Audio zone decisions...

[jacdx]

Merry xmas everyone!

Say, I've been thinking about adding some more audio zones and wanted to run a couple of ideas past the group:

1) Both of the bedrooms that I want to wire have their own bathrooms. I'm thinking of doing a pair of in-ceilings in the bedroom and also add a single stereo speaker in the bathroom, wired in the same zone. Pro/cons to this? Are the power requirements different enough between a stereo speaker and the two mono speakers that it would make the volume in the bedroom different vs the bathroom?

2) Can you wire speakers to two sources at once? The idea would be that a pair of in-ceilings would primarily be used as surround speakers with a receiver, but also wired into my C4 amp for announcements (only). Would this damage speakers or simply play both sources at the same time, in the occasional case that both sources would be played at the same time? I don't want to add speakers just for announcements and I don't like adding delays to all of my announcements to compensate for waiting for receivers to turn on.

[jacdx]

anyone?

[wappinghigh]

I'd make the ensuite bathroom audio a separate and independent zone from the bedroom. That's what I've done. Not only will this separate sources independently to each zone ..so dumb announcements in the bathroom don't interfere with music in the bedroom and visa versa, but more importantly the bedroom zone can be kept quiet when someone is listening to say the radio whilst taking a shower. So my advice is to have two separate zones in these key areas....you'll regret it otherwise...cheers..

[HookedOnC4]

All my zones are separate as well.

[rgulley]

I have teenagers that like to blast the radio in the shower. I have a new home that I have made the bathrooms as soundproof as I could. I voted for seperate zones!

[cdepaola]

I have a new home that I have made the bathrooms as soundproof as I could.

I'v always thought we spend all this money on making theater rooms soundproof but put hollow core doors, with gaps at the bottom, on bathrooms right next to the kitchen. If there was ever a room in the house that should be soundproofed its the bathroom.

[seth_j]

Merry xmas everyone!

Say, I've been thinking about adding some more audio zones and wanted to run a couple of ideas past the group:

1) Both of the bedrooms that I want to wire have their own bathrooms. I'm thinking of doing a pair of in-ceilings in the bedroom and also add a single stereo speaker in the bathroom, wired in the same zone. Pro/cons to this? Are the power requirements different enough between a stereo speaker and the two mono speakers that it would make the volume in the bedroom different vs the bathroom?

While not the best idea it can be done.. unfortunately the best case scenario for this you'll need two volume controls for each room. One for the room, one for the bathroom. Yuk.

2) Can you wire speakers to two sources at once? The idea would be that a pair of in-ceilings would primarily be used as surround speakers with a receiver, but also wired into my C4 amp for announcements (only). Would this damage speakers or simply play both sources at the same time, in the occasional case that both sources would be played at the same time? I don't want to add speakers just for announcements and I don't like adding delays to all of my announcements to compensate for waiting for receivers to turn on.

Nope. One amp per speaker. Now the amp can have multiple sources via switch or if you're using one of C4's amps they have the matrix built in. There are some A/B switching devices that exist for this but you're looking to buy two amps to do the job of one. Kind of backwards thinking.

The best/proper thing to do is what wappinghigh suggested. Two different zones for the rooms.

[nascent]

2) Can you wire speakers to two sources at once? The idea would be that a pair of in-ceilings would primarily be used as surround speakers with a receiver, but also wired into my C4 amp for announcements (only). Would this damage speakers or simply play both sources at the same time, in the occasional case that both sources would be played at the same time? I don't want to add speakers just for announcements and I don't like adding delays to all of my announcements to compensate for waiting for receivers to turn on.

If it's not too late to do so, wire those speakers with 4-wire and put stereo speakers in there with one speaker of each being for the surround and the other for the announcement zone. That way you're not *really* adding speakers just for announcements.