Multi-Room Audio - SONOS, Russound, Nuvo or Other

Forums › Home Theatre (incl HTPC) › Multi-Room Audio - SONOS, Russound, Nuvo or Other - Lets go crazy???

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19 posts

Geek

Reply # 612816 21-Apr-2012 14:36

MCCRAZY - just a thought - whether going with Sonos or not - consider getting some cheap android phones which you can then use as remotes in each room using the Sonos app for Android - simple. Saves you having to buy a Sonos controller.

FOR ANYONE ELSE - if you don't go the Sonos way you could dedicate a wireless network for your multi-room audio by installing a second wireless router - just set the channel for one wireless router to 1 or 3 and set the other one to 11 or 13 - this should avoid one wireless network interferring with the other.

Enjoy

McCrazy

31 posts

Geek

Reply # 612884 21-Apr-2012 17:43

Thanks Perplu.

I've committed. Deposit down with www.usatoday.co.nz for the SONOS and the Polk Audio. I was looking at the LS series but it ended up being a bit more expensive and probably overkill. I went with the RT series.

I got a quote back from www.jimhallshifi.co.nz and they couldn't source enough SONOS. They offered a free (and now defunct) SONOS controller. After I emailed them stating I had decided to use another company that could supply all the SONOS and at a very good rate, they came back with a new quote for 8 zones with RC80i's and Atrium 6's and the LS series for the HT at $15400 with the new ONKYO 515 amp. I probably would have taken their offer if they had got it out in time. I had just put a 15% deposit down with usatoday.

So then, I'm getting 7 zones for change over $12k. See below (no amp for HT yet):

It's been hard work getting quotes etc. Being under 30, I get half effort from people in person and they never follow up to my emails - thinking I'm taking the piss. Not many people/companies work with you on helping with designing a system to meet your requirements over email and then offering a reasonable price. USATODAY was very helpful with the design.

CYaBro

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Reply # 612913 21-Apr-2012 19:04

Good to hear, keep us updated on how long it takes to arrive etc.
Did they give better prices for the gear than what's on their site since you bought so much?

McCrazy

31 posts

Geek

Reply # 612980 21-Apr-2012 21:48

CYaBro: Good to hear, keep us updated on how long it takes to arrive etc.
Did they give better prices for the gear than what's on their site since you bought so much?

Yes. Better prices than the USATODAY website. Also i think I got the Polk Audio RT series HT speakers at near cost (for him). I also got 500ft of Monster XPHP(?) cable for free (value roughly $450 according to the seller). I know little about speaks cable. I have read this: www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/spkcbl_e.html and the mentioned article. These prove interesting reading for anyone interested in getting cables for their speakers. Might even attempt to whip up some CAT5 speaker cable (FFRC) when the kit comes.

On the delivery time: It will take roughly 8 weeks. He orders the kit from the US and it comes across on the back of an imported truck. So takes a little while.

perplu

19 posts

Geek

Reply # 613140 22-Apr-2012 13:26

Ta for link to tnt audio site. Am keen to make up the speaker cables they designed. A good read. Difficult bit will be determining if new leads would make a difference that is noticeable to the ear. Will give it a go for my floor standing speakers anyway. This is another topic for another forum. Cheers

Dunnersfella

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Reply # 613292 22-Apr-2012 20:00

8 weeks delivery time?
Cripes... not quite the bargain you'd hope for is it? What if they mis-ship or damage in transit??

CYaBro

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Reply # 613340 22-Apr-2012 21:06

Dunnersfella: 8 weeks delivery time?
Cripes... not quite the bargain you'd hope for is it? What if they mis-ship or damage in transit??

That would be up to USAToday.co.nz to sort out.

Dunnersfella

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Reply # 613344 22-Apr-2012 21:16

Yeah, but another 8 week wait on top of the initial wait.
Cripes dude, quite a leap of faith, surely?
Or am I being old school / paranoid?

McCrazy

31 posts

Geek

Reply # 613430 23-Apr-2012 00:10

Dunnersfella: Yeah, but another 8 week wait on top of the initial wait.
Cripes dude, quite a leap of faith, surely?
Or am I being old school / paranoid?

I'm getting in really early, so if something happened to the truck full of kit (vessel sunk during transit...how often does that happen

). I don't need the kit for over 6 months, so the vessel would have to sink twice for me to be stuffed...and even then, as long as the wiring is in the kit can take as long as it takes. USATODAY's problem not mine.

Maybe a little paranoid? I'm certainly not concerned. At least I know how long it will take and by what means it is coming to NZ. Other places who didn't have enough stock, would have to import it as well. Problems re: damage would be exactly the same as what my situation is.

McCrazy

31 posts

Geek

Reply # 613431 23-Apr-2012 00:14

perplu: Ta for link to tnt audio site. Am keen to make up the speaker cables they designed. A good read. Difficult bit will be determining if new leads would make a difference that is noticeable to the ear. Will give it a go for my floor standing speakers anyway. This is another topic for another forum. Cheers

Agreed. Different forum post for this. Having the kit super early gives me room to create/compare/cost comparison various cables.

CYaBro

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Reply # 613443 23-Apr-2012 06:40

Dunnersfella: Yeah, but another 8 week wait on top of the initial wait.
Cripes dude, quite a leap of faith, surely?
Or am I being old school / paranoid?

Yea unlike the official Sonos distributor in NZ that took about as long to get a replacement controller when one crapped out under warranty. :)

justrelax

1 post

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 614070 24-Apr-2012 01:29

Great concept, you will no doubt love it when it all gets installed & working. I am continually messing with multi room audio & visual in my current house...using as a trial for the next place where I will hopefully go overboard like you are. I have a couple of points that might help out:

1. Go overboard on the outdoor zones, I only have one out by the pool which is great, but will put another outside the garage for when I am washing the car, and another around the side for backyard cricket tests. Worth it in my opinion.
2. I have used airport expresses (4) that are hardwired into the network, then I have used 2 x Onkyo Amps with 2 zones each. I have a NAS that will have a centralised itunes library but mostly play from my imac using the remote app. It is very stable (except for internet radio on itunes), as only the app control is going over wifi. The setup is great for vistors & parties, everyone with idevices can connect & request songs using dj. Also, can play directly from youtube for the songs that aren't in my library.
3. I have all of this kit in my laundry, in a cupboard, on all of the time...its getting pretty heated in there. I am in the process of installing some fans so make sure you have taken cooling/ventilation into account.
4. How many TV's will you have in the house? I am also in the process of installing a 4x2 HDMI Matrix that will take 4 inputs (DVD, Apple TV, MySKY, Surveillance DVR) & output them to 2 TVs in any combination. This is all in the laundry also. Its getting crowded in there. But basically, i am having to run 2 cat 5e/6 cables to extend HDMI cable to each end of the house & another one to carry the IR extender. If you can run these during your build it would be beneficial as I am finding it painful retro-fitting it! You can get 4x4 matrixes that have the IR extenders built in too...just a thought.

Cant offer anything in the way of speaker cables or speaker selection, as I have gone with the bare minimum.

Overkill on my first time post, but I really like what you are trying to do.

Dunnersfella

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Reply # 618770 3-May-2012 11:04

JBHifi are now running with Sonos.
Interesting move.

http://www.jbhifi.co.nz/home-theatre/offer1/

trig42

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Subscriber

Reply # 618798 3-May-2012 11:52

Dunnersfella: JBHifi are now running with Sonos.
Interesting move.

http://www.jbhifi.co.nz/home-theatre/offer1/

They have had Sonos in store for a while.
I hear there is more coming too.

McCrazy

31 posts

Geek

Reply # 640435 13-Jun-2012 22:07

The kit has arrive. It arrived today. It was in Auckland late last week and was freighted down and received today. It is not damaged. I have not tested it as I am not in NZ at the moment.

All up that is a deposit down (20th April) to delivery time (13th June). Lets call it 9 weeks. I'm happy with that as it was stated that it would take roughly 8 weeks.

Brent at USATODAY.CO.NZ was very helpful - over 40 emails back and forward. He was quick to reply to emails. I would highly recommend him to anyone interested in buying speakers and SONOS equipment.

I would easily do business with him again.

I'll be home in roughly 10 days time, by-passing the wife and heading straight to testing out that kit. I'll give yo jan update when I've tested it.

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