Is my ideal set-up an impossibility

[admin_exported]

Hi experts,

I have a lounge and dining room through-room and kitchen area (separated by french doors) which I am trying to think up a home cinema / audio set-up for.

In the lounge will be the main "big" tv with sky hd box and surround sound etc (another post on this methinks as I don't know what I really want or should I say need). Then in the through-room dining room I want just wall mounted speakers connected to the lounge set-up so that I can put on background music over dinner but not have it playing over the lounge speakers. Is this possible? Can there be separate channels?

In the kitchen will be a sky multiroom box and surround sound etc (probably part of the additional post I need to make).

Now, the crux. Can all the speakers / kit be connected so that I can play the same audio throughout the three areas when entertaining etc.

Thanks

rik

 

[sta99y]

Hi I will be blunt but I'm trying to help... Google SONOS as I think this is your solution. Be prepared to dig deep in your pockets!!

 

[John Duncan]

Or Squeezebox, or Airport Express, or Apple TV (somewhat cheaper).

However, just to be clear - are you saying that the dining area just needs a pair of speakers, which will be hooked up to the surround in the living room and would only ever be used when there's no music in the living room, or at least the same music?

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Sta99y. I'll have a look at Sonos but not sure I like this digging deep lark!

It seems to me from the website that this is a whole house solution, and pretty cutting edge, whereas I'm only really fussed about the three rooms downstairs.

If it helps to identify possible solutions I will be having all floors and ceilings replaced so cabling is not an issue in turns of running / channeling cables around the downstairs. Particularly regarding the dining room I suppose I just want an additional four speakers on the lounge set-up where I can turn off or down the lounge only speakers.ÿ

rik

 

[Anonymous]

Hi John,

Yes, that was my intention. In a 'party' environment the dining room and lounge would be playing the same (probably cheesy party) music. But the lounge would mainly be used in isolation to watch sport, movies etc and the dining room in isolation in the previously mentioned "background music" to a dinner party situation.

rik

 

[richardw42]

It seems that something like a speaker selector might be something you'd be interested in.
I can't post links on my iPad but if you google Jamo Speaker Selector take a look and see if this interests you
There are sites advertising speaker selectors as cheap as £30 but I'd be wary of these

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Richard,

That sounds like a solution. Now with the dining room that could obviously link into the lounge set-up but if I also wanted to include the kitchen speakers (remember, cabling isn't an issue) could those speakers be "dual cabled" (did I just make that up?) so that in the main they would be part of the kitchen multi-room surround sound tv set-up but could be included with the speaker selector during party occasions so that the entire downstairs speakers were outputting the same music?

rik

 

[richardw42]

I've no knowledge of the product but a quick look at the JAMO JSS4-VC2 looks like it will serve 4 sets of speakers and as each has it's own on/off & volume control then you'll decide exactly which speakers are running. One thing is it's for stereo only so if you want surround in the lounge you would be after a more complete solution.
Also the speaker terminals on the box are spring clip.

 

[tlspuds]

From the non-hifi expert community:

Have you simply considered a couple of high quality (B&W/Bose) ipod docs for the dining room/kitchen or even one for both rooms? I don't know about your house, but my dining room doesn't get used nearly enough to justify any serious hifi - now the bathroom on the other hand..........

 

[Tom Moreno]

Surely between the Lounge and Dining room you could simply use the lounge AVR's 2nd zone function and utilise either the surround back amplifiers in the AVR or (if you plan on using all 7 amps in the lounge) a simple stereo amp connected to the AVR's Zone 2 pre-outs to drive the speakers and control volume in the dining room. If your AVR supports 3 zones (like some better Denons and such) then you could also send a pre-amp out to the audio setup you are using in the kitchen. Then all you need to do when you want to party like it's 1999 is turn on the speakers in the extra rooms and set the inputs on their driving components and set your AVR to send the same audio from the main zone to zones 2 and 3.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks All.

If it highlights my lack of experience in this area
my current home cinema set-up is a Goodmans 28inch CRT with no
speakers!

I see the two possibilities as the Jamo set-up or
the zone function of an AVR. I was drawn to the Jamo at first but that is just
because of my lack of knowledge of the capability of an AVR. I can't see many places that stock that Jamo switcher. Is it not
regarded as a quality piece of kit or suitable solution?

I presume that an AVR with various zones is built
for this sort of job and is therefore more expensive that an AVR with a single
zone?

Tom,

If it helps I was planning the following speaker
set-up.

Lounge - TV set-up etc, centre, 2 fronts, SW, 2
rear surround sound.

Dining Room - four speakers in the four corners
linked into the lounge AVR per my original query

Kitchen - separate TV set-up etc, centre, 2 fronts,
SW, 2 rear surround sound (and 3 ceiling speakers?) but also linked into the
lounge AVR per my original query.

Can your suggestion work here?

rik

 

[John Duncan]

Rik

I think that the 'zone' idea will work best. Lots of AV receivers have 'A and/or B' selectors for the fronts, so that you can run one/other/both pairs. This means long cables from the AV amp to your dining room, but would cover pretty much your requirements.

Let me see if I can do some database jiggery-pokery to see what receivers have two speaker outputs (my old Yamaha had them several years ago).

JD

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks JD,

Can I upload a diagram anywhere of my intended set-up in each of the three rooms? And how I think everything joins up if I understand all the advice correctly?

rik

 

[John Duncan]

Yep - upload it to any picture hosting site (flickr, photobucket etc) and then link the image in your post.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi

I have uploaded a plan to flickr. Is this possible?

Also, where do ceiling speakers fit into a surround sound set-up?

Thanks

rik

 

[John Duncan]

I'll change that to an embedded picture, but I have to have my tea first...

 

[Anonymous]

Hi JD,

Did you manage to find anything that might be applicable to my plans? I think you mentioned an old Yamaha model?

If it really is an unrealistic plan if not impossible I'll focus on keeping the kitchen area separate and having the two zone Lounge and Dining Room.

rik

 

[Anonymous]

I think my idea must have left people stumped and therefore is not really achievable??

In that case can anyone point me in the direction of a good two zone AVR so that I can have independent or synchronised sound in the lounge and dining room?

Thanks

rik

 

[davejberry]

Most av amps have A, B, A+B switching for the front speakers which will allow you to play music in the lounge or dining room or both at the same time. Pioneer VSX series, my Sony 2400ES to name two. As you want a surround system in the kitchen, this would suggest another AV amp for that area. If you run a stereo RCA cable from the output of the amp in the lounge to an input on the amp in the kitchen, you could essentially have the same music playing across all rooms. The only limitations I can see is if you can accommodate a long stereo RCA cable

 

[john1000000boy]

Rik most home cinema amps have a 2nd room option. My old sony str db1080 had it. It cost about £600 9 years ago!! (i got it for £450 back then!!) Running right up to my current amp the Pio lx 82. Which was about £2000 (i got it for about £1400) It is a common feature and some cracking deals can be had!! You then just have to fork out for the additional amps/units for the other zones. Think Denon and Marantz do some very nice compact hifi units which will give you a bit of flexibility with cds and radio in the other zones! Warning though if you go down that road is it really required to hook up your home cinema amp. The choice is yours!?!? ps if you are looking for long phono leads go online loads of savings to be had!!