Device Connections

[SMHarman]

So up to now the HC250 has just been a glorified single zone remote controlling.

 

Tivo Premier, Roku 3 (EV IP), Popbox V8 (EV IP), Panny BDP (EV IP) into Sony STR1800ES (IP) (all connections HDMI)

Also in the mix is a ZP80 connected by the analog inputs into the AVR.

On the HC250 and Sonos are Tune In (both), Rhapsody (both), Pandora (Sonos) and Local Music (HC250)

 

So now comes along WHA and a 4 zone matrix amp and a ethernet speakerpoint.

 

The ethernet SP is for one of the bathrooms I don't think it will be used much but I had a spare speaker and wire so there it is, I'll take whatever sources can get to it when all is done.

 

I've connected the digital coax of the sonos to the 4 zone input 1.

 

What else would you all usually connect to what in this setup?

 

Should the Sonos also go to the HC250 (instead of the AVR?)

Should the AVR have connections to the matrix?

Should the HC250 have an analog connection to the matrix?

 

The AVR is in the living room (7.1) and next to the Kitchen and I would like for the same music source to be played in sync (usually Pandora (Mrs SMH), Rhapsody (Me) or Local NAS (Both) to the Kitchen and AVR as one of the key deliverables here.

 

Thanks

[Cyknight]

If it were me I'd remove the Sonos from the 4-zone and the AVR.

 

Instead feed it to the HC250. That way you'll get better synch AND Sonos is available for the speakerpoint.

Then wire the HC250 HDMI to the AVR, stereo to the 4-zone.

 

Then you shoud CHOOSE where you want Rhapsody and TuneIn to play from - I'd stick with Rhapsody and TuneIn coming from the controller not Sonos. That way you leave the option open to have up to 3 different streams going on (only one Sonos at a time of course, but AVR, speakerpoint and the rest can have their own TuneIn, Rhapsody going). I've not found the delay an issue at all myself (it's audio only after all).

 

Synching then is tricky ONLY on the AVR and other locations - you may want to make sure the AVR is set to matrix when doing audio sources, this usually clears any delays.

[SMHarman]

Does that mean that the 4 zones only have one input (presenting all 3 sources) available to them?

So the AVR can play out Local media, Pandora, Rhapsody.

The speakerphone can get all three as an IP stream.

The 4 Zone gets all three through the analog line in but all 4 zones have to listen to the same thing?

I'm more interested in getting two different sources to the matrix at a time than making sure the speaker point gets all sources.

[Cyknight]

You are correct - it's the downside of things. Either way, if you want to have things in synch, you should use either Sonos OR the controllers for the purpose of the shared streaming options - it'll cause confusion (and likely irritation) otherwise. If you keep the Sonos out of the controller, you could have one zone (or group) on the 4-zone listening to one thing to the Sonos, one to the controller.

 

By the way, IF that speakerpoint is actually located in the rack, you could use it's line level stereo outputs as a second analog feed into the 4-zone for two streams.

[SMHarman]

Thanks. The SP is in the rack so that sounds like a great plan.

Also thinking about TV / Display audio to the 4 zone.

The analog out of the AVR won't do this as the input is HDMI - correct?

All I could grab from that is true FM etc.

SO, I would need to sent the analog signals from say the TiVo and BD to the 4 Zone as sources 3 and 4.

[Cyknight]

If th receiver does zone 2 from HDMI is receiver dependent - if it does not, connecting it WILL cause problems in all likelyhood - so yes you'd need to get stereo audio from those sources to the 4-zone