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Message
Retrofit Whole Home AV System: Where to begin?
Posted on 7/29/17 at 3:28 pm
Posted on 7/29/17 at 3:28 pm
I'm doing major renovations to a home recently purchased. Want multi-source (8ish), multi zone (8ish) video (satellite, blueray, dvd) and audio, mesh wifi to cover 5000 sqft, hardwired network for better speeds, security, maybe some home automation. I'm in the research and education phase right now. But the possibilities are endless. Is there a methodical approach to designing a system? ie, start with how many zones i want, then choose a switch based upon that, then choose an av receiver that is compatible, ...etc..etc.
Just wondering where to begin and how to make subsequent decisions based upon that.
Just wondering where to begin and how to make subsequent decisions based upon that.
Posted on 7/29/17 at 9:37 pm to rotrain
Posted on 7/30/17 at 3:31 am to rotrain
I just went through this in November of last year when building our house. I already knew what I exactly wanted in terms of AV equipment and what I wanted tied into the "central system," so it was just trying to find what fit my needs. Entire house was wired with cat6. Here were my exact needs:
Theater/Media Room: Dolby Atmos: 11 channels (9.2)
Living room: 7 channels (5.2)
Office: 2 channels
Dining room: 2 channels
Master bedroom: 2 channels
Back porch: 2 channels
The local AV firm we hired for the install and design is a dealer for 3 of the big home automation/control companies. URC, Control 4, and Savant. After seeing demos, playing with equipment, and talking to other customers; I decided to go with URC Total Control.
Here's the hub: URC MRX-10
Remote
The home theater room has it's own processor and amps
The living room has its own processor and 5 channel amp
The remaining rooms are powered by a multi-zoned receiver
How you control everything is up to you. I have a remote for the theater and living room and either use one of those remotes or their phone/tablet app to control all the other rooms. What you can add to these hubs to be able to control with a single app or remote is awesome. I have our home security, lighting, and climate control running through the hub as well.
With something like that, you can add whatever fits your needs based on budget and what's important to you (sound quality, features, etc).
Theater/Media Room: Dolby Atmos: 11 channels (9.2)
Living room: 7 channels (5.2)
Office: 2 channels
Dining room: 2 channels
Master bedroom: 2 channels
Back porch: 2 channels
The local AV firm we hired for the install and design is a dealer for 3 of the big home automation/control companies. URC, Control 4, and Savant. After seeing demos, playing with equipment, and talking to other customers; I decided to go with URC Total Control.
Here's the hub: URC MRX-10
Remote
The home theater room has it's own processor and amps
The living room has its own processor and 5 channel amp
The remaining rooms are powered by a multi-zoned receiver
How you control everything is up to you. I have a remote for the theater and living room and either use one of those remotes or their phone/tablet app to control all the other rooms. What you can add to these hubs to be able to control with a single app or remote is awesome. I have our home security, lighting, and climate control running through the hub as well.
With something like that, you can add whatever fits your needs based on budget and what's important to you (sound quality, features, etc).
This post was edited on 7/30/17 at 3:32 am
Posted on 7/30/17 at 9:03 am to ever43
Very informative. So you identified your needs to the local AV firm, and chose your controls system of preference and the control hub specifically. Then at what point or how did you decide on the other processors, amps, receivers, etc.?
Posted on 7/30/17 at 3:32 pm to ever43
Good post. You did omit Crestron and AMX though which are the state of the art when it comes to Control. Also $$$$$.
Posted on 7/30/17 at 4:43 pm to VABuckeye
I read on here you could just buy a Wink for all your needs.
Posted on 7/30/17 at 7:15 pm to rotrain
quote:
Just wondering where to begin
SONOS
Posted on 7/30/17 at 7:46 pm to rotrain
I'm a big AV nerd and audiophile, so went into the process with exactly i wanted (and had ) in terms AV equipment. I told AV firm what the equipment was going to be and they took all of that and how I wanted it set up and they built it out and suggested the hub. It was a unique way to go a about it, but it's what worked best for me. I am very picky about equipment and they didn't care all the brands I wanted. They did an amazing job though. The key for me was wanting everything to be housed in the same place for ease of tinkering/maintenance. Here's a pic of the build they did for just the theater:
With glass door:
Before door was installed.
AV closet right after install :
The location for the AV closet ended up being perfect for my needs. The location allowed them to cut that hole in the wall so the McIntosh gear is visible and blu-ray is accessible without going into the attic.
The A/V firm worked with the builder to do this. It is simply a room build into the attic that is insulated, ventilated, is part of the central air system, and has a full size door for access.
With glass door:
Before door was installed.
AV closet right after install :
The location for the AV closet ended up being perfect for my needs. The location allowed them to cut that hole in the wall so the McIntosh gear is visible and blu-ray is accessible without going into the attic.
The A/V firm worked with the builder to do this. It is simply a room build into the attic that is insulated, ventilated, is part of the central air system, and has a full size door for access.
This post was edited on 7/30/17 at 8:19 pm
Posted on 7/31/17 at 12:53 am to rotrain
Step 1
Set a budget and stick to it.
It can skyrocket out of control if you don't.
Set a budget and stick to it.
It can skyrocket out of control if you don't.
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