Time to start planning a home stereo, and I know literally nothing about them. I need 4 "zones" that can play separately (ie, so if Im working in the garage, only play music in the garage), I'm not sure if its possible, but would ideally love to listen to my spotify in the garage, and the wife to listen to something else on the patio. Bluetooth is necessary, wifi is highly desirable. All the cables are run already (stereo wire, and I'm pretty sure power as well) to a central closet in the house. Also would like alexa compatibility. I was seeing the sonos, and it seems the easiest, but pricey (I assume). Not sure how much Id have to spend but I want at least better than average sound quality, I'm not an audio engineer, dont need absolute top quality.
I have 6 zones. All on sonos with in ceiling wires sonnance speakers and a 5 one sonnance system in family room. I use the in wall base for that system. It’s totally worth the coin! My kitchen has a 4/1 system with a big base in the kitchen ceiling. I ran and installed all wiring and speakers myself. For the actual controls I use the sonos app through our iPhones and have a few iPads on the wall in other places. Those also control the Lutron shades, etc Also, I ran it all to a professional rack in a spare closet. There is not one box that can be seen in my house, not even in the garage. I use URC to control all the tvs, etc as well.
Also, dead drop wires to every room even if you don’t do it now. It’s wsy easier to pull wires and write down where they are when it’s all opened up. Another hint, if you’re puttin speakers in bedrooms. Figure out where the bed will be so they’re over you when watching tv.
Yamaha also makes a decent Wifi/Bluetooth speaker system and it seems a little cheaper than Sonos. I don't think it's Alexa compatible, though.
I got a discount- but yes it’s expensive equipment but really nice that it’s all integrated. Funny thing is my wife was like we don’t neeed speakers in the bedroom or kitchen, etc. I bet 8/10 times I come home she’s got music on in the house. She loves it.
I have a pair of Sonos play 1’s . Won one at a Christmas party and loved it so I bought another . Incredible sound for the money . Using your iPhone as a controller is a plus
Is the Sonos system just a base station that you then connect to your own speakers? Does it have it's own amplifier or does each speaker zone need to have its own? I already have speakers and amplifiers paired together that make good sounds but it would be cool to have a central input for them and allow the music to follow me from room to room.
Save $ buy two JBL Charges, his and hers, blue tooth to phone, plenty of noise. then can pair together when want same music playing in both. Can pair 100 of them.
Inconceivable! I'm an audiophile and wouldn't spend big $ on sound in garage and back patio. Too much extra noise and bad acoustics. Spend the real $ on TV or listening rooms. And the bedroom, lots of bass needed there...
I dont want to deal with all that stuff, just a set it and forget it, and use 1 app to control everything. Having difference bluetooth devices everywhere is annoying.
There are a few types. Basically there are some that are a WiFi connection between you’re audio and speakers and then some have amps built into them. For instance, the zone where I have an amp built in I just have the sonos non amp versions. Where there are just speakers in the ceilings I have the amped ones. I’m not an AV guy so I had my uncle and another guy tell me what to get but I know enough that if there is a sub hooked up to it and it has its own amp, the sonos box is smaller.
So trying to figure this out, going to have 4 zones My setup will be Theater room (5.1) Office (2 speakers) Garage (2 speakers) Patio (2 speakers) Would it be easier / better to spend the money to have the theater room on its own dedicated receiver (1 reciever for 5.1, and another for the other 3 zones)? Or keep things simple and get a 4 zone receiver to run everything.
It kind of depends what you want your HT to do. Are you wanting big sound, huge explosions, the whole room thumping from the movie? If so, you might want a separate AVR for the HT, or, separate amps to power the HT speakers (via pre outs on the AVR) The more speakers you connect to the AVR, the less power you'll have going to the speakers. Some brands of AVRs are more robust in terms of true power rating, Denon and Marantz comes to mind.
I used to own a Denon AVR 610...and some sweet speakers from Boston Acoustics and Paradigm. 5.1 setup..was fantastic. I would still have it today except Hurricane Sandy decided she wanted it..haha. So an upvote for Denon Hardware..i remember watching Memphis Bell for the first time with a fully setup HT...what an experience it was..
