Amplifier input routing

[jacdx]

Hey guys,

Just got my Sonos. It's hooked up to an input on my 8-zone amp, working great through audio zones. Now, I went to use it in my Living Room, which has an Onkyo receiver and an HC-300 in there. Sonos doesn't show up. Do I need to wire an output from the Sonos or amp to the input on the controller in my rack? Or do I really need to run audio cables from the Sonos to my Living Room amp. I was under the impression that the amp, being connected via Ethernet to the controller in the rack, could stream whatever audio to any of the other controllers. Am I on the crack?

Thx. J

[jacdx]

Ok, I connected the Sonos directly to the controller in the rack. This lets me use the Sonos through the controller in the living room. But, doesn't that defeat the purpose of the inputs on the amp? I mean, if I can't hook up a source to the amp and have it available to all audio endpoints, what's the point?

[pharmdsmith]

The purpose of the amp is to power dedicated speakers and send audio to them from devices connected to it's inputs. It doesn't stream to the controllers, but as you have figured out if you input something into the controller it will stream to the other controllers outputs. .

[superikey]

So in effect the best way to get the benefit of both worlds is to hookup a controllers outputs to one of the inputs on the amp?

[ILoveC4]

So in effect the best way to get the benefit of both worlds is to hookup a controllers outputs to one of the inputs on the amp?

All of my controllers outputs go into the amp. If you have stereo sources you want to play in another area, like the OP, run it into one of the controllers first. That way you can stream it to other amplifiers, etc...around the house as long as controller is there.

[superikey]

Ilovec4,

Are the controllers all centralized in the av rack? Or are they in each room and if so how did you connect them back to the amp?

[henniae]

So in effect the best way to get the benefit of both worlds is to hookup a controllers outputs to one of the inputs on the amp?

Not necessarily. I have one of my controller outputs hooked into my AV receiver so I can play music from that receiver.

If all of your sound is distributed from your C4 amp than it is probably best to hook all the controller outputs to the C4 amp.

If some of your audio is distributed from your C4 amp and some from local receivers it is best to hook an output from the controller to the receiver and one to the C4 amp.

The OP wants to play his sonos from the C4 amp and a receiver. If he only has one sonos player he will need to get the output of it to both the C4 amp and his receiver.

There are several was to do this.

1. Get another sonos player. Hook one up the the C4 amp and the other to the receiver. He will be able to play 2 different sources, one on the receiver and one on the C4 amp.

2. Digitize the sonos analog output. This will allow him to send the digitized sonos output to other controllers in his system.

He can hook the sonos to the inputs on one of his controllers, the output of that controller to the input of a C4 amp. On a second controller he can take one if its' outputs and hook it to his receiver. The sonos analog output will be digitized by the C4 1st controller and sent over the network to the second C4 controller and converted back to analog so he can play it on the receiver. The 1st controll will also convert the digitized sonos back to analog and send it to the C4 amp. This will let him play the sonos on both the C4 amp and the receiver.

3. Split the analog sonos output. Hook one to the amp and hook the other to the receiver via a long analog cable or audio baluns.

[ILoveC4]

Ilovec4,

Are the controllers all centralized in the av rack? Or are they in each room and if so how did you connect them back to the amp?

I have 4 controllers in the rack (2 x HC200, 1 x Media Controller and 1 x HC1000V3). I also have other controllers (HC200's) around the house. The only ones that I connected back to the amp are the ones in the rack. That provides my with 5 simultaneous digital streams, which is plenty for us. We have 5 people in the home, but three of them are age 3 (almost 4) or less =)

[tbear1]

2. Digitize the sonos analog output. This will allow him to send the digitized sonos output to other controllers in his system.

He can hook the sonos to the inputs on one of his controllers, the output of that controller to the input of a C4 amp. On a second controller he can take one if its' outputs and hook it to his receiver. The sonos analog output will be digitized by the C4 1st controller and sent over the network to the second C4 controller and converted back to analog so he can play it on the receiver. The 1st controll will also convert the digitized sonos back to analog and send it to the C4 amp. This will let him play the sonos on both the C4 amp and the receiver.

Will the audio be time aligned between the receiver and the C4 amp?

I would like to listen to the same material on the receiver and in ceiling speakers at the same time. I did some searched on the forum and it appears a speaker point would not be time aligned if added to a C4 amp.

Thanks,

Glenn

[henniae]

Will the audio be time aligned between the receiver and the C4 amp?

There can be a noticeable delay. The system has to digitize, send the packets over the network and then convert back to analog.

[tbear1]

Will the audio be time aligned between the receiver and the C4 amp?

There can be a noticeable delay. The system has to digitize' date=' send the packets over the network and then convert back to analog.[/quote']

Thanks. That was my guess.

Glenn