Need stereo system advice
January 6, 2010 3:29 PM Subscribe
Please help me figure out the best stereo equipment setup to hook up to in-ceiling speakers.
The place I moved into has speakers installed in the ceiling in two rooms. After a lot of searching, I finally found the wires leading to the speakers. (2 sets of right/lefts.) They are in the basement, far away from the rooms that have the speakers (not sure what the thinking was there).
I want to hook up a music source to the wires in the basement that I am able to control when I am upstairs where the speakers are.
My current plan is to hook an Airport Express module with Airtunes to the speakers. To do that, I'm guessing I will need something to amplify the Airtunes signal to feed into the speaker wires. I am thinking of buying this $125 Sony receiver to be the amplifier. The Sony has output jacks for two sets of speakers, which seems like what I need. I would then control the system with my laptop upstairs.
Am I missing anything? Is there a better way to do this? I would love to buy the Sonos system, but that's an extra $600 or so for all the components I would need. I am willing to spend a little more on the receiver if it would make a big difference.
The place I moved into has speakers installed in the ceiling in two rooms. After a lot of searching, I finally found the wires leading to the speakers. (2 sets of right/lefts.) They are in the basement, far away from the rooms that have the speakers (not sure what the thinking was there).
I want to hook up a music source to the wires in the basement that I am able to control when I am upstairs where the speakers are.
My current plan is to hook an Airport Express module with Airtunes to the speakers. To do that, I'm guessing I will need something to amplify the Airtunes signal to feed into the speaker wires. I am thinking of buying this $125 Sony receiver to be the amplifier. The Sony has output jacks for two sets of speakers, which seems like what I need. I would then control the system with my laptop upstairs.
Am I missing anything? Is there a better way to do this? I would love to buy the Sonos system, but that's an extra $600 or so for all the components I would need. I am willing to spend a little more on the receiver if it would make a big difference.
It should work well enough. I can't quite figure out if you can turn Zone 1/2 on and off independently but you might not need that. BTW, the Sony is about the same price at Amazon and has free shipping.
posted by smackfu at 3:54 PM on January 6, 2010
posted by smackfu at 3:54 PM on January 6, 2010
Since you asked: you will definitely need a power amp of some kind, and a 1/8" to RCA L/R cable from the Airport Express output to an input on the amp. ($10 at Radio Shack, absurdly overpriced most other places.)
I have a similar project in mind: I'm looking at the AudioSource AMP product line to power speakers for an unused Airport Express I have lying around. The main feature for me is that these amps turn on when an input line signal is detected and turn off when the signal is gone for a while. This is appealing because I wouldn't have to leave the amp on all the time and I wouldn't have to go rummage in a closet to turn it on when I want to listen to something.
All of my music is in iTunes on a Mac mini and I use the iPhone Remote app for controlling playback and speaker selection. This setup as an alternative speaker selection sounds just about perfect for occasional listening in the part of the house farthest away from the A/V stuff in the den.
Of course, I haven't actually used the AudioSource gear yet so I have no concrete experience to offer. YMMV.
posted by jmcmurry at 7:20 AM on January 7, 2010
I have a similar project in mind: I'm looking at the AudioSource AMP product line to power speakers for an unused Airport Express I have lying around. The main feature for me is that these amps turn on when an input line signal is detected and turn off when the signal is gone for a while. This is appealing because I wouldn't have to leave the amp on all the time and I wouldn't have to go rummage in a closet to turn it on when I want to listen to something.
All of my music is in iTunes on a Mac mini and I use the iPhone Remote app for controlling playback and speaker selection. This setup as an alternative speaker selection sounds just about perfect for occasional listening in the part of the house farthest away from the A/V stuff in the den.
Of course, I haven't actually used the AudioSource gear yet so I have no concrete experience to offer. YMMV.
posted by jmcmurry at 7:20 AM on January 7, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks very much. BTW -- some tough reviews of that AMP-100 on Amazon.
posted by Mid at 8:46 AM on January 7, 2010
posted by Mid at 8:46 AM on January 7, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by xod at 3:52 PM on January 6, 2010