The Audioaccess $2,199-suggested 7.1-channel AVR21EN A/V receiver with built-in multi-room controller is the centerpiece of the brand’s WHEN (Whole House Entertainment Network) multi-room audio packages, some of which include in-wall and in-ceiling speakers.
The base package starts at a suggested $4,000, and the system is expandable to 20 rooms when additional hubs are installed.
Although shown at previous Expos, the receiver and WHEN system will now ship in October. Since their last CEDIA showing, they add compatibility with a new $499-suggested iPod dock, up-scales 1,080i, and displays satellite-radio metadata from compatible Sirius and XM satellite tuners made by as-yet unannounced third parties.
In another change, the receiver will be made available separately from WHEN packages, which include in-wall keypads incorporating 2×25-watt digital amps.
The multichannel receiver, which features two built-in AM/FM tuners, connects via a single CAT-5 cable to a multi-room hub that can be located remotely in a utility closet. The hub then distributes control signals and audio signals to in-wall keypads in multiple rooms, also via CAT-5.
Because the keypads contain 2×25-watt digital amp, the receiver’s embedded seven-channel amp is free to power a home theater system while audio sources play in other rooms.
The system is a whole-house paging and intercom system, as well as a security-camera monitoring system designed for connection to up to seven security cameras.
