Help on a multi-room configuration

You are better off with smaller local amps in each room. These can be arranged to autoswitch their power.

Without knowing much about the esthetic and practical considerations of the setups in your various rooms, or the size of your B&W speakers (floorstanders vs. monitors) you might want to explore using Bryston "PowerPac" amps, which are modular, single channel amps that are available in either 60-watt, 120-watt, or 250 watt outputs. These "PowerPacs" can be mounted directly on the back of the speaker, or on the wall behind the speaker. The "PowerPacs" were developed specifically for the type of multi-room configuration you have in mind, and the amps carry the Bryston 20-year warranty. I have a friend that has a multi-room setup, and he has used the Bryston "PowerPac" amps with great satisfaction (in addition to his main listening room where has has a pair of Bryston 7B-ST amps, he has a pair of the 60-watt "PowerPacs" in one room, and a pair of the 120-watt "Pacs" in another). For more info about the "PowerPac" amps, look at Bryston's Web site. Here's the address to the page that lists the amps: http://www.bryston.ca/ampsel.html

(BTW: there were also several previous threads here on Audiogon about the "PowerPacs", and you can find them in the archive. Just use the A-gon search engine by typing in the word "Bryston" to find the threads.)

Hello Chris,
I have a multi-room system and, FWIW, will offer my experience. Realizing that your needs and expectations may differ greatly from mine, I will proceed. In doing major renovation work to my 1923 home, I decided to add a later-period “sweet-tooth item” – a multi-zone sound system with four zones. In pre-wiring, I brought speaker wires from the source to each of the four zones. I had the forethought to loop the speaker wiring through wall boxes in each zone. My intention was to add volume controls at each wall-box location. I drove the system, initially, with one power amp, of reasonable quality, and a speaker switcher. The speaker switcher was from a reputable manufacturer, and cost about $150. The volume controls were about $50 each, and the system served its purpose, albeit with limited flexibility. But every time I wanted to change sources, it was back to the equipment area. Every time I wanted to adjust master volume, it was back to the equipment area. Most importantly, every time I turned on an additional zone through the speaker switcher, I could hear a distinct drop in sound quality from the speakers. After living with this setup for about a year, I saw a multi-zone controller on Audiogon and bought it. This control unit has 4 discrete built-in amplifiers, so each zone has its own amp. No more deterioration in sound when additional zones are activated. Also, I replaced the volume controls with remote keypads and IR sensors, so I can now control the system without going to the source equipment every time I want to change something. The sound is better, I can have different sources playing in different zones, and, buying through Audiogon, I saved some money. I continue to use this system daily, and would never go back to its single amp-with-switcher predecessor. While each zone comes with its own dedicated amp, the controller also has the flexibility to add a separate power amp for each zone. I recently purchased a multi-channel power amp that integrated easily into the system to give me more power for each zone. Considering your stated budget for a quality single amp, for far less I was able to buy the multi-zone controller and keypads, have discrete amps for each zone, have independent remote control for each zone, and have the flexibility to increase power as my budget allowed and as my needs warranted. If a multi-zone controller doesn’t fit into your plans, I would at least go with a discrete amp for each zone. Good luck, happy listening, and enjoy!