Best multi-zone receiver options...?

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Thread: Best multi-zone receiver options...?

Joshua Phillips

New member

Username: Jesp

New York, NY
United States

Post Number: 4
Registered: Nov-07

Posted on Monday, November 24, 2008 - 07:40 pm:

Greetings. I'm looking for a good, inexpensive multi-room/multi-zone stereo receiver. I've got a two-bedroom apartment, w/ a living room, which means I'm trying to find the best way to control volume for speakers for these three separate rooms (or zones). I haven't yet installed anything, so I have the freedom to redo wiring and speaker systems accordingly. At minimum, I'd like the ability to control volume in these three separate zones/rooms -- that is, each zone running at its independent volume setting.

IF POSSIBLE, I'd love to do this via remote as well.

And IF POSSIBLE (and it's not too costly) I'd love to also control the receiver's settings (namely which component I'm using). But that's probably a reach as I'm running a Denon turntable and a NAD cassette deck...I need to replace the CD player at some point.

Budget is an issue. I though we could use this space to brainstorm for the best overall systemic approach for this solution, as well as components. Thanks for all of your help and ideas!

Frank Abela

Gold Member

Username: Frank_abela

Berkshire
UK

Post Number: 3376
Registered: Sep-04

Posted on Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - 11:09 am:

I have a question in my mind regarding why you'd need 3-zone control in a 2-bed apartment. If you had a main system in the lounge it should be more than listenable in the other rooms.

That said, have you considered something like the Sonos system? This offers wireless networked control of zones, using a wireless controller. You get multizone control up to 32 zones and you have individual control of each zone both in terms of volume and content - i.e. you play one source in one zone and another source in another zone. The usual implementation is to have a hard disc (commonly a NAS drive or computer) containing rips of all your music (preferably stored as lossless FLAC or WAV files), but each zone has an option to be plugged into an analogue source such as a cassette deck or tuner. In your main room, you could have an inexpensive stereo receiver driving speakers. You could hook the tape out of the amplifier to the ZonePlayer's input so any input you choose on the receiver would be played through the ZonePlayer90 which will also act as a source to play music on the local system.

Of course, one of the main benefits of the Sonos system is that the controller is woreless control - it doesn't even need to be in line of sight to any of the ZonePlayers.

Worth looking at.

Joshua Phillips

New member

Username: Jesp

New York, NY
United States

Post Number: 5
Registered: Nov-07

Posted on Thursday, November 27, 2008 - 12:53 am:

Thanks. In answer to your question... I live in a NY apartment (actually a live/work space) where noise/sound management is of premium importance. So, I can't flood the three rooms/zone with sound. That's why I was hoping to use a multi-room/multi-zone stereo receiver.

Thanks for the suggestion re: Sonos system. I've looked at it, but it seems like it would only control digital recordings on a hard disk, no? It's not clear to me how it would interface w/ other sources such as CDs, records, etc. Anyway, I'd welcome and other ideas and suggestions.

Thanks again!

Frank Abela

Gold Member

Username: Frank_abela

Berkshire
UK

Post Number: 3390
Registered: Sep-04

Posted on Thursday, November 27, 2008 - 11:54 am:

Joshua,

Just to clarify, the ZonePlayer can take one analogue input (and a digital one) as well as the network conection. So you could plug a phono stage, cassette deck or tuner directly into the ZonePlayer and when you play a record, tape or radio, the ZonePlayer will encode it for use ont he local Zone or you can choose to route it through to your other zones (or all zones at once, or any combination).

Now, what I actually suggested was that you get an inexpensive receiver and plug the "Tape out" to the ZonePlayer. In this circumstance, any of the inputs plugged into the receiver (including its internal tuner) would be available to any of the zones in the flat.

I hope this is clearer.

Joshua Phillips

New member

Username: Jesp

New York, NY
United States

Post Number: 6
Registered: Nov-07

Posted on Tuesday, February 03, 2009 - 04:34 pm:

Thanks so much for all of your help and suggestions, and sorry for the belated reply. I did price out the ZonePlayer, and while it looks great it's just way out of my range. I might have to lower my expectations, but am still looking for a solid, relatively inexpensive receiver -- and some kind of multi-zone features would be a nice plus. Any other suggestions...? Am even happy to buy used equipment. Thanks everyone!

Casey

Silver Member

Username: Mccambley

BREEZY POINT, NY
USA

Post Number: 589
Registered: Jun-05

Posted on Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 02:24 pm:

One of the cheapest multi zone receivers is the Onkyo TX-SR576

JESP

New member

Username: Jesp

New York, NY
United States

Post Number: 7
Registered: Nov-07

Posted on Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 08:11 pm:

Great. Thanks! Any other recommendations...? Will soon have to find some speaker, but suppose that's another post...

JESP

New member

Username: Jesp

New York, NY
United States

Post Number: 8
Registered: Nov-07

Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 - 03:02 pm:

Hi guys,
So...I might have found a possible solution, but have a few questions about it...

First, I salesperson told me there's an even cheaper version of the Onkyo TX-SR576 that has the same features but offers lower wattage. It's the Onkyo TX SR506 7.1 channel Receiver. Is that basically correct?

I was further told that one can split the volume control by putting a volume control switch between the receiver and the speakers in the back zone (whereas the front zone volume control would just be controlled by the receiver itself). I'm wondering: (a) if this is the best way to go and (b) if there's a recommendable volume control switch -- i.e., that isn't a wall switch and that isn't a multi-speaker control switch -- just something simpler that could rest on a desk, for example.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Casey

Silver Member

Username: Mccambley

BREEZY POINT, NY
USA

Post Number: 600
Registered: Jun-05

Posted on Sunday, February 22, 2009 - 08:29 pm:

A volume switch that is not a speaker switch that just sits on a desk? Never saw one but you could build one simple enough with a box and a wall mountable volume switch.

JESP

New member