Other considerations

Sharing components in two-receiver systems
Sharing audio components such as CD players and music servers between two receivers in a multi-room audio system isn't necessary, but it can save you both money and space. For example, if you've got a 400-disc CD megachanger loaded up with your entire music library, the ability to play it through either of your two receivers is an especially attractive option.

If your main receiver offers dual-room/dual-source capability, you can simply use its preamp output to share all of your components via a single analog connection. Alternatively, if the component you want to share can support both its analog and digital outputs simultaneously, you can make a digital connection to one receiver and an analog connection to the other. Or, if you can't make a digital connection to either receiver, you can use two buffered Y-connectors to share the component's output between your two receivers.

Choosing the right speaker wire
If you're planning to power your speakers from a receiver or amplifier that will be located in a separate room, it's important to consider what kind of speaker wire to use. To determine what's right for your setup, you'll need to figure out where you're going to route the wire and how far the signal will have to travel to get from your receiver or amplifier to the speaker. To run wire inside your walls, you'll need UL-rated speaker wire labeled CL2 or CL3. The Underwriters Laboratory (UL) looks at heat generated from current flowing through wire, how quickly the cable will catch and spread fire when exposed to flame, and the wire's susceptibility to damage from external stresses. Also, be sure to check your local building and fire code and buy wire accordingly.

Another factor to consider is the gauge, or thickness, of your speaker wire. The lower the American Wire Gauge (AWG) number, the thicker the wire. Significant power losses can occur over long runs, resulting in lower performance, making wire gauge a key factor in the performance of a multi-room music system. Use the chart below as a guideline for wire gauge selection.

For more information on installing in-wall speaker wire, check out our articles on installing in-wall wire and in-wall, in-ceiling, and on-wall speakers.

If you'd like to see wire routing options that don't involve in-wall runs, see our article on home A/V cable management.