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What’s your audio system for multi zone setups

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by Danvilletim, Jun 13, 2021.

  1. Danvilletim, Jun 13, 2021
    #1
    Danvilletim

    Danvilletim Senior Member

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    We inherited a ridiculously complicated crestron / kaleidoscope system. It needs to go and we want to figure out a more manageable system. Current one does have 12 zones. We want to use a local Mac iTunes server as that’s all the content we own. And of course stream from phone

    What do you guys use for multi zone installs?
  2. gcsi, Jun 13, 2021
    #2
    gcsi

    gcsi Senior Member

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    Sonos
  3. Oscarvan, Jun 13, 2021
    #3
    Oscarvan

    Oscarvan Senior Member

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    Hatteras original 4 zone hard wired system with 12 speakers. A small amp blue toothed to an iPad playing Radio Paradise.
  4. Pascal, Jun 13, 2021
    #4
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    We tried various systems over the years. The best? A portable rechargeable Bose S1 Pro!!! Grab it, pair to it and take it wherever you want. No complicated menus and zones. This the most popular audio device on board. Sometimes we pull the ski pole of the tender and stick the speaker in there !!
  5. GPO, Jun 13, 2021
    #5
    GPO

    GPO Member

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    Fusion stereo system (multi zones) running playlists (Spotify is our favourite) via Bluetooth off the boat’s dedicated iPad or off personal iPhones (guests bring some great playlists on their devices).
  6. johnnry, Jun 15, 2021
    #6
    johnnry

    johnnry Member

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    I would look into sonos. The sonos components even run off there own separate sonos Wi-Fi network. You may not need to be connected to the Internet to get a local playlist to work. Worth a little 12 V/ 120 V wiring compared to Crestron
  7. MBevins, Jun 15, 2021
    #7
    MBevins

    MBevins Senior Member

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    If you have an existing wired system, connect a Bluetooth interface to it. Fairly cheap, good ones are about $100.
    If the original system is toast, you can buy Bluetooth enabled amplifiers. If you want you can assign a dedicated tablet or unused phone to run it.

    My Viking came with a Nakamichi stereo with 4 zones. Connected the BT adapter to the aux input. Use my personal cell phone to run it from where ever I'm sitting. If necessary just upgrade the speakers.
  8. f3504x4ps, Jun 15, 2021
    #8
    f3504x4ps

    f3504x4ps Member

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    Contact Crestron, they will go over the system with you, they are highly upgradeable and may already have what you want to use it for. They are complicated if you have never used one before, the IPad interface in confusing if you have never used it either. Worth a call before you yank it out. Hatteras has used them in their boat since 2016 possibly earlier.
  9. Capt J, Jun 16, 2021
    #9
    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    The Sonos is a pain in the ass and if your iphone is connected to it, you don't recieve any text messages.

    Fusion is by far the easiest and most robust system.
  10. SkipJay, Jun 16, 2021
    #10
    SkipJay

    SkipJay New Member

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    Can you tell us a little more about your current setup and your boat? Any idea what year it was installed? What type of control is being used? You can make a Crestron system easy to use and it could certainly access your music on a mac. It may just be a matter of getting a good Crestron programmer on your boat to set things up the way you want it.
  11. rtrafford, Jun 16, 2021
    #11
    rtrafford

    rtrafford Senior Member

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    Agreed. Went with Fusion and linked it to the Sirrus weather system to get music options, but also bluetooth it to the phone as needed.
  12. Danvilletim, Jun 16, 2021
    #12
    Danvilletim

    Danvilletim Senior Member

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    Not loving the idea of having to hire a programmer. The system was $250k in 2007.. Video Matrix, Audio Switching, Kaldeicope servers for movies and audio.. At best it half works. I had a quote for $8k to remove some parts and getting Audio streaming... But he can't verify if the speakers are any good, etc.. So Likely would be $10-12k.

    I'm going to go with 4 Sonos Move wireless / battery speakers that network together and I can bring inside and out for the time being.. One trip to Best Buy and they are all working a few hours latter. I'm getting an iPad that I'll load with iTunes Audio Content and mount in the wall where old creation display was. So Audio solved for now.

    Next up is Video....Again ripping out the old... Going with Apple TVs or Smart TVs with Apple TV built in. All my movie content is DRM Protected Apple stuff.. It appears you can no longer break the DRM like you used to. Apple Home Sharing (which allows movies to be streamed from local server) is really fragile. And hates being not online to authorize users and DRM.. So I'm not sure this is going to work but its the only solution I can think of with
  13. MYTraveler, Jun 16, 2021
    #13
    MYTraveler

    MYTraveler Member

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    Sonos is also a PIA because it won't let you use the system if there is a pending software upgrade. And each box (and therefore zone) has its own software. If you use your sound system every week, that may be OK. But if you use it only every month or so, you most often will not be able to use it without a without spending 30 minutes on upgrades.
  14. Capt J, Jun 16, 2021
    #14
    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Which also requires internet!!!!
  15. MYTraveler, Jun 16, 2021
    #15
    MYTraveler

    MYTraveler Member

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    It may be that the internet is what tells my system it is time for an upgrade, so maybe without internet there wouldn't be a problem. The only time I use Sonos (mine has no amplifier, it is just an audio source) is with internet. Without internet, I use a different source.