To get the most out of your home entertainment system and audio and video installation, there are four main preinstallation factors you need to address: sources, power, audio, and control. In today’s post, we’ll tackle how to plan out your whole house audio distribution properly.

It’s Not that Simple – But It’s Doable

Because of the numerous wireless options available in the market today, many homeowners think that audio installation is simple. However, it’s not that simple. For proper audio distribution, throughout your entire home the system needs correct wiring coming from the amplifier connecting to the speakers.

Whole House Audio Distribution Fills Your Space with Great Sounds

When you want to fill your house with crisp and clear sounds, you need to know what things factors to focus on – they are location, zones, control, and TV audio.

Let’s look at each of these factors.

Location

Your whole house audio distribution will depend on how many rooms in your house you want to fill with sound. Professional sound installers will need a sufficient stack of tools, gears, and speaker wires to implement the process.

Wiring is essential in whole house audio distribution.

Because of the need for a decent stack of items, the location of the audio system is essential.

When thinking about the site of the system, take into account the wire accessibility and management, ventilation space, and future serviceability or accessibility.

hen thinking about the site of the system, take into account the wire accessibility and management, ventilation space, and future serviceability or accessibility.

A network-dependent or wireless audio system allows you to decentralize the system; you can place the amplifiers in different rooms or a top-shelf. Decentralizing the system eliminates the need for an audio rack. It also shortens the runs of speakers.

Another traditional method is to connect all the wiring to a primary, central location. This method is called “homerun.” The centralized approach is excellent for an easy upgrade in the future since all the necessary components are in one place.

Zones

In whole house audio distribution, zones are areas that play specific audio different from another. A zone can be one room or even a hundred rooms. The more zones you have, the more complex the installation and wiring of the system are.

Many audio distribution systems come in the six-zone configuration. This setup includes amplification and drives that can handle up to six rooms in the house.

If you don’t need six different sounds playing in six different areas of your home, you can absolutely opt for one or three-zone chassis – everything is customizable according to your needs. Speak with your whole house audio distribution specialist to tailor an audio solution for you.

Control

How you (and other household members) interact with the audio system in any given room of the house is crucial. Thus, control of the whole house audio distribution system is vital. Today’s audio system are capable to be controlled by mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. However, there is a drawback to this.

App-based control systems usually won’t allow guests to access them – even after you permit them to do so from their own mobile device.

If that’s not a concern to you, then an app-based whole house audio distribution system may be right for you. Another control system options are touchscreen-based and in-wall keypads, allowing easy, one-touch access to audio.

TV Audio

If you think that the audio of your television can come out of the whole-house speakers, it can. However, it takes careful planning and a decent stack of equipment to work. Televisions don’t have external speakers to make this approach – still, there are options.

Home speakers need proper placement.

One option is to run the TV audio back to the main amplifier. The second option is to use a device that uses automated speaker switcher. Even when the TV is not on, the speakers still function as a whole house audio distribution system.

Whole House Audio Can Mean Many Different Things

Whole house audio distribution can mean different things for different people. When venturing into this, ask yourself:

  • How will you use the audio system?
  • What is your budget?
  • How big is your home?
  • How many rooms do you want to fill with sounds?
  • How much flexibility do you need?
  • Are you looking to upgrade in the future?

The answers to these questions will let you and your audio installer come up with the best audio distribution solution for your home.

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