HELP: 7-ch stereo AVR to drive 5-zone audio?

[HTnewbie]

Sorry about the length - it takes a bit to explain.

Several years ago I bought a Yamaha RX-V2500 for our home theater just before HDMI switching AVRs were introduced. I have used this with a HD-DVR and a Sami HDRPTV connecting the DVR & TV directly with a HDMI cable. This setup has worked fine except that the Yami does not display on the TV in HDMI mode because it is a component switching AVR. I have been looking for a reason to upgrade but haven't been able to justify the cost.

We have just gutted our master bedroom bathroom and closets/changing rooms. I am setting up the new rooms with 5 zones of audio distribution (main area, his/her closets, my toilet, master bedroom) and 2 zones of video (main area & my toilet). I had been thinking a 6 or 12 channel dedicated amp (Speakercraft, etc.) fed by a cheap AVR that can handle HDMI. Each zone will have a separate in-wall volume control. I don't need an audiophile-grade system as we will only be playing TV audio and background music from tuner or SONOS. I have a Harmony 880 that will likely control everything.

Now I am wondering if the RX-V2500 can do the job alone using its 7-amps in 7-channel stereo with Presence/Zone 2 feeding the master bedroom? The 2500 Main has A/B outputs which can drive the main zone and her closet/dressing area. The Center in 7-channel is basically combined stereo or mono for my toilet room. The Surrounds for my closet/dressing room. This would still leave me the Rear Surround amps for another zone if I could come up with one. At 130W p/c this is more than enough power for this purpose.

Will this work? If i hook a single speaker pair per zone do I need impedence matching VCs in each zone or can I use resistor-based VCs and get their suggested audio benefits?

If this works, the money I save on the cheap AVR and new amp can be redirected to a proper HDMI switching AVR (likely RX-V1800 or 2700).

Help me out guys. Thanks.

Tom

 

[TLS Guy]

Sorry about the length - it takes a bit to explain.

Several years ago I bought a Yamaha RX-V2500 for our home theater just before HDMI switching AVRs were introduced. I have used this with a HD-DVR and a Sami HDRPTV connecting the DVR & TV directly with a HDMI cable. This setup has worked fine except that the Yami does not display on the TV in HDMI mode because it is a component switching AVR. I have been looking for a reason to upgrade but haven't been able to justify the cost.

We have just gutted our master bedroom bathroom and closets/changing rooms. I am setting up the new rooms with 5 zones of audio distribution (main area, his/her closets, my toilet, master bedroom) and 2 zones of video (main area & my toilet). I had been thinking a 6 or 12 channel dedicated amp (Speakercraft, etc.) fed by a cheap AVR that can handle HDMI. Each zone will have a separate in-wall volume control. I don't need an audiophile-grade system as we will only be playing TV audio and background music from tuner or SONOS. I have a Harmony 880 that will likely control everything.

Now I am wondering if the RX-V2500 can do the job alone using its 7-amps in 7-channel stereo with Presence/Zone 2 feeding the master bedroom? The 2500 Main has A/B outputs which can drive the main zone and her closet/dressing area. The Center in 7-channel is basically combined stereo or mono for my toilet room. The Surrounds for my closet/dressing room. This would still leave me the Rear Surround amps for another zone if I could come up with one. At 130W p/c this is more than enough power for this purpose.

Will this work? If i hook a single speaker pair per zone do I need impedence matching VCs in each zone or can I use resistor-based VCs and get their suggested audio benefits?

If this works, the money I save on the cheap AVR and new amp can be redirected to a proper HDMI switching AVR (likely RX-V1800 or 2700).

Help me out guys. Thanks.

Tom

I assume you are going to use ceiling speakers in these bedrooms/closets etc. If that is so, I would just use the right and left front amps only, and couple the inputs to mono. Make the impedances come out to 8 ohms for the right and left channels, by working out the correct combination of series parallel connections. Use 50 ohm wire wound pots to control the volume of the speakers in a given room. These projects are much better done in mono.

 

[HTnewbie]

TLS Guy:

Yes, ceiling speakers. When I was entertaining the dedicated multichannel amp, I was planning to run mono to all the speakers. In our downstairs living area I have a Speakercraft BB1235 that is powered by a SONOS unit and drives ten speakers in mono. As you are suggesting, no one misses stereo separation in a setup like this.

Not sure what you mean by "couple the inputs to mono" however.

 

[TLS Guy]

TLS Guy:

Yes, ceiling speakers. When I was entertaining the dedicated multichannel amp, I was planning to run mono to all the speakers. In our downstairs living area I have a Speakercraft BB1235 that is powered by a SONOS unit and drives ten speakers in mono. As you are suggesting, no one misses stereo separation in a setup like this.

Not sure what you mean by "couple the inputs to mono" however.

Well, usually the mono button just links the FM channel. So if for instance you CD player can't have the channels coupled by the receiver, you need to couple the left and right channels together at the input to the receiver, otherwise some speakers will play left and some right.

 

[bandphan]

http://nilesaudio.com/product.php?prodID=SI-1230&recordID=Multichannel Power Amplifiers&categoryID=System Integration Amplifiers&catcdID=4&prdcdID=FG00737

are unit like this for power, fully configurable

 

[HTnewbie]

bandphan - you are correct in that is the ideal solution and I have been scoping out ebay auctions for the SI-1230 and the Speakercraft equivalent (BB1235). Keen bidding can find one for $400 shipped. As stated earlier, I use a BB1235 distributing audio to the 1st floor (bought on ebay for $370).

But, that doesn't let me dedicate the existing Yami AVR to this new project and freeing up funds to buy a HDMI-switching AVR for the existing surround setup.

 

[HTnewbie]

TLS Guy - this may sound like a really dumb question but how exactly are the signals paired at input? Do you combine the L and R "hots" and the respective commons so that you have a combined "hot" and common ground (well, they were common to begin with so, duh to me)?

I realize this is a compromise and just want to make sure I don't fry the amp with the wrong ohmage on the speaker side.

 

[bandphan]

the niles will let you assign each buss as a left, right, ot left & right(monophonic) you could use the yama to have independent control for 3 of the zones, but using it for the main amp tls has the right idea in the wiring setup.