multi-room audio system

[carrejans]

Hi guys,

I'm looking for a multi-room audio system for my house. I haven't found what I'm looking for. Can you guys help me find a system, with following requirements:
- 5 rooms
- I have speaker cables in all of those rooms, and they join at 1 point (in my cellar)
- remote should be possible with wireless remote control (via wifi?), and with app on ipad
- sources: mp3's on a NAS and (internet-)radio
- good quality-price (not in the high-end region)


Thank you!

[AshaiRey]

did you used the search option already?
Hint: ZMC

[Niels]

You can also look at this post from me in the For Sale section.
Newprices are high, but i'm selling them for a price between €500- €1000 depending on the desired configuration.

[FoRMaTC]

Sonos?

[nielsvanstek]

I also should suggest Sonos... there is always a option the seach on marktplaats for it if the prices are too high?

Sonos can play music from your NAS without having a PC running some software, easy to control with a iPad / Iphone
also internet radio and paid musicstreamservices are doing good.
and a good working product no "HobbyBobby"

Else you have other products as : Russound, Elan, Niles... but they are in a higher price market...

[marck]

I would agree. We have a multi-room Sonos system and I think Sonos is way ahead of the pack. Compare Apple vs Nokia.

Running a number of Connect:amp's (Zoneplayer 12). Control Sonos via Ipad/Iphone or pc. Advice: Don't buy the Sonos controller.

Also, sound quality is superb.

[olof]

I also would suggest Sonos, we have it our home and love it. It's the most stable piece of gadget we have, even the kids and the wife can't mess it up. As compared to all the other electronic instruments around the house.

A cheaper alternative could perhaps be Logitech's Squeezebox. I've never tried it, but is mentioned often in forums as an alternative. Less stable, requires more tinkering, etc.. but still.

Cheers,
Olof

[vanisher]

What kind of sonos devices do you need for a starter setup?

Like:

Living, kitchen, attic.

[Phaeton]

At least on speaker connected to the network. Alternatively you can buy a bridge (often sonos gives this away with a speaker as a special offer), then you dont need to connect a speaker to your network. Sonos also has a sonos connect which you can use to add an excisting receiver to your sonos network.

There is a very nice plugin for homeseer.

I agree with olof. Sonos for me is also the most stable gadget besides my ipad

[vanisher]

I'm just reading some Sonos info:

Play - are the speakers (also wireless when you have a brigde)
Connect:Amp - Part of the Sonos network but used with your normal speakers
Connect - Current stereo can feed the Sonos with music which can be played by other sonos speakers.
Bridge - cable -> wireless SonosNet

How is the sound of the sonos?

[Phaeton]

Good. But an audiophile would disagree

You feed this thing mp3 and internetfeeds, so therefore you loose some quality. For me (a not-audiophile, but critical listener) the quality is good.

[olof]

Just my two cents worth, but here is how I have Sonos setup in our house. I ended up using most components of Sonos

Bedrooms & Kitchen:
- I installed Play:5 & Play:3 components (old name: S5). They are all-in units; wireless + build-in amplifier + build in speakers.
- the sound is excellent, even to critical listeners (like some of my friends). In addition, you can combine two Play's (5's or 3's) to make them function as separate speaker units. Works excellent.

Living room:
- Since I have an amplifier (Yamaha) and surround speakers already installed, I went with a Sonos Connect (old name: ZP90). It also doubles as my Sonos bridge (i.e. internet connection). Sonos Connect: you need to supply the amplifier + speakers yourself.

Bathroom (in the celler):
- I installed waterproof speakers and ran the wires to a nearby room/closet. Inside I installed a Sonos Connect:Amp (old name: ZP120). Sonos Connect;Amp: you need to supply the speakers yourself.

You can control Sonos from Iphone, Android, Ipad, PC's etc.. Which we do. Still, I also got the seperate remote control (CR200). Why? For us, it's just quicker and simpler to grab this 1-purpose device to play music quickly.

hope this info helps
Cheers,
Olof

[Rene]

I use the Logitech Media Server, formerly known as Squeezebox server. Although I believe Logitech has discontinued the product. Advantages of the Logitech solution over the Sonos solution i.m.o. are:
- The hardware is far less expensive
- Most of the software is open source and free
- Software players exist to make a player out of every PC

[carrejans]

Thanks for all the replies.
The sonos looks great, but isn't the solution for me.

Like I said, I have 1 point in my house, where all the speaker cables of all the rooms come together. So I don't want an amp in every room.

Thanks...

[nielsvanstek]

You can put the Sonos AMP also place at 1 place ( central place ) that's no problem.
So you can connect all speakercables also at the central place.

In the sonos setup you can connect one by one, and give them a name. So connect for example the kitchen speakercables, setup the sonos amp, and give the name Kitchen, then the next room.
So in your App you have all roomnames for control and the cables and sonosamps are at a centralplace.

Else you have to look at : Russound, Niles, Opus, Elan or something like that, they working with a central controller, but most with control through keypads ( wired ) so every room must extra cables for keypad control.

If you need advice, let me know...