[pmwolf]

I've done some searching, but so far, I haven't had much luck.

Here's the scoop:

We're adding on to the house (addition will be 16x65 with a full
basement), and I want to have a PC that runs audio to the new areas.
I'm decent with computers, but kind of a newbie when it comes to home
audio. Any help would be appreciated.

Here's what I have:
Spare Computer running Windows XP (although I can load it with
Windows: Media Center Edition if I need to).

Spare audio receiver (Pioneer...about a decade old...but I'm assuming
it'll do just fine. It can do 5.1 audio).

--Questions, and other details that may (or may not) be helpful:

I'd like to be able to walk up to the PC and pick a playlist that
would be broadcast to the rest of the house. Each room would ideally
have its own volume control...so if I wanted to hear music in the
basement, but not the upstairs...it'd be easy to accomplish.

What type of ceiling speakers will work for this? I'm not really
looking for super-high-end stuff, because I'm not ultra-picky. I'd
like it to sound good and be cheap...am I in fantasy-land? (By the
way, eBay had some deals for lots of new 5.25" ceiling
speakers...like, 20 for $220, or 10 for $150. Are these total junk, or
a great deal? (I can dig up the link if it helps at all)).

The new basement area will be 16x65...how many speakers/volume knobs
should I use for this area? (It's a gameroom...).

Is there any difference between volume knobs/controlls...or should I
just buy a bunch and forget about it?

My biggest questions a How do I get the PC hooked up to the
receiver, and how do I hook up 10-15 ceiling speakers up to a receiver
that is designed for 4 (ish)?

Is there a better way to do things? Let me know if I'm heading in the
wrong direction, and there is an easier/better way to accomplish this.

Any online resources you can send my way are great...I'm not afraid of
reading.

Thanks for the help...
Pete

[jakdedert]

pmwolf wrote:
I've done some searching, but so far, I haven't had much luck.

Here's the scoop:

We're adding on to the house (addition will be 16x65 with a full
basement), and I want to have a PC that runs audio to the new areas.
I'm decent with computers, but kind of a newbie when it comes to home
audio. Any help would be appreciated.

Here's what I have:
Spare Computer running Windows XP (although I can load it with
Windows: Media Center Edition if I need to).

Spare audio receiver (Pioneer...about a decade old...but I'm assuming
it'll do just fine. It can do 5.1 audio).

--Questions, and other details that may (or may not) be helpful:

I'd like to be able to walk up to the PC and pick a playlist that
would be broadcast to the rest of the house. Each room would ideally
have its own volume control...so if I wanted to hear music in the
basement, but not the upstairs...it'd be easy to accomplish.

What type of ceiling speakers will work for this? I'm not really
looking for super-high-end stuff, because I'm not ultra-picky. I'd
like it to sound good and be cheap...am I in fantasy-land? (By the
way, eBay had some deals for lots of new 5.25" ceiling
speakers...like, 20 for $220, or 10 for $150. Are these total junk, or
a great deal? (I can dig up the link if it helps at all)).

The new basement area will be 16x65...how many speakers/volume knobs
should I use for this area? (It's a gameroom...).

Is there any difference between volume knobs/controlls...or should I
just buy a bunch and forget about it?

My biggest questions a How do I get the PC hooked up to the
receiver, and how do I hook up 10-15 ceiling speakers up to a receiver
that is designed for 4 (ish)?

Is there a better way to do things? Let me know if I'm heading in the
wrong direction, and there is an easier/better way to accomplish this.

Any online resources you can send my way are great...I'm not afraid of
reading.

Thanks for the help...
Pete


IMO, you'd be better with many channels of amplification, with local
speakers, than with a few channels of amp (your one Pioneer receiver)
and a bunch of ceiling speakers.

You can have complete stereo systems at each of your listening positions
(rooms), each with a wifi receiver connected to an aux input. The
server streams the files to the wifi receivers, which decode the audio.
More expensive units can do video....

Each listener has the option to listen to (and/or watch) local
programming or the wifi stream.

jak

[vlad]

On Sep 16, 11:23 am, pmwolf wrote:
I've done some searching, but so far, I haven't had much luck.

Here's the scoop:

We're adding on to the house (addition will be 16x65 with a full
basement), and I want to have a PC that runs audio to the new areas.
I'm decent with computers, but kind of a newbie when it comes to home
audio. Any help would be appreciated.

Here's what I have:
Spare Computer running Windows XP (although I can load it with
Windows: Media Center Edition if I need to).

Spare audio receiver (Pioneer...about a decade old...but I'm assuming
it'll do just fine. It can do 5.1 audio).

--Questions, and other details that may (or may not) be helpful:

I'd like to be able to walk up to the PC and pick a playlist that
would be broadcast to the rest of the house. Each room would ideally
have its own volume control...so if I wanted to hear music in the
basement, but not the upstairs...it'd be easy to accomplish.

What type of ceiling speakers will work for this? I'm not really
looking for super-high-end stuff, because I'm not ultra-picky. I'd
like it to sound good and be cheap...am I in fantasy-land? (By the
way, eBay had some deals for lots of new 5.25" ceiling
speakers...like, 20 for $220, or 10 for $150. Are these total junk, or
a great deal? (I can dig up the link if it helps at all)).

The new basement area will be 16x65...how many speakers/volume knobs
should I use for this area? (It's a gameroom...).

Is there any difference between volume knobs/controlls...or should I
just buy a bunch and forget about it?

My biggest questions a How do I get the PC hooked up to the
receiver, and how do I hook up 10-15 ceiling speakers up to a receiver
that is designed for 4 (ish)?

Is there a better way to do things? Let me know if I'm heading in the
wrong direction, and there is an easier/better way to accomplish this.

Any online resources you can send my way are great...I'm not afraid of
reading.

Thanks for the help...
Pete

Check SONOS products. At a cost of $350 per stereo pair plus one
hooked to the router, plus $200 for iPod like remote you will have all
your sterep systems hookd to your server through Wi-Fi woithout any
additional wiring.

vlad