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Topic:
Best upgrade for an old ABUS audio system
This thread has 44 replies. Displaying posts 16 through 30.
Post 16 made on Thursday July 13, 2017 at 12:02
buzz
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Check the ABUS wire. Some schemes use heavier gauge for power. If this your case, you have more options for speaker wire runs -- for central amplifiers.

Also, for cases where a keypad is near a location that can hide a CONNECT:AMP (common wall with a closet, etc.) you can break that room out as a separate zone. ABUS might be very appropriate for most of the rooms.
Post 17 made on Thursday July 13, 2017 at 14:57
tweeterguy
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One other thing...check behind the keypads, even behind the box stapled to the stud. When I was pulling wire back in the day I always pulled a 16/4 + Cat5 Siamese even if it was an ABUS type gig. Hopefully the prior installer was as nice as I was for those coming in afterwards :-)
Post 18 made on Thursday July 13, 2017 at 17:40
Craig Aguiar-Winter
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I havn't used Tio myself. My wholesaler carries it and I had a demo. It was very impressive. The power supply is a brick which supplies low voltage that you can feed over your existing wiring.

I use Casatunes and Heos but given the Abus replacement scenario I would use the Tio for sure.

The zone players have line in/ outs and optical out I think as welll for when you use them outside the wall, connected as you would a Sonos Connect. Neat system.

I can't answer the Pandora question. It's not available to us in Canada but Tio is not Canadian I don't think. I can't see it not using Pandora. That would be silly. Admittedly I found their website a huge PITA to use. I recommend contacting them through the dealer page and asking for info.
My wife says I can't do sarcasm. She says I just sound like an a$$hole.
Post 19 made on Thursday July 13, 2017 at 18:50
HiFiRobbie
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On July 13, 2017 at 14:57, tweeterguy said...
One other thing...check behind the keypads, even behind the box stapled to the stud. When I was pulling wire back in the day I always pulled a 16/4 + Cat5 Siamese even if it was an ABUS type gig. Hopefully the prior installer was as nice as I was for those coming in afterwards :-)

I actually encountered that on a job once!

How much time did you spend over here in Australia?! :D

But seriously, it was a massive relief to find.
Problems worthy of attack, prove their worth, by hitting back. -Piet Hein.
OP | Post 20 made on Thursday July 13, 2017 at 19:37
Bounce AV
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On July 13, 2017 at 07:50, tweeterguy said...
Why can't you take a Sonos connect line out into the ABUS system as a source? It's my recollection that the ABUS has a hub at the head end with a line input or two. Do you really need 11 independent zones? What they currently have is a glorified electronic volume control system in each zone with source(s) fed from an ABUS hub. Are you trying to mimic that or go full independent zones?

2 of the Hubs in system have recently died. The client is open for a full over haul. Im not a fan of ABUS so was hoping to replace the entire system. If thats not possible, then unfortunately I might have to stick with the current ABUS system.
Damon Griffin
Bounce AV
OP | Post 21 made on Thursday July 13, 2017 at 19:43
Bounce AV
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On July 13, 2017 at 08:22, buzz said...
Is the ABUS wiring home run to each pad or daisy chain?

Tricky question to explain here.

check out this diagram on ABUS website.
[Link: leisuretech.com.au]
Damon Griffin
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Post 22 made on Thursday July 13, 2017 at 19:48
Fins
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On July 13, 2017 at 19:43, Bounce AV said...
Tricky question to explain here.

check out this diagram on ABUS website.
[Link: leisuretech.com.au]

That's not a tricky question. How new to this are you?
Civil War reenactment is LARPing for people with no imagination.

OP | Post 23 made on Thursday July 13, 2017 at 19:53
Bounce AV
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On July 13, 2017 at 19:48, Fins said...
That's not a tricky question. How new to this are you?

I already explained the cabling it in my first post. Sometimes a diagram is easier to follow. I can think of a diagram I would like to draw for you right now. :)
Damon Griffin
Bounce AV
OP | Post 24 made on Thursday July 13, 2017 at 20:03
Bounce AV
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On July 13, 2017 at 09:09, Trunk-Slammer -Supreme said...
Replace it with a newer Abus system and call it a day.

Abus IS still being made, so it makes no sense to mess around with something cobbled together science project that could be a problem child.

"cobbled together science project".......mate I hear ya. Over the psat 10 years Ive seen some rubbish and don't want to take part in that. Because of a lack of other options, I think this is good advice.
Damon Griffin
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OP | Post 25 made on Thursday July 13, 2017 at 20:10
Bounce AV
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On July 13, 2017 at 10:12, Brad Humphrey said...
Like our Trunk-Slamming friend said, replacing with a newer A-Bus system would be the easiest. Then add a SONOS (or whatever streaming device) as a source for the updated user experience.

Since whoever wired the home, didn't have the foresight to properly put speaker wire in with the cat5, not much else you can do. Doubling up the pairs on the cat5 to get 18-20awg speaker wire out of it, still isn't going to be a high powered system anyway.

Depending on the decor of the home, Fins's suggestion of adding SONOS PLAY3s or 5s to the house instead, might be a good option. Although not much money for you in that and not much in the way of future upgrades either. As they will market directly to the customer with special deals and he can add things himself if he wants.

Yes its very much leaning towards an ABUS upgrade. Most of the zones are in-ceiling speakers which wont work for play3's etc. Good advice here as well thanks.
Damon Griffin
Bounce AV
Post 26 made on Thursday July 13, 2017 at 20:16
Fins
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On July 13, 2017 at 20:10, Bounce AV said...
Yes its very much leaning towards an ABUS upgrade. Most of the zones are in-ceiling speakers which wont work for play3's etc. Good advice here as well thanks.

Play3's work fine for this. The play3's go behind a plant, and everyone thinks the music is from the in ceiling speakers. And, you get iPhone control. Do any Abus systems have apps?
Civil War reenactment is LARPing for people with no imagination.

OP | Post 27 made on Tuesday April 10, 2018 at 00:05
Bounce AV
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Thank you to everyone who helped by posting on this thread. I listened to the advice and decided to stay with Abus. A good decision in the end. Cheers Damo
Damon Griffin
Bounce AV
Post 28 made on Tuesday April 10, 2018 at 17:14
Mr. Brad
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Use the Cat5 as speaker wire, double up the pairs and splice to the speaker wire. Then use Sonos ConnectAmps to drive the speakers. Put a blank plate over the VC location and call it a day!

Not ideal, but I've had to do it before and it works fine!
Post 29 made on Tuesday April 10, 2018 at 22:21
buzz
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+1 for Fins and Mr. Brad.

Also, depending on the house layout one can sometimes discover a closet in the same joist space as a pair of ceiling speakers below.  If this is the case, the speaker wires can be rerouted through the closet floor to a Sonos CONNECT:AMP.

I've hidden Sonos speakers and CONNECT:AMP's in baskets. It looks like a display of ornamental baskets. Slide a SUB under a sofa and knock their socks off.
Post 30 made on Monday January 11, 2021 at 20:19
Abull552
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Hey Damon- just wondering g what your solution ended up being to this problem?

We have the exact same issue and was debating between updating Russound/abus system/ adding in a Sonos receiver etc.

Any info would be great - Thanks!
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