Whole home audio including DTS-HD, etc.

[ericscales]

Hey folks.  This topic is similar to the AV receiver thread, but thought I would start a new one as my situation is a little more specific.

 

I've got an HDMI matrix up and purring and would like to do something similar for audio, but need the help of the experts here.  For example, I'd like to have one audio/video receiver in the rack with the capability of expanding both audio-only zones and audio/video zones.  Most of my movie collection is in DTS-HD audio format so I'd like to be able to have that capability for all of the video sources (understanding I need to have speakers and such added to some rooms).

 

I'd rather get away from having an AV receiver in each room where I want the audio decoded properly.  Any suggestions or thoughts for consolidation and equipment adds here? 

 

Here is what I currently have in place:

• Rack Room
  • Atlona AT-PRO3HD66M HDMI Matrix (NOTE: Media room output is via both CAT6 to the Atlona receiver at the TV and HDMI out to the SC-68 for audio)
  • Pioneer Elite SC-68 AV Receiver (only used for Media room audio)
  • Pioneer Elite BDP-62FD Blu Ray (hooked into HDMI matrix)
  • HC-800 (video out to HDMI matrix, only used for media room; audio out to SC-68)
  • Apple TV (out to HDMI matrix)
  • Dune HD Base 3D (out to HDMI Matrix)
  • Synology VS240HD (out to HDMI Matrix)
  • DirectTV Genie Server (out to HDMI Matrix, only used for media room)
  • Sonos Connect (optical out to SC-68)
• Media Room
  • Pioneer Elite PRO-141 Plasma Monitor (HDMI in via matrix)
  • 7.1 Martin Logan speaker set up
• Living Room
  • Pioneer Elite SC-27 AV Receiver
  • Panasonic WT50 LED TV
  • HC-250 (HDMI out direct to TV; audio out to SC-27)
  • Pioneer Elite BDP-05FD Blu Ray (HDMI out to SC-27)
  • DirectTV Genie Client (HDMI Out to SC-27)
  • Sonos Connect (optical audio out to SC-27)
  • Atlona HDBase-T receiver from Matrix  (HDMI out to SC-27)
  • 5.1 shitty speaker set up
• Office
  • Sony Google TV (yack)
  • HC-250 (HDMI out to TV)
  • DirectTV Genie Client (HDMI out to TV)
  • Atlona HDBase-T receiver from Matrix (HDMI out to TV)
  • Sonos Play 5
• Spare Bedroom
  • Panasonic (older) Plasma
  • HC-250 (HDMI out to TV)
  • DirectTV Genie Client (HDMI out to TV)
  • Atlona HDBase-T receiver from Matrix (HDMI out to TV)
• Master Bedroom
  • Nothing except a Sonos Play 5, looking to add a 5.1 or 7.1 speaker system, monitor, and output from the HDMI matrix
• Dining Room
  • Nothing currently, looking to add speakers for an audio zone
• Garage
  • Nothing currently, looking to add speakers for an audio zone

[turls]

I've got an A/V receiver in the centralized rack for any zone I want surround/DTS-HD/etc.  This also allows me some additional flexibility to overcome the limitations of "only" having an 8x8 HDMI matrix.  I've gotten most of them on sale so the investment isn't as big as you think.  Look for Pioneers around Black Friday and add them as budget allows.

[Cyknight]

...  I tried 2 years ago to get it supported, but no interest from Control4 or third party developers. 

 

Not accurate. There WAS some mild interest to see if it could be made to work but JRiver was (and is) such a mess it wasn't feasible to do it, more so due to limited demand. It's too volatile, too unstable and it's a hack to make work. This hasn't changed. Get over it.

[ericscales]

So it sounds like if I want 7.1 audio in ~5 rooms, I'll need to go with a separate AV receiver for each room?  Darn, I was hoping there was an audio matrix out there that would do the surround sound processing and all.

[berazafi]

So it sounds like if I want 7.1 audio in ~5 rooms, I'll need to go with a separate AV receiver for each room?  Darn, I was hoping there was an audio matrix out there that would do the surround sound processing and all.

Pretty much sums it up although they could all live in the rack.  At some point I think I saw some equipment for cinemas complexes that had multiple room capabilities.  Typically most of that type of stuff is 10X the price of doing it with consumer gear. 

[turls]

Pretty much sums it up although they could all live in the rack.  

I thought that's what I said I already do--not difficult either.  if you don't centralize them forget about centralized audio too.

 

Reading again maybe I wasn't clear. I have a total of 4 A/V receivers in a centralized rack, besides my normal audio matrix.  This is used for the 4 zones that I require surround sound in.  Well I have a 5th, but its not on the video matrix.

 

This gives me more audio and video zones than I get with the audio and video matrix by themselves.  Some sources end up dedicated to only one or two zones, but at least they are still centralized.  Works great for sources I don't have to worry about the kids hogging, as long as I want to use them in the room or two I have them connected to.