FW: [AT] FEATURE RECOMMENDATION: Multi-Unit Music Sync

[Robert Chasmer]

Theres been some disussion on the AudioTron mail list about distributing
audio round the house using Cat 5. Some guy has suggested the following
product below.

I was going to send a mail to the list with a link to Keiths Kat-5
website, but I'm not sure if Keith is:-

1) Making Kat 5 available to users outside the UK (mainly US folks here)
2) Wants Kat 5 advertised to non UKHA-D members.
3) Is too busy building the switcher to be taking orders:-)


Rob


-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Lemke [mailto:<a
href="/group/kat5-users/post?postID=gXDDKP-8fhxr6nCm9RdTqS995yMG4Jqil4uAJJE6zzbdxaPAf0sfXslDUt0sl4GVDR7CYXKvvTTnCw">steve@L...</a>]
Sent: 17 February 2002 08:34
To: <a
href="/group/kat5-users/post?postID=46Rx1SafdspEQUgNhi00t-hgPS9-idZr9mXAIkQvyJW64rPDPLjAD7ldpwdiXyHthHy1iVH9fKqw5WUzCk48rGIo8s0">AUDIOTRON@M...</a>
Subject: Re: [AT] FEATURE RECOMMENDATION: Multi-Unit Music Sync


Actually, if you have CAT-5 wires running everywhere (extra ones that don't
already have Ethernet running on them, that is) then you *do* have audio
wires running everywhere.

I've also been interested in playing AudioTron music in multiple rooms ever
since I got my AudioTron over a year ago. However, like others, I wasn't
interested in spending thousands of dollars and running speaker wires
everywhere.

Then I noticed in the latest issue of Electronic House magazine an ad for
A-BUS technology by Russound (<a href="http://www.russound.com/";>http://www.russound.com/</a>).

Picture this: At your stereo, you connect one or more audio sources to a
"hub" (there are flavors that take a single audio input and a new
one that
takes four). The hub also has audio out (passthrough) so you can pick up
your sources on the way to your receiver. (Or you can use a single-source
hub connected to the tape-out or multi-room output of your receiver). The
hub also has a power input, and several IR repeater outputs. Finally, the
hub has several RJ-45 jacks which you connect to CAT-5 cabling that goes to
other rooms.

In the other rooms, you have a simple one-gang Decora-style wall plate that
has on/off and volume pushbuttons (and source select if you're using the
multi-source hub). Normally, these kinds of wall plates are dealing with
speaker-level signals after you've run speaker wire to each room, and they
are basically just an expensive L-pad. However, the A-BUS stuff is
amplified line-level (run over CAT-5) and the wall plate offers both
line-level output (for an in-room amplifier) and speaker-level output (with
approx. 7 watts per channel, designed to drive basic in-wall speakers).

The best part is that you can get everything you need to hook up FOUR rooms
(hub, power supply, and four wall plates) for about $600, and all it takes
is CAT-5 to hook everything up!

This seems to be just the thing I've been waiting for. Forget the idea of
trying to sync up multiple AudioTrons, if all you really wanted was to be
able to walk from room to room and hear the same music. The A-BUS stuff is
exactly what you're looking for. No expensive multi-channel amplifier or
multi-room controller needed (those things typically start at a thousand
bucks and only go up from there).

Anyway, I just thought I'd mention this great find here, since it addresses
just about everything I've wanted in a multi-room system... Hope it's
helpful to others here. BTW, I'm not in any way related to the company; I
just found this stuff the other day and was so happy I had to share
it. Perhaps the main reason it's exciting for me is that when I build my
home theater, I dropped six CAT-5 wires down the wall behind the equipment
rack. One is Ethernet for the AudioTron, one is phone for TiVo, and the
remaining four will soon carry A-BUS audio to four other rooms. I've been
waiting for a product that would route audio over CAT-5 and this is it!

For more details on a single page with pictures and prices, check out this
page:
<a href="http://www.futurehomesystems.com/ruabk.shtml";>http://www.futurehomesystems.com/ruabk.shtml</a>
I've also found some pretty good pricing from <a href="http://ww.ellysonaudio.com";>http://ww.ellysonaudio.com</a>
(by email since they don't yet have their Russound web pages online).
--Steve

PS: I, too, am up after midnight writing email to the AudioTron list, and
thinking about writing Palm software that takes advantage of the new
AudioTron API (anyone else interested in this?). Russound A-BUS and an
802.11 or Bluetooth-equipped Palm device is all one should need to listen
to and control my AudioTron music anywhere in the house. :-)


--
______ __ _ ______ ______
/ ___  / / /  / __  / _____ HOME: <a
href="/group/kat5-users/post?postID=dcC81lxe4idx_ODm5plm9GO0pZRv_WHWKagi_5EppeHrTZjaJJ9FzbwtMHWx2E6LKR-yLof3-VY">chas@k...</a>
/ / /_/ / /__/ / / /__/ / / /__ <a href="http://www.kaosuk.co.uk/";>http://www.kaosuk.co.uk/</a>
/ / __ / ___ / / ___ / \__ \ ----
/ /__/ / / / / / / / / / _____/ / Rob Chasmer, MMT Computing
______/ _/ /_/ _/ /_/ ______/ <a
href="/group/kat5-users/post?postID=FokJsAS5PqpErmZggfRCetnX3bxqc8whai_55BAyOszEJ7lrP5dLCVgDuDgrqlN33DIIXPnrk7_C4UyNT5YdSChO8Xk">robert.chasmer@m...</a>


This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.
If you have received this email in error please let us know by e-mail reply
and delete it from your system; you may not copy this message or disclose
its contents to anyone. Please note that any views or opinions presented in
this email are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent
those of MMT Computing plc. Finally, the recipient should check this email
and any attachments for the presence of viruses. MMT Computing plc accepts
no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.