Compatible AV Amp - Blustream Matrix System

JyTees51

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Hi,

Hopefully I've posted this is in the correct place!

So I'm a complete novice when it comes to AV systems but I come from a technical background in networking, so how hard can it be?! 😂

I've recently refurbished my house and thought it'd be a good idea to install cat 6 everywhere and centralise all my AV equipment. I've 6 TV's around the house and will have around 4 or 5 sources, Sky boxes, Bluray, gaming console etc. I'm looking to purchase the Blustream C88 Contractor matrix system. I'd like to install an AV amp with 5.1 speakers in my main living room. Can anyone recommend a compatible system to go with this setup?

I've got my head around how the TV's will work with the matrix and the receivers but I've now added the extra complication of the amp and surround sound for the living room. How would the amp connect to the matrix system and what sort of issues should I look out for?

Be grateful for any advice.

Thanks!
 
You can connect any AVR to any Matrix - the issues you run into are pretty much the same no matter what hardware you use.

The key issue and one which increasingly makes centralised/shared Sources and a Matrix less popular is room to room capabilities.

Where you have a mix of capabilities at your end points any source you wish to share via a Matrix has to be ‘dumbed down’ to suit the least capable room - which can be a big compromise in your Primary zone.

More detail on the Source devices you wish to share is required plus an idea of the capabilities you will have in each zone are required.

Joe
 
Many thanks for your reply Joe.

It would just be the main living room I want to have the amp serving. This is where the speakers are wired for coming back to the main distribution point where all the sources will be installed. The other zones will just use the sound through the TV's themselves.

Does that make sense?
 
‘Does that make sense?’ It does until you ask which video and audio system will the Source be set to work with!

Set the Source to its Max video and audio settings to suit the ‘Main’ room and you will have issues trying to share the signal via a matrix to other zones unless those zones also support that signal.

The alternative being you dumb down the Source to suit the secondary zones and limit your capabilities in the Main room.

What you may need to consider is a suitable multi channel Soundbar in each secondary zone.

As per previous message you ideally outline the Source devices you wish to use, the AVR and Display you plan to use plus the additional Display devices you plan to use in the other rooms and folk can better advise on how to make it all work.

Joe
 
You may also want to look at HDMI over IP solution rather than a matrix.

This still allows multiple sources to connect to multiple TVs however they are individual transmitters and receivers so you can size appropriately ie 3 transmitters for 3 sources and 6 receivers for 6 Tvs

One of the other advantages is that as the transmitters are individual they can be located where you need them and this can help with the issues with audio that Joe mentions above.

Ie if you have Sky Q 4K the sky Q box could be located near the main TV and the audio could be delivered to the 5.1 amp via the Optical audio out on the Sky box and the HDMI could be set to stereo. In this way you can mix audio capabilities.

HDMI over IP will be more expensive as it also requires a Managed Layer 2/3 network switch with Jumbo Frames and IGMP, however it can provide a lot more flexible system that can be expanded as and when required as opposed to a fixed matrix system.

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