Q: Where do people commonly choose to put speakers?

A: The areas people choose to have speakers vary greatly, but the most popular are the Family Room, Kitchen, Deck/Patio, Master Bedroom, Master Bath, Den/Office, Pool table area, and Exercise Room. It isn't unusual for people to want a speaker or two in other areas, like the Laundry Room, Garage, Driveway, Front Porch, Kid's bedrooms, Play Room, Bonus Room, and so on.

Q: Aren't multi-zone whole-house systems expensive?

A: They can be, but they don't have to be. There are many variables, such as the quality level of the speakers in each room, the type of control device (volume control, keypad, touchscreen, etc.), and the type of whole-house video distribution you choose. Inwall or ceiling speakers, for example, go for anywhere from about $150 to $1500 per pair.

Q: How will I control my multi-room system?

A: The most basic level of control is the simple volume control knob-- at a minimum, each room would have its own volume control. Beyond that are a variety of infrared sensors (which you would point a hand-held remote at), keypad controllers and touchscreen controllers. There are also radio-frequency (RF) remote controls that can be used from anywhere in the home. These types of controllers would allow you to adjust volume, change radio stations, change CD tracks, switch sources, etc.

Q: What can I listen to in a whole-house system?

A: Almost anything you can think of: CDs, MP3 music, satellite radio, TV audio, cassette tapes...even that old turntable, if you want.

Q: Much of my music is on my iPod-- can I use that in my multi-room system?

A: Absolutely. Your iPod or other MP3 player can easily be used as one of the audio sources in a whole-house system.