A whole-home audio system uses speaker-wire connections to distribute music - that is to say, you run speaker wires through your walls to each room that's part of your network.
If you don't want speaker wires dangling out of holes in your walls, you'll need finished outlets for ending runs of in-wall speaker cable. These outlets are designed to fit into standard single-, double-, or triple-gang electrical junction boxes, and they come in all sorts of neat combinations. For example, you can buy a double-gang-sized outlet that contains two RG6 video-cable outlets and a pair of five-way speaker binding posts, which allows you to make your audio and video connections right next to each other. You'll find a host of speaker outlets in any good home-electronics store or catalog.
When you purchase speaker outlets, skip any that have spring-loaded, clip-style connections and go right for the banana or five-way binding post types. The spring-loaded clips won't accept expensive speaker cables with the huge, gold-plated spade connectors. Besides, they're pretty flimsy.
Traditional speaker-wire systems are not the only way to get audio around your home, but for most people they're the best and easiest method. As computer networks and audio networks converge in more ways, however, it's possible to skip the traditional speaker-wire network and get your music by alternate means.
- Use CAT-5e cabling (the same kind used for computer networks) to distribute line-level audio signals around the house. You'll need some special devices on the ends of these cables to make this work.
- Converge (or combine) your audio and computer networks and use PCs and computer-based PC peripherals to store and play your music. You still need speakers and amplifiers to play the music, but you can use the CD player inside your PC to play CDs, or you can store your music as MP3 files on the PC (or on a special music server, such as an AudioRequest). Music can then be carried over your home's computer LAN to remote locations for playback. Computer-based audio systems also give you the option of getting your music from online music services offered by many broadband ISPs such as DirecTV DSL and Road Runner.
Some of these computer-like audio systems are sophisticated. For example, Request's ARQ Zone system syncs with your main AudioRequest to provide multizone audio in your home. You can even sync these devices remotely.
