Amazon Echo to HA Controllers

IVB said:
I effing hate you for starting this thread, jkmonroe:
 
Order Number: 102-3265044-WHOSYOURDADDY
  • Amazon Echo will be shipped to Vivek Bhatia by Amazon.com. 
    Estimated delivery: 
    July 8, 2015
 
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
One of my most audio-unfriendly rooms is also a room I had to remove from the whole house audio system as only 10 of my 16 zones on the NuVo are working. (Every other one on the back 8 are disabled). Even if this doesn't work, it'll be adequate for weather/music there.
 
IVB said:
One of my most audio-unfriendly rooms is also a room I had to remove from the whole house audio system as only 10 of my 16 zones on the NuVo are working. (Every other one on the back 8 are disabled). Even if this doesn't work, it'll be adequate for weather/music there.
 
How much you wanna bet it's a blown cap on one of the banks? :)
 
ChrisCicc said:
How much you wanna bet it's a blown cap on one of the banks? :)
 
I know you're speaking english because I understand the words, but I have no idea what you're saying.
 
Well, either that or i'm trying to create a business case to buy 7 Sonos Connect:Amp for the rooms that don't need huge power, and ditch the NuVo. 
 
IVB said:
I know you're speaking english because I understand the words, but I have no idea what you're saying.
 
Well, either that or i'm trying to create a business case to buy 7 Sonos Connect:Amp for the rooms that don't need huge power, and ditch the NuVo. 
 
I'm guessing you had a power-regulating capacitor blow out on one of the banks of four amplifiers. If that's the case, any competent TV repairmen can prob fix it quickly. 
 
IVB said:
Well, either that or i'm trying to create a business case to buy 7 Sonos Connect:Amp for the rooms that don't need huge power, and ditch the NuVo. 
 
I actually installed a commercial grade Sonos system in one of our gyms this way. Rack mounted and all. It actually works really well for the purpose. Each Sonos zone was outputting to an amp, which was then going to speakers mounted in the ceiling 50' up. Basically, it looked like a normal audio distribution system, but was powered by the Sonos app, which is a pretty great app. 
 
Edit, here's a pic, you can see the black speaker near the ceiling. This is the low ceiling. The speakers in the whole facility are fed from the Sonos rack in the closet:
 
brooklyn-boulders-somerville-designboom-08.jpg
 
Oh, and for the fitness rooms, we even have local input via a wall plate, switched via the Sonos app. Sonos really is awesome. If only I could justify a Sonos Sound Bar for the bedroom :) 
 
I already have in ceiling speakers in every room home run back to the nuvo. All I need is the connect amps. Plus far field vr to control it.
 
the amps?  or just the connect?  
 
the price difference between them is $150, so if you need 7, thats an extra $1000.  why not just get the connects, and then pick up a solid multi-channel amp?
 
im sure you could get a much better quality amp for that extra grand than what is included in the connect:amp.
 
jkmonroe said:
the price difference between them is $150, so if you need 7, thats an extra $1000.  why not just get the connects, and then pick up a solid multi-channel amp?
 
That's what we did in the gym. It also offers a much wider selection of audio gear to choose from, when the Sonos is relegated to only providing the audio signal. 
 
Architecturally, yes, that would be adequate. But after 10 frustrating years, I'm all about maximizing reliability and minimizing the points of failure . plus I live in NorCal where power is $0.40/KwH. Separate amp, when is it powered on, when any one of the zones is on? What if something fails?

I'm in this boat because my nuvo device failed starting 4 years after purchase. I'm already introducing complexity via amazon echo or kinect/echo to do far field VR. I need to reduce something somewhere. #BattleScars
 
You pay that per incremental KwH?  I thought CA was the highest?
 
Lower cost is nice, but I need to reduce overall consumption wherever & whenever possible. A brultech / phantom draw can help with minor stuff here/there, but things like amps are notorious heavy power users.  Its also why I built a monolithic overpowered server instead of several smaller ones.
 
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