hello all - first post on the site. Thanks in advance for your responses.

I moved into a new Khov home which was pre-wired for a 7.1 entertainment system in the great room plus 2 each in the master bedroom, patio and kitchen. The pre-wiring is for a ABus On-Q or Lyrix system, at least that's what the builder told me. I have the wiring panel behind my TV with all the IR and Speaker accesses points. Got a quote to get the speakers, amplified keypads and "Brains" installed and they are asking 7K (5K over what I can afford).

I want to see if it's an option to install the speakers and amplified keypad myself. Just unsure about how the "Brains" part works. My understanding is that if I install the speakers and amplified keypads then plug my tuner into the wall (access point with speaker and IR connections) then I should be able to control my zones from the three keypads. What I don't understand however is whether or not I need a main access panel where all the cat5 lines connect to? If I've made no sense please let me know as I'm a computer geek by profession and know little about advanced home entertainment centers.