Mono System Audio System

[T.I.M]

Hi Guys,

 

hopefully someone here can help me out.

 

I'm helping my friend out with a new audio system for his coffee shop. So far we've found that a 7.1 av amp will give us mono sound to each speaker.

 

He wants this as then people at different parts of the shop will be able to hear the music fully, as opposed to the way it is just now; a normal stereo with speakers wired normally in stereo and with some tracks playing drums louder out the left channel etc so you don't get the full sound.

 

So he is looking to getting a 7.1 mono AV amp with 7 speakers about the shop, hopefully playing the same mono sound out each one. Is this statement correct?

 

Cheers

 

Tim

[pritch]

Any particular reason for an AV amp? There are various multi-channel (6 channel or whatever) PA / Installation amps available, which may be better suited to this sort of role.

[Pebblesculpt]

Looking around at something else than the AV amp sounds like a good idea.... 'zoning' amps or similar allow you to adjust the volume level of each speaker very easily (ie: there's a level knob for each one!). This may be good for a number of reasons in a coffee shop - creating quiet areas, or controlling noise pollution outside of the shop.

If you already own the 7.1 amp and some speakers, giving the advantage of zero cost, it will probably work - worry about the better spec for low level background music when the shop's in profit ;-)

Good luck.

[T.I.M]

Any particular reason for an AV amp? There are various multi-channel (6 channel or whatever) PA / Installation amps available, which may be better suited to this sort of role.

 

 

That was my first thinking on 'why an AV amp?'. It was a guy in Richer Sounds in Glasgow that pointed us in that direction. He said that the channels on the AV Amp (a pioneer one, can't remember the model no. just now) will give out a mono signal for us so that every speaker sounds the same. Which is what he really wants for the shop. I'm just wanting to double check all the info we've had from people, as someone from a similar type shop down south said this setup wouldn't do what we wanted. So I need a third input. The more opinions the better, or does anyone know for sure?

 

Cheers

 

A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on.

 

Looking around at something else than the AV amp sounds like a good idea.... 'zoning' amps or similar allow you to adjust the volume level of each speaker very easily (ie: there's a level knob for each one!). This may be good for a number of reasons in a coffee shop - creating quiet areas, or controlling noise pollution outside of the shop.

If you already own the 7.1 amp and some speakers, giving the advantage of zero cost, it will probably work - worry about the better spec for low level background music when the shop's in profit ;-)

Good luck.

 

can you point me to any particular 'zoning' amps?

 

budget isn't too much of an issue just now, as the coffee shop is having an extension and refit which is why the new sound system is going in. He would rather spend the money now and get something really good than to then upgrade at a later date.

 

With the setup I'm originally going for with the 7.1AV amp, would it give the same sound out at every speaker?

 

and if we were to go for a different setup with a 'zoning' amp, is there a need for special speakers? or can we use good quality household speakers, rather than a pa type speaker?

 

Cheers

[Chris Beesley]

With all due respect Richer Sounds are a HiFi shop and wont have the expertise in commercial audio.

 

Have a look at Cloud, TOA, Adastra, Jedia, Inter-M - all offer mono zoning amps with easy to use controls ... easier than hitting the right setting on a HiFi amp. If you dont need true zoning why not look into using a 100V mixer type pa amp and speakers fitted with individual volume controls (or volume controls fitted to pattress boxes).

[T.I.M]

With all due respect Richer Sounds are a HiFi shop and wont have the expertise in commercial audio.

 

Have a look at Cloud, TOA, Adastra, Jedia, Inter-M - all offer mono zoning amps with easy to use controls ... easier than hitting the right setting on a HiFi amp. If you dont need true zoning why not look into using a 100V mixer type pa amp and speakers fitted with individual volume controls (or volume controls fitted to pattress boxes).

 

I'll go and have a look into some of those makes. Thanks very much so far!!

 

 

Zoning isn't a real issue as its background music as opposed to going to a club/bar type thing. And he's wanting to stay away from the pa style system as everyone who works in the shop needs to be able to work the thing easily, switching from the cd player to the mp3 player to the tv, all with just a press of a button and no need to change volume controls etc too much. Also, the speakers need to look the part to fit with the new decor. The image it portrays is very important, which is why he wants to stay as close to the home audio style speakers as much as possible.

 

I got the list of equipment he has been looking at for it;

 

Pioneer vsx-lx51 av amp

Dali Lektor 3 speakers x 4

speakercraft (not sure which model yet) in ceiling speaker x 2

Dali Lektor LCR x 1

 

He would like to have the Dali Lektor 3 speakers, in each corner of the room, the Speakercraft ones half way down the room and the LCR speaker above the bar counter area as a centre speaker. The room is quite a large rectangle shape prob about 8mx5m off the top of my head.

[Chris Beesley]

Wow... thats one expensive backround music system!

 

Most PA amps have simple controls on the front panel and many now have the option of built in CD players (see Inter-M PAM series). As for speakers - there are loads of very smart looking install cabinets on the market. I will dig out some links and post them here for you.

[duncanborrowman]

I would agree with this those who suggest a zoning amp.

This link takes you to the ones from cloud on the Canford website http://www.canford.co.uk/Browse/51591.aspx

 

Duncan

Showcomms

[TomHoward]

I would have thought some 100V line speakers on something like an Adastra amp would be a much better solution; a mix of ceiling and BGM speakers. Going down the 7.1 route you're going to run into trouble with input splitting; and frankly you're spending £1000 on an amplifier that is completely wrong for the application.

 

Making a mono system is an easy as summing the left and right signals together - you don't need any specialist amplifiers to do this, it could be achieved with a cable.

 

I would use something along the lines of;

 

Cambridge Audio CD5 £120

Adastra 952.975 £120

http://www.theelectronicsshop.co.uk/Art%20Work/443-975%20Amplifier.jpg

Mix this with some 100V ceiling and BGM speakers, and you'll save a fortune in low-imedance speaker cable.

 

This system will last years as well, as the components are purpose-designed and are bombproof. Exposing a piece of home hifi kit to unusual operating circumstances (such as moisture in a kitchen enviroment, 15 hour a day operation, etc) seem almost guaranteed to make it fail within a year or two anyway, it's simply the wrong piece of equipment for the application.

[T.I.M]

Thanks very much so far guys!

 

I just spoke to my friend and he has ordered all that equipment, but I've almost convinced him to send it back. We are gonna get together hopefully tonight and search through all the links you have put up so far. He has already laid speaker wire, as that had to be done a few weeks ago when the building was being done, so I'll find out exactly what that is incase its going to effect things. And will no doubt be back on for some more advice and some opiions on what to get.

 

Once again CHEERS!! ;)

[Chris Beesley]

If you go down the 100V route then all the speakers can be wired in parrallel at the back of the amplifier so assuming he has run the cables from where the amp would be sited out to each speaker this will suit.