Multi-room Audio on a Budget

Before I launch into this one I should explain a little about what multi-room audio is forgive me if this seems a little obvious but we should all be on the same page to start. Multi-room audio is the ability to listen to a single source or group of sources in multiple rooms in the house at the same time. That is to say one radio can be listened to from speakers in several different rooms, not having a radio in each room.

Believe it or not multi-room audio is nothing new, systems have been around for at least 25 years with the earliest having push buttons to switch between sources and a volume knob on each control panel. These were in the days before you could remotely control devices so to change radio stations you would have to switch between different radios permanently set on a station. Thankfully times have moved on and you can get systems that are easy to use and can control devices with that all important feedback, i.e. display track/station names fairly cheaply.

So lets say that I’ve decided to get a Multi-room audio system, I have four rooms that I want to hook up, I want to have an iPod dock, DAB/FM radio, play songs from my iTunes library and maybe Internet radio as well, where do I go from here?

First you need to know what you really want, do you want an audiophile grade system or are you the kind of person that listens to their iPod through tiny headphones and are perfectly happy with that level or quality or are you somewhere in between? 

Audiophiles; go to a professional and expect to spend around £30,000 or more for your system. Yes that sounds a lot, but you will have an incredible system. If this is you then stop reading this blog because you will probably hate everything else that I am going to suggest.

iPod with small headphone listeners; there are more options than what you can get from Curry’s/PC World/Play.com. Watch this space and pay attention.

In betweeners; you may want to spend a little more than what I’m going to suggest, the principle is the same, you will simply need better speakers, amps and possibly sources.

O.k. here goes...

Possibly the cheapest system that is even worth mentioning is Sonos. This is fairly low quality, though can be improved with better amps and speakers, but you get a lot of bang for you buck. You can have an iPod dock, play from you iTunes library and listen to Internet radio, which kind of makes DAB radio superfluous. Use Zone Player 120s and all you need do is plug in your speakers. Use Zone Player 90s and you can add you own amps and speakers and up the quality. This is very easy to install and you shouldn’t need a professional to get your system off the ground. The down side to this is, you can’t easily add you own sources. This system will cost around £600 - £700 per room. 

The next step up will probably require some input from a professional and you would be looking at a system similar to NuVo. This offers multi-room audio that has all of the things that I spoke about in my brief above, iPod Dock, DAB/FM Radio, the ability to play from iTunes and Internet radio! All you need do is add speakers and you are away, though this requires cabling to be installed as well as a degree of programming so you will need professional help. This system would cost around £1,000 per room but offers better sound quality than the above system and the ability to add equipment of your choice, such as CD players, Turn Tables etc.

You can of course achieve a system similar to or the same as the NuVo one with systems such as Crestron, Control4 or AMX. However, unless your are in pursuit of audiophile sound quality or want to integrate anything other than music into the system, you cant really justify the added expense of these systems.

One final note...

If you are seeking the help of a professional with your system don’t ask them to install a complete Sonos system. By all means ask to have Sonos integrated but expect to be told that you would be better off with a different option. True professional will tell you this for the following reasons.

1. They can make very little money on Sonos, it is designed to be purchased and installed by the end user.
2. Sonos offers fairly low quality sound and those with a reputation to maintain will not want to stake their reputation on what Sonos has to offer.
3. Any wireless system will have reliability issues and most installers don't want to be hampered with constant call-outs.

Having said that, Sonos is an excellent option if you are on a budget and are happy to install the system yourself. It has a very simple interface, is easy to install and it does work very well. If you are having problems you can always add in a zone bridge and that usually sorts things out.

Apple’s iPad as a Home Control device

Apple's iPad, has achieved great acclaim. People love it, it’s easy to use and with the multitude of apps on offer, it can do virtually anything. As home automation technology becomes more available to the common man, is the iPad really the only control device you’ll need?

The iPad has many great features, not least the enormous and constantly growing library of apps. This sleek, cool device can be made to do virtually anything, and that, in the world of home automation may be it’s down fall. I am constantly being asked what I think of the iPad in the context of Home Automation or if I can control someones home with only an iPad. My answer is always the same, the iPad is great but first lets think about what you want to use it for. You may wish to subscribe to a paper and read it on the train every day, you might want to browse the Internet, play games, listen to music, watch movies and more. The iPad can do all of this and control you home, a truly fantastic device I think you’ll agree.

What happens then if you take you iPad on the train and someone left at home wants to watch TV? What if you have a Movie playing at full volume whilst you are browsing the Internet and the phone rings? What happens when the battery goes flat? All of this must be considered before choosing the iPad as a home control device. The simple answer is to have multiple iPads that are solely used as home control devices. That’s great but you've invested your money into a device that can do a great many things, then use it to a fraction of it’s capabilities.

My personal opinion is that the iPad should be used in conjunction with traditional home controllers. By all means choose the less feature rich, cheaper alternatives to the pricey touch screens. But remember that when you need to press mute quickly, switch the lights on early in the morning or use your door entry system simplicity is the key. It doesn't get any more simple or reliable than a wired, solid push button. You've got all the great features of the iPad, now back them up with sensible, reliable and easy to use controllers.