How are you guys managing your whole home audio?

[johnnynine]

Whether you are broadcasting a mixed signal to all rooms or you have a more elaborate system that sends independant audio to each room, most of these mixer systems allow for multiple sources such as a radio, cd player, etc.

In the simplest system you might just use the B outputs on your receiver to all of your home speakers. In this case you just choose a source and all the speakers play.

In the case of the above mixer situation what kind of source components do you guys use and how do you control them?

For instance I assume most people would have a radio tuner as a source. I have not seen many inexpensive radios with lineout and rs232. So is it common to somehow use ir with a radio tuner component in a whole home audio solution?

...etc.

Thanks,
Johnny

 

[IVB]

I got a Xantech ZPR68 with 6zones/8sources, the EXP9 zone expander with 2 zone cards to bring up to a total of 8/8. I got a ton of cheap 12V trigger & signal sensing 2ch, 4ch, 6ch amps off eBay so I could customize the wattage to the zone. That's the engine behind the whole-house audio.

For Tuner, I opted to get XM for the house as once I started listening to commercial free radio, I realized how awful FM had gotten. If I ever put it back in, i'd probably get something like the Parasound zTuner or other RS232 controllable tuner. The zTuner has a particularly awful serial protocol, but everything else is darn expensive (ie Russound).

My other whole house audio sources:
1) CD Stream 1 (off M-Audio delta 410)
2) CD Stream 2 (off M-Audio delta 410)

 

[GadgetBoy]

For Tuner, I opted to get XM for the house as once I started listening to commercial free radio, I realized how awful FM had gotten.

Did you purchase a tuner or are you streaming from the internet? I have Sirius in both my cars and really am not up for paying another monthly fee to have it in the house. I wonder if there is a way to control the internet radio from outside their web interface...

 

[TCassio]

I use Sonos. Can have upto 32 zones. Should have a look. Here

 

[GadgetBoy]

I use Sonos. Can have upto 32 zones.

Nice, but pricey for each room...

 

[upstatemike]

I use Sonos. Can have upto 32 zones. Should have a look. Here

Is there a hard-wired version of the Sonos stuff? I just don't like wireless systems.

 

[upstatemike]

Anybody tried the ZON system?

 

[pete]

I use a Niles IR repeater (IRZ6+, discontined some time ago) . . . their new product with similar features is the Niles MSU440Z . . .

. . . it makes IR control of a multi-receiver set-up easy . . .

. . . for simple 1 zone IR check out products from buffalo electronics too . . .

Pete C

[edit]one available on eBay now [/edit]

 

[bfisher]

I use a Xantech IR system - controlled by my HomeVision Pro. It manages the intrepration of signals sent by my remote controls or any PC or touchscreen in the house.

I use a seperate amp/tuner for each zone.

Sources: I use JRiver for harddrive music (ripped CDs, purchased downloads, etc)
I use MusicMatch for streaming music
I have DirecTV for XM Music

I can control MusicMatch and JRiver without netremote. I use a program called AutoIt to create small exe files that send keystrokes, etc to these programs - and HomeVision Pro calles the right exe file as needed. AutoIt is free and easy.

 

[IVB]

For Tuner, I opted to get XM for the house as once I started listening to commercial free radio, I realized how awful FM had gotten.

Did you purchase a tuner or are you streaming from the internet? I have Sirius in both my cars and really am not up for paying another monthly fee to have it in the house. I wonder if there is a way to control the internet radio from outside their web interface...

I got the Polk XM tuner. I know some folks talked about using CQC with Internet radio, but honestly I wasn't paying attention since it wasn't relevant for me.

 

[ph0n33z]

Bfisher:

wow.............you have done it! lol

Ok ok, calm down...... *breathes

I have been trying to find a way to automate windows tasks without needing girder/netremote to do them. I am so excited to try out AutoIt. I want to have a very simliar audio setup. I would like to use J River for purchased music, subscription music, ripped music, etc....). Then I would like to use XM radio, and internet streaming radio. I do not have a Homevision (Have the ELK M1). I also want to use multiple amps for each zone. (As I have 2-3 pairs of speakers per zone)

Thankyou so much posting your info bfisher!!

 

[bfisher]

No problem! I love AutoIt - very flexible, powerful and easy to program. Once you compile these to exe's - it's easy to make your PC do whatever you want... (assuming Elk can call an EXE on your PC)

 

[jpkishere]

I am so excited to try out AutoIt.

I used to use AutoIT at work, but when they went to version 3, it got overly complicated to do easy stuff..

I use www.autohotkey.com all the time, and it is great.. It basically continued AutoIT's stuff in a simpler way..

 

[TonyNo]

Not to be OT, but PowerHome can send keystrokes to other apps. Can't other HA apps do this?

 

[Ripper99]

That Autoit software looks like they modeled the software after "Automate"..the logo actually looks almost like the Automate logo

http://www.networkautomation.com/automate/

*Excellent product but expensive..work bought me a copy