What are you guys using for multi-zone residential music systems these days?

Multiple ConnectAmps? Multiple Connects w/ a multizone amplifier?

Non Sonos?

I put an old redneck in every room with a banjo. The music choices are a little limited but the liveliness of the music can't be beat

The only thing to be careful of is separation. If they are to close, you can get a dueling banjo scenario and things can get ugly.

IF No control system THEN gets Sonos.

IF Control system THEN gets Crestron Sonnex + Autonomics Mirage.

Sonos gets connect amps because its easier to wire & rack IMO. No other reason.

depends on what the customer wants.
Number of sources? Type of sources?
Page over ride for door bell?
Keypads
handheld control?
Need for external power?

Several makes, but the original question doesn't lend itself to winnowing down to the correct choice.

Control4 Covers almost all of our multi room Audio Needs. Some larger systems get Savant Card based systems for flexibility and expansion.

Sonos, ohhhh Sonos...

They've always updated way too often, it seems, but the latest UI's have been really not too good. Younger folks can roll with it, but many of my customers are older = Deer. In. The. Headlights. I *hate* doing demos with customers, and running across a change that I'm not familiar with. "To do that, you just go...oh...um...I mean...hang on...oh yeah, that's how you do that now..."

When Alexa capabilities rolled out, it required you to register with an account and confirm with an e-mail (to the customer). If you're banging through an install, that'll put the brakes on in a hurry. Many of my customers are snowbirds, so they're not always around. Sonos used to be fast, fast, fast...

Then today, they duffed an update deployment apparently. When I called they said that they sent the update to the app store, but the app store didn't release it. Result? A message that says, "A Sonos update has been released, but is not yet available from the App Store", which is silly and would be fine if there was a 'Return to Controller' option. But there isn't, so you get stuck in a loop, and your stuff doesn't work (to be fair, I was later told you could get past that using the desktop app).

The 'update NOW or your stuff doesn't function' option doesn't sit well with me, and it happens waaaaay too often with Sonos. I realized the other day that I sell a LOT of it - but I don't own any of it myself. Even with this latest round of employee incentives, I won't buy it.

So yeah...glad this thread came up...

HEOS. They support our industry with 3rd party api. We can use the same product standalone or integrated. Some projects start standalone and move to integration and I dont like selling dead end streets.

I would be interested in Paradigms PW PlayFi lineup but DTS built a system that wont or cant integrate. So until that is fixed the PW lineup is useless to me.

If its a couple of zones we will just do a couple HEOS AMP's. If its 4 zones or more its usually a HEOS Link into a matrix/amp.

I'm 100% HEOS on new installations. I still sell Sonos but only to existing Sonos customers. I'm soooooo done with the Playbar and it's fiber optic digital input, 😂. HEOS FOR THE WIN!

I do a lot of Marantz, been doing Sonos due to the initial problems I heard about with HEOS.
With Sonos fubarring their UI with the recent update I am thinking of revisiting HEOS.
It would be nice to have a smoother way of integrating the house audio into the surround zones. I have done a few Sony ES+ Sonos surround zones.

Everybody else gets Crestron Sonnex, NSPs and I have rolled a few Sonos Connects in here and there. I do miss the CENTRAK and AM/FM/XM card. Having instantly available, always on music is super handy in many situations.

I don't sell Sonos because it's better, easier, integrates or anything like that. I sell Sonos because it sells itself. I don't have to do a thing to sell it. Everyone knows what it is, and often ask for it before I can recommend anything. The new app does suck, and the requirement of having to login to clients account is just plain dumb now, but it still sells itself and I am in and out in a flash. No other product in this category combines all that.

im still rockimg old school with an ADA suite 16... how music is meant to be heard.

NSPs?????? Good God man!!!!! Why are selling that giant turd!!!!!!!

Ed, I hate to break it to you, but their some really great offerings at very reasonable pricing that blows that old boat out of the water!!!

I just replaced my Suite 16 with the new Triad 24x24 and it is a great sounding piece with optical and coaxial digital inputs, eq, etc. also the really awesome Zektor Pro Audio 16

C4 for automated houses,
Russound for standalone.

+1 except I substitute MusicCast for Heos.