ᐅ Planning a Home Theater System – Control Options and Various Questions
Created on: 6 Nov 2015 11:44
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Weitling09
We are currently at the shell construction stage and are planning the electrical installation. So far, we have used very basic equipment for listening to music (AIWA micro system, TV sound directly from the TV), but we want to plan for more "proper" equipment in the house.
What I have in mind:
> In the living room, I would like a surround sound system that allows me to listen to both music and TV audio.
> At the same time, I want to transmit sound from this system to the dining area, where stereo sound is sufficient (just for background music).
> Ideally, I would also like to be able to set up speakers on the terrace for garden parties, which can also be connected to the same system.
My questions:
1. I have already seen that there are multi-room control systems – would that be suitable here, or are there better options?
2. What should I pay attention to when purchasing a receiver / speakers?
3. Which connectors should I plan for (receiver -> wall [connector] -> [speaker cable] -> wall [connector] -> speakers)?
4. Is there any downside to the idea of also connecting the dining area speakers via wall connectors, and for garden parties, using those connectors to connect the outdoor speakers?
5. Attached is a draft of the plan on the floor plan – what could be improved? Any advice or tips are welcome!
What I have in mind:
> In the living room, I would like a surround sound system that allows me to listen to both music and TV audio.
> At the same time, I want to transmit sound from this system to the dining area, where stereo sound is sufficient (just for background music).
> Ideally, I would also like to be able to set up speakers on the terrace for garden parties, which can also be connected to the same system.
My questions:
1. I have already seen that there are multi-room control systems – would that be suitable here, or are there better options?
2. What should I pay attention to when purchasing a receiver / speakers?
3. Which connectors should I plan for (receiver -> wall [connector] -> [speaker cable] -> wall [connector] -> speakers)?
4. Is there any downside to the idea of also connecting the dining area speakers via wall connectors, and for garden parties, using those connectors to connect the outdoor speakers?
5. Attached is a draft of the plan on the floor plan – what could be improved? Any advice or tips are welcome!
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Sebastian796 Nov 2015 12:55That obviously works – I also thought you wanted to connect them in parallel.
In my opinion, wireless solutions would be the last option for new construction.
In my opinion, wireless solutions would be the last option for new construction.
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nordanney6 Nov 2015 13:06Sebastian79 schrieb:
That will of course work – I also thought you wanted to connect them in parallel.
In my opinion, wireless solutions would be the last choice for a new build. Wireless solutions (Wi-Fi) are, in my opinion, the first choice as a SUPPLEMENT. It’s nice to sit on the terrace, quickly pick up your phone, select a song (or a playlist from Spotify or similar), and instantly have good sound at a reasonable price. It can be used anywhere, not just in fixed spots like the dining area and terrace, but also in the office or bedroom (nice music to fall asleep to )...
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Weitling096 Nov 2015 13:19Hello Nordanney, thank you for your tips.
The living room electrical planning is still adjustable, but of course the floor plan is no longer changeable.
The wireless option sounds quite interesting. If I understood the product description correctly, streaming is only possible from a smartphone/PC!? A direct connection from the receiver (like a kind of wireless speaker) is not possible?
What initially puts me off is that such a device requires a separate power supply. Then I would have unsightly cables in the dining area again.
Can you tell me more about "making the receiver network-capable"? How do I do that, and what are the benefits? An internet connection for the receiver via LAN/Wi-Fi is at least planned!
***
Can someone help with my question No. 3? (Which connectors should I plan for (Receiver -> wall [connector] -> [speaker cable] -> wall [connector] -> speaker)?)
This question is quite current as we are in the middle of electrical planning. Which connectors do I need to have installed at the input (wall by the receiver) and output (speaker wall)?
When I look at 2-zone receivers (for example Onkyo TX-NR525 or Yamaha RXV577), I sometimes see RCA outputs for Zone 2!? What do I do with those?
The living room electrical planning is still adjustable, but of course the floor plan is no longer changeable.
The wireless option sounds quite interesting. If I understood the product description correctly, streaming is only possible from a smartphone/PC!? A direct connection from the receiver (like a kind of wireless speaker) is not possible?
What initially puts me off is that such a device requires a separate power supply. Then I would have unsightly cables in the dining area again.
Can you tell me more about "making the receiver network-capable"? How do I do that, and what are the benefits? An internet connection for the receiver via LAN/Wi-Fi is at least planned!
***
Can someone help with my question No. 3? (Which connectors should I plan for (Receiver -> wall [connector] -> [speaker cable] -> wall [connector] -> speaker)?)
This question is quite current as we are in the middle of electrical planning. Which connectors do I need to have installed at the input (wall by the receiver) and output (speaker wall)?
When I look at 2-zone receivers (for example Onkyo TX-NR525 or Yamaha RXV577), I sometimes see RCA outputs for Zone 2!? What do I do with those?
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nordanney6 Nov 2015 13:33Weitling09 schrieb:
The wireless version sounds quite interesting. If I read the product description correctly, streaming is only possible from a smartphone or PC!? Is a direct connection from the receiver (like a type of wireless speaker) not possible?
What puts me off initially is that such a device requires a separate power supply. Then I would again have unsightly cables in the dining area. With speaker cables, you would also have the wall outlet boxes.
Weitling09 schrieb:
Can you explain more about "making the receiver network-capable"? How do I do that, and what advantages does it bring? An internet connection for the receiver via LAN/Wi-Fi is at least planned! Then everything necessary is already taken care of.
Weitling09 schrieb:
Can anyone help with my question number 3? (Which connectors should I plan for (receiver → wall [connector] → [speaker cable] → wall [connector] → speaker)?)
This question is very current since we are in the middle of the electrical planning. Which connectors do I need to have installed at the input (wall at the receiver) and at the output (speaker wall)?
When I look at 2-zone receivers (for example Onkyo TX-NR525 or Yamaha RXV577), I sometimes see RCA outputs for Zone 2!? What do I do with those? In the area between receiver/wall or speaker/wall, I would skip using connectors. Have the necessary speaker cables installed and simple wall outlet boxes mounted. Then the speaker cable comes out of a wall box and goes straight to the receiver and to the speaker. In the dining area, you can opt for a type that accepts banana plugs (if you only want speakers temporarily placed there, otherwise like in the living room).
Zone 2 = requires a second amplifier or power amplifier (see the TX-NR525 user manual).
Alternatively, you can choose an amplifier with more power outputs. Then you have 5.1 in the living room, and the last two power outputs in the dining area – but nothing remains for outdoors. For three zones, it gets even more complex and costly.
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Sebastian796 Nov 2015 13:42nordanney schrieb:
Wireless solutions (Wi-Fi) are, in my opinion, the best choice as an ADD-ON. It’s nice to sit on the terrace, grab your phone quickly, select a song (or a playlist from Spotify or similar), and immediately get good sound at a reasonable price. Well, I implemented exactly that feature – just wired and available everywhere you use it.
nordanney schrieb:
In the area between receiver/wall or speaker/wall, I would avoid connectors. Just run the necessary speaker cables and install inexpensive wall plates. I wouldn’t do that – the wall plate I recommend costs less than 60 euros and provides a clean solution where you can connect with banana plugs.
Currently, I have 5 zones – with only one receiver plus one amplifier and the DIY module.
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Weitling096 Nov 2015 13:51@nordanney:
Regarding the wireless option (Sonos or similar): is it really only possible to stream from a smartphone or PC? Or can I also stream directly from the receiver (CD or radio, for example)?
Why would there be obvious cables in the wired setup, too? Wouldn’t it just be a few centimeters from the wall outlet to the speakers?
I wasn’t aware that a second amplifier would be needed for Zone 2, that’s unfortunate and actually a dealbreaker! I only wanted small wall speakers in the dining area.
How about Yamaha’s “Zone B”? Would regular speaker cables be sufficient there?
@Sebastian79: Which wall outlet would you recommend? One with “banana plug” connectors? To clarify: that means I need 4x2 wall inputs at the receiver (picture 1), and a standard wall outlet for each speaker (2x rear, 2x stereo dining area) (picture 2) – have I understood that correctly?
Regarding the wireless option (Sonos or similar): is it really only possible to stream from a smartphone or PC? Or can I also stream directly from the receiver (CD or radio, for example)?
Why would there be obvious cables in the wired setup, too? Wouldn’t it just be a few centimeters from the wall outlet to the speakers?
I wasn’t aware that a second amplifier would be needed for Zone 2, that’s unfortunate and actually a dealbreaker! I only wanted small wall speakers in the dining area.
How about Yamaha’s “Zone B”? Would regular speaker cables be sufficient there?
@Sebastian79: Which wall outlet would you recommend? One with “banana plug” connectors? To clarify: that means I need 4x2 wall inputs at the receiver (picture 1), and a standard wall outlet for each speaker (2x rear, 2x stereo dining area) (picture 2) – have I understood that correctly?
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