Multiroom audio with two receivers?

October 13, 2006 9:39 AM

How do I get multiroom audio with multiple receivers?

Based on a number of different factors, I want to set up a multiroom audio system using two receivers - one as the "master" station and using the other as a slave unit/repeater/however you want to define it. I know it's possible, but the websites I've found offer very little information on how to actually accomplish this.

I tried to do this once before, with a relatively new Denon and an old (~30 years or so) Sanyo receiver. Both receivers work fine on their own. I plugged the Sanyo into the Denon via the "rec. out" on the Denon. The thinking was that the output for a recording device is always live (right?), hooking any of the inputs on the other receiver to this should work. Unfortunately, it didn't.

So, how do I do this? Did I do it right the first time, and it's just a hardware incompatibility? Is the old receiver simply too old to handle this?

posted by backseatpilot to sports, hobbies, & recreation (8 comments total)

Get a couple of rca Y-splitter cables. Run one leg of each Y to the AUX input on the Sanyo, and the other back to the corresponding "rec. monitor in" on the Denon. Engage the "rec. monitor" switch on the Denon and you should be good to go.

If that doesn't work, try running from the "Headphone out" on the Denon. You'll need a 1/4 inch to rca (or miniplug to rca) adapter, but that should be easy to find.
posted by timeistight at 9:58 AM on October 13, 2006

The tape/MD/rec. out should indeed be active all the time. Are you sure that the Sanyo has line level inputs? The phono input will not work for this.
posted by Uncle Jimmy at 9:59 AM on October 13, 2006

Uncle Jimmy: You're right that the phono input would be wrong for this application, but if you put a live signal into it you'd get some (distorted) sound, no?

backseatpilot: Is it possible you're plugging into the "rec. monitor in" jacks by mistake? The two sets are usually right beside each other.

I'm also assuming, of course, that your cables are known to be good.
posted by timeistight at 11:34 AM on October 13, 2006

The cables are/were good, as I had used them for other applications before my experiment. It seems possible now that the Sanyo doesn't have a line in capability...

timeistight, if I plug in to the "rec. monitor in", will that disable the speaker output on the Denon? I'd like to have both rooms pumping out audio at the same time, if that's possible.
posted by backseatpilot at 12:20 PM on October 13, 2006

No, you should be getting the signal from the leg of the y-cable. However, I agree with Uncle Jimmy in that I would expect the "rec. out" jacks to be live regardless of how the rec monitor switch was set. That's why I asked if you were maybe using the wrong jacks.
posted by timeistight at 12:34 PM on October 13, 2006

Any input but phono on the Sanyo should be line level and should work. Does it have a tuner, auxiliary or tape recorder input?

The only reason a phono input isn't good is because they boost and shape the signal to make up for weak phono cartridge signals, resulting in severe distortion when used with line level signals.
posted by timeistight at 12:41 PM on October 13, 2006

There's a tape and an aux input on the Sanyo, in addition to the phono. There's also a button on the front labeled "Monitor" with the options of source or tape. Will toggling that button make any difference?
posted by backseatpilot at 5:08 PM on October 13, 2006

Hmm.. rec. out may not do what you want (Denon website, so functionality is likely similar).

The headphone out should be a good shortcut to getting it working, but there is probably a better choice.

Many receivers have preamp out jacks. Older receivers have preamp out to amp in jumpers - often a pair of little U shaped bars that bridge one RCA jack to another - your Denon is probably too new for this.

Best to find the model numbers. It should be easy to find information about the Denon, it might be harder for the Sanyo.
posted by Chuckles at 7:13 AM on October 14, 2006