Zone 2: Bedroom 6.1 Home Theater System

This system utilizes the Denon Separates from the main zone and takes many of the system components from the $3,500 Recommended System Guide (such as the EMP EF30 bookshelf speaker package, Oppo DVD player, and Impact Acoustics cables). Rather than reprint the details of those recommendations here, we encourage you to view that system which we will keep updated as new products and technologies become available. Some notes:

• Feel free to make substitutions for the display as you see fit to match the requirements of this second room.

• System price allocated for this room (not including the Emotiva amplifier) is $4,229

Alternatives: If you want a more integrated speaker solution, try Axiom Audio's new Architectural Onwall products which are equivalent in performance to their box speakers, but offer a more compact form factor with higher spousal acceptance. The W22's (MSRP: $650/pair) take the place of the M22ti's, the W100 (MSRP: $340/ea) takes the place of the VP100 while the W2's (MSRP: $440/pair) take the place of the M2i's.

7-Channel Amplifier: Emotiva XPA-7

Price: $649 info

This amplifier will serve up enough power to drive the bedroom theater system as well as Zone 4 audio. Check out our power amp assignment table below for our suggested Emotiva and Denon power amp system configurations. Talk about multi-tasking! We found the Emotiva XPA-7 to provide plenty of clean power for almost any need. In addition it is extremely efficient so you aren't wasting all that energy on heat production and you can drive more real power to your components before reaching the limits of your 15 or 20A receptacle.

Recommended Power Amp Assignment for the Emotiva IPS-1 and Denon AVR-5805

Music Server: Yamaha MusicCAST MCX-2000 | Info

Price: $2,199

The Yamaha MusicCAST 2000 comes with everything but the kitchen sink. This interactive wireless music network system includes a 160GB hard drive to store your CDs at full resolution or with the ability of variable MP3 compression. With independent zone control and provisioning for streaming PCM audio wirelessly, you can add audio to any room that isn't prewired for it, or upgrade your current zones via their touch panel displays with GUI interface to select exactly what you wish to listen too independent of other simultaneous users. It even sports XM radio for those wishing to take advantage of commercial free music or talk programming.

Note: We recommend running at least 2x CAT5e lines to each Volume Control (VC) location as well as other home locations currently not planned for audio service, for future upgradeability and expandability. These VC locations should be near an outlet so power can be added to enable the Yamaha touchpanel distribution amps such as the wireless MCX-A10 or MCX-C15. Consult your Installer or Yamaha for more information.

Alternative: If you're computer saavy you can certainly do this on a PC and get a less-expensive device like a Slim Devices Squeezebox2 to serve up your collection, but if you want to go PC-free and the ability to serve this is a great option

Interconnect Cables and Wiring: Impact Acoustics

info While we are not looking to stack this system with exotic cables, we thought we'd recommend some products that we have tested and ensured pass muster while still providing a nice, uniform look to your system. Yes, you can hook up your speakers with 12/2 zip cord, but at this price point we felt that it would be appropriate to dress it up a bit nicer. Here are the basics we recommend for this system, though feel free to make substitutions as you see fit:

• 3' SonicWave Component Video Cable $55.36 | Buy It Now

• 3 x 15' Velocity Speaker Interconnects $14.76/ea | Buy It Now

• 100ft 12AWG Velocity Bulk Speaker Cable from Impact Acoustics $76.24 | Buy Now

• 5 x 3' SonicWave Dual Channel "RCA" Audio Interconnects $30/ea | Buy It Now

• 12 foot Velocity subwoofer cable from Impact Acoustics $12.85 | Buy It Now

• 1 meter Velocity optical cable from Impact Acoustics $9.55 | Buy It Now

Note: Cable lengths recommended here are for guide purposes only. We recommend having your installer determine exact lengths needed and order accordingly.

HDMI Cables: DVIGear SHR HDMI Cables

infoYou need certified HDMI cables for this system, so we've brought you the ones from DVIGear, which are guaranteed to pass up to 1080p - even over longer runs.

• 7.5m HDMI projector cable $135 | Buy It Now

• 2 x 1m HR HDMI interconnect $25/ea | Buy It Now

*Note: Your HDMI video cable may need to be longer or shorter depending on where the audio rack and the projector are located. Other cables may be necessary to terminate existing audio/video components such as VCR's, Tivo's, and HDTV receivers.

Additional Notes on Cables:
Cable lengths and # of cables required for this project are best determined by your installer. We recommend having your installer examine your house in the framing stage if possible to determine proper lengths and amounts needed. Always have them run additional cables for redundancy and future expansion.

Cable Terminations / Wall Plates

Price: around $500 | Buy It Now

We recommend DVIGear and Impact Acoustics wall plates and terminations for this job. We have found both of these companies offer unparalleled build quality, particularly their banana terminations which are some of the select few on the market that can accommodate 10AWG speaker wiring and make a truly excellent compression fit once screwed down tightly.

Universal Remote Control MX-950 "Aurora" with MRF-300 RF Receiver

Price: $699 plus $200 for the MRF-300 | Review
When you connect a system this complex, you'll need a couple of really good remote controls to go along with it. The MX-950 "Aurora" by Universal Remote Control, Inc is one of the best we've seen and offers a huge value for those wanting to have a truly bullet-proof solution for their home's remote needs. We recommend coupling it with an MRF-300 RF receiver for ultimate control over up to 6 different zones/products in the bedroom system. A solid RF remote like this will insure that you are able to control your components without having to point the remote at an IR sensor or even keep your equipment within view.

Alternatives: For the ultimate control, grab the $799 MSC-400 system which provides much better IR control and implements a "trigger" macro so your remote only sends one command to the MSC-400 for all initiated macros.