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Need advice on whole-house audio --- Please

My plans are to connect a speaker selector to my Yamaha receiver in the

Family Room. Supposedly this will send the audio to the speakers through out my house. When this connection is done or turned on, does the 6.1 speaker system for the family room cut out? Do I need to connect the family room speakers to the selector in order for them to work or will they stay a separate system just connected to the receiver?

I hope this makes sense. I am just trying to figure out how all this works. We had our new house wired for this, but wanted to DIY to save money. Mesa wanted over $10K to do our media room alone. That may not sound like much to some of you, but it is more than I can afford or justify.

Also, do speaker selectors amplify the sound or do I need an amp between the receiver and the selector? I didn't think I needed an amp (other than the receiver), but the more I read, the more confused I get. FYI, the sub will be self-powered, and each room, with a pair of ceiling speakers connected to the selector, will have its own volume control.

Thanks for your help.

Reply to
adagioblue
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In all probability the Yamaha combined with a speaker selector will do

what you want. But, I'd need to know which model you have to be sure.

The 6.1 will always be a stand alone system. It should function

independently regardless of what else is connected. And it should not

cut out when other speakers are also selected. Again the model number

would help.

Some have whole house capability build in and others just have A/B

speakers which can be used. Whole house models will let you listen to

different things in different rooms simultaniously (DVD in the family

room and the radio in the kitchen for example). With only A/B it's

typically only one source at a time everywhere. (So you'd hear the

movie sound track in the kitchen if you were playing a DVD.)

Power might also be an issue. You're correct that speaker selectors

typically do not amplify the signal - just split it. So the receiver

has to provide all of the power. But, some whole house system rely on

powered speakers or have audio amps build into the switch gear so the

Yamaha just has to relay the source material through the

switching/selecting bits.

Reply to
yustr

You'll need an amp to drive the speakers in the other rooms. Most selectors do not amplify.

How many rooms and what wiring is fed into them?

Reply to
wkearney99

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