Whole House Audio, or Multiple Sources?
 

Which do you prefer?

I wired my entire Maui starter mansion with whole house audio controlled from a central server rack filled with 1 Denon A/V receiver, 1 Yamaha A/V/ receiver, 1 Onkyo 2 channel bridgeable amplifier, 1 Harmon Kardon bridgeable amplifier, 1 Yamaha graphic equalizer, and various other audio components, linked into the computer network, w/ Bose speakers embedded in every room and volume controls in every area, including outside at the pool deck and koi pond areas.

It was nice. Could throw on iTunes on the comp with a giant playlist, and shazam!... music, anywhere I went on the property with volume control. iPhone Gen 1 served as the remote through the wifi network.

Here in California though, at this house, I have opted instead for multiple sources in different areas. So for instance, I can have reggae tracks (or whatever) playing in the studio, and something else entirely playing in the garage, something else out back, etc... and I think I like this better. More variety.

Input? :)

It doesn't sound like you are cutting back to me. :-)

I am cutting back. I no longer use the JVC A/V receiver or the three Tivo boxes or the DVD players.

my current place is all central. but i find i don't use anything but the main system anymore. i'm buying a new place, and it's all going to broken down separately now. i think. lol.

I have separate audio systems in each area, but each one has it's own computer that connects to the central server in the house, so I just bring up itunes on each computer and have access to my whole library at each audio system.

My whole house is actually pretty open so I mounted a touchscreen on the one wall and have wires run from the computer running it to one of my audio systems, so I can just use itunes on that and hear the music most places in the house.

Also use a plugin for internet radio that lets me run shoutcast in media center. I look at the selection on there and I laugh at my friends that are paying for multiple subscriptions to XM or Sirius, which sounds like shit IMO. (I filter the streams for 128 kb and higher)

So technically, you can have it either way then yes? You could set each one to a different source, or have them all running the same. Perfect for both private enjoyment as well as house parties where you would want every room consistent.

Ya, basically. Most people would be turned off by having so many computers around the house, but for places where I just need basic access to stream files from the server to a receiver I just setup one of these:

http://www.staples.ca/ENG/Catalog/ca...affixedcode=WW

They are cheap, stream 1080p videos smoothly and have HDMI out that carries audio too, unlike some video cards with HDMI. I just add a media center remote IR dongle and then I can program them to work with my Harmony universal remotes so I don't have to mess with a mouse and keyboard.

i rigged up one of these systems http://www.htd.com/whole-house-audio/advanced

its a true whole home audio where you can independently select sources in each zone. each zone has its own amp. Just select the source at the keypad (or use a harmony the keypad has IR) and you are good to go in any room.

Threw an apple TV back in the rack, and he can control the playlist from anywhere on his iphone.

it requires that you run cat-5 from the rack to each keypad location, and the speaker wire runs can go directly to the rack (instead of to the keypad).

You can hook up an ipod anywhere there is a keypad and it becomes a new source as well.

Nice,, I was looking in to something like that... on the whole-house system, I was able to only select 2 sources per amp, but it had to be done manually at the rack.

I just picked up a Russound CAA66 6 sources 6 zones. And a selection of keypads you can use.

Alternatively you can also throw a spare desktop/server in the audio rack and run somethinglike CQC (i do this) and control the CAA66 with a RS-232 cable. You can then get their Ipad controlling app and build your own control panel for it.

If you have cat5 going to each room/zone you can also use the control pads and put them in the wall to control the source/volume.

you can pickup the CAA66 for 700-1300 on ebay.

Orrr you can go wireless.

http://www.sonos.com

Personally, I prefer my music live, so I simply book a different band to play in different rooms. Jon Bon Jovi are shacked up in the lounge, Elton John is performing in my bathroom, and up until 20 mins ago, I had U2 playing live in the kitchen, but in true rockstar fashion, Bono started raiding my fridge, and drinking all my redbull, so I had to ask them to leave.

Seems like an expensive way to go, what with the cost of redbull and all.

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

Depends on your end goal. For me I like different audio gear and different sounds.

My office/computer set up is a classic Nakamichi receiver with some awesome mini monitors.

My tv set up is stereo only with a 70's era class A Rotel receiver and some 90's reference speakers.

My main listening room is Thiel reference speakers and a 500 watt tube amp.

My bedroom has an ipod dock.

My master bath has marine speakers in the ceiling above the shower powered by another Nakamichi.

My kitchen has a stereo table radio.

I love buying shit on Ebay, re-furbing it and letting it shine.

Rotel is the shit. that's my main system right now. a little newer, but yeah, good shit.

My parents bought their house in LA from the CEO of best buy or circuit city or something like that.

Their whole house is wired, outside, bunch of crazy shit.

I'd give you more input but none of us can figure out how to use it, and I'm only there 3 days out of the year so it's not really a priority for me.