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How Whole-House Audio Works

Dec 3, 2004

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Option 2: Speaker Selector

This option is kind of an extension of the first option. The key is that you run the main or secondary speaker output from your receiver to a switching device called a speaker selector. The speaker selector splits the input signal into multiple outputs; each output runs to a set of speakers installed in a separate room. Depending on the model of speaker selector you choose, you can send a single speaker signal to up to six different rooms.

Most speaker selectors simply split the primary power between the selected speakers, thus reducing your overall system power. However, some higher-end speaker selectors include small booster amplifiers that provide individual power to each set of speakers.

The speaker selector system offers some advantages:

Inexpensive. This system doesn't require any additional amplifier equipment.
More variety. You can send music to up to a half-dozen different rooms.

Of course, there are some disadvantages to this type of system:

One source only. Whatever you're listening to in the main room is piped to all the other rooms.
Not a lot of power. Unless you use some sort of booster amplifier, the more you split the original signal, the less power you send to each room.
More complex installation. You probably want to install individual volume controls in each room you connect.

As with the first option, using a speaker selector is a good choice only if you're interested in background music.

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