Want speakers up stairs...

[ryanbatc]

I'm not a sound dude and I'm not sure how I could do this...

On my PC I host all the music etc. I've got a router and a PS3. At one point the PS3 was using wifi to access music, but I found it was too slow for videos and some music. (Most of mine are mp3 192kbps). So I hard wired a cat5 cable across the room to the PS3.

Anyway, what I'd like to do is put some speakers upstairs and be able to run them off my PS3 or PC. I don't need 5.1 but a woofer would be a plus.

My downstairs sound setup is a bit funky. For starters I use a PC-based system, the Logitech Z680 (fairly old, they dont sell it anymore). Instead of the speakers connecting to a receiver, the speakers connect to the rear of my sub, which connects to a mini receiver thing, which connects via optical cable to my PS3. So it's not like I can just add more speakers from my Z680 system.

Now the interesting part. When we moved into the home I noticed all the speaker wire was built in... and I could run a receiver like "real" home sound systems. There's also two wires that already run upstairs through the floor. If I found out where they connected could I use them somehow or would I only get 2.0 channels? In other words, if I wanted a 2.1 system, would I have to run a new wire upstairs and use an analogue output off my PS3?

I'm a noob looking for help!

[{CLR} Cobalt]

Wire is wire. If you can find it you can use it. Even hook more than one speaker to one wire pair. You just wont get the sound you want if you split the output between 2 speakers.

There are wireless speakers nowdays.Might look into that. But if you just use the 2 upstairs alone, you wont have a place for a sub. Unless you use one of the wires upstairs to run into your sub then split like you have already. Just wont have the sound you might want. You can take your sub, mini receiver thingy and PS3 upstairs and tie it in to the existing wiring.

How much money you want to spend is the question. You can get wireless systems to do what you want out of a receiver. But it aint cheap.

Does this make sense.

[ryanbatc]

Sort of...

What you're saying is my options are:

1)New wireless speakers
2) tap into existing system
3) or move the entire system upstairs

I might look into the wireless option. They don't have to be amazing.. what I'd really like is the ability to select music upstairs from my PS3 downstairs.

[{CLR} Cobalt]

Well unless you have some way to transfer the data to upstairs from the PS3 you're stuck. One other way would be to move the files from the PS3 to something you can transfer from. Something that could utilize wireless.

[mapes]

Just so I understand everything it's like this currently

Downstairs
PC-with-mp3s----------------PS3-----speakers

You want it to be like this

Downstairs
PC-with-mp3s----------------PS3-----logitech-speakers
.........................................|
Upstairs..............................|-------speakers

Ignore the . they're for formating


First question whats upstairs? Is there a computer or stereo receiver or nothing at all?
Second question why do you host the files on your PC but, play them on the PS3?

[Nauticas]

Another option is to buy a cheap amplifier. You would wire your PC to your amplifier and then run the outputs to the 3 areas.

PC to Amp

Amp to Speakers1
Amp to Speakers2
Amp to Speakers3

[mapes]

From what I've read he is using some Logitech powered speakers connected to the PS3 which is the music player. How do you have the PS3 hooked up to the speakers? If you have it hooked up via optical SPDIF (square fiber optic sound cable) then you might be in luck. You might be able to use the the RCA stereo analog outputs of the PS3. I am unsure if you can use both the analog and the digital outputs of the PS3 at the same time. If you can. 1. solder on some RCA style jacks (available from Radio Shack) to your in wall wires on both sides. 2. Hookup the PS3 to those jacks(you may need adapters). Buy some powered speakers. 4. Hook up the speakers to the other RCA jacks (again adapters may be needed) and your done. Power on the upstairs speakers and just play music through the PS3. One thing to be noted is I can't say how good sound quality will be since I have no idea how good the cables are, How far the cable run is and how good the speakers are. you could test this out if you have another pair of powered speakers. Try hooking them up to the analog ports on the PSA and try playing music through both the speakers and the logitech unit

Another option is to buy a cheap amplifier. You would wire your PC to your amplifier and then run the outputs to the 3 areas.

PC to Amp

Amp to Speakers1
Amp to Speakers2
Amp to Speakers3

[ryanbatc]

Just so I understand everything it's like this currently

Downstairs
PC-with-mp3s----------------PS3-----speakers

You want it to be like this

Downstairs
PC-with-mp3s----------------PS3-----logitech-speakers
.........................................|
Upstairs..............................|-------speakers

Ignore the . they're for formating


First question whats upstairs? Is there a computer or stereo receiver or nothing at all?
Second question why do you host the files on your PC but, play them on the PS3?

Nothing upstairs atm...

I connect speakers to PS3 via toslink... yah optical I suppose they call it.

I host the files on my PC because I usually am in the PC room listening to music... But upstairs when we cook or the kid's up there etc etc it would be nice to hear some tunes.

I guess this is more advanced than I was hoping it would be. I might be able to run a cable up using the RCA jacks on the sound system... but I bet I'd have to switch outputs.

[goldenfooler]

is the spot directly above your pc?
Maybe run something up the wall and out a power outlet area?

[mapes]

Modern day sound cards have multiple outputs you could just get an adapter and run it off an extra ouput on the sound card.

[ryanbatc]

Modern day sound cards have multiple outputs you could just get an adapter and run it off an extra ouput on the sound card.

That's an idea... I don't have a separate card though just onboard...

[mapes]

That's an idea... I don't have a separate card though just onboard...

You still may have extra outputs or you could buy a cheapy sound card

[MR_MADHATTER]

FYI If you ever go looking for a good set of 2.1 speakers that won't break the bank these will rock the house. They also come in wireless for a few more bucks.
They are as good as or better than Bose Companion 5 for nearly a third the price.

http://www.klipsch.com/promedia-2-1-computer-speakers

[ryanbatc]

Thanks! I've seen those normal wired version before... wireless sounds enticing