Whole Home Audio - Wired or Wireless - A Discussion
Whole Home Audio systems are just a cool thing. The ability to fill a home with music whether from a single source or playing different content in different areas of the home is just a nice thing to be able to do.
And while these systems have been around for a while, new technologies in terms of the content choices, control of the systems and how you distribute around you home can raise questions on the best approach for your budget.
The following is a discussion on key use cases and design criteria that will help you make a decision. I have designed and built several systems over the years and am preparing to do a new one - so I'm going through the very process I am going to describe.
To me there are three key design criteria that you have to have a clear decision on in order to build the system that best meets your needs.
The first criteria is content - basically what do you listen to. Is is over the air (OTA) content like AM/FM or Satellite Radio ? Is it a personal media collection - so CD or mp3 based ? Do you need streaming services like AirPlay, Spotify, Pandora or Internet radio ?
The second is control - so how to you turn on/off the system, control volume and select the content you want to listen to. How easy is it to select content - can you see metadata like album art or song lists ? Do you like local controls in each room or zone or do you want to do it all off your phone or both ? Can I play different sources to any location ? Is there a party mode where all areas play the same source ? Can the system control 3rd party devices ?
The final criteria is distribution - so how to you get the content to play in a particular space. Will that space have traditional wired speakers or will it stream over WiFi. If I'm streaming over WiFi does the location have good signal and is there power for the device ? Is the source built-in to the system or does it need my phone or PC to be a source ? Do I need to support digital audio like 5.1 or even 7.2 or have a mix
Once you have answered the above clearly - then you can start researching your product choices to see how well they meet the criteria.
If you noticed I didn't call out budget specifically as a design criteria. Why ? Because music is very subjective. What may sound great to you - may sound like crap to another. Only you can determine what "sounds" best and will make the investment worth while. My only comment here is that with wired systems they truly become part of the house and therefore typically convey with the house when you sell it.
So with all the above stated let's talk about what's out there today - starting with wired systems.
First - let me define a "wired" system - A wired system is one where typically the speakers are in-ceiling and/or in-wall mounted with wires running back to an amplifier or controller that can play multiple sources to those speakers.
In this space - the one advantage I've seen is choice. Many of the top speaker manufacturers in the world have a good selection of speakers that are supported by these types of systems across a pretty wide range of price points.
But these are typically custom installs - so cutting holes - running wire, etc. This part of the industry is still "channel" oriented - so sometimes it's more difficult to do a DIY project as you can't just go buy a system on Amazon.
Most if not all systems of this type also support a wide range of sources. So a source could be as simple as an am/fm tuner, audio/av receiver or large CD carousels that can hold several hundred discs. So this can be great if you already have those devices and want to integrate them.
With that said however, there are several considerations you need to think about.
First is how the system will control that device. While many of these systems come with IR outputs and "flashers" that can attach to the IR port on your device - be careful. Personally I hate flashers with a passion. I find them to be very unreliable. Some devices do actually have a 3.5mm IR input jack instead of relying on a sticky flasher - and are somewhat more reliable but still not 100%
Second is what metadata or feedback will the source device provide back so you can easily select content. Before the days of the Radio Data System (RDS) or metadata tags being added to digital content there was really no reliable way to get that data - so basically you were guessing. 10 - 12 year ago I had built a system with a CD Carousel that housed 400 CDs. But the system had no way to tell me which CD was in Slot 1 or 41. So I literally created a spreadsheet that had CD Slot Number, Artist and CD Title.
Even with some early Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) Media Servers - systems could control them if your PC had a Consumer (CIR) IR Port - but again it was flasher based. Similarly with iPods or other digital music libraries you often had to buy very specialized cradles - so that the system could "talk" to your iPod.
Today though - that's all changed. Many multi-room amplifier/controllers today have digital streaming capabilities built in and much more concise control and meta data display to either a wall mount touch panel or your phone. So you can easily stream from Apple AirPlay devices, Pandora, Spotify, Tunein, Sirius Internet Radio, etc. Several also have Amazon Echo (Alexa) integration.
Finally most wired systems have advanced impedance matching capabilities for supporting multiple speakers and allow for additional amplification needs. So for example if you need to power six speakers for an area or need 100W / channel or up - these systems can support that.
Now let's look at wireless systems.
With wireless systems - they are very self contained typically with a bookshelf or desktop "speaker" with internal amplifier that simply plugs into the wall. You use your phone app to add it to your WiFi network and give it a name like family room and your done.
These systems typically combine the speakers, amp and streaming client in one coherent unit and some have Amazon Echo (Alexa) voice control. On top of internet based services like Pandora, Spotify, etc - many also support playing content from NAS devices or PCs & Macs.
Some manufacturers also make streaming "amps" that allow you to connect existing speakers. But you'd have to buy one for each pair. They typically don't have the impedance matching capabilities of multi room amplifiers to support multiple rooms.
The big advantages to wireless systems are their extreme portability - you can easily move one from inside to outside and back again. Some have line or digital input as well to support home theater configurations. You can also take them with you when you sell the house.
Because of their modular nature you can start with one and add others later. With wired systems you can as well if you properly planned for it.
The considerations for these systems are the following. One - you need to have a good quality WiFi signal throughout your home - second you need to have a power outlet near where you want the speaker to go and third you need to have space to place it - albeit many are relatively small.
In addition depending on what you choose - you may need your phone to control them. You also won't be able to control 3rd party devices like receivers or carousels.
Finally there are not as many choices as with wired systems. While there are more and more "bluetooth" style speakers that you can stream content from your phone to - that's not in my opinion whole-home audio.
Bottom line is - you have choices out there - more than ever before. If you take into consideration your content, control and distribution needs and do your homework then you will make the right choice that best works for you.
And while these systems have been around for a while, new technologies in terms of the content choices, control of the systems and how you distribute around you home can raise questions on the best approach for your budget.
The following is a discussion on key use cases and design criteria that will help you make a decision. I have designed and built several systems over the years and am preparing to do a new one - so I'm going through the very process I am going to describe.
To me there are three key design criteria that you have to have a clear decision on in order to build the system that best meets your needs.
The first criteria is content - basically what do you listen to. Is is over the air (OTA) content like AM/FM or Satellite Radio ? Is it a personal media collection - so CD or mp3 based ? Do you need streaming services like AirPlay, Spotify, Pandora or Internet radio ?
The second is control - so how to you turn on/off the system, control volume and select the content you want to listen to. How easy is it to select content - can you see metadata like album art or song lists ? Do you like local controls in each room or zone or do you want to do it all off your phone or both ? Can I play different sources to any location ? Is there a party mode where all areas play the same source ? Can the system control 3rd party devices ?
The final criteria is distribution - so how to you get the content to play in a particular space. Will that space have traditional wired speakers or will it stream over WiFi. If I'm streaming over WiFi does the location have good signal and is there power for the device ? Is the source built-in to the system or does it need my phone or PC to be a source ? Do I need to support digital audio like 5.1 or even 7.2 or have a mix
Once you have answered the above clearly - then you can start researching your product choices to see how well they meet the criteria.
If you noticed I didn't call out budget specifically as a design criteria. Why ? Because music is very subjective. What may sound great to you - may sound like crap to another. Only you can determine what "sounds" best and will make the investment worth while. My only comment here is that with wired systems they truly become part of the house and therefore typically convey with the house when you sell it.
So with all the above stated let's talk about what's out there today - starting with wired systems.
First - let me define a "wired" system - A wired system is one where typically the speakers are in-ceiling and/or in-wall mounted with wires running back to an amplifier or controller that can play multiple sources to those speakers.
In this space - the one advantage I've seen is choice. Many of the top speaker manufacturers in the world have a good selection of speakers that are supported by these types of systems across a pretty wide range of price points.
But these are typically custom installs - so cutting holes - running wire, etc. This part of the industry is still "channel" oriented - so sometimes it's more difficult to do a DIY project as you can't just go buy a system on Amazon.
Most if not all systems of this type also support a wide range of sources. So a source could be as simple as an am/fm tuner, audio/av receiver or large CD carousels that can hold several hundred discs. So this can be great if you already have those devices and want to integrate them.
With that said however, there are several considerations you need to think about.
First is how the system will control that device. While many of these systems come with IR outputs and "flashers" that can attach to the IR port on your device - be careful. Personally I hate flashers with a passion. I find them to be very unreliable. Some devices do actually have a 3.5mm IR input jack instead of relying on a sticky flasher - and are somewhat more reliable but still not 100%
Second is what metadata or feedback will the source device provide back so you can easily select content. Before the days of the Radio Data System (RDS) or metadata tags being added to digital content there was really no reliable way to get that data - so basically you were guessing. 10 - 12 year ago I had built a system with a CD Carousel that housed 400 CDs. But the system had no way to tell me which CD was in Slot 1 or 41. So I literally created a spreadsheet that had CD Slot Number, Artist and CD Title.
Even with some early Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) Media Servers - systems could control them if your PC had a Consumer (CIR) IR Port - but again it was flasher based. Similarly with iPods or other digital music libraries you often had to buy very specialized cradles - so that the system could "talk" to your iPod.
Today though - that's all changed. Many multi-room amplifier/controllers today have digital streaming capabilities built in and much more concise control and meta data display to either a wall mount touch panel or your phone. So you can easily stream from Apple AirPlay devices, Pandora, Spotify, Tunein, Sirius Internet Radio, etc. Several also have Amazon Echo (Alexa) integration.
Finally most wired systems have advanced impedance matching capabilities for supporting multiple speakers and allow for additional amplification needs. So for example if you need to power six speakers for an area or need 100W / channel or up - these systems can support that.
Now let's look at wireless systems.
With wireless systems - they are very self contained typically with a bookshelf or desktop "speaker" with internal amplifier that simply plugs into the wall. You use your phone app to add it to your WiFi network and give it a name like family room and your done.
These systems typically combine the speakers, amp and streaming client in one coherent unit and some have Amazon Echo (Alexa) voice control. On top of internet based services like Pandora, Spotify, etc - many also support playing content from NAS devices or PCs & Macs.
Some manufacturers also make streaming "amps" that allow you to connect existing speakers. But you'd have to buy one for each pair. They typically don't have the impedance matching capabilities of multi room amplifiers to support multiple rooms.
The big advantages to wireless systems are their extreme portability - you can easily move one from inside to outside and back again. Some have line or digital input as well to support home theater configurations. You can also take them with you when you sell the house.
Because of their modular nature you can start with one and add others later. With wired systems you can as well if you properly planned for it.
The considerations for these systems are the following. One - you need to have a good quality WiFi signal throughout your home - second you need to have a power outlet near where you want the speaker to go and third you need to have space to place it - albeit many are relatively small.
In addition depending on what you choose - you may need your phone to control them. You also won't be able to control 3rd party devices like receivers or carousels.
Finally there are not as many choices as with wired systems. While there are more and more "bluetooth" style speakers that you can stream content from your phone to - that's not in my opinion whole-home audio.
Bottom line is - you have choices out there - more than ever before. If you take into consideration your content, control and distribution needs and do your homework then you will make the right choice that best works for you.
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