Where did you find it for that price? Looks really interesting.

No idea but here it is for 850.00 including keypads - the 4 zone one. Know nothing about the retailer so I would want to do some research.

Here is a link that might be useful: HAI Hi Fi 2 by Leviton

I haven't purchased it yet, but for my upcoming build I was thinking of going with the mid-level HTD system. It's slightly more expensive, but I think it seems more flexible - plus the information on the website is excellent.

Here is a link that might be useful: HTD Whole House Audio

The problem with the HTD system for us, which I have looked at, is that there is no ipad/ipod control through an app. I understand you can control by your ipad/ipod through the internet but that loses some appeal for me. I would much rather click on an app. Maybe it works as easily? If I could bookmark the page and the control would pop up, that would be the best solution. The biggest hitch for us is there seems to be a requirement of some sort of hardwired internet access in the room where you put the system if you want to control the system through an iphone, which we don't have as it is going in the basement in a storage room. If we had known, we could have easily run internet in there but as of now, just speakers go to this room (I think - I have to double check with our av guy).

Really, the house was wired for a control 4 type system which we don't want to spend the money on. The other option is to buy a seperate Sonos amp for each zone. The third option is to find some sort of speaker switch that is controlled by an app (which would be the best/cheapest solution since we already have an existing amp and Logitech squeezebox) - which would be the cheapest but that doesn't appear to exist.

We didn't want wall controls - new old house - so we only have two. One in master bath to allow husband to listen to sports radio while he gets dressed without having to bring his phone in the bathroom and another in the basement to allow kids to switch music when they have friends over.

I would be interested in knowing how effective the HTD internet control is.

Oh WAIT! I think I can extend my wi fi network in that room by using another Airport Express (we already have an Extreme and a couple of Expresses which are connected via ethernet).

Anyone know off the top of their head whether you can use the express to extend a network wirelessly? I think you can and this would allow me to use the HTD I think.

Although still very popular, native applications (what people call "Iphone or Android Apps") are slowly on the way out, to be replaced with browser-based applications. But yes, you can definitely create a bookmark to the browser application and (depending on your phone) should even be able to create a shortcut to it on your "home" screen.

I don't know Apple products that well, but the AirPort Express seems like it has that ability as well. There are also other cheap product that turn ethernet ports to Wifi.

I am just looking at the HTD system now, but I sort of had a different idea for whole home audio. I think I am going to make a more "robust" post to discuss but very simply I went with a Sonos system for a couple reasons. First being is I can use it now before my house is built. Two, it's infinitely expandable, and three, the quality is definitely HiFi. It's not built in in any way and although the initial appeal of a built in system appealed to me greatly, I think have the ability to move the speakers and the tablet/phone control Sonos offers outweighed the sexiness of an in-wall system.

Just curious if Sonos has been discussed?

Squeezebox would be a part of this system or any home audio distribution system. The problem with Sonos is you have to have one per zone if you don't want speakers everywhere.

Squeezebox is much like Sonos, except sonos offers an amplified version.

I didn't want speakers sitting out or to have to move them so we wired for speakers in the ceiling, except for in our den (didn't want them in the ceiling where not necessary so we have speakers on our bookshelf). We have wired ceiling speakers in master bath, kitchen, basement, screened porch and outdoors.

Sonos is fabulous for houses not pre wired and is a less expensive solution if you don't mind sitting speakers out on the counter or moving speakers around. That way you only need one Sonos. If you start talking of doing numerous zones with sonos (which I want because I want to be able to listen to something different in the kitchen while my husband is listening to local sports radio on the porch), it gets pricey as you need a seperate sonos amplified for each zone. I think the Sonos amp is around 3000.00 for 6 zones.

This way we could use our existing squeezebox (also controlled by iphone) and get another if there appears to be a conflict between what people are listening too and still stay way ahead price wise.

Yeah I guess it goes to whether you like have in-wall speakers or not. I think to get the same quality in-wall speakers as what the Sonos put out, I wouldn't be saving much and would be fixed. I don't mind the Sonos being out as I can direct the speaker easily and reminds of like a Bose wave.

I play on having multiple Sonos speakers for different zones. The cheapest Sonos speaker set is $300 so you could technically have 6 zones at $1800. If you had an existing built-in. They have a "Connect" bridge which essentially acts as it's own zone as well and that is $349. So to get the zone ability using the Sonos system would be $2100. That is a non-amplified version. That would assume you have some sort of pre-amp going to the speakers which I would imagine would be the case for a multi-zone system. The other option is what you mentioned, a power-amp based bridge that takes speakers direct.

I am not familiar with how systems like HTD are completely wired so my assumption was that the system was an amplifier and sources were connected to it and managed. The thing I like about the Sonos is the zone management.

I don't disagree and I understand there are different tastes...was just interested in other people's opinions.

Not to mention Squeezebox is officially discontinued.

Didn't know that about squeezebox.

Yes, to use Sonos in multiple zones you either need one sonos and a zoned amp like the HTD system, or multiple of the amped version of Sonos (which would require one for each zone). I think it is cheaper to do the former, plus it allows for other sources in your zone.

The only hitch to the one sonos with stand alone multi room zoned amp is that if two folks want to listen to sonos at the same time. In that case, you need another sonos. If you have other sources, then it becomes less of an issue.

At this point, a zoned sonos system would cost us more because we are already wired. . .

If I didn't have ceiling speakers, I would certainly consider it.

Yes, I use Airport Express to extend our network which is based on a Time Capsule. The Time Capsule is upstairs in the office and I work via our company VPN from my office in the basement. Each time the signal passes through an "extender" the speed is halved - or so I have been told by technie people. Even with this, my connection to the VPN is speedy and I never drop my signal. When I had a "g" protocol network, my VPN signal dropped frequently.