Sonos for multizone simultaneous feeds

[kujain]

I have been considering using Sonos Zoneplayer 90 devices as the music source for the entire house (hooked up to ONQ audio distribution system). This is because the whole house audio will be basically just going to stream music from a music server (pc/osx itunes server) and room users can use wireless devices to control the content. The ONQ keypads will provide amplified sound to each room speakers and to turn on/off or adjust volume.

But its not clear to me if I need to setup separate zoneplayers for EACH ZONE or can one ZP90 serve multiple zones simultaneously. if multiple is required, would I need to somehow limit each zoneplayer for each zone so a user sitting in zone A doesn't accidently play a stream to zone B from her ipad ?

I would really appreciate any help regarding setting up sonos zoneplayers to work for multiple zones and allow different simultaneous tracks to play in each zone.

Thanks very much!

 

[gatchel]

If you have 6 Sonos zone players (just a number) you can have all 6 playing the same thing or you can have each Sonos zone playing something dfferent. If you have one Sonos zone player you can play the music in several areas using external amplification and switching (ONQ) but all areas will be playing the same thing as the zone player is the only source.

There are some limits to supscription accounts as you may only be able to connect and play one stream at a time. You can play the same stream in all sonos zones or whichever sonos zone you choose. If you are streaming from a local network share (MP3 collection) then this isn't an issue. You can send 6 different tracks to 6 different sonos zone players or any combination by joining sonos zones to act as one (party mode).

AFAIK, there is no way to limit one sonos controller (or app) from accidentally playing a stream in another sonos zone that isn't the appropriate zone. So, in other words, she may be able to accidentally play something with her controller in your room unintentionally.


Notice I use the term "Sonos Zone(s)". I do not know the ONQ system. I'll assume it's an A-Bus style system by your decsription. You could use the Sonos Zone Player as a source into the ONQ system and control the ONQ Zones using the ONQ controls. This will duplicate some of the functionality on the Sonos Controls and you will need two controls to operate the audio system, the Sonos app to select the Stream, control volume, etc, and the ONQ control (App or whatever) to also control volume.

Remember, the Sonos system was designed to be a multi-room audio system which it what your ONQ system already is.

You could buy lets say, 3 sonos zone players, wire them into 3 source inputs on the ONQ system and play those streams on any of the selectable ONQ zones you currently have (3, 4, 5, 12, ONQ zones etc) but you will still only be able to get 3 different sonos streams among those ONQ zones, plus the ones you already have, CD Player, FM Tuner, etc.

Hopefully this helps and also answers your questions.

 

[Frunple]

One zp90 is one source. If you want to play different music in each zone simultaneously then you need one source for each zone. If playing the same music in each zone simultaneously is your goal, then one zp will do.
I have one zp90 that i use to access my digital library but it also has so many other music options (ie local radio, pandora, etc) that I'm thinking of adding another.

 

[kujain]

Thanks so much for your detailed explanations. Makes things quite clear.

Yes, the ONQ system (yes - its basically anABUS system) is really only serving as the physical backbone and audio delivery system for the house - basically just to turn on/off the speakers as actual song selection/volume is controlled by the app. Of course, if I add some other sources to the ONQ system, then the keypad can be used for that control. And I do have a few local source overrides, so its used for that switching as well.

But based on this feedback, I am having doubts about this setup: I currently have 16 zones in the house. So this will mean I will need 16 zoneplayers to provide dedicated streaming to each zone separately (which is needed). A wireless-based ipad/iphone app will allow the room user to control the track to play as long as that user selects the correct zone among the 16 available zones from the app (as from above, there isn't a way to limit the zone selection in the app).

If there was a way to have dedicated song selections and metadata display from the keypad of each room (or any other interface to the ONQ) then the zoneplayers wouldn't be needed. But I cannot find a way, hence the Sonos addon. If my architecture wasn't based on ABUS, I could possibly have used a Nuvos system with its music server which may have done the job in a more elegant way, but those systems are also way more expensive!

Please let me know what you think...

Thanks!

 

[InspiredTim]

Go the easy route and install a airport express for each zone. That way each person can have their own input streamed straight from their iPhone or iPad.

 

[kujain]

Thanks for that suggestion InspiredTim - truly inspired

Yes - since all Sonos is doing is providing a wireless interface to control which track to play, I could do that with a bunch of airport express instead (one for each zone/room - 16 to be precise). Then I can use the apple remote app to control the tracks to play. It doesn't resolve the issue I mentioned earlier about locking each sonos/express device to each zone so no one accidently plays music to another room while sitting in another and also using just one device rather than 16 devices, but it does provide a more economical option for now!

But one thing I would like to understand (as I haven't used a multiple express setup before): will I be able to play differnt tracks to the 16 zones simultaneously if I use 16 airport express devices. Or will the itunes server be the actual control and can only play to one airport express at a time? Not too clear about that...the main idea is to allow 16 zone users to be able to select and play tracks of their own choosing simultaneously (and of course have the overriding option to play to all zones if needed).

Thanks again!

 

[my2k2vette]

I'm in the same situation as you. From the research that I have done iTunes will playback to one or many airport express "zones" HOWEVER it will only serve up one stream which is a big downfall for you and I. Multiple computers / devices are required to get multiple streams.

I'm waiting anxiously for this company's software, it sounds very interesting: www.plethra.com I'm not affiliated with them, just ran across them while doing the same search you are doing.

Basically it takes the best from itunes, offers up multiple streams to multiple devices (airplay supported), will have access to online audio streams / services AND will allow analog audio inputs. I don't think there is an ETA on it though.

 

[InspiredTim]

I was more thinking about streaming straight from an apple device than from iTunes itself. I am looking at an alternative to the music gateway as it is overpriced for what it delivers. I might be installing a mac mini in every installation to run Haiku Helper on plus media storage. I always install at least one airport express into every hifi2 job as I see it an analogue way to have to plug a cable into a Rim.

 

[kujain]

Looks like many are looking into apple devices as cheaper alternatives for multi-room hardware. And the current apple devices are almost there in getting the job done! But with the current limits, as discussed above, doesn't make it usable I think.

I haven't worked with the current appletv however, and its possible that appletv could work as a client for an itunes server and multiple appletvs can stream simultaneously to different zones. Still reseaching into it though - prob will need to get a few and experiment, unless someone already has!!

The other option is looking into squeezebox as it does seem to provide simultaneous streaming to multiple zones. But I am not sure what its current form is. Worth looking into as an alternative to Sonos.

InspiredTim, thanks for the HaikuHelper idea. But it works with HAI systems I believe, which may be over the budget for my rather lowbrow endeavors

Thanks!

 

[gatorhwk]

I was more thinking about streaming straight from an apple device than from iTunes itself. I am looking at an alternative to the music gateway as it is overpriced for what it delivers. I might be installing a mac mini in every installation to run Haiku Helper on plus media storage. I always install at least one airport express into every hifi2 job as I see it an analogue way to have to plug a cable into a Rim.

So, can the mac mini w/ haiku helper stream to multiple zones at the same time? My dealer suggests the Nuvo GC route (which seems great), but I'd like to hear about other lower budget options.

Thanks,

-C

 

[InspiredTim]

I have read from another thread of a new software client that allows multiple zones come off your surround sound card or stream to multiple airport expresses. Only downside is that you have to use the Pc to control it. It is just released in Beta atm and will be looking at doing a iPhone interface.