With the HK635, the input selection for the second zone is independent of the input selection of the main -- you can listen to the radio in one room and a CD in another.
(If you're listening to the radio in both, there's only one tuner, just like there's only one CD. Good thing we only listen to one radio station.)

I _think_ it's all working now, or at least, I've tried all the transitions, and they seem to work pretty consistently. I had to fiddle with the delays and repeats; I'd adjusted them on the regular device, but not on its clone. If the reciever is off (which it should be, since it's not used in the 'kitchen' activities), hitting 'multiroom' brings it into a known state, since it will turn on the multiroom option if it's off.

This 'solution' is still annoying, because of its reliability (the Harmony 'help' button says 'make sure the kitchen is on', not very usefully), and the lack of controls (e.g., no easy way to adjust the volume, change the radio station, mute the music if the phone rings, etc.)

I guess I have a couple of fallback options:

* buy the $60 "second room IR remote reciever" from HK, and run the cable through the walls and cabinets to reach the kitchen with the little "second room" remote that comes with the HK635.

* program Girder and RS232 on my HTPC to control the HK635. I'd guess this was 10 hours work, unless I can get code from someone who's already done it. And my IRA already uses the RS232 port, so I'll need to get a USB/RS232 adapter, RS232 cable.

* get an inexpensive (remote controllable) little stereo amplifier for the kitchen, set it up in my component cabinet as the "kitchen" reciever, and run it off one of the (stereo) line outputs from the HK635. This would be a setup where we could only listen in the kitchen if also listening in the living room. (Not too bad, the Hsu STF-3 subwoofer in the living room shakes the kitchen too). I'm starting to like this option. Any suggestions for the amp? There's not much room, so I'd like something really small (otherwise I'd buy an old stereo reciever on ebay).

* send the HK635 back (eating the shipping costs both ways) and buy something else that is easier to control (but maybe doesn't sound as good). I have 25 days on my 30-day money-back period. This seems too much like admitting defeat.

Harman Kardon also has some other "second room" audio distribution capabilities (something called A-Bus, for example), but they seem to require having more electronics in the kitchen, and part of the goal was to not take up any counter space in the kitchen. (The speakers are sitting on top of the kitchen cabinets).

This message was edited by lmm on 05/27/05 03:41 ET.