Video and Audio Distribution Design Help

[tiger1234]

Hi All,

I am currently designing my home audio and video distribution system and am confused about a few things. First here is what I will have:

Nuvo Grand Concerto 8 zones, Family room being one of the zones
In-ceiling speakers in all 8 zones, including the family room

Avatrix 6x7 matrix switch

Several Sources such as U-Verse Cable, WD TV Live, Sonos S5 (as a source), Blu-Ray Changer, Xbox 360

All of it will be in one central closet and will be tied into the HAI OmniPro II for automation and control.

Now, here is what I am confused about:

I would like to set up a 5.1 Surround Sound setup in the family room. I am thinking of getting an Onkyo 607 receiver. I was thinking of using the 2 in-ceiling speakers in the family room as the rear speakers in 5.1. Essentially, if Nuvo is playing, the sound is coming through in-ceiling speakers. However, if we turn the TV on, the sound will be from 5.1 system.

How should the wiring be run in this case? AvAtrix to TV to Onkyo to 5.1 (with Nuvo feeding the in-ceiling???)

Am I making it too complicated? What would you suggest?

Also, how would you suggest feeding the Nuvo from other sources such as Blu Ray Changer? Connect it directly to Nuvo, or through AvAtrix? Or Run Audio to Nuvo and Video to Avatrix?

Thanks in advance for any insights

 

[WayneW]

I would like to set up a 5.1 Surround Sound setup in the family room. I am thinking of getting an Onkyo 607 receiver. I was thinking of using the 2 in-ceiling speakers in the family room as the rear speakers in 5.1. Essentially, if Nuvo is playing, the sound is coming through in-ceiling speakers. However, if we turn the TV on, the sound will be from 5.1 system.

How should the wiring be run in this case? AvAtrix to TV to Onkyo to 5.1 (with Nuvo feeding the in-ceiling???)

Am I making it too complicated? What would you suggest?

I would suggest a Nuvo NV-LSI24 as a way to switch your rear speakers between the Onkyo and the NuVo. When the NuVo zone is on, the speakers are NuVo, so people need to be aware that the NuVo takes priority. Works for me I also use the line outputs of my Denon to line inputs of my NuVo and vice versa to allow TV listening anyplace or to allow the big sound system to blast NuVo sourced material in sync with the rest of the house.

I would also question your "AvAtrix to TV to Onkyo to 5.1" plan. IIRC, most/many TVs had less than great sound outputs, especially for input stuff (as opposed to antenna stuff).

 

[tiger1234]

Wayne, how have you wired your speakers between Onkyo and Nuvo? Here is what I got out of the wiring diagram, let me know if I am right - Nuvo to Nuvo keypad, Local Source (Onkyo) to LSI24, LSI24 to speakers and LSI24 to keypad. Do I also have to wire from Keypad to speakers?

Also, you suggested not running "AvAtrix to TV to Onkyo to 5.1"; what would you suggest?

 

[WayneW]

Here is what I got out of the wiring diagram, let me know if I am right - Nuvo to Nuvo keypad, Local Source (Onkyo) to LSI24, LSI24 to speakers and LSI24 to keypad. Do I also have to wire from Keypad to speakers?

close...
NuVo to NuVo keypad - a control line (cat5)
keypad to LSI24 - a control line (cat5)

Local Source (Onkyo) to LSI24 input - speaker level (2 pair)
LSI24 output to speakers - speaker level (2 pair)
add: NuVo to LSI24 input - speaker level (2 pair)
think of the LSI24 as just a NuVo controlled speaker-level A/B switch

Also, you suggested not running "AvAtrix to TV to Onkyo to 5.1"; what would you suggest?

From what I have been told, treat the TV as a video only device, unless you are using the TV's antenna input.
So that would mean audio source to Onkyo (audio line level), then Onkyo to speakers (speaker level)
with video source to Onkyo (video line level) to TV (video line level)

If you want to use the TV antenna, then you change the TV input and the TV audio output goes to an Onkyo audio input, then to the speakers.

 

[english_1969]

Tiger:

I have a very similar setup albeit with Russound vs Nuvo.

To accomplish what you describe, here's what I did:

Ran 16/4 from Russound rack to the location of my Receiver (cabinet near TV), then run 16/2 from this cabinet to the in-ceiling speakers.
I am then using a speaker level auto-switch from Russound (AB3.2) which detects input using a precedence and allow either the russound or the receiver to play over the in-ceiling speakers. The receiver is the higher precedence.

Also, on my avatrix setup, I added the audio break-out unit (can't remember the model #). This unit, connects to your avatrix and allows you to break out the audio from each of the 6 sources.

For me, I have the audio from at 3 sources (DVD, Cable box, and HTPC/Media Center) going over to inputs on the russound.

W

 

[jautor]

tiger,

I'm also running a very similar arrangement, but with an Aton HDR44 instead of the AVAtrix, but the capabilities are very, very similar.

I used the aforementioned LSI24 from NuVo to swap the in-ceiling speakers in my bedroom between NuVo and a 5.1 system. To keep the wiring 'standard compatible', I ran the 16/4 home run to the keypad location, looped over to the TV location, where the LSI24 is located, and then 16/2 to each speaker. The important one is the additional cat5 to go between the LSI24 and the keypad for the switch to operate.

But in my family room, which is the main 5.1 system (not counting the unfinished, ok un-started, theater), I chose a different route. I used the unpowered Zone 8 line output from the NuVo as a source on my pre-amp in the family room, and also piped the pre-amp output from the family room to the NuVo GC as a source as well. I found a great little dual-stereo over cat5 balun from MuxLab to make both of these connections with a single cat5.

This way, I can listen to any NuVo source using the primary speakers in the room, instead of the in-wall surrounds, and also, in case there's something playing locally in the family room, I can still pipe it to other rooms. The only thing I haven't done yet is added a wireless keypad to run the NuVo from the family room. But since I use a Roku SoundBridge to access the same library as the NuVo MusicPort, I usually use it locally instead of the NuVo for that room...

For the video sources, I run the analog audio to each TV, and if there's a receiver in the room, the digital audio goes to it. That allows me the choice to use just the TV speakers or the 5.1 setup.

You'll really like all of this gear!

Jeff

 

[ysualum]

That AB3.2 is nice. I have installed a SRM2.1 from Russound (http://www.russound.com/srm2.1.htm) which requires a 12v trigger from the CAV system. Problem with it is my Compoint intercom doesn't trigger the switch, so I had to install their small 1 gang speaker. I may get this AB3.2 and switch back to my original design.

All this extra junk is starting to pile up. I have to stop buying things.

 

[tiger1234]

Jautor, I think I am going to go with your second route, nuvo to Onkyo and back. It will probably add an extra step in the control of everything but will give me flexibility to be watching sports on tv but listening to music on the speakers; at least that is what I am thinking right now.

Thank you all for suggestions. LSI-24 idea is dead for now.

 

[jautor]

Jautor, I think I am going to go with your second route, nuvo to Onkyo and back. It will probably add an extra step in the control of everything but will give me flexibility to be watching sports on tv but listening to music on the speakers; at least that is what I am thinking right now.

Yep, flexibility is good... If I was going to to it again, I probably would have added a NuVo keypad in the family room, or at least ran a wire to an appropriate wall location, just in case I wanted to control it from there. But I expect NuVo/Autonomic will develop an iPhone/iPod interface, which would work, too.


Jeff