Spreading Sound Around
Curtis wanted a multiroom sound system after experiencing one at a friend's house. “I always thought it was expensive but asked around in the local shops,” he recalled. He decided on Russound's A-BK401 A-BUS amplified keypad system, which includes four amplified keypad controllers, an AH-4D four-zone hub, a remote control, a power supply, and an infrared (IR) emitter. “It's a cost-effective solution with simple installation,” he said, explaining that audio and control signals will be sent from the main component rack to the hub in his home theater room and then to the keypads in the four rooms. He also bought three pairs of Klipsch CS-650-R ceiling speakers and a pair of CS-650-W in-wall speakers.

The Russound A-KP2 keypad, which combines a volume control, stereo amplifier, and IR sensor (for receiving remote-control commands), fits in a standard light-switch box. Curtis is running Cat-5 wire from the main system to keypads in the living room, kitchen, bedroom, and master bathroom. He'll then run speaker wire from the keypad in each room. “I only have to run short lengths of speaker wire within the rooms rather than running wire all the way back to my main source. I like the simplicity of the Cat-5 wiring, which carries the audio and IR signals to each keypad.”

John was impressed with what Curtis had already accomplished with the multiroom system. “Your wiring documentation is first-class,” he said. “This was a great way to get everything sorted out and determine exactly what you need for the system before pulling any wires. Also, you can refer back to the plan down the road to see exactly why you did something.”

But John saw opportunities for Curtis to do some things differently. He suggested running both Cat-5 and 16-gauge, 4-conductor (16/4) wire from the main system to every keypad. “If you only pull Cat-5, you'll be locked into the A-BUS system,” John explained. “That might limit you down the road. Pulling a combination of 16/4 and Cat-5 will enable you to upgrade to many different systems.”

Jo hn warned Curtis that the current system won't allow him to sele ct music sources and tracks remotely, only adjust volume. “This is only a one-source system ,” John noted. “Using Russound's A-H484 hub instead of the A-H4D wou ld have allowed you to select from four different sources in four zo nes. (A zone can comprise one or more rooms.) Even then, the only way to select tracks is to carry a remote control around with you. This is where something other than an A-BUS system might be preferable.”

Curtis said he'd consider running 16/4 wire. “But one of the reasons I chose A-BUS was for the simpler wiring,” he said. “I looked at the A-H484 hub but figured I could use my receiver's tape output and have an extra remote or two laying around the house.”

Speaker Dilemmas
Curtis wasn't sure where to place some of the speakers for the multiroom system. He plans to have a pair of ceiling speakers and a subwoofer in the living room. In the kitchen, he wants to put a pair of in-wall speakers above the cabinets on an insulated exterior wall, but he doesn't know how to do this without affecting the vapor barrier and insulation. John's first suggestion was to switch the living room and kitchen speakers. “Since you plan to have a sub in the living room, I'd guess that this is an area where more serious listening is likely,” he said. “Ceiling speakers will provide a more room-filling sound in the kitchen, and in-walls and a sub will give you a better stereo soundstage in the living room.”

John advised placing the living-room speakers to the left and right on the wall that backs the hallway to the master bedroom. But Curtis didn't like this because there will be wall sconces near the speakers, and the combination might make the wall seem cluttered. “Here's where it's hard to make a decision without actually seeing the room,” John said. “You might be able to put in-walls above the sconces and paint the grilles to match the wall color.”

John advised against in-walls in the kitchen primarily because, as Curtis had realized, there's no way to install them on an exterior wall without disrupting the vapor barrier and insulation. “Most in-wall speakers take up the entire 3 3/4 inches behind the sheetrock,” he explained. “Why not go with small bookshelf speakers, like the Definitive Technology ProMonitor 100?”

Curtis agreed that bookshelf speakers make sense, but he'd already purchased the in-walls. John encouraged him to reconsider. “You don't want to penetrate the vapor barrier, and a speaker sunk into a wall with lots of cabinetry in front of it isn't going to sound its best. There's nothing that says you can't put square in-wall speakers in the ceiling. Or you could frame out an additional area in front of the existing wall and install them above the cabinetry.”

Curtis decided to can the in-walls in the kitchen and is considering a pair of ProMonitor 100s to place on top of the cabinets. But he's sticking with ceiling speakers in the living room. “In-wall speakers just won't work there because of the plans for the décor,” he said.

Planning for “Someday”
And then there's future-proofing: “I don't have the money to do audio in every room right now, but I want to be prepped so that when I'm ready to upgrade, I can,” Curtis said. “Or what if I want to add some home-automation stuff later? I'm willing to spend a bit of money now on the wiring so I don't have to rip out the walls later on.” John suggested running wire for a home network. “At this point it will be cheap, and wire is still faster and more reliable than a wireless system,” he said. Curtis liked that idea. He ran Cat-5 network cable from his office to the home theater so he'll have reliable high-speed Internet access for online gaming in the future.

As Curtis continues with construction and refines his home theater and housewide-audio plans, he can see the benefit of a professional consultation. John says the cost of working with a client remotely depends on a few factors. “If someone buys everything from me and I ship it to him, I'll probably offer a lot of assistance at no charge, or just charge a normal service call fee of around $60 for the consultation,” he said. “For a situation like this, where someone has already bought gear, an installer might charge $60 to $100 an hour. If he had to work up plans and design cabinetry, then it would be more.” For Curtis, working with a custom installer meant the difference between a system that can just meet his current needs and one that's ready for the future.