Need bits and Pieces

Villain

Hi I'm in the middle of trying to finalise my system but I need some bits and pieces and maybe a bit of advice.

I Have Marantz amp that is capable of 2 seperate outputs but the output is in the form of Phono. So I was guessing I needed to get a amp to distribute this to 8 speakers I want to run off it. But someone told me I could get an adapter to convert from Phone to normal speaker cable would this do?

I also am going to have 3 sky boxs, 1 Sky+, 1 standard box with mirrored sub and my old box with a FTV card(hopefully).

So I want these 3 boxes along with a tv aerial to go into a splitter that bring the 4 into one connection which I can connect to a booster and distribute to 5 rooms.

Any Ideas where I can get this equipment.

Tried satellite .ie and Peats.com but couldn't see them.

Any Ideas??

Red Alert

I'm puzzled by this Marantz amp... I presume it's a surround receiver and not a stereo amplifier - in either case why the eight speakers? If you have a little more info it'll make a bit more sense

byte

Are the three Sky digiboxes gonna be in the same place? The remote will change all 3 at the same time which will be inconvenient. If you're gonna use the RF outputs to feed your TV, please note that you'll only get mono from the RF outputs, not stereo.

What is the model of your amp and how old is it?
The Sky questions could be answered over on ICDG here

I am also wondering about the eight speakers,a 6.1 system has seven,3 rears,2 main fronts a centre and a sub which is the point one.


mm

Kramer

Originally posted by byte
The remote will change all 3 at the same time

Only 2, Sky+ uses different IR codes/frequency

8 speakers, 7.1 maybe? Agreed, more info required.

Villain

sorry I'l clarify

Marantz Sr7200 amp it is going to setup in the entertainment room with 5.1 setup,BUT I want to use the second feed to pipe music into the bedrooms and bathrooms.

So e.g. I could be watching Sky in the Ent. room while someone in the Kitchen is listening to a CD or radio or even DVD.

So theres a second feed buts in mono, so I was going to buy a cheap amp and connect the speakers into that.

Sky boxs will all be in seperate rooms. Sky plus in the ent room connected directly to the amp for surround sound and then the RF OUT 2 connected into the junction box with the other 2 boxs.

Hope that makes sense.

Is it a crazy setup??

Well you are in luck as thats the amp I have

Now I know exactly what you are on about !

You can use the amp for to drive a second set of speakers and contol and listen to that device independently while someone in the main room is watching a dvd while you listen to the cd or radio or whatever.

It's explained well on page 12 and 16 of the manual.

Connect a video cable from the amp to the tv so as you can see the on screen display and go through the steps.

You can have a third set of main speakers
in yet another room but it will be playing the same source as the main room at the same volume and other settings etc.

I hope you have the manual by the way
There is a very good diagram of what goes where on the first couple of pages.

So theres a second feed buts in mono, so I was going to buy a cheap amp and connect the speakers into that.

I'm not sure what you mean by this, what is the feed? do you mean an analog rf feed from one of the other digiboxes??
And what do you want to do with that?

mm

Originally posted by Kramer

8 speakers, 7.1 maybe? Agreed, more info required.

7.1 would be for want of a better way of putting it 4 rears.
Two behind you and 2 on the side walls in the middle.
2 main fronts a centre and a sub

Thats 8 speakers.

But 6.1 is better at the moment ( three rears )anyhow especially when using a source encoded with it.
Thats because, you will be playing a source like a dvd in the way the studio recorded it and therefore your amp if it has the capability will send exactly the right information to the 6.1 speaker set up.
In the case of the 7.1 set up, the amp will only be guessing what goes where and will take some of the input from the main rear channells and feed it to the other rears.

mm

Villain

I mean I can't just connect 8 speakers to the second seperate output can I??

No it's an output for a main set of speakers only.
So that would mean a comrimise really, the two events would have to be music in one room and movie watching in the other.

mm

Greenman

Is this what you are looking for??

4-Way Stereo Speaker Switch Box
A four-way switch box for connecting a stereo power amplifier to up to four pairs of speakers. Switching is by rocker switches on a sloping front panel. This unit is so designed that the load on the amplifier will never be less than 4 ohms, if using 8 ohms speakers, regardless of how many speakers are switched on, which is safe for most amplifiers. Speaker connections are via spring-loaded terminals. Dimensions 160x100x45mm
· Run up to four sets of speakers from your hi-fi
· Switch on any combination or all together
· Sturdy metal construction

As seen on a Maplin catalogue.

Villain

Thanks Greenman, I actually just bought one of those yesterday, well that particular one but same thing.

Greenman

Yes I have two of them for upstairs and down stairs great the way you can turn off different rooms. This item is also a must. Look here for some great ideas!!!

byte

Originally posted by Kramer
Only 2, Sky+ uses different IR codes/frequency

Sorry, by his post, I had assumed he had 3 digiboxes AND 1 Sky+ box. My mistake :rolleyes:

ShaneOC

I have a two way speaker switch near my PC. It should be able to output to:

(a) the PC,
(b) the amp downstairs
(c) both

a and b are working fine, however I only get a loud humming noise when I try to get an output on both at the same time. Anyone have any ideas on why this is happening?

ZENER

Not 100% sure if 've got the jist of what you are saying but here goes . .

A 2 way speaker switch allows you to supply 2 sets of speakers from ONE source. Trying to connect 1 set of speakers from 2 sources connects the two amp outputs together . . this is NOT a good idea and could cause serious damage to one or both sources !!!

Tinky

bucks73

Originally posted by Man
7.1 would be for want of a better way of putting it 4 rears.
Two behind you and 2 on the side walls in the middle.
2 main fronts a centre and a sub

Thats 8 speakers.

But 6.1 is better at the moment ( three rears )anyhow especially when using a source encoded with it.
Thats because, you will be playing a source like a dvd in the way the studio recorded it and therefore your amp if it has the capability will send exactly the right information to the 6.1 speaker set up.
In the case of the 7.1 set up, the amp will only be guessing what goes where and will take some of the input from the main rear channells and feed it to the other rears.

mm

I am about to buy a Pioneer 912 which has discrete 7.1. In other words the two rear channels have separate amplification.

I had the impression when playing a DVD with ES or EX soundtrack the same rear signal would then be sent to both rear surround speakers.

ShaneOC

Originally posted by tinky
Not 100% sure if 've got the jist of what you are saying but here goes . .

A 2 way speaker switch allows you to supply 2 sets of speakers from ONE source. Trying to connect 1 set of speakers from 2 sources connects the two amp outputs together . . this is NOT a good idea and could cause serious damage to one or both sources !!!

Tinky

Not trying to do this. The input to the speaker switch is from the PC, output A is to the PC speakers and output B is to the amp downstairs. Both A & B operate fine when selected, however there is a middle position on the swithch which says "both" however when I select this position I only get static humming. I should get sound from the PC speakers and through the amp at the same time.

Originally posted by bucks73

I had the impression when playing a DVD with ES or EX soundtrack the same rear signal would then be sent to both rear surround speakers.

The sound will be sent to your rear speakers and if you have only two of them, you will be getting DD5.1 there.

Unless I'm missing something, there are no DVD's at present available in 7.1 and only a minority in 6.1.

Therefore if you use whatever setting your amp has to use all speakers,( and you have 8 in total for 7.1) what you are getting is your amps educated guess as to what should be coming from your four rears.
The film studio's sound people will not have created the particular sound field .
Thats not to say it won't be good though, it will but just not as the studio intended... yet!

mm