A-Bus or Ca4.4i

Looking to save a little money. Is the Russound A-bus (A-H484) a viable solution to audio distribution? We really dont listen to music that much. We mostly watch TV. Im looking for a cost effective audio distribution. I need to pick a system and finish wiring but I keep going back and forth.
 
ktm250rider said:
Looking to save a little money. Is the Russound A-bus (A-H484) a viable solution to audio distribution? We really dont listen to music that much. We mostly watch TV.
A-Bus is great! It's modular, so you can expand it piecemeal if you want to avoid a lot of up-front costs. Also, it has very friendly controls that nobody finds intimidating.

The main downside is that the automation potential is limited. There's no easy way to control it from an automation system (other than to turn it all off).
 
Can you chain those one source A-Bus modules together or is the thought to use the IR eye to change the source on a multi-source reciever or the like that it is connected to?

I'm using an older version of a variation (HK's proprietary setup) which does not have the flexibility of A-bus.

Regardless, after using this, and guessing on some of the details of A-bus, a huge difference would be not having multiple sources at the same time in multiple rooms. I could be wrong on this, but wouldn't the a-bus receiver use the current output? They would not typically let you zone the outputs and say use Video 3 in one room (the one that used IR to change the output) and Video 2 in another, while using CD in yet another.

The CA4.4i would if I remember that model correctly.

In regards to the automation comment, from what I've read here, and my thoughts on how I would do it over again, the following was looking interesting (not positive on all the details though):

For the amp and possibly keypads:

http://www.htd.com/totalcontrol.html

Check out this CT topic: http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showto...21&hl=amplifier

For individual zone inputs (you can hook this to your computer to drive multiple instances of mp3 players for each zone for example):

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/FireWire410-main.html

Check out this CT topic: http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=2293

There was also a company that released small 1 gang lcd displays for inwall use that broke up a computer screen into smaller areas that are mapped to these displays. I'll have to find the reference (it was here that I saw it, red was in the name I think) which might be an option for better specific control.

And the software to tie in with the above was JRMC. I think Jwilson56 was using MainLobby for touchscreens to control the music as well (real nice ones at that).

Check out this CT topic: http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=1009&st=60

Again, I'm not using this, but the above items are what was starting to make a lot of sense from what I have seen others here doing.

if you just want to get wiring out of the way and plan for both, I think there are only two ways it can be wired:

1. Cat 5 and speaker wire to the keypad locations. Speaker cable from keypad to speakers.
2. Cat 5 to keypad location and speaker wire straight to the speakers (think this is only used in some proprietary setups or split control scenarios).

I happen to have a proprietary setup (Harman Kardon) which uses the second option. In hindsight, I wish I had information similar to the above when I did it, but I already had much of the equipment. I've got 4 zones of audio, but they are all the same source. I do not believe I can add any more zones either (so first floor has music but I don't think I can do more upstairs (plus one source gets to be a problem). I was considering repurposing the multichannel amp I have and using the maudio items with it but that is a future project.

I'm very busy with my new Elk and MCE machine atm...

You might be able to do the wiring and defer your decision a bit.
 
One low cost solution is the Slim Devices Slimserver and Squeezebox music players. The Slimserver software is FREE, just download and install. It includes a software emulator of a Squeezebox music player (softsqueeze) that you can run on PCs on your home network and it is also FREE.

If you decide you would like a hardware music player (Squeezebox2) to hook to your stereo they start at $199 for the hardwired version and a version with built-in 802.11g wireless is $279.

I prefer this over dedicated whole-house solutions like A-bus for the following reasons:

-Unlike the keypads to whole-house systems that just show you volume level and which soource you have selected, a squeezebox2 has a bright display that shows you artist and track info, current song playing via internet radio, etc.

-Controlled from infrared remote so it works with universl remotes and Home Automation controllers with IR capabilities.

-Can also be controlled by built-in browser interface or though a Home Automation controller by means if xPL/xAP or Command Line API.

-All players (hardware or free softsqueeze instances) can play in sync or independently.

-You can start with $0 investment (using only software players and existing PCs) and add hardware players whenever you want. (I think the server can handle 20+ separate streams on fairly modest server hardware).

-You can send home automation messages to the music player displays.

-When hardware players are off they can display the time, do a headline ticker from RSS feeds (like Cocoontech) or other display options.

-Will play most any file format out there.

Etc. etc. etc.... Check it out at http://slimdevices.com/
 
ktm250rider said:
HTD stuff looks pretty good, nice price. Anyone have any experience with it?
I have some in-walls (HD-W80s) and outdoor speakers from HTD. I've been very pleased with them. Excellent sound and build quality. I plan on using them again for my next in-walls and my next outdoors (in my other garage and my patio). They've redone their outdoors so I can't comment on them, but they claim they will be even better than the ones I have.
 
upstatemike said:
One low cost solution is the Slim Devices Slimserver and Squeezebox music players. The Slimserver software is FREE, just download and install. It includes a software emulator of a Squeezebox music player (softsqueeze) that you can run on PCs on your home network and it is also FREE.

If you decide you would like a hardware music player (Squeezebox2) to hook to your stereo they start at $199 for the hardwired version and a version with built-in 802.11g wireless is $279.

I prefer this over dedicated whole-house solutions like A-bus for the following reasons:

-Unlike the keypads to whole-house systems that just show you volume level and which soource you have selected, a squeezebox2 has a bright display that shows you artist and track info, current song playing via internet radio, etc.

-Controlled from infrared remote so it works with universl remotes and Home Automation controllers with IR capabilities.

-Can also be controlled by built-in browser interface or though a Home Automation controller by means if xPL/xAP or Command Line API.

-All players (hardware or free softsqueeze instances) can play in sync or independently.

-You can start with $0 investment (using only software players and existing PCs) and add hardware players whenever you want. (I think the server can handle 20+ separate streams on fairly modest server hardware).

-You can send home automation messages to the music player displays.

-When hardware players are off they can display the time, do a headline ticker from RSS feeds (like Cocoontech) or other display options.

-Will play most any file format out there.

Etc. etc. etc.... Check it out at http://slimdevices.com/
upstatemike,

I agree that the Squeezeboxes are great! However, I think they are a perfect compliment to an A-Bus system.

A-Bus has a "local source input" jack that you can install in rooms, and I highly recommend it. When the squeezebox is on and playing, it plays over the room speakers, overriding any remote source. You get all the advantages you mention above, plus the better sound afforded by built-in room speakers. When the Squeezebox is off, you can still tune in to other whole-house sources (which could be a Slim Server!)

Cool, eh? ;)
 
markthomas said:
The main downside is that the automation potential is limited. There's no easy way to control it from an automation system (other than to turn it all off).
I would think the only way to automate it would be to have an IR source in each room and blast the IR commands to the keypad?

I think Russound came out with a CAS44
(http://www.russound.com/cas.htm)

It is cheaper then the previous models, but has limited expandability..

I will still go with the Abus solution as to me it seems the cheapest solution for what I am looking for..
 
jpkishere said:
I would think the only way to automate it would be to have an IR source in each room and blast the IR commands to the keypad?
Yes, that would work. Of course, it would have to be a zoned IR system, increasing the complexity somewhat.
 
markthomas said:
I agree that the Squeezeboxes are great! However, I think they are a perfect compliment to an A-Bus system.

A-Bus has a "local source input" jack that you can install in rooms, and I highly recommend it. When the squeezebox is on and playing, it plays over the room speakers, overriding any remote source. You get all the advantages you mention above, plus the better sound afforded by built-in room speakers. When the Squeezebox is off, you can still tune in to other whole-house sources (which could be a Slim Server!)

Cool, eh? :p
This is a very cool idea! I will definitely have to look at this more closely!
 
markthomas said:
A-Bus is great! It's modular, so you can expand it piecemeal if you want to avoid a lot of up-front costs. Also, it has very friendly controls that nobody finds intimidating.
Do you actually have abus setup and installed.. If so, what kind of speakers are you running with it and how loud do they get..

I know it isn't intended to replace a stereo, but I am looking for more then background music too..
 
jpkishere said:
Do you actually have abus setup and installed.. If so, what kind of speakers are you running with it and how loud do they get..
Personally, I'm between homes right now. But I used to have an A-Bus system installed, and I've planned A-Bus systems for some of my friends. I had TruAudio speakers, which were OK. However, one of my friends went with Proficient Audio speakers, and I liked them a lot. They are not expensive, and are highly efficient, which is a good match for A-Bus. In my next home (under construction) I will put in A-Bus and use the Proficient speakers (especially now that Worthington carries them!)

A-Bus by itself can get pretty loud; louder than you'd expect, given the wattage ratings. But all keypads have a line level output that you can run through an amp to another set of speakers, so if you want wall-thumping music you can do it.

This is another cool thing about A-Bus: with two keypads per zone, each of which has a line out, that means you can have up to four pairs of speakers per zone without doing anything special other than providing the additional amplification. Russound's external amps are pretty big, though, but you can put them in the attic near the speakers.

You know what would be nice? A volume control with analog line-in and a built-in speaker amp. Russound doesn't make these, but it would sure be convenient. You could put together a large, sophisticated A-Bus system without any external amps.
 
How does multi-source/multi-zone work under a-bus? Do you add a source module and a receiver say and control it via ir pass through?

I think the more common is shared source and multiple rooms (one source module connected to a recieve but shared across rooms).

Do I have this right?
 
Mike said:
How does multi-source/multi-zone work under a-bus? Do you add a source module and a receiver say and control it via ir pass through?

I think the more common is shared source and multiple rooms (one source module connected to a recieve but shared across rooms).

Do I have this right?
The Russound AH484 is the four-source hub. It digitizes up to four sources and sends them all simultaneously through the Cat5 network. The keypads simply choose one of the four sources and amplify it.

Yes, there's IR pass-through to the hub so that you can control your source components.

As to what's more "common" I couldn't say. I bet Russound sells more A-Bus products than all the other vendors combined, and there's about a dozen of them. And I would assume their 4-source hub is fairly popular. I'm not aware of a four-source hub from any other vendor.

- Mark.
 
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