Multi room music

[Gazthesparky]

Got a customer who wants multi room music installing in his house that is being extended
I have never installed anything like that but I am interested in branching out.

He is wanting ceiling speakers and the ability to control different areas.

I did suggest going down the sonos route but just thought I would ask here for any suggestions.

Just wondering if there's any companies out there that design the layout as I'm not too sure of the layout for the speakers ect.

On another note he is also wanting a wired network installing. Network points behind all the TVs. I suggested a cupboard downstairs but he is agenst this and asked if it could be installed in the loft. Any one think of any reasons not to. I would install 2 data points from the router to the patch panel as he wants his wireless router downstairs in the hall
cheers

 

[vxwestie]

I haven't done much of this for a few years but I would have thought the concept of ceiling speakers wired to patch panels etc was a little dated now with wireless technology.
I know the systems I've done 5-10+ years ago must be extremely 'old hat' now...

 

[djelectric]

Have a look at this http://www.loxone.com/enen/smart-home/everything-managed/music.html

Pretty modern stuff, seen in installed in a few places up town

 

[Skimpy Wan]

Not sure about installing multi-room music etc (but looking at the loxone link I'm interested in finding out more for future projects).

However, running a couple of Cat-6e cables to the loft (1 as a spare) to feed a patch panel & then having modules in different rooms would work fine - remembering hard wired is faster & more stable than wireless connections.

 

[djelectric]

You could go down the apple route and have an Apple TV in each room if the homeowners use iPhones iPads etc.. Ceiling speakers are pretty simple to install, 2 channels of audio so left speakers to the left right to the right (of seating position or in line with downlights . Unless they want surround sound layout.. But wouldn't recommend ceiling speakers for this.

As for network cabling.. Cat5e is more than sufficient if they aren't transferring heavy data, if just for Internet then virgin media offer around 150meg max and cat5e is 1000meg+ capable. Two cables are a good idea invade they decide to install a server or something..

What are the modules your thinking of installing?

 

[Skimpy Wan]

You could go down the apple route and have an Apple TV in each room if the homeowners use iPhones iPads etc.. Ceiling speakers are pretty simple to install, 2 channels of audio so left speakers to the left right to the right (of seating position or in line with downlights . Unless they want surround sound layout.. But wouldn't recommend ceiling speakers for this.

As for network cabling.. Cat5e is more than sufficient if they aren't transferring heavy data, if just for Internet then virgin media offer around 150meg max and cat5e is 1000meg+ capable. Two cables are a good idea invade they decide to install a server or something..

What are the modules your thinking of installing?

Agree with Cat-5e, currently, being sufficient, but I got the impression the customer may be wanting to future-proof the installation - I maybe wrong and apologies if I am. I'd personally install RJ45 outlet modules. You?

 

[djelectric]

I'd find out precisely what he intends to use the network for and give him the future proof option at extra cost.. Didn't realise what you meant by modules, thought you was relating to the music system.. RJ45 definitely.

 

[DPG]

I'd still go wireless streaming. Wherever you put RJ45 outlet plates they will be in the wrong place when they have a move around or get new furniture etc. With wireless you can have it wherever you want it - even in the bathroom, garden, shed, wherever. Daz

 

[tazz]

With Sonos, you can hard wire amp modules or network them, or even use wireless.
Sonos seem to be the best available, with only the speakers being hardwired with 4 core zip cable (2 cables for each speaker)
Setup is usually 2 speakers installed in the ceiling centrally, 2 meters plus apart. 4 core zip cable to room module. Modules all linked to central control module, were all audio inputs are connected (tv1, tv2, radio etc) each room can then select audio and sound level sources individually. Systems have great sound quaulity.

 

[Swcfisher]

Systemline your area account manager will come out and do the design with you,

 

[rolyberkin]

There is nothing in my view which can touch Sonos, I have this system myself having tried and fitted others, Sonos now has Apple music and Spotify support and so many configurations from wireless speakers to amps or simple wireless link modules it is simply amazing. You can play music multi room and there is absolutely no time lag between rooms, or you can stream different streams to different rooms. You can also stream radio and also download your existing CD's to a NAS unit. We have added a 1TB storage unit with all our old CD's ripped to it (we also have downloaded films to it which we now stream using Google Chromecast). Sonos can also be controlled by IOS, Android or PC.

For your networking I would run a minimum of two or three data leads into each main living room/TV location or put in either 4 or 8 way gigabit switches in each location, I use Netgear Prosafe switches which are bullet proof. In my lounge I have a TV, two games consoles, PVR, Blue Ray and Sonos unit which all need a Ethernet connection. I ran an ethernet cable to every room and have since had to add an additional poe networking switch in the loft for CCTV, an 8 x switch in the lounge and a 4 x in the office! The speed difference between wired and wifi is noticeable when all the family are streaming, even with fibre! Without teaching grandma how to suck eggs also put USB power plugs at the rear of all TV screens.

I have also hardwired all of my speakers, a pain but you know that they aren't going to drop out or have interference or time lag problems, in my view an amp driven speaker will invariably sound better than an all in one powered wifi speaker and you haven't got the issue of getting power to it also.