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Whole House Audio

We talked last week about 7 tips for creating an entertaining whole-house audio system. We talk this week about all the tools and technology you need to build your own. Of course wireless is the easiest way to get there, we've got all the particulars to get you up and running.

• Although this representation is done with Macs it can also be done with PCs. Airport Express works with iTunes on the PC. You don't even have to use an Airport Extreme Router.
• Everything is hardwired except the iMacs in the Bathrooms. They work well but every once in a while there is an audio drop out. The Airport Expresses are connected to the network via a powerline network adapter. They also work well and have minimal detectable drop outs.
• iTunes has a feature where it can send synchronized audio to remote speakers. The remote speakers are the Airport Expresses. This works great but it limits the number of zones because you can not use other computers on your network as a zone. You can use an application made by Rogue Amoeba called Airfoil. This will allow you to “Hijack” the speakers of the computers on your network and play audio through them. In this case from one computer you can send audio to every Airport Express and Mac/PC on your network. In my case that’s 10 zones. All Zones are completely synchronized.
• Airfoil lets you route audio from any application to your zones. So if you like listening to Pandora or your favorite radio station on the web you can do so in every zone in your house.
• The Audio Engine Speakers sound great and have plenty of power. All but the Bathroom iMacs are connected to Audio Engine Speakers. The Family Room and Media Room Macs are connected to Home Theater Systems which have Klipsch and Aperion speakers. Those rooms can really rock if I want them to.
• To have different music playing in different zones you need multiple instances of iTunes running on your network. The one flaw with iTunes is that you can’t send different songs to different zones.
• Component Cost - Airport Express $99, Audio Engine A2 $199, iPod Touch for remote control (optional) $215
• If you already are using iTunes on your PC or Mac you can have multi room music for $300 a zone. If you already have an iPod Touch or iPhone you already have a slick remote control that ties the whole system together. If you don't have the iPod Touch it will run you $215 for the entry model that will work perfectly as a remote control.