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› Audio companies deliver whole-house media systems

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› Home Toys Articles

Audio companies deliver whole-house media systems

By Ric Manning © The Courier-Journal 9/13/2003

When most of us want to take our music from one room to another, we find a low-tech solution.

We might string cables through the basement to install a pair of speakers in the bedroom, or simply carry a boombox from one room to the next. Some of the more adventurous might try a wireless transmitter.

But for the fortunate few who can afford a home multimedia network, there is a wide variety of far more elegant solutions. Most of them were on display in Indianapolis last weekend at the CEDIA Expo, a national trade show for people who design and install home theater systems.

Zon's Whole House Digital Audio

While most multi-room audio systems have a control panel that looks like the cockpit of an F-15, Zon's controller couldn't be simpler.

The wall unit is a small panel with one large dial in the center and an LCD display. The dial lets you choose among several audio sources, such as a stereo in the den, a DVD player in the TV room or an MP3 player in a bedroom.

The sources jack into the system using wall plates that are the size of electrical outlets. They're linked to a central router using CAT-5 cable, the same cable used for computer Ethernet networks.

The dial panel has connection points for in-wall speakers plus an infrared receiver so you can control the audio source in one room using a handheld remote in another. The system also has a pager and intercom, so Mom can tell the kids to turn down the music.

Prices for the system start at about $1,200.

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