Audio Distribution
Relax to the sound of Music Throughout Your Home!
Music is the universal method of completing an environment. The sound of music is used in shopping areas, park areas, business common areas, on-hold sounds and yes, elevators. Music as a background provides a sense of comfort and calm in all varieties of spaces. Why should your home be any different? Through a whole house audio system, you can fill all the areas of your home with the music of your choice. Your choice may be the sound of soft background music or pump up the volume for your outdoor summer barbeque.
What is Distributed Home Audio?
The meaning of this home automation feature is to take the multiple sound and music sources, centralizing their location and gaining the ability to distribute that program to different parts of the residence. The distribution of the sound is accomplished by placing high quality speakers in all the areas of the home where the distributed audio may be desired. Using wired and/or wireless speakers, sound can be made to blend through your entire residence. Control is made available from a master control area and simultaneously with individual room or wall controls. The flexibility is to select a single music or sound source to play throughout the distributed audio system home or select different or specific sound sources to play in different or specific rooms or areas.
With a multi-source sound distribution system, you are in control of the music, the volume, and the areas where you will fill your house with your favorite sounds. An audio distribution system is about flexibility. Background music in one area, rocking music in another and surround sound movie playing in the theater room. Control is flexible and simple to operate.
The now antiquated method of home sound would have involved big, clunky speakers sitting or hanging in various areas of the house. There would have been the need for separate receivers, audio players and amplifiers in multiple areas. Control would have been at each amplifier system and music selections would have to be moved from place to place if your favorite sounds were to be enjoyed in multiple areas. And most notably as you move from place to place, the sound always seems to be somewhere else. Why live in the past any more?
Do not stop there. Take your enjoyment to the outdoors for both entertainment and your own pleasure. Extend your whole home audio to the patio, pool and yard area. We have discreet speakers for garden and patio areas. As your layout dictates, speakers a designed to appear as designer landscaping items and attractive light pole mountings. We even have speaker systems that can extend your music under water in the pool area.
What is the solution?
With a whole house music system all your equipment and components are predesigned to a discreet location. No longer having multiple pieces of equipment sitting in multiple areas. In most cases this would be a dedicated closet but could be a closed cabinet area as well. All the sources are organized and planned into a component system with amplification and distribution all in the same place. Components will be your choice from AM/FM receivers, satellite music receivers, mp3 players and more. Each supply source will be connected and controlled by the distributed audio controller system which powers each room and area of your whole house music system.
In a whole house audio/video distribution system, this same component area would house video equipment and components to be distributed in the same manner to video monitors throughout the home for movies and stored videos. And of course, the sound would follow the movie, or you may want to not miss a sound when someone hurriedly runs to the kitchen for a refill and the movie is still playing. Play the movie or music audio in all areas or select your areas individually. Sound can flow through your home always being in the area you are in with the correct volume for the individual area. No blaring sound in one area and too quiet in another.
Smart Home Support
Home automation is well beyond the days of discovery and experimentation. From its beginning in the early 80’s, the concept and equipment making up the home automation market has reached near flawless operation and whole house audio has always been a part of that technology. With the growing market of devices like Alexa® and Google Home®, Smart Home equipment and software manufacturers have started integrating voice commands from Alexa® and Google® into their platforms.
For you, the homeowner, this simply expands your control of your home audio and automation system using Alexa® and Google® voice commands. As more capabilities are added to the mentioned systems, so grow the music and home automation controls as well.
Whole house music systems are designed with outstanding sound quality equipment, but there are those times just a little more might fit the situation and the use of the speakers in these other automation devices can be blended in. While these devices will not offer the same high-quality audio, the use of the speakers provided in the Alexa® and Google® technologies might just be the fill in for the bathroom, laundry room or just the small speaker beside your computer while doing homework.
How Is the System Installed?
There are four general types of multi-room audio systems, and these are dependent on the stage of construction at the time of installation. Should your planning stage be during a new construction project, then any of the style methods can be applicable. Should your installation take place during a remodel or just the desire to add a system to your current location then other methods will apply. Security Safe’s multi-decades of experience has us technically ready for whatever you needs and application may dictate.
Wired Systems rely on the installation of wires behind walls and above ceiling areas that connect each speaker through the control panel and on to the system components. It may be called “old school” but direct wiring is the most durable and dependable for long range life and problem-free service. Speakers are normally installed in the ceilings or in the walls. Mobile apps can be used for volume and source selections, but when doing any system, especially wired it is most advisable to include a room volume control and source selector. These are normally small, light switch size plates that mount on the wall in the area where the speakers are located.
70-Volt Commercial Audio Systems are also wired systems which are mostly used in commercial applications needing a background music solution, or in a location where announcements are needed like in commercial, school or restaurant locations. In a 70 volt system a single amplifier can power a large number of speakers. Speakers can be lighter in construction and there is less wire involved. Due to limited sound fidelity this is normally not used in a residential application.
Wireless systems make use of Wifi signals to both receive programs like music from a cell phone. This music is then directed through the system network to speakers which can also be wireless as the speakers receive wireless transmission from a compatible broadcast system. In the use of wireless systems all the components would normally need to be the same brand for the proprietary transmission signal sent to the speakers.
Hybrid Systems may come into play more so in an after-the-fact installation where wiring may be allowed in some areas but not in others. In this type of application, the system will be made up of both wired and wireless technologies to form a single operating system.
Smart Home Essentials
Music is a common language of people around the world. Music brings together cultures and sets the mood of groups. Music can be entertainment, add excitement or in cases console the mind during an emotional time. Including distributed audio in your smart home or home automation system just makes sense. The convenience and benefit of flowing music throughout your home offers peace of mind no other kind of system can offer.
In most cases the same controller for your automation equipment expands to include an audio system as well. The control equipment cabinet has added receivers and the rooms get satellite components like speakers and volume controls. Distributed audio simply becomes a small addition to your automation system. Whether entertaining in your home or just alone enjoying your favorite playlist, your experience is enhanced with a home entertainment experience.
Enjoy multi-room music with seamless integration. Each area of audio will have its own décor compatible high-end speakers. Each area again with an intuitive digital control at your fingertips assuring the listening area is at the perfect volume and chosen audio source. Or, the system master controller can select sources and volume by room all from a single location. Why would it not make sense to complete your home automation system with distributed audio?
And music does not need to stop at the walls. Take advantage of the beautiful outdoors by expanding your distributed audio to the outside. Our environmentally designed components, which blend to the environment, will add mood and enjoyment to your outdoor entertainment areas. You will not only be adding pleasure to your living experience, but you will be adding value to your home, making distributed audio a worthwhile investment. Let our design team make your dream system come true.
Only the best
Your home is both your investment and your pride. At Security Safe we offer our services to enhance the comfort and safety of your property. Our full services of electronic solutions include security and surveillance in addition to your home interior like distributed audio and home theater solutions. We have over 35 years of experience serving the north Florida area and would like to be your trusted provider as well.
How do you start?
By contacting Security Safe, our audio design personnel will assess both your desired outcome and your location. Location considerations will be decor, room layout and acoustics. Security Safe will work with your general contractor as a part of your construction project or work with you directly if this is a remodel or add on project. Design will further focus on making components, devices and wiring not only ultimately functional, but as invisible as possible. Of course, if you are planning a new construction project, your whole house audio distribution system should be a part of your early planning and construction process.
If you are doing landscape remodeling, now is the time to preplan your outdoor audio system as well. Underground wiring and ground level waterproof speakers complete a relaxing and fun exterior.
Frequently Asked Questions
An Audio distribution system delivers sound to multiple speakers and will do so by areas or zones. The system will allow each area of speakers to play from any of multiple audio sources whether independently or in unison with other areas or zones.
A distributed audio system is designed for the users’ choices and desires. In the design the capacity of the controller is chosen by the size and number of components desired. Common types of sources include CD, FM Tuner, Online radio and a media server just to name a few.
A distributed audio system will be made up of the controller, audio sources, amplifiers, speakers, and remote area volume controls. The Controller is the brain of the system which receives signals from individual area controls as well as a master controller and/or mobile application. The controller will select the desired source for the desired output area. Sound is passed through to the amplifiers and on to the area speakers.
In one sense the answer would be yes, only that the design concept is the same. Both the audio and video sources are located in the same equipment area in most cases and the controller selects the source be it audio or video. The additional components for video are the video sources, the remote monitors and any necessary line level amplifiers if needed.
The reasons for audio distribution are numerous. Not in order of importance, but a distributed audio system combines all the components in a single location rather than have equipment scattered through the residence of business. A distributed audio system allows overall control of sound like for background music while still allowing the flexibility of individual areas of listening pleasure. Also, the components of audio distribution are for the most part designed to blend to the décor rather than having bulky equipment and speakers on display. High quality flush mount speakers and flat wall plates for control are common to the system.
We will design your system around a recommended brand of speakers, but the flexibility remains for you to choose brand and quality of your desires. Manufacturers of whole house audio systems specialize in these high-quality audio-only devices. You can expect exceptional sound quality and design.
What does a Distributed Audio System cost?
As understandable as the question is, the answer lies in the system design. Security Safe will gladly provide pricing for your system once we have some basic information. The system size will depend on the number of rooms, type of speakers desired, types of receiver equipment, Wireless or Wired system, etc. What is the size of the system first? How many rooms or areas?
Our professionals will gain and assist in gathering all the information necessary to plan your perfect system.
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