Whole House Speaker System amplifier (1 Viewer)

[GregSenne]

My house is being built, and I want a speaker system throughout the whole house. Only need one source, and 6 zones (preferably 9, but I'm not finding too many options on more than 6 zones). Each zone would have 2 speakers. I'm going to need volume controls in the walls as well. I want each room to have the ability to control it's volume or turn the speakers off. I have more than enough cat5, 18ga speaker wire, and even rg6 (for rca wire) to run throughout the house, so wiring is not a problem.
All I want is for each 6 rooms, a volume control and 2 speakers on the ceiling, that will all recieve source from my computer (no need for anything else).
So I'm pretty much looking for advice on what kind of amplifier I am going to need, and what kind of volume switches I am going to need. I've been looking around at different types on the internet and have found a bunch of kits where run speakers to the unit then run cat5 to the wall switches, but these are all multi-source units and seem more complex than what I am looking for. I'm thinking that what I'm needing is alot simpler than these units.
If anyone has any recommendations on what kind of amp I should use and how I can incorperate a volume switch per room into this design, using the least costly way (although I don't want something so cheap that it sounds like crap).
Thanks!

 

[GregSenne]

Also just wanted to clarify- I do not have ANY equipment for my house yet. It burned down a month ago and I'm getting all new stuff. So recommendations on what kind of equipment I need would be helpful; and you don't gotta worry about incorperating any of my current hardware with the new whole-house system, it will all be new.
Also if there is just some way that I can attach 6 8ohm speakers to one 8 ohm output on a standard reciever (I know you can't just attach them, I was thinking maybe some kind of additional amplifier or something), I could just run volume control switch in line with the speakers for each room, running them from the amplifier. Just a thought, and keep in mind i'm not an expert on any of this. I just want a cool whole-house system since it'll be alot easier to do it while the house is being built rather than afterwards. Thanks!

 

[Philip Hamm]

I would recommend against central amps and inline speaker-level volume controls. In my experience that kind of system works very poorly.

I would recommend talking to a professional installer about a Cat 5 based system with individual powered speakers. These kinds of systems are complicated and I don't know much about them, that's why I recommend talking to an installer.

 

[mod94526]

I am looking for exactly the same system as you described. What did you end up going with?