Multi Zone Audio System

Now you can listen music throughout your Commercial/Residential zone. With multi-zone audio systems you can listen to different music in different rooms from difference sources and control it with a remote. Protocol offers simple multi-zone audio systems with full controllability of CD players, iPods and satellite radio

Distributed audio systems is most simplistic form, distributed audio systems take the input from a single source (like a CD player) and distribute the sound in to multiple rooms (also known as Zones). Each zone usually has an individual volume control wired into the wall to give each user the ability to make volume adjustments

Multi Room audio can come in many forms and these days there are many options available
A basic system would involve wiring to speakers in multiple locations and controlling them from the source (amplifier). All volume and source control occurs at the source so all zones play the same music at the same volume

The next level would be to add volume control to this basic system. This is the minimum configuration that gives local control and it works for many simple applications and is relatively inexpensive, but you are still limited to one source of music in all of the rooms ... and you can't change anything but the volume without a walk to the source

Add an IR (InfraRed) receiver and to the volume control. This will allow you to use a remote control to switch sources etc. and basically control the source equipment from your location. All rooms must still listen to the same source however
Multi Zone / Multi Source systems offer much more flexibility. These systems have a separate amplifier for each zone and a keypad in each room allows control of not only the volume etc. even the sources. Now you can have different music playing in different rooms Of course the choices don't end here. There are many ways to achieve Multi Zone / Multi Source control and the costs rise as the flexibility of the system and user interfaces improve