How to select one best multi-room streaming amplifier
Picking the right multi-room streaming amplifier is crucial for setting up a whole home audio system. But how do you choose the perfect one? We break it down into nine key factors to consider.
Point 1: Power output capability
Taking OpenAudio‘s HOLOWHAS series as an example, the Ultra features a 60W PPC, the PLUS offers 100W PPC, and the MAX boasts a powerful 200W PPC.
There’s a matching relationship between the power of the speakers and the power of the amplifier.
When it comes to choosing the right power for your speakers, the size of the room plays a crucial role. Here’s a general guideline based on the latest recommendations:
Small Rooms (under 200 sq. ft.): For smaller spaces like bedrooms or small offices, a speaker with around 20-50 watts is typically sufficient. These speakers can deliver clear sound at lower volumes, perfect for everyday listening.
Medium Rooms (200-400 sq. ft.): For mid-sized rooms, such as a standard living room, you’ll want to look at speakers with 50-100 watts. This power range ensures that the sound can cover the entire space without distortion.
Large Rooms (over 400 sq. ft.): For larger spaces like open-plan living areas or home theaters, you’ll need speakers with 100 watts or more. Higher power ensures that the sound reaches every corner of the room, providing a consistent audio experience.
It’s important to note that while power is a key factor, it’s not the only one. The efficiency of the speakers and the specific acoustics of your room also play significant roles in determining the overall sound quality
Point 2: how many streaming input
For instance, many amps only support four streaming inputs. That means they can handle a maximum of four AirPlay 2 devices. But if you’re hosting a party with friends, that’s just not enough.
Actually, the complexity of building a four-lane highway versus an eight-lane highway isn’t just double—it’s exponential. It’s definitely a symbol of power. Right now, the HOLOWHAS series of multi-room streaming amplifiers supports eight AirPlay 2/Spotify Connects. And their upcoming Ultra-GC and Plus-GC models will both support eight-way Google Cast.
Point 3: how many streaming protocol
Many manufacturers don’t support AirPlay 2 or Google Cast, and forget about HDMI ARC or HDMI eARC. Only with eARC can you enjoy immersive audio formats like Dolby Atmos and Holosound.
Point 4: DSP capability
There’s a huge difference in performance between a 31-band EQ and a 10-band EQ. The order of the filters used for equalization also greatly affects the EQ’s effectiveness. Some systems just offer a 10-band EQ with second-order filters as a bare minimum. But OpenAudio’s amplifiers all support a 31-band EQ with eighth-order filters.
Point 5: Routing capability
A lot of amps only support 1-to-1 mapping, which is pretty rigid. But we don’t just support 1-to-N mapping; we also support M-to-1 mapping. This requires high-performance real-time mixing, which is especially useful for karaoke scenarios.
Additionally, we support switching between different routing contexts.
Point 6: App Capability
Typical App should play as Controller.
Point 7: WebAPI and Control4
Point 8: How many Zones
Some multi-room streaming amplifier only support 3 zones or 6 zones, but all HOLOWHAS series multi-room steaming amplifier support 8 zones.
Point 9: Music Platform
In USA, typical music platform market share as following,
