Need help with system purchase

Woodymakespizza

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Hello all,

I am at a loss. Im looking for a system that has surround sound but also has multi room. I am finishing a media center build, put my computer together, file server, tv, etc. Now Im looking for speakers and I'd love something that I can connect to both the computer and the TV, which has surround sound for this room, but can also send that same audio into other rooms.

I havent been able to find a decent option. Every multi-room setup I find doesnt seem to have a surround system. Every surround system doesnt seem to have multi-room.

Help
 

Tinman1952

Well-known member
Hello all,

I am at a loss. Im looking for a system that has surround sound but also has multi room. I am finishing a media center build, put my computer together, file server, tv, etc. Now Im looking for speakers and I'd love something that I can connect to both the computer and the TV, which has surround sound for this room, but can also send that same audio into other rooms.

I havent been able to find a decent option. Every multi-room setup I find doesnt seem to have a surround system. Every surround system doesnt seem to have multi-room.

Help
Hi. Interesting topic.
The only way I can think of is to have an AV receiver in your main room for surround sound (with passive speakers attached) which also has a system which can connect to speakers in other rooms. Yamaha has its MusicCast system and Denon has Heos.
 
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Woodymakespizza

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Okay, I had explored some of each, and also very recently ended up looking at one of the Polk systems which at first glance seems to be able to connect to google home/nest/cast systems.

As Im still looking would love to hear more ideas or opinions.
 

Woodymakespizza

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What’s wrong with Yamaha MusicCast…? 🤔


Not sure if anything is wrong with it. Walking into this conversation I was not familiar with any of these and Im looking for opinions and experiences of others, and have been doing a fair amount of reading on my own. As of right this minute, Im leaning Yamaha or Denon, but Im still not to the point of being ready to commit, as I believe in really doing my research into whats what, and have started exploring the software and apps a bit more.
 
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Woodymakespizza

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You’re not wrong….😉 I’ve used MusicCast with an AV receiver and two streamers and not had any problems at all.

For this setup have you had full surround plus streamers putting out the same audio? (Or, surround plus multi room on the same audio simultaneously) Thats really what Im looking to achieve, is to basically have surround on my tv/computer setup, and also play the same audio in the next room, as I can see through from my kitchen into my living room, and I want to be able to send the stream there, so I can hear the same audio when in the kitchen without having to crank the volume, and possibly to a second streamer elsewhere, but this basically sums up my goal.
 

Tinman1952

Well-known member
For this setup have you had full surround plus streamers putting out the same audio? (Or, surround plus multi room on the same audio simultaneously) Thats really what Im looking to achieve, is to basically have surround on my tv/computer setup, and also play the same audio in the next room, as I can see through from my kitchen into my living room, and I want to be able to send the stream there, so I can hear the same audio when in the kitchen without having to crank the volume, and possibly to a second streamer elsewhere, but this basically sums up my goal.
Yes it will do that. I have had Dolby Atmos in my living room (7.2 channel) from my Yamaha AV receiver and stereo in the bedroom from a WXAD-10 streamer simultaneously. In the MusicCast app you just ‘link’ the two rooms and the audio plays in both. 👍
 

Woodymakespizza

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Yes it will do that. I have had Dolby Atmos in my living room (7.2 channel) from my Yamaha AV receiver and stereo in the bedroom from a WXAD-10 streamer simultaneously. In the MusicCast app you just ‘link’ the two rooms and the audio plays in both. 👍

Thanks, you have me leaning very heavily toward Yamaha... Anything you DONT like about yours?
 

Tinman1952

Well-known member
Do you know if it allows Amazon/Alexa devices to act as speakers? Every google search pulls up a crap ton of reviews talking about Alexa control, but what about playback through Alexa's speakers?
Not as far as I know. Amazon/Alexa is a ’closed’ system. There is a MusicCast ‘skill’ you can add however so you can do it the other way round. Control your MusicCast devices with Alexa voice control….
 

Lappa

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I have the MusicCast system and I can link to eg. a Google mini to have it act as a Bluetooth speaker in another room plus, at the same time , I can tell the Google mini to control the system (volume, source, ON OFF etc), I don’t have Alexa so I can’t comment on that system.
 
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Tinman1952

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Do you know if it allows Amazon/Alexa devices to act as speakers? Every google search pulls up a crap ton of reviews talking about Alexa control, but what about playback through Alexa's speakers?
Ok a correction (thanks Lappa)…
apparently the latest version of MusicCast now allows connection over Bluetooth as well as using your wireless network. Also the latest Echo devices allow connection from other devices via Bluetooth.
So it should be possible….👍 there may be some latency though.
 
Bluesound, which is one of the most stable systems out there, offer multi-room streaming, and a pair of their Pulse speakers and their sub can be added to their soundbar to produce surround sound. If you’re looking for an AV system that is based around a proper AV receiver, you could always added a Bluesound Node to that system, then other Bluesound products around the home - best of both worlds.
 

Tinman1952

Well-known member
Bluesound, which is one of the most stable systems out there, offer multi-room streaming, and a pair of their Pulse speakers and their sub can be added to their soundbar to produce surround sound. If you’re looking for an AV system that is based around a proper AV receiver, you could always added a Bluesound Node to that system, then other Bluesound products around the home - best of both worlds.
How exactly would you add a Bluesound Node to an AV receiver?
 
But that would not allow multi channel in the living room and audio in the kitchen for example…🤔that’s what the OP wants…
If it’s plugged into an AV receiver, how would it not provide surround sound? A Bluesound Pulse speaker in the kitchen will be able to play independently in the kitchen. If the same signal is needed in the kitchen, the two zones can be connected via the app. If you’re talking about an audio signal from a Bluray player playing through the AV receiver, the new Bluesound’s have an HDMI input, so could be connected to a second zone HDMI output from the receiver.
 

Tinman1952

Well-known member
If it’s plugged into an AV receiver, how would it not provide surround sound? A Bluesound Pulse speaker in the kitchen will be able to play independently in the kitchen. If the same signal is needed in the kitchen, the two zones can be connected via the app. If you’re talking about an audio signal from a Bluray player playing through the AV receiver, the new Bluesound’s have an HDMI input, so could be connected to a second zone HDMI output from the receiver.
Yes that’s assuming the AVR has two HDMI outputs…not all do. But that’s an extra device (Node) which is just not needed in this scenario.
The AVR can connect to a wireless speaker on the network….
 
Yes that’s assuming the AVR has two HDMI outputs…not all do. But that’s an extra device (Node) which is just not needed in this scenario.
The AVR can connect to a wireless speaker on the network….
Lots of variables, and will depend on lots of things - my suggestion was keeping it simple and with a rock solid multi-room system, which is rarely the case for an AVR.
 

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