Pre-wired house- Need help with A/V Distribution with CAV6.6

Unfortunately, you need a lower end system. Russound, like many other Multi-zoned Multi-Source audio distribution systems do require speakers wires directly to the speakers and cat-5 to the volume controls.

Your home was wired with A-Bus in mind. Good news is that it is cheaper than the CAV, bad news it is not a good multisource going to multi zones. It is really a single source to multi zone, although are working on more sources...

You need 4 extra conductors ideally 16/14/12 gauge stranded speaker cables, for the speakers. If all you have is cat5 between the volume control and the amp, than what you have with a CAV is a very expensive paper weight.

You should look for a-Bus system, contact your distributor to see if you can exchange your CAV. If not contact me, I have several jobs coming up that I have a CAV spec'd in, I could help you out, if the distributor will not.

-- Brett Griffin, Technology Consultant Architechtronics, Inc. get to know home technology

*Home of "fidoh" for HAI/OnQ/Aegis **keep up on cutting-edge technology... join "the EDGE" for free at

That's definitely a problem. For the CAV6.6 you need home run speaker and video cables. The wiring you have in place would likely fit an A-BUS system. Unless you can run new cables you will not be able to use the CAV6.6. If you got the CAV6.6 from my store, give me a call and I'll try to arrange a replacement (assuming it's still new).

Yes. That is correct.

As I mentioned above, you should be able to install an A-BUS system on the cables you already have. Call if you need help.

Thanks for your help guys. I have been doing some research to figure out the best workaround for my problem before I decide to dump the CAV. I am learning as I go, so forgive any dumb ideas or questions.

I get the impression that the CAV will work with A-Bus AKP2 keypads, no?

I know that would limit some features, but seems that it could still give me choice of 4 sources in 4 zones? Am I on the right road or am I missing something?

On another angle, I have looked into a few other systems, Sonance, Niles, etc. and it appeared some keypads only required 6 wires of the 8 available in the Cat 5e. Is it potentially feasible to use the other 2 to patch the the speaker wire down to the media closet?

Thanks Eric

Why do you say that? There are multiple whole-house audio systems with amplified keypads. For example, the Zon system

is quite nice and would work fine with his existing wiring. Netstreams Musica is another.

Huh? What do you call the AH-484

's been available for a couple years now at least.

- Mark.

You'd be better off turning the CAV back in and obtaining the AH-484. The AH-484 is a lot cheaper and gives you 4 sources and 4 zones. Simply daisy chain another AH-484 to get 8 zones. (And you can have up to two keypads per zone).

Absolutely not! It can't handle the current from amplified audio. There's a reason speaker wire is heavier gauge.

Well, yes sort of. The CAV6.6 can have up to four A-BUS keypads which function as slaves to the first four CAV zones. That is, the rooms served with A-BUS will play whatever has been selected by the UNO keypad in the controlling zone. A typical use for this is in a master bedroom / master bath suite. The A-BUS keypad in the bathroom provides independant volume control of the bathroom speakers while playing whatever music source has been selected in the bedroom.

You are correct, but for what you would get you may as well just go straight to A-BUS. You won't be getting any benefit from the CAV.

It is, but you'd only have mono and the 24-gauge wire in the CAT5 cable won't be able to carry much current.

Mark,

I checked out some of your suggestions but they all seem to be just Audio. I got the CAV because it has Video distribution also. How exactly would I use your suggestions and get video too.

Thanks Eric