20 years ago, if someone told you that you could control home music, temperature, and security with your voice, you might laugh. But here in 2023, smart home AV solutions are the norm. Our everyday life now looks futuristic to people from just a couple of decades past.
If you’re looking for multi-room AV solutions, you have a lot to choose from. There are dedicated all-in-one systems that provide audio to every room in your house. Or modular systems allow you to fine-tune your audio to just a few rooms in the home.
In this guide, we aim to provide you with all the information you need. Keep reading for the best multi-room AV solutions on the market today.
Multi-Room AV Solutions: What Constitutes a Multi-Room AV System?
Before we dig into solutions, we need to define our terms. In the simplest terms, an AV system provides high-fidelity audio to every room in the house. The concept is that you can seamlessly connect all these devices and get the same experience whether you are in the living room or the bedroom.
AV solutions are huge for audio enthusiasts. They allow you to get the best quality music no matter where you are. They are also excellent for social gatherings, such as parties or special events.
They’re great for setting the mood whenever you’re feeling like the music. They often double as a home theater speaker system for your home theater. They make sure nobody in the home gets excluded from a premium audio experience.
Let’s cover the components of a great home audio solution.
Wireless Systems
Before the advent of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, your AV solutions required physical wires throughout the house. This was no mean feat, though. It required threading wires through the roof and walls to keep them hidden.
Further, old AV systems often use a single, dated panel to control the sound. This can make for a frustrating experience unless you are technically savvy. They also required a dedicated audio setup, such as an amplifier, to manage and play music.
Fortunately, today’s systems are wireless. They use modern Wi-Fi standards with extenders that can reach across your home.
Flexible Control
Rather than being restricted to a panel, a modern AV system enables you to use your smartphone. You can be sitting on your couch and have granular control in the palm of your hand. You can use the smartphone’s voice controls to play music or movies without moving a muscle.
Thanks to modern features like Chromecast and AirPlay, you don’t have to rely on a dated big-screen TV. You can have all your streaming services and game apps on any TV from the palm of your hand.
This makes it easy to have guests take control of your system. If a visitor wants to share a movie or video, they can do so with ease. The days are long gone of having to rely on physical media.
Smart TV Options
TVs and projectors are expensive and often only feature limited smart capabilities. You may only be able to download a limited set of apps for streaming and TV watching. Thanks to smart TVs that is no longer an issue.
Using something like an Apple TV or a Chromecast dongle, you can transform an old TV or projector into a smart one. You can pair these smart devices together for full house control.
Smart device hubs can often serve as the hub for your smart security solutions, too. You can pair your security cameras, doorbell cameras, and smart lights to the hub. Then, no matter where you are, you have complete control of your smart home.
A High-Quality Speaker System
The most expensive and trickiest part about building multi-room AV solutions is the speakers. You will need to purchase different speaker types for different rooms. Your custom theatre will need acoustic treatment and a properly placed sound bar or surround sound system.
You can purchase a full home set from companies like Sonos or Bluesound. These will include soundbars, bookshelf speakers, and portable speaker pods. You will need to place these correctly to get the optimal sound for your room’s shape and size.
Smart Speaker Pods
If you’re not interested in going with a dedicated multiroom system, you can purchase smart Speaker pods. A perfect example of this is the Apple HomePod or Google Nest.
These are intelligent speakers that you can place anywhere. They use specialized hardware and beamforming microphones to sound good whether in a corner or at the center of the room. Best of all, you can control them from your smart device.
AV Receivers and Mini Systems
Depending on your needs, you may desire to have the highest quality audio possible. Streaming from smart speaker systems can get you very impressive sound quality. But for audiophiles, you will need to go further.
The best quality audio requires a base station such as an AV receiver. This delivers high-fidelity audio straight to your hi-fi speakers. It allows you to use lossless bit rates to listen to music and movies in their original recorded quality.
These serve both as a means of controlling your music and fine-tuning the signal. This is tricky work and may require the help of an audiovisual consultant.
Create an AV System with AV Design
Multi-room AV solutions allow you to have the best audio experience possible in every corner of your home. Thanks to modern smart technology, you now have precision control of your devices across the home. There are a wide variety of options on the market you can choose from, allowing you to create your dream AV system from scratch.
Smart Home Design is the leader in custom theatre and home audio solutions. We craft only the highest-end systems for distinguished individuals. Contact us today, and let us build your dream with you.
