Re: Multi room speaker configuration

[mike <spamme0@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bardolator wrote:
> Hello
> I am buying a new house and would like it to be wired for ceiling
> speakers so that I can play music and I can hear it in all the rooms.
> Since I have all my music collection in my computer, which I am
> thinking of placing it in the den, I want it to be used as the source
> for music. I know Computer does not give out enough amplified sound, so
> I would have to connect it to the receiver or amplifier. I want to
> place speakers in the Dining room, Family room and Master suite. I also
> want to control the volume in each room. Here's what I want to know:
>
> 1) What will be best and economical configration to do this?
> 2) What kind of speakers would I need and where can I get them from?
>
>
> Thanks.
>

Big question is what kind of sound quality do you want?
A typical wall or ceiling speaker is gonna sound like Crap.
Yes, with a capital "C".
You can't just stick a variable resistor in series with the speakers.
Well, you can, it's done a zillion times a day, but is sounds like
CCrap with two capital "CC"s.
Get some professional help and go listen to an installation they've
done in the past.

It's always good to wire the house before the walls go on, but
predicting the future is hard.  The house is gonna last way longer than
the current electronic fad.  If I were gonna do it, I'd put in three
75 Ohm coaxes, something suitable for Gigabit ethernet, phone, and
another 8-wire cable for spares.  Run it all down to the basement
to a junciton box so you can reconfigure it when your needs change.
If you want high-level speaker audio, run six more wires as big as you
can afford.  It's always better to have one more wire than you need
than one less.

I like the 900MHz wireless speakers.  Mine are branded Recoton, but they
come in different brands/flavors.  You put the transmitter at your
computer and place the stereo speakers anywhere you want.  The quality
is ok for background...if you don't listen too closely...but way better
than a typical intercom wall speaker.  There's also a
wireless headphone that goes with the system.

There are also 2.4GHz. systems that also transmit video.  They're
interesting until you turn on the microwave oven and your speaker cones
fly out the window.  I've still got a yellow stain on the carpet where
I was standing the first time that happened.

Powered computer speakers with subwoofers form the basis for a quite
listenable satellite system as long as you don't try to play it too
loud.  If you use shielded cable in the walls, you can pipe
low level audio around to the computer speakers...but there still may
be hum issues if they run along with the power wires.

My current favorite is a walkman-style MP3 CDplayer that I can take to
any room and plug in the speakers.  You can also find PDAs that can play
mp3s.

If you buy it new, all this stuff can be expensive.  But it's showing
up at garage sales for a buck.  YMMV.

So, back to the original question...what sound quality do you want?
mike

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