To say that multi-room systems have advanced would be an understatement; what’s possible in 2017 was never even considered just several years ago.
Sure, it would be easy to point you in the direction of the biggest and most expensive system in town – and that would suit every need down to a tee. However, the cost isn’t everything; you only have to look at the Systemline multi-room audio system to realize this.
Therefore, if you are in the market for a new multi-room system – read on to find out what features you should be buying into to maximize your experience.
Tap into Spotify
The example is Spotify but in truth, it could be any one of the music subscription services. In other words, the likes of SoundCloud and Deezer are both relevant – it’s whatever is up your street.
To get to the point, some wireless systems will only support some of these services. As such, you need to find one which supports the largest range of services. The good news is that this is becoming one of the more common features, but it’s worth researching anyway to make sure that you can play directly from the service.
The bridge-factor
Again, this is a feature which is becoming more common with the modern systems – but it’s also one that you need to be well aware of.
Some systems need you to bridge between your router and wireless network, using a specific device. Suffice to say, it’s an added cost and something that a lot of “newbie” buyers fail to put into the equation. Instead, systems are now available which will connect you directly to the network – meaning that the need for the bridging device is completely redundant.
How many speakers?
It says multi-room – but this doesn’t mean every room. Different systems have different capabilities in relation to the number of rooms they can serve. Not only this, some will also limit how much different content you can circulate around the house – which is pretty significant if you’re living as part as a big family, or varied group of friends.
It means that you need to investigate these capabilities as a matter of urgency and find out what limitations that you might come across.
Is integration possible?
If you’re in the market of saving money, this tip could be right up your street. Some speakers will allow you to integrate speakers from a range of manufacturers, while others will banish the practice completely. They do this through the difficult standards they are built on, so it can be really frustrating particularly if you have already invested a lot in your current sound system.
You might have to get to grips with some technical jargon to see which devices are going to be compatible with what, but if you already own equipment it’s information like this which might be able to save you hundreds from your final multi-room bill.