Sonos like Software

randombar

Hi Guys,

Just looking for a bit of advice here, I've a few issues trying to set up an whole house audio system.

I have every room wired for speakers, all going back to a utility room closet. I also have a couple of apple TV's, a hp server and an airport express.

People have suggested to me that I should go sonos but the issue is they are pretty costly if you want more than a couple of zone.

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1st option I have:

Use the optical output of the apple tv's as sources, somehow wire them back to the utility room (via cat6 or speaker cable) and put them through an amp to a couple of zones.

Anyone any suggestions on how to do this?

Plus use the airport express in the utility room to go through an amp to a couple of zones.
OR
Use the audio output of the server to go through an amp to a couple of zones.

Because the airport express is basically only a wireless transmitter I will have the same music from server output as airport output.

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2nd option I have:

Get a multiple audio output PCI card for the server and use some kind of sw to stream different music/radio to different outputs?

Anyone any suggestions on how to do this?

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techguy

Check out : http://www.casatunes.com/

I looked into their products before and seemed better than Sonos iirc.

Hifi Keith

why go wireless if you have speaker cable in place? The sonos cost is associated with the fact that it can be installed into pre-wired houses. Have you ran any control cable for the system or will you have to control it wirelessly also?

randombar

Dont want to go wireless with the speakers, the issue I have with sonos it only does one zone per box, if I wanted multiple zones I'd need multiple sonos box in the utility. Looking to control off an iphone or something? There isn't any affordable multi zone amps out there that are controllable via iphone

Hifi Keith

Thing is for control the amp doesn't always have to be iphone compatible. The source just needs to be iphone controllable which the likes of apple TV/ WD Live etc are. The cavaet here I suppose is that these zones will need to be turned on and off so they will require a simple keypad for that but apart from turning on and off they should be able to be fully controlled using an iphone in that sense.

I agree sonos is quite expensive for a large install. Airplay is being built into a lot of the Onkyo/B&W/Denon/Marantz amps now but again you don't want to have to buy a host of amplifiers plus I wouldn't be a fan of multiple zones using airplay

basill

Cost is all relative and you get what you pay for. Compared to the specialist systems like Russound it is way cheap!

We have 5 zones of Sonos in our gaff and love it. Being able to control it via an itouch, iphone, ipad or the supplied controller is just brilliant. Kids can have on some weird and wonderful internet radio station playing their tunes whilst eating breakfast etc.

That being said you can always save a wee bit of money if you are willing to compromise. For example you can run another set of speaker cables from a Sonos unit via an impedence matching volume controller should you wish to run two rooms off the one box. Sure you will be locked into listening to the same music in the two different rooms but it might be a more affordable way of doing things initially whilst you save your pennies.

Ask Richersounds for a quote as well, when we got our system they were way cheaper than anything I found down here. Not sure how it pans out now with the forex rates but worth asking the question.

randombar

Thanks for that, I guess I was hoping for some option with the apple tv's / airport express as I have a few of those already. Doesn't look like an easy option!