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Teufelchen198517 Nov 2012 09:26Hello everyone,
We are planning to integrate a multimedia system in our house, which is still in the design phase, and want to consider the necessary costs now.
The system should be able to do the following:
Which systems do you recommend for this? What costs should we expect? Does it make sense to install wiring for this, or is it better to control it wirelessly?
Thank you very much for your tips and experience reports.
Teufelchen
We are planning to integrate a multimedia system in our house, which is still in the design phase, and want to consider the necessary costs now.
The system should be able to do the following:
- Equip every room with speakers
- Be controlled from a central location (tablet), allowing the same music (or internet radio) to be played simultaneously in multiple rooms
- Additionally, connect the TV, so that the TV audio can also be played in another room
Which systems do you recommend for this? What costs should we expect? Does it make sense to install wiring for this, or is it better to control it wirelessly?
Thank you very much for your tips and experience reports.
Teufelchen
The costs largely depend on how much you are willing to spend. What is your approximate budget? Then I can suggest a few systems that would fit!
Regarding the question of Wi-Fi versus wired connections, based on my own experience, I would recommend going with wired connections if you have the option. They are less prone to interference and, when it comes to electromagnetic pollution, there are still no empirical studies proving that Wi-Fi is completely harmless.
Regarding the question of Wi-Fi versus wired connections, based on my own experience, I would recommend going with wired connections if you have the option. They are less prone to interference and, when it comes to electromagnetic pollution, there are still no empirical studies proving that Wi-Fi is completely harmless.
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Teufelchen198513 Dec 2012 15:43Hello Omega,
we don’t have a specific budget for the system yet. That’s why we’re asking here in the forum about what we should roughly include in our overall budget. Since, as you prefer, we want to go with the wired option, we need to plan for this already during the house design phase.
Since you seem to be knowledgeable in this area, it would be very helpful if you could share some brand names and their respective price ranges. Maybe you also know the corresponding pros and cons ;-)
we don’t have a specific budget for the system yet. That’s why we’re asking here in the forum about what we should roughly include in our overall budget. Since, as you prefer, we want to go with the wired option, we need to plan for this already during the house design phase.
Since you seem to be knowledgeable in this area, it would be very helpful if you could share some brand names and their respective price ranges. Maybe you also know the corresponding pros and cons ;-)
Hello Teufelchen,
I can contribute a bit. I don’t have personal experience with this, but I’m currently dealing with it as part of our house planning.
First, I looked into a complete home automation system using KNX. However, the additional costs of around 30,000 EUR were too high for me. You can do a lot with it, but the question is always what you actually need and what is just “play.”
For music, I thought about a multiroom system. A media server plus amplifier in the utility room, where speaker cables from various rooms (living room, bathrooms, office) come together. Then, in the respective rooms, an appropriate control panel.
I came across options like Revox, which works with Gira, or Russound. But from what I’ve seen so far, you quickly end up spending around 10,000 EUR just for music. That’s too much for me. Again, the cost-benefit ratio doesn’t seem right.
As an alternative, there are Wi-Fi solutions. For example, look up “Sonos.” These are significantly more affordable, but Wi-Fi is a concern for me.
At this point, I will probably go with installing flush-mounted radios in the bathrooms and office, each connected to one or two ceiling speakers.
There are certainly better solutions, but you have to have the budget for them during house construction… I might prefer to invest that money elsewhere.
I can contribute a bit. I don’t have personal experience with this, but I’m currently dealing with it as part of our house planning.
First, I looked into a complete home automation system using KNX. However, the additional costs of around 30,000 EUR were too high for me. You can do a lot with it, but the question is always what you actually need and what is just “play.”
For music, I thought about a multiroom system. A media server plus amplifier in the utility room, where speaker cables from various rooms (living room, bathrooms, office) come together. Then, in the respective rooms, an appropriate control panel.
I came across options like Revox, which works with Gira, or Russound. But from what I’ve seen so far, you quickly end up spending around 10,000 EUR just for music. That’s too much for me. Again, the cost-benefit ratio doesn’t seem right.
As an alternative, there are Wi-Fi solutions. For example, look up “Sonos.” These are significantly more affordable, but Wi-Fi is a concern for me.
At this point, I will probably go with installing flush-mounted radios in the bathrooms and office, each connected to one or two ceiling speakers.
There are certainly better solutions, but you have to have the budget for them during house construction… I might prefer to invest that money elsewhere.
When starting with something like this, you can quickly reach home automation systems to actually turn the high costs into added value. If possible, definitely go with wired connections.
Complete ready-made solutions are available from Sonos and Raumfeld. Both are good but have their own advantages, disadvantages, and limitations. However, they are easy to implement and expand.
If you want maximum flexibility, run standard speaker cables to all rooms and bring them together centrally in a utility room or equipment room. There you can connect either regular speakers or in-wall or ceiling speakers. Then, simply connect affordable digital amplifiers in the equipment room and choose a media server. These are available as ready-made products or DIY devices, depending on your preference. The advantage is that you don’t have to connect everything right away and can upgrade or expand later. Such systems can be controlled via smartphone or tablet. The downside is that you have to do a lot yourself.
Complete ready-made solutions are available from Sonos and Raumfeld. Both are good but have their own advantages, disadvantages, and limitations. However, they are easy to implement and expand.
If you want maximum flexibility, run standard speaker cables to all rooms and bring them together centrally in a utility room or equipment room. There you can connect either regular speakers or in-wall or ceiling speakers. Then, simply connect affordable digital amplifiers in the equipment room and choose a media server. These are available as ready-made products or DIY devices, depending on your preference. The advantage is that you don’t have to connect everything right away and can upgrade or expand later. Such systems can be controlled via smartphone or tablet. The downside is that you have to do a lot yourself.
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