products and technologies that best fit your lifestyle applications and budget considerations.
Some of the multiroom audio solutions you’ll probably be looking at from an installer include products from companies like Russound, NuVo, Niles, Sonance and SpeakerCraft.
Your theater will also afford you many options that depend on your room size, usage scenarios and of course, your budget.
A few of the things an installer will discuss with you includes how the system will be used (movies, TV, music and whether you want the system tied into your multiroom audio system). From there he will show you some technology and product solutions such as separates (amp/preamp) vs. receivers, Blu-ray players, media servers, Apple iPod compatibility, and video options like flat-screen TVs vs. a screen and projector and even anamorphic lens solutions. Are you dedicating a room to a theater, or will it be in a multipurpose room?
The final element he’ll discuss with you is the control options for the systems and whether you want a whole-house solution or IR-based remotes for each system.
One last thing too, if you still have the ability to go into the walls think about running Ethernet (Cat 5) cabling to backbone current and future data/communication and entertainment solutions that you may want to explore.
Thanks for all the advice lads, todate I still have’nt progessed on it as I just have’nt had the time, so hopefully in the next couple of weeks i will get the chance to do a bit more research!
Again thanks for the advice.
Alex
Another system to look at is CasaTunes. They offer two solutions that will turn your PC into a music server they offer 5 sources of music to 6 rooms or 9 sources of music to 12-48 rooms. The 6 room solution is great for the DIYer.
Alex:
I concur with Robert and Paul about consulting a Professional. CEA’s TechHome® Division has a Referral Database that can be found at www.digitaltips.org. By entering your zip code you can find qualified professionals that will assist in helping you determine the best system for your tastes and budget.
NuVo®‘s Essentia® six zone, six source multi-room systems may be a manufacturer to look at. Placing a rack under the stairs and combining the Essentia with a tuner and an inexpensive media center computer, you would have AM/FM radio, Sirius/XM radio (if you have a subscription), internet streaming and your CD collection available for any room or combination of rooms. This system is Energy Star rated and provides Meta data at the keypads. Russound, Sonance and the others mentioned in Robert’s response have similar systems.
Again, a consultation with a professional can help determine which system or systems will meet your performance and budget criteria.
@Sam :
cat5 is almost a universal cable that is used for all sorts of control and automation applications. Internet and networking can play a crucial role in video distribution as well. Wireless is very prevalent for internet type applications, but fixed run cables currently offer superior bandwidth, and more reliable connections than wireless.
You may find a use for all of those cat 5 cables if you installed a multi room audio system, but you’d still have to run speaker wire anyway.
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I agree with Wade. The nice thing about CasaTunes is that you really don’t need Keypads (although the CasaTunes keypads are nice). You can control it from any browser on any computer on the LAN, including the Safari browser on a Mac. CasaTunes just released its iPhone App giving you a nice remote control option on an iPhone or iPod touch, too. So, if all you have are speaker wires going to the area below the stairs CasaTunes makes a lot of sense.