Top 10 Options for Whole House Audio

[jlokanis]

That makes sense, but it really does not solve my problem. The Delta is not routing anything, it is just a fancy sound card. My goal is to have a setup that is under PC control and can route several analog sources to several zones. I also need it to output amplified audio, since I have home-run all my speakers to the wiring room.

So, the PC should be able to route the CD player's output to the speakers on the deck and adjust the volume as desired via a WiFi PDA or via a touchscreen elsewhere in the house.

I will use a soundcard output on the PC to play MP3 files, but that is just another source to route.

Now, if someone has used a Delta1010 as a source/desination router and knows how to do that, I would be very interested. Then, all I would need is a multichannel amp.

thanks for the help.

-John

 

[IVB]

Are you looking for a PCI-based matrix switcher so you can send the same source to multiple zones? I haven't heard of anything like that short of using JRMC's software based mzone synch'ing, which has audio delay issues if your zones are within earshot of each other.

If you're content with 1 source to a zone, and if you have a signal-sensing multichannel amp, then the act of sending a song to ZP which sends it to a given M-Audio output pair which send on to the amp will turn on the speakers to that zone and play your song. Stopping the music will turn off the amp via the signal-sensing feature.

If you want to do the software synch'ing thing and the zones that could potentially play the same song are not within earshot of each other, then look into using JRMC for that. I know MainLobby supports that, and I know CQC does not and probably will never support it, as most of it's target customer base would opt for a hardware based switcher.

 

[RonX]

jlokanis, are you looking for something like this?
Low cost
IR/X-10/RS232 controlled
8 in by 8 out A/V switcher
http://www.hacs.com/avs-8x8.html

 

[jlokanis]

That would work, but then I would need a multi channel amp.
What I really need is something like the Nuvo Concerto or Russound CAA66 without keypads.
But, this switcher plus a 12 channel amp might do the trick for less $$.
Any thoughts on amps or the sound quality of this solution?

 

[IVB]

That's effectively what I do. I got the Xantech ZPR68 switcher, which is generally the same thing as that switch. Then I got an amp [technically 4 different 30wx2ch amps, 1 50wx4ch amp, and 1 70wx6ch amp so I could match the wattage to the zone].

I believe the sound quality to be better this way, as I can have a higher powered amp to those areas that I might listen to louder hence neding more headroom, and smaller 2ch but very musical amps [ie parasound zamp] for those rooms that don't need the power.
Lest you think I spent $$$, those 2ch & 4ch amps were $50-$100 each off eBay. I got 18ch of power for ~$750.

 

[jwilson56]

I have a 5 zone setup... I can play a seperate CD in any zone... or hardware sync a single cd to any number of zones. I can also play a seperate FM tuner in each zone.... I do this by using seperate inexpensive 2 channel receivers and taking advantage of their built in IR switchable inputs. The more line level inputs a receiver has the more switching you can do. You can use inexpensive Xantech distribution amps to feed multiple line levels from a single source and use the receivers IR selectable input to switch to it. This can all be done with any number of HA packages. I use Homeseer/Netremote for mine.

The Delta 410 is just a source for me... like having 5 seperate sound cards that each can play a CD from. The switching is done with the receivers/distribution amps.

Take advantage of using off the shelf solutions and save a bundle.

John