How a Home Multi-Room Sound System Works
Have you ever dreamed of having music follow you wherever you go? Even having a sound system in your home that will send music streaming through multiple rooms, all controlled by remote access?
Setting up a whole home audio system in your home is easier than you might think, and you need not consider it a luxury reserved only for home design magazines.
Here is a brief overview of how multi-room sound systems work to give you an idea of what you can expect when installing one in your own home.
Time and cost
First, it’s important to gain a firm grasp on how much a whole home audio system is going to cost you in terms of both time and money. Installing an audio system in your home requires moderate home renovation skill, and you will definitely want to dedicate at least one entire weekend to the task.
(If for your home the project will require cutting into walls, you should expect it to take a few weekends.)
Cost-wise, even if you do this on your own to save on labor costs, it will still cost you $500 or more—quite possibly over $1,000—depending on how extensive your sound system is, how many rooms you plan on connecting, and what type of speakers you end up getting.
Your options
This is where you need to decide what you want from your sound system. Where will the audio components of your sound system be located? How many rooms will be connected?
Will there be volume controls in each room, or will it all be controlled remotely?
Will the system broadcast sound from just a single audio source, or will it allow playing different audio sources simultaneously? (The latter makes for a much more complicated and expensive system, so this article will survey only sound systems that play from a single audio source.)
Which in-wall speakers will you use? These are all questions you need to ask beforehand so that you can plan out the mechanics of your sound system accordingly.
System components
Whole home audio systems that broadcast audio from one chosen audio source often use A-BUS technology and a standard Cat-5e cable to carry audio signals from a central source.
These audio signals are carried to the audio components of the sound system and are amplified to speaker-level audio by keypads. These keypads also transmit infrared remote control signals back to the central source, allowing your system’s remote control to manipulate sound as well.
A system with multiple speakers may feature direct wiring or parallel wiring, but direct wiring is typically best if you plan on transmitting sound into multiple rooms.
With direct wiring, you install speaker wire from the amp to each keypad, and from each keypad to its respective speakers. In addition to this wiring, you need networking wire to connect the amp to each keypad location.
Running wiring
Your built-in sound system is, of course, going to involve installing wiring within the walls of your home.
You’d probably rather not tear up any walls or ceilings to run your wires throughout your home; you can usually avoid it if you have open floor joists over your basement or crawlspace, or if you have easy access to an attic.
Without these luxuries, you’ll have to practice some skillful wire fishing and strategic wall and ceiling cutting using some electrician’s fish tape, a drill, and a spade or auger bit.
When in doubt with anything relating to electrical work, especially if you’re considering cutting into your walls to install wiring, it’s best to consult an electrician.
Supplies for installation
With these things in mind, this is what you’ll need at the very least to install a whole home audio system in your home:
- Amp
- In-wall speakers (like these)
- In-wall keypads
- Speaker wire rated CL2 or CL3 for in-wall use
- Networking CAT-5e or CAT6 cable
- Drill
- Spade or auger bit
- Electrician’s fish tape
- Side-cutting pliers
- Wire stripper
- Punch down tool
Long story short, a whole home audio system is definitely a lot of work and requires a great many tools to install, but it’s more feasible than you might think!
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Category: Home Improvements
