I have speakers and volume controls ALL over the house. They were here when we moved in. Luckily, the wires hanging out of the wall are mostly labeled, so I know what goes where.

I have the following:

2 front channel speakers in the living room wall (powered directly off receiver)
2 rear channel jacks on the wall (currently no speakers attached, maybe future powered directly from amp)
2 speakers outside
2 speakers in the kitchen
2 speakers in the master bedroom
1 speaker in the master bath
1 speaker in the hallway
1 speaker in the guest bath
4 speakers in the family room

What I want to do:

Have a single audio source (some type of receiver that I do not yet own) that would provide power to all speakers (again, each location has a separate volume control on the wall).

I will not be buying any speakers for this endeavor, but merely using what's there. I'm not looking for "studio-level" sound quality, though I don't want it to sound as though it's being transmitted by tin cans and string, either. Somewhere around the quality you might get from one of those $200 all-in-one tape deck, CD player, FM receiver type combos that have speakers that attach/detach, if you know what I'm referring to? Like a bookshelf setup, I think they are called?

So, since I'm not buying speakers, I obviously won't be using the two rear channels that are just jacks on the wall. I also will not be using the center channel, nor the sub. Although, I would like a receiver that he ability to drive the 5.1 system in case I decide to purchase those at a later date.


How do I power all these other speakers all over the house? I do not want an A/B style receiver, as I want the sound to be able to be available everywhere.

My budget for this is as cheap as possible, honestly. I might be willing to go $5-600 for the whole solution.

Can I get it done this cheap? Please specify brands that I might look at, or links to specific products would be even better. For a receiver, I'd be fine with consumer-grade stuff, obviously (in my price range), like Onkyo, Sony, Pioneer, or Denon. Something along those lines. Whatever it is would need a pre-amp out to drive the amp, yes? For this initial project,

The amp, however.. I'm much less certain about my needs there. I'm aware I will need some type of receiver and most likely a multi-channel power amp, but my google skills keep returning products that cost north of $1000 for just an amp, or they return brands with odd names I've never heard of that I don't know if they are any good.

If it helps keep cost down and get within my budget, and I am able to use multiple amps, this initial project I'd like to be able to power 6 of the speakers, plus the ones driven directly from the receiver. Then I could purchase an additional amp at a later date to drive the other speakers.


Thanks in advance for the help!!


ETA: I will either be playing FM radio audio, or, I will be playing audio from my iPod. So, if it has a dock that can control an iPod (just basic next/back would work, I think), bonus points, but at a minimum, some way to connect the iPod through a line in or something.

Also, I am not looking for video processing or switching or upconversion or anything. This will be audio only.

Maybe look at Sonus or a Russound multi room controller.
You can't just connect them all at once ~ there will be impedance issues and other problems.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
Maybe look at Sonus or a Russound multi room controller.
You can't just connect them all at once ~ there will be impedance issues and other problems.

Uhh, yeah.. The russound MCA-88x is $2499. WAY outside my budget.


I know I can't just wire them directly to the receiver, hence why I said I think I need a receiver with preamp out and a multi-channel powered amp to then amplify that signal and send it to all the speakers.

While I appreciate your taking the time to reply, based on your recommendation, I can't help but think you didn't actually read my entire post. Or did I word it that poorly?

Sounds like you need to accomplish two different things. The first is your home theater with 5.1, as easy as buying a home theater receiver, take your pick Onkyo, Sony, Pioneer, Denon, Yamaha all have basic 5.1 units between $175-$350, (see here: Under $400 5.1 Receivers)For cheaper 5.1 systems try Best Buy where some of these are available: Under $300 5.1 Receivers These usually have some built in switching for your CD, DVD, etc. and need to have a line out to a multi channel amp/switching system for the other speakers in your system.

Next for the other areas in your home, those speakers will want you to use something like this: 4-Zone Controller/Amplifier

The good part is you can start with the theater and work out from there.

Best of luck in setting up your system.

OK, so.. Finding preamp out is harder than I thought in my price range it would seem.

Now, as for the other speakers.. I followed your link, and that amp only drives 2 channels. However, it says that you can actually run up to 4 pairs of speakers by using "impedance matching volume controls". While I don't understand exactly what that means, I'm guessing it does something along the lines of allowing you to plug multiple sets of speakers into a single output and still making them appear as 8 ohms or something, right? My understanding is if you plug multiple speakers into a single jack, the resistance is cut, and you end up overheating the amp. I guess I don't need the technical understanding, but rather the basic understanding of what they do.

But, based on the picture of their "impedance matching volume controls", I said "Hrmm, that looks like what's on the wall all over this place". So I took one out. Pics below.











Are these the same thing? Reason I ask is that I do currently have the outside speakers and the "bookshelf" speakers from one of those all-in-one $200 stereos plugged into the output on that unit, and it hasn't blown up yet. Mind you, I'm not partying it up crazy and shaking the roof, just wanting some music. Did the circuitry in that volume control prevent me from blowing it up?

If so.. Knowing that I have those all over the house then (for every speaker/pair of speakers EXCEPT the two that would be the front 2 channels of a 5.1 setup) change the equipment that I need to do this? Can I just put all the speaker wires into the same single output on a receiver and I'm good to go?

From your photos, it does look like you have the correct volume controls and are missing the multi zone amp.

The channels refers to stereo rather than home theater which is what it appears your setup is for (except for the living room which is home theater).

What may be more helpful are these manuals which show a set up of what you have and what you appear to be looking for: Volume Controls and Amplifier.

The amplifier allows you to connect your component audio (CD/DVD/I-Touch, etc)using regular 'Y" audio connectors instead of going through the receiver. If you want radio without a receiver you can use an I-Touch with wi-fi to Pandora or Satellite Radio.

This would give you your music through the house and outside speakers. Your Home Theater would then need to be separate (and it appears it is by your description).

Hope this helps.

Hrmm..

So.. The 2 front channel speakers do not have a volume control in line. The two rear channel locations are binding post/banana plugs that are on the walls, up near the ceiling. There is no wiring for center or sub.

The "home theater" idea is for later, if and when I buy speakers for it. For now, I want to get some type of receiver than will do home theater for future use, but will do fm radio and iPod control. I want to use this one receiver to not only drive the two front channel speakers (so just stereo speakers), as well as use it as the source to feed to an amp that will then power the rest of the speakers in the house. So, they would be physically separate units, but would be connected so that whatever is playing on the receiver would be piped throughout the entire house.

Does that help clarify my goals? I'm aware there would be spare volume controls on the receiver and the amp, but the idea is the amp would pretty much remain at a fixed volume since ever speaker connected to it has its own volume control already.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: exx1976,

Also, can I just wire everything directly into the front 2 channels on the receiver since I have the impedance controls at all the speakers?

OK, wait.. How about this? According to the description, it says that the back 2 speakers can be used to send power to speakers in another room.

So, I could drive the front channel (just stereo speakers for music in my initial configuration) using the front r/l from this, and use the back channel to drive all the rest of the speakers with their own impedance controls, right? Then I don't need a separate amp?



https://www.crutchfield.com/S-...VENTAGE-RX-A660.html

Best buy has that receiver for $349.

I think I follow your desired outcome and my best answer was my first one, however you do have some options depending on your flexibility.

Option 1-Multi-zone home Theater Receiver just like in your link, (multi zone in your desired price range means 2) where you use zone 2 to power your remote speakers and the remote volume controls to turn on/up or down/off manually each room. Or with this receiver, it would allow you using it's internal wi-fi to control things through an app on your I-pad.

Option 2-Multi-zone amplifier with a used home theater receiver and using the app to control.

Have you determined that the speakers you have installed will do what you want them to do? The reason I asked is my late MIL bought a home with a lot of similar wiring and controls. When I looked at it I found it was wired with telephone grade house wiring and the speakers were equally cheap. I doubt it was even possible to drive these speakers (like out on the patio) without them being distorted and buzzing. Certainly none of the setup was bonded to reduce induction humm.

So, an update:

Picked up a Yamaha rx-v681 from best buy. Due to an error on their part, I got a $649 msrp receiver for $411 OTD. It's quite nice - has discreet amps to separately control volume for the main zone (7.2 or 5.2+zone 2) and the second zone, so I can crank up the volume on zone 2 (whole house) and control in-room volume with the on the wall knobs, while keeping the main channel at a separate volume level. It appears I can also provide 2 separate sources for the two zones, which is nice.

All in all, I'm quite happy with it.

Came home, started checking all these impedance matching controls to make sure they were set correctly.

Found a pair of speakers downstairs that I can't figure out how they are wired, and found 3 of the 7 controls were only volume, not impedance matching. So I ordered 3 impedance matching ones to replace them. Also found that one of the in-wall front channel speakers was blown. Ordered a pair of Polk audio RC85i.

Speakers on the deck and in the kitchen work, need to test the ones in the hall and the guest bath. Entire master suite had incorrect controls, as did one pair of speakers downstairs. (and I can't figure out how the other ones downstairs are even wired)


The speakers are all wired with contractor grade speaker wire that looks to be about 12 gauge. Can't complain there.

Maybe Rainman will come along. He has a great setup.