Digital Home Colorado deploys a Sonos Amp Multi upgrade for custom home audio

When Sonos introduced its first multizone streaming amplifier, Amp Multi, a selection of the brand’s custom installation partners were chosen to carry out the first deployments. Digital Home Colorado, a home automation and audiovisual specialist, was among the group handpicked by Sonos to deliver these professional integrations of Amp Multi. Looking for a custom home project that included multiple zones of audio streaming, Digital Home Colorado returned to the property of a previous client who already had a Sonos system installed throughout the home.

The house, located in Westminster, Colorado, featured a system of architectural speakers powered by a wider system of 11 Sonos Amps delivering audio to 11 separate zones. “The client was a previous customer of ours, and four of the existing Sonos Amps presented the perfect opportunity to upgrade the system while demonstrating the multizone capabilities of Amp Multi in a real-world application,” says Alan Crowder, Founder of Digital Home Colorado. With the loudspeaker infrastructure already in place, it was a straightforward case of replacing the behind-the-scenes hardware.

Challenge

A single Amp Multi unit would be installed to power four of the property’s 11 audio zones, replacing four of the individual Sonos Amps previously required. These zones comprised the basement family room, primary bathroom, outdoor patio and study. “I worked closely with the client during the project, without the need for additional stakeholders,” Crowder explains. “Having worked at the property in the past, I had a clear understanding of the client’s functional requirements.”

Solution

Once the installation was underway, the practical advantages of Amp Multi became clear.

“Hooking up, configuring and initializing Amp Multi was a smooth process,”– Alan Crowder, Founder, Digital Home Colorado

“Because we were working with one device instead of several, there was far less complexity involved, which also reduced the risk of errors during integration.”

In addition to the efficient installation, Alan Crowder also commented on the advantages of Amp Multi’s innovative cooling solution: “While we are big fans of Sonos products, with Amp we repeatedly ran into the problem of thermal build-up. This is not a reflection of the product’s quality, but simply one of the practical challenges that can arise when installing multiple devices in a rack. Amp Multi addresses this issue in a way we’ve not seen before.”

The 1.5U form factor of Amp Multi ensures 0.25U of empty space between itself and other rack units on either side, allowing for complete convection cooling. The result is less space occupied in the rack and silent operation. “It’s great to have a device that doesn’t run hot. It’s helpful both during the integration and for system longevity.”

Beyond the physical installation, Amp Multi also introduced configuration features that made setup faster and more intuitive. “Amp Multi has a clever feature that allows you to trigger an audible chirp from the device, which is then registered by the mobile app,” Crowder states. “There’s no need to get a flashlight to try to read the pin code on the back anymore. We can just use a smartphone to detect the chirp and then configure everything directly through the Sonos app.”

The app was used by the Digital Home Colorado team once the physical installation was complete to assign and manage audio zones, as well as detect any potential system errors. “We’ve noticed a drastic improvement in the usability of the app. Assigning audio zones is straightforward and it’s easy to make changes to the loudspeaker configuration without having to return to the rack to rewire outputs.” Any potential technical errors are flagged immediately in the app, such as dangling wires or incorrectly connected loudspeakers, allowing for quick response and troubleshooting.

For the homeowner, control of the audio system became more accessible through the integration of Josh.ai, a voice control automation solution, which allows them to use voice commands to select music, trigger playback and direct audio to specific zones throughout the home. “Josh.ai works really well with Sonos systems,” says Crowder. “Users can give simple commands, such as ‘Josh, play my music,’ and the automation will trigger Amp Multi to stream audio to the requested zone.”

The discovery that the client’s Apple TV allowed AirPlay 2 from the TV in the study to the In-Ceiling loudspeakers also enabled Digital Home Colorado to route TV audio to multiple zones through Amp Multi. This adds another layer of convenience to the installation, demonstrating how Amp Multi can sit seamlessly within a wider smart home ecosystem while making everyday audio control feel effortless for the client.

“I’m a big advocate of Sonos. The reliability makes them a great fit for the kinds of systems we design. I like to use their products wherever possible,” Crowder reveals.

“Amp Multi will definitely become part of our standard approach to multi-zone residential audio. Since this project, we’ve delivered a further four separate client installations using the product with no reported issues. I’ve even integrated it into my personal home system” – Alan Crowder, Founder, Digital Home Colorado

The convenient integrator-focused design has allowed Digital Home Colorado to conduct smoother and more efficient installations, and as a result, create high-quality audio experiences for a number of residential projects. “Its ability to support multiple zones and integrate easily into wider control ecosystems gives us greater flexibility when designing future systems, whether for larger homes or commercial environments.”