Board Logo

NEW Audio Distribution product!!!!
Camisano - 1-27-2005 at 09:58 PM

This is not an advertisement....I am a registered eJukebox owner and have been very happy w/ it thus far, but it is very limited in waht I am looking to do and the updates have been sparatic.

I have been in search of a good audio distribution system for some time that will not break the bank. Not often can you expect both, but I have finally found it. I just received my Feb/March issue of Sound & Vision magazine and they have a user report from Ken C. Pohlmann who is respected in the industry w/ his knowledge in audio/video. It is on the SONOS Multizone digital Music System.

For more information check out www.sonos.com

Once again I am only trying to pass on information to others who have interest in the home audio/video realm. I am not affiliated in any way w/ Sonos, I own a DRY Carpet Cleaning Business in Naples, Florida. I only state this because I have seen in the past people presenting products that they have found and in the forums it was thought that it was just someone promoting a product.

Well check it out and tell me what you think....is it worth looking into?

Chris


tommyb - 1-31-2005 at 02:38 PM

I took a quick look as I have a whole house audio system (Kustom/Nuvo). I have my eJukebox music PC hooked up to that system. The Sonos system looks slick for music stored on the PC. But, if you want to have other components in the system such as a tuner, CD, music from cable/sat, etc., then it appears that the Sonos system cannot handle that. Just something to consider during your search. Good luck!


Audiosoft - 2-1-2005 at 05:38 AM

Camisano,

Hmmm...looks cool but not ideal for a whole house audio system. You need to put a $500 ZonePlayer ZP100 box in each room that you want speakers and wireless connectivity with the remote in. Also it can only play MP3, WMA, AAC music files and WAV files. No ability to use CD, DVD, TV, AM/FM or other PC audio output for the whole house source and it's only 20 watts per speaker so its not gonna have the best sound quality. Also the Sonos Controller only lasts for 2 hours on a charge so you will almost always have to have it hooked up to recharge when its not being used. Then again maybe you just want a wireless remote and 3.5 screen.

I think a house audio system should really only have 1 source for almost the entire place so the music vibrates the whole house and you don't loose it room to room. To me a box in each room defeats the purpose.

Here is how a friend of mine's system works. The sound really impressed me as it cascaded throughout his entire house.

Here is how you would duplicate his audio setup:

Pick up an Onkyo 7.1 av receiver with dual zone/source capability for around $600-$700. Hook it to your tv in your main viewing room for surround sound. Connect a computer with eJukebox to an audio input on the receiver. Connect the whole house amplifier to the 2nd zone stereo output on the receiver. Not sure what brand the house amplifier was but its just a little box with speaker outputs that get routed to each room. Then each room has a light switch size panel on the wall with a single knob to turn that rooms speakers on and off and control the volume. Each room has 2 speakers embedded in the ceiling (you could use wallmounted or floorstanding speakers as well) for stereo...except for the tv room which has 4 (left, right, lsurround, rsurround)...but you can make it up to 7 with the Onkyo receiver if you want. The main thing is the receiver lets you pick a different source for the 2 zones...with the stereo zone going to the whole house and the surround going to the home theater room at the same time....or you can have the tv room's speakers play the same source as the house if you want. This way you can utilize all the components hooked up to the receiver (DVD, CD, AM/FM, TV, PC, etc) and play them on your whole house audio system in HiFi without having to deal with wireless connectivity problems and the need for an amplifier box in each room.

That setup would give you much better sound quality, audio input flexibility, THX 7.1 for your home theater, solid wire connections, less bulk, and would cost less.


timmyotoole - 2-1-2005 at 10:52 PM

you could always use elan dj. great product for whole house audio. 4 anolog out puts 1 digital video out to monitor or tv
auto cd lookup, rips 5. discs as well as regular cds rips at 40x so and so on. great product but about 2600$. ejukebox is still better though. i've done some research and tried many jukeboxes...nothing touches ej. the display alon no one cancopy. the album list and track list are the things i have still not seen onothers and it is one of the best parts of ej not to mention the autoply feature.

sorry for this messy post but my washer just broke


rlailey - 2-2-2005 at 12:03 AM

...you could always connect your 2nd audio output to a high quality low power STEREO FM Transmitter and bung radios in all your other rooms - no wires - that's what I've done


jojo - 2-7-2005 at 05:46 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by rlailey
...you could always connect your 2nd audio output to a high quality low power STEREO FM Transmitter and bung radios in all your other rooms - no wires - that's what I've done


What kind of FM transmitter are you using ? every one I've used or tried tends to be too low on the power, or needs constant batteries :( I use the X10 2.4 ghz wireless systems to transmit to two other rooms, and direct connect to the receiver in my office. The living room is a Sanyo 5.1 receiver/DVD player, and the office is a cheapee Venturer 5.1 Home theater system, the DVD rom drive died a while ago, but the AV inputs work. In my bedroom I have a Midland PC sound system, that system aso drives speakers in my bathroom.... GOD! I'm too connected here LOL sound is in every room and cost was very small, considering what I've done. The X10 systems work well enough, though I will admit when somone runs their microwave or a neighbor talks on their 2.4 ghz cordless phone I hear the whole thing on my stereo, amusing at best LOL I'd love to do hard wired to the other rooms, but getting it to the living room would be interesting.