Monoprice multi-zone audio

[iostream212]

I am also a fan of nfc, especially for something tedious like getting music launched. I made a quick vid showing it in action. It is very responsive as you can see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE4q23q8d04&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[az1324]

ok here is the manufacturer:  http://www.mclellandmusic.com/detail.asp?channel=213&content=332
 
Looking forward to the internal photos, signal15

 

[signal15]

ok here is the manufacturer:  http://www.mclellandmusic.com/detail.asp?channel=213&content=332
 
Looking forward to the internal photos, signal15

 
Are you sure this is the manufacturer and not just someone buying it from a factory in china and branding it?

 

[picta]

Have you found out if the 2 units can support 12 sources or only 6?

 

[az1324]

Are you sure this is the manufacturer and not just someone buying it from a factory in china and branding it?

 
I'm pretty sure (this time) since that seems to be a westernized brand of the Chinese company Mansion Industry Co, Ltd.  So I think that is the official manufacturer marketed brand vs the white label version.  Of course that site does not show the updated design with the optical in and 3.5mm jacks.

 

[bucko]

  Mansion Industry Co., Ltd was established in 1985 and located at Taipei. It is a Professional audio manufacturer in which included R&D, design, sales and service. The experience in the Audio Field has been more than 20 years.  Especially, we have devoted to the professional audio equipment for over 10 years. Our main products included Equalizers, Crossovers, Power Amplifiers, Video Signal Solution, Midi Controller, USB/Fire wire Audio Interface, Mixers, Digital Effect Processors, Speakers, Microphones and Home Installation Audio products.
 
So, it is "Made in Taiwan".

 

[dgage]

I am also a fan of nfc, especially for something tedious like getting music launched. I made a quick vid showing it in action. It is very responsive as you can see.

Nice. Thanks for sharing. Based on Apple not having NFC and WinPhones not being able to change settings via NFC, looks like this is Android only.

 

[signal15]

Have you found out if the 2 units can support 12 sources or only 6?

 
No, haven't found out yet.  I bought 2 units, but the other isn't installed yet.  I'm assuming it's probably 6 though because of the number of wires on the ribbon cable.

 

[az1324]

Things I'd like to figure out about this unit:
 

1. Keypad communication interface & protocol including IR data
2. Expansion pinout & effect of slave selector switch
3. Build quality of amplifier electronics & components used
4. If RS232 unsolicited status messages are sent

 

[dgage]

And I'd like to add he following please.

5. Can you confirm the internal amp can be bypassed to use an external amp

Thanks.

David

 

[tmbrown97]

Not to start the Flame wars, but someone should post a quick video showing how convenient it is to pull out my iPhone, tap the Pandora icon, then choose the Airplay target for the back yard - all without setting down my beer or getting out of my chair!  What does Android do that makes this so much harder?  And Bluetooth audio loses so much quality - then you have distance limitations... I can't say I get it...
 
I'm also still waiting for the videos showing someone plugging their Android or Windows phone into that convenient Dock connector that's available for so many cars - and getting music, album art, integrated control (voice activated from some cars)... 
 
OK - back to your regularly scheduled topic... 

 

[az1324]

And I'd like to add he following please.

5. Can you confirm the internal amp can be bypassed to use an external amp

Thanks.

David

 
You mean in some way other than by using the pre-amp output RCA jacks?

 

[dgage]

Haha. Touché.

You iPhone users with that cute little screen. Seriously, I have an iPad and it is the most used device in my arsenal. But I seriously can't get by the small screen (my opinion) of the iPhone.

And to me the killer application isn't NFC like was shown in the video, although cool. No, to me the big ticket, and I don't have Android, but reading about it, Tasker is awesome for what it can do to respond to the surroundings and modify itself based on location. IOS and WinPhone simply don't have the APIs available to do those sorts of things. It may be a security concern but I haven't read of it being a problem yet.

 

[dgage]

 
You mean in some way other than by using the pre-amp output RCA jacks?

Nope. Just making sure those RCAs work. I would expect it to but just validating.

 

[tmbrown97]

Ya - tasker would be handy I'm sure.  I'd set my wife's phone so that as she leaves work, her phone would automatically txt me with an ETA... and it'd be nice if the loud/silent modes could set more dynamically, although flipping a physical switch is about as convenient as it gets. 
 
Rumor has it, they're going to give in and offer larger screens around May-ish - we'll see... the size never bothered me before, but as I try to do more and my eyes get worse, I wouldn't mind a slightly larger screen - as long as it doesn't make it more fragile when I sit with it in my back pocket - or make it not fit as well.