Sound system

[relámpago blanco]

I bought a house which has speakers in all the rooms. Even the bathrooms. The speaker wires I have found but what do I need to buy to make it work? I would like to be able to decide what plays in each room from a tablet. I have an iPad I don't use. Some kind of amp and an Amazon dot or something?

[SEMTEX]

... what's your budget?

 

You need an amp. Or several amps. One for each "zone".

 

In the Amazon world it'd be an Amazon Echo Link Amp ($300). Or you can go rich and go Sonos Connect:AMP ($500). Alternatively, you can get the Amazon Echo Link ($200)/ Sonos:Connect ($350) and connect it to a cheapo amp / amp you already have.

 

Chromecast audio + amp was the cheapest way to do this, but it didn't catch on for whatever reason.

 

 

[SEMTEX]

Oh, another way to cheap out is by going

 

SONOS CONNECT / ECHO LINK -> Manual Speaker Switcher thing -> arl the speakers

 

But you're getting into the world of inadvisable speaker scenarios, due to impedance and other such electrical nonsensery.

[relámpago blanco]

I don't really have a budget. This house has ended the concept of budgets. Whatever it costs to do it properly has been my approach this far and it's bloody expensive. So anything up to a grand I guess. The external speakers cost 900 quid when installed the previous owner said.

[SEMTEX]

Speakers themselves are dirt cheap. Unless the owner unnecessarily splurged. If you don't care about cost, get involved in the Sonos ecosystem. No-one has ever regretted doing so.

 

All you need is a Sonos Connect AMP (older, probably being discontinued https://www.amazon.co.uk/SONOS-CONNECT-Wireless-Stereo-Adaptor/dp/B001G7PLT6/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=sonos+amp&qid=1551710078&s=electronics&sr=1-1) or Sonos AMP (new version, more powerful, not sure worth the difference for ceiling speakers, given theyre never going to be the best quality: https://www.richersounds.com/sonos-amp-black.html)

 

OR if you want to save a few pennies, you can get https://www.sonos.com/en-gb/shop/connect.html and use an existing amp, or buy a dirt cheap amazon amp. But I'd only do this in areas you're not super concerned on sound quality.

 

So you'd need one of these per "zone"/set of speakers/room.

 

God speed.