HELP! Setting my ZONE 2 speakers with Volume Controls to A/V Receiver

[estraca]

Hello Everyone, I am new here and I am looking for some advise as I am new into home audio!

The situation is the following:
- Installed 3 pairs of speakers (100 watts - 8 ohms each)
- Speakers installed in the kitchen, dining room and living room
- Each pair is connected to a volume control (Niles VCS 100K)
- All speakers are wired via the VCs down to the basement
- Connecting the speakers to an amplifier:
i) connection via a Niles Speaker Selector SS4
ii) connection to an amplifier (yet to be bought). Amplifier features: 100 Watts per Channel Minimum into 8 Ohms, 2 Channels Driven
- Connecting the amplifier to ZONE 2 of a Marantz SR5007 as the Audio/Video Receiver

So my questions are:
1) The Volume Controls have an electable impedance magnification safeguards (1x, 2x, 4x, and 8x). Which safeguard should I select?? (from research I think I need 4x or 8x)
2) Do I need to install the Niles Speaker Selector SS4?
3) What amplifier would be a good fit? do I need one or is the A/V receiver potent enough to support ZONE 1 and ZONE 2?

Appreciate the help that can be provided as I learn more about audio installation!

 

[macddmac]

Hi and welcome to the forum!
4x should work for three pairs if you're not running the protector feature.
I have a similar setup and use the Niles selector in protect mode when I'm running more than 2 pairs.
Using the selector's protection feature renders moot the impedance matching capability of the VC's . One or the other in other words
Also, I just use my old yamaha receiver for everything. 11 years now and haven't burned anything up. I rarely run everything at once and never at high power. Ymmv.
Cheers, Mac

 

[estraca]

Thanks Mac! I will setup the VCs to 4x!

Also, what do you mean by "running the protector feature"? I do not think my VCs has this capability! I might be wrong though...

Cheers, Carlos