Newbie - A few Installation questions

Discussion in 'Multi-Room Audio (MRA) and MARPA' started by stonecoldbossman, Aug 18, 2008.

  1. stonecoldbossman

    stonecoldbossman

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    Hi All,

    I am quite inexperienced in CBUS install but so far having installed lighting throughout my house, reasonably successfully, but am now looking at installing MRA but have a couple of questions..hope they are not too dumb

    1. The installation PDF only shows AUDIO being controlled form the 6 Gang Saturn I wanted to have the top 2 buttons controlling the light in the room, then second 2 buttons selecting audio source then last 2 buttons selecting volume up and down I presume you can control lighting and audio from the same 6 Gang Saturn

    2. The installation PDF is a bit confusing (to me anyhow) MY current Install of 6 Gang Saturn?s etc is just 1 unit daisy changed to the next I imagined pointing the Matrix on the end of the run I have at the moment ... can the Matrix Switch be joined to this daisy chain at any point and the each remote amp is cabled out of the Matrix Switch separately ..

    3. Is it not very efficient to daisy chain everything as the longer the run gets the units that get added are further and further away for the start unit?

    4. How do I work out if I need a Audio Amplifier Power Supply for each Amplifier coming out of the Matrix, I will be feeding 7 remote Amps and 1 Desktop amp.

    5. One room is quite large and I propose to use 6 speakers (3 pairs) can I use 1 amp for this, or if not can I use a non CBUS Amp to boost power as budget has become a major factor and 3 amps for 1 room is gonna go way over budget.

    6. What?s the sound quality like I am looking at purchasing the Flush Mount, 60W, 8 Ohm, Circular, Kevlar, Indoor?

    Any help or suggestions would be very much appreciated.

    Thanks in advance.

    Lee
     
    stonecoldbossman, Aug 18, 2008
    #1
  2. stonecoldbossman

    Newman

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    No problem.

    As far as the C-Bus cabling goes, you can have practically any wiring layout you like, except a loop.
    As far as the digital cabling for audio goes, amplifiers must be daisy chained together when you want them to be on the same zone. This is because of the high-speed point-to-point nature of the communication. The alternative is to spread the amplifiers across the 8 zones of the matrix switcher.

    The power coming from the matrix switcher can run the first amplifier in the zone at about 6W RMS into 4 ohms. If you want to run the first amplifier at the full 25W then it will need the power supply. All amplifiers in a zone beyond the first amplifier require a power supply to operate.

    You can use whatever series/parallel combinations of speakers you like provided that the combined impedance of the speakers is between 4-8 ohms. Bear in mind that putting more than a single speaker per amplifier output will reduce the power that each speaker sees for a given output power level.

    Some of this is covered in the Installation Instructions and User Guide so they would both be worth a re-read.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 19, 2008
    Newman, Aug 19, 2008
    #2
  3. stonecoldbossman

    ashleigh Moderator

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    Bear in mind, in a room with only half-decent speakers (not the w#$%y audiophile things), that 6W per channel will be so damn loud you wont be able to talk over it!
     
    ashleigh, Aug 19, 2008
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  4. stonecoldbossman

    stonecoldbossman

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    Thanks for your help guys!

    I think I will install without the power supplies and then add them if needed and also hook up 3 pairs of speakers to the 1 amp and see if it need an extra amp once installed.

    Not sure how to calculate the combined impedance but will Google that one, before installing.

    Ashleigh not sure what you meant by (not the w#$%y audiophile things) but I am looking to get the Clipsal 56001CK: Speaker, Pair, Flush Mount, 60W, 8 Ohm, Circular, Kevlar, Indoor... I presume you do not mean these ones are rubbish?

    Thanks again for helping..

    Will let you know how I got on once installed might be useful to someone else who hasn?t done it before like me.

    Lee
     
    stonecoldbossman, Aug 19, 2008
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  5. stonecoldbossman

    froop

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    For speakers (or any resistance load) connected in series, add the impedences.
    If they're connected in parallel:

    Code:
    1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3 + ... = 1/RT
    
    Where R1,R2,R3 are the individual impendences of each speaker, and RT is your total impedence.

    So, if you have 2 x 4ohm speakers, you can connect them in series for a total of 8ohm. If you have 2 x 8ohm speakers, you can connect them in parallel for a total of 4ohm.

    If you have 4 x 8ohm speakers, you can connect two pairs of serially connected speakers in parallel (or two pairs of parallel connected speakers in series) for a total of 8ohm.
     
    froop, Aug 19, 2008
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