Axium multi-room audio players to the rescue

Multi-room audio is an awesome thing to have, but it can also potentially be a minefield. Whether you decide on a multi-zone AV receiver, a wireless integrated multi-room system, a wired multi-room audio system or a combination of those, there is a good chance that you are going to need help with implementation and installation. Sounds like utter gibberish already? You’re not alone.

Here’s the deal: Say, you want to have music in the lounge, the kitchen, the office, the bedrooms, the deck and the ensuite. Your first option would be to buy an AV Receiver with extra zones. Most major brands offer different options, and the more zones you want, the more expensive the AV Receiver gets. There is the fact that these AVRs can have serious limitations on your options in terms of different sources for different rooms. Chances are pretty good that you won’t be able to play your Hi-Res playlist in the bedroom, while your teenager son watches a Netflix movie in the dark nooks of his own bedroom at the same time as the wife who has the radio going in the living room.

And even if we would be happy with that limitation, the highest number of zones you would be able to get would be 4 zones. In our example, we need at least 6 zones, so in short: it’s not going to work…

The last few years, most manufacturers of AV Receivers (Yamaha, Onkyo, Denon, Marantz, to name a few) have enabled their AVRs to be Wifi capable. And some of them allow you to link or chain more than one AVR together into a network of AVRs, whereby you can have more zones (or rooms) for every AVR you add. A good example would be the Yamaha RXV481, a 2 zone amplifier that can be connected via Musiccast to other RXV481s. The cost of 2 of these AVRs is less than one 4 zone AVR so there is definitely a cost advantage. And the Apple iOS or Android app to control these AVRs is free (and very easy to use). So….problem solved! Unfortunately, things are not so easy.

2, 3 or 4 AVR’s take a heck of a lot of space (which is so often at a premium), and generate a lot of heat. So, while not impossible, it’s not ideal.

Enter integrated multi-room systems: for controlling different sources and going beyond more than 4 rooms (or zones), many people consider an integrated multi-room systems is the way to go.

Everybody knows Sonos and Bose for multi-room audio. Their marketing is very slick and their products are omnipresent. That does not mean they necessarily have the best sounding products. Bose focuses on multi-room audio with small speakers with a subwoofer to add bass to the setup (but as a result the mid-frequencies are underperforming) and Sonos is all about trendy wireless (and expensive) multi-room audio with a sound that tends to be (still) rather average to audiophile standards. Also, don’t forget that, wireless doesn’t mean you don’t need a power plug.

On top of that, installing a multi-room audio system generally speaking is not for the faint of heart. Especially getting the total impedance of all the speakers correct requires some strong knowledge of Ohm’s law of resistance. That is why most of the time the installation of multi-room audio is done by professional installers; including Rapallo.

The options don’ stop there, though.

Russound is a well-known player in the market of wired multi-room audio. It offers options and flexibility of choice (you are not stuck within a brand, as is the case with Sonos for instance), as well as reliability and quality well beyond many of the wireless multi-room audio systems currently available.

USA based Russound has built a strong reputation in New Zealand. They integrate with big home automation brands such as Control 4, and their products are robust and perform well.

Multi-room amplifiers like the Russound ones are quite different from AV receivers. They focus on the ‘A’ in ‘AV’: most of the time, they don’t offer any HDMI inputs or outputs, and do not offer any surround sound capability. All they do is amplify music in different rooms (including streaming if desired), and focus on controlling the input in different rooms easily. No whistles and bells, but a focused, easy to use product that works well and is very efficient and reliable.

But as much as we like and support Russound, there is nothing like supporting locally made products. Thanks to the guys at Axium (www.axiumcontrol.com), we can!

You will remember a few months ago, we added the Dunedin based Perreaux range to our store. We like it when Kiwis are punching above their weight on a global scale. Axium ticks all those boxes and has joined our list of suppliers. Axium, …who?

Axium is, like Russound, in the business of multi-room audio players. The Axium engineering, design and worldwide headquarters are based in Auckland, and these guys have happy customers all around the world. Yet, you may never have heard of them. That is very likely because their focus is on electricians and installers, not the consumers themselves.

With the Axium system, you can listen to the same song in every room or different songs in every room. You can grow the system to a whopping 32 rooms! But for the party-animals out there, you can turn on party mode and link all rooms together.

Our experience with the free Axium mobile app (Android and iOS and can be installed on as many devices as you like) is that it’s easy to use and, very easy to modify by your installer.

As a certified Axium installer, we are impressed with the ease-of-use of their installation and integration tools. The software Axium has developed allows for very simple to very complex user interfaces. You as a customer can choose the background colour, icons and buttons to suit your fancy and needs. All you have to do is say the word and your installer can make it happen.

Integration with AV Receivers or other devices can be done via RS232 or IP. In other words, there’s plenty of choice and it is unlikely that we would not be able to control other devices from the Axium app. Of course, there is also the option to have Axium wall keypads with touch screens that can also be customised to your needs.

The Axium family of amplifiers consists of the AX-1250, 8 zones/13 sources, with 6 powered zones delivering 55 Watts per speaker and 2 independent preamp zones. There are 12 physical source input, both digital and analogue.

Another 32 sources (!) can be added via the network, so you won’t be running out of inputs anytime soon!

This multizone amplifier produces high quality sound and offers excellent value for money.

The little brother, the Axium Mini 4, would be a smaller version without compromising on sound quality, but just with fewer zones and less physical inputs. The greatest feature of the Mini 4 however is that it can be chained with other Mini 4s.

Other Axium products include controllers and sensors, proving the point that these guys are as strong in integration and remote controlling devices, as they are in great amplifiers.

As suggested before, implementation and installation of Axium multi-room audio requires a professional installer.

At Rapallo, we are accredited Axium installers.

If you are renovating or building a new home, we suggest you give us a call and discuss your setup. We are more than happy to discuss options with you. You may be pleasantly surprised at how affordable the Axium products are.

See you soon!