I want to hook my zone 3 pre outs to my garage receiver. I dont know long of run that will need to be but it will be pretty long. What is the best economical way to do this? Can I use coax with the right ends as RCA...can I get RCA on a roll and end it myself?

Side question...I should be able to listen to the same source using the main 5.1 speakers powered by the main amp...the zone 2 powered by the assignable amp...and the zone 3 powered by my garage receiver....all at the same time?? Amp is a Denon 4803...

Coax with RCA would be my best guess, but I've never run one that far. As for the zones, I don't why it would not work other than the issues with distrib of digital media, if that is still an issue (was on older Denons). But you can test that before you run the wire.

Yeah, what Zimm said

"RCA" is a termination type, not a cable type.

As a cheap solution, I would suggest using RG59 coax for the cable. If you're handy, you can certainly just use something like this and terminate it yourself. If you're lazy like me, you can get the pre-terminated coax and screw a couple of these to the ends.

Like Zimm said, the only issue you might have (which you have probably already discovered with the zone 2) is that many (most?) processors don't like to convert a digital audio signal to analog for use in a separate zone. In practice, this just means that you might have to wire your digital audio sources using BOTH the digital and analog connections to the receiver.

I can't help with your specific question as I only have experience with 2 channel set-ups but here is some food for thought.

I have 2 separate stereos on different floors of my house connected together using the tape in/out jacks. Select tape monitor on one reciever and hear the music from the other. I purchased 50' rca cables from ebay and have never had a problem.

This allows the stereo room to be at a ridiculous volume while the rest of the house hears the same music at a more comfortable level - as opposed to wiring the "B" speakers of the same amp in a different room and having volume controlled from one amp.

Also your reciever in the garage will need amplifer inputs to work with your preamp outputs in the house. My concern would be noise being picked up if the run is too long.

This will be of no help to you but FYI with balanced ins/outs on the pre+amp you can get away with extremely long runs of cable.

cheers

Welcome to the Axiom forum FATMANBLOWFISH!

For long runs I would use RG6 coax terminated with RCA connectors, the shielding of the Coax should help eliminate any noise leaking into the wiring. This would be why Sub cables are made this way and you can buy them in very long lengths, Monoprice.com is your friend.

The important bit of info here is a rough guess of how far we're talking about. 100'? 500'? 5,000'?

I've also got a 50' RCA run that I used to use to connect the laptop to my AV rack. Never had any problems with it. It works just as if it were a 3' cable.

And I'll second jakewash's suggestion - if you're looking for amazing prices on decent cabling, do check out Monoprice.com. Here's a 100' RCA cable for $17.

But if you need a really long run, I don't know what would be best. If I were faced with the challenge, I'd probably first try to do it with bulk network Cat6 cable. That's designed for long runs anyway, so I'd guess that it would stand a chance of being able to pass the audio signal well enough. And since it's already 4 twisted pairs, you've got your +/- for both channels, all conveniently housed in one bundled wire, and twisted for good RF rejection. You'd just have to re-terminate the ends with RCA jacks, which isn't too hard. I don't know if that would work, but it's what I'd probably try if I had some monster run that I was trying to cable.

Something like this, perhaps.

Edit: RG6 is an excellent idea too. That also is designed for long runs.

Good luck!

Anybody ever heard of using a cable drop amp (for RG6) on a line where you terminate with RCA? I can't think of a problem with it, as audio is carried on that line as well. But if you run into a signal loss issue over a very long run, spending $50 on two drop amps would probably be the cheapest approach and should work.

Twisted pair cable is designed for long runs of differential signals. The coax connectors on a receiver are designed to output signal and ground/shield. Electrically it is not suited to run over twisted pair. The twists which keep the two wires with common signals close together so any outside influence offsets both equally but does not change the difference between them will not work in a signal + ground situation.

Stick with coax. RG-6 will be good to a bit over 100 feet, if you are going much farther than that, there's RG-11.

Thanks for all the great info! I was going to use some left over coax from installing my DRTV so its def the RG6 and it might even be the QS stuff. So I am going to go that route with RCA ends on it.

I dont know how long the run will be but id guess between 50 and 100' after I tuck it out the way in the attic.

As for hooking it up to the garage receiver...I dont know if it has amplifier inputs....I was just going to go from the pre-outs to like the CD input on the back of the garage receiver. Then put it on CD and use the volume knob. Wont this work??

And yes I NOW know about the conversion for the zone thing. ITs funny because for the longest time I couldn't get my zone 2 working because of it lol. I have my DRTV going to the receiver via HDMI and like to listen to the music channels. I could not get it to work no matter what setting I used on the receiver....then I wasnt sure if I had it plugged into the right term's on the back. So I had to mess with it here and there when I had time. Then one time I had the speaker wires halved...one on one spk term set and one on the other and finally got one to work. I thought I had it fixed up and moved the other set of spk wires to the term I knew was working. Then for a party I had...nothing...wtf! Turns out that night I got it to work I was using the CD player to test it (RCA cables) then for the party I wanted to use my DRTV music (HDMI). So I now have it figured out and just ran another set of RCA's from the DRTV box to the receiver...now it all works.

Plug and select CD works just find, that is how my second zone works.

Also, if you have an RF remote, like a Harmony 890, etc., you can use the zone volume control on the Denon to control the volume (and source) of the second zone. I do this so I can control the volume and source to the speakers on my back deck without going to the amp for the second zone. Just set the volume once and forget about it.

P.S. NOLAT, what setup are you running? I have not heard many Axioms yet, and the Denon 4000s have my interest peaked so I may beg for a listen?

Yeah, what you describe with the pre-outs and all that will work fine.

Zimm I am running the m80's vp150 and 2 qs8's hung from the ceiling. For a sub im currently running an old paradighm pw2200. I had dual SVS 39 cs+ running but the single PW is doing a better job in my no so perfect room. I also have the Algonquin for the back porch speakers on zone 2....and some old b&w 601s2 on a cheap pioneer receiver for the garage. Also I am in Lafayette now...not New Orleans anymore.

Okay, Mark; just when we finally got it staight that the proper pronunciation is "Nawlins", now we have to learn how to say Lafayette?

LOL....yep pretty much haha. Katrina made me move from Nawlins...now im in Cajun land and lovin it!

I'll be in Lafayette Saturday - most of my family lives there. Glad the flood waters did not wash away your M80s! It took a great pair of Bose 301's I had in the garage. Not sure how that makes me feel.

Neither one of you guys have an accent. How can you both be from the Nawlins area?

Watch it Yankee!

Here's a lil prof lol

Yellow arrow is my car that was at a body shop from a wreck...2 days after Katrina I think...Theres a big road called Tulane av. (know where that is Zimm) right in front of the body shop. Notice there are cars under water still...they got like over 8' inside the body shop building and those houses are built off the ground. They parked all the cars on there roof lot so they didn't loose them. I found this picture buy looking at Sat. images on the internet at a hotel in Lafayette where we evacuated too...it was 3 months before I was back living in my house. Not from water...more work related and lack of power at my house but still....

Ah, fun times...fun times. Have I mentioned how much I hate Allstate Insurance?

Ahhh hahahaha no you didnt....but nor did you have to lol. I packed for 3 days...thought it was going to be a little vacation...it was 3 weeks before I could get back in my house to grab more stuff for the long haul. Luckily I had stuff to grab...