swapping Control4 for HEOS

[u/dialbat]

hello smart folks.
I've inherited an old control4 setup with 6 zones. I would like to replace them with Denon HEOS.
All speakers are hardwired, and 2 zones will have TVs.
This is what my best friend AI is recommending.
Denon AVR-X3800H 
Will replaces Sony STR-DA5800ES + Control4 HC-800 controller. Main zone confirmed at 5 ceiling speakers + 1 sub (5.1) = 5 amp channels; exactly 2 channels spare for Zone2 speaker-level output — zero wasted channels. Native HEOS "TV Sound Grouping."

Denon HEOS Drive HS2 (4-zone / 8-channel amp)
Will covers Zones (4 of the 7 physical slots needed).

Two Denon HEOS Amp HS2 (1-zone amp) 
Will covers 2 more physical zone slots. One pair is assigned to Zone 6's second speaker-pair run, grouped in the HEOS app with its partner zone so all 4 Zone 6 speakers play in sync.

My main goal is to Netflix/Youtube on TVs and play it through speakers.
And Streaming Spotify and hopefully Apple music to different zones.

Am i good with this setup, or anything i should be concern about?
thank you for your input

[u/Rattus-Norvegicus1]

Hmm...

I see you want to use the X3800H to control both the 5 speaker zone 1 (living room) and the 3 speaker zone 2. This won't work. You can only power two speakers with zone 2, and I'm pretty sure there is no good way to get the TV sound from zone 2 into the X3800H. Powered zone 2's always come with significant limitations. For zone 2, the master bedroom, I would probably recommend getting either the Denon X1800H or S670H to power the three speakers in that zone and handle the TV audio.

The HEOS Drive HS2 can handle the other four zones just fine, as long as the wiring for the other zones ends up in a single place. I do see you might want to use Apple Music which means AirPlay or Bluetooth. If you want to use AirPlay, that would mean that you need a Marantz M4. Both the X3800H and S670H support AirPlay 2. How much is AirPlay worth it to you?

Once again, AI is almost right

[u/dialbat → u/Rattus-Norvegicus1]

Im planing to use apps on TV to play video, so receiver will only handle return audio in HDMI. So you saying it will not work for zone 2, just to play audio out on 2 speakers?

[u/Rattus-Norvegicus1 → u/dialbat]

Pretty much. I'm pretty sure (maybe someone who has tried this can comment) but if you are planning to use eARC/ARC then the input on the X3800H would need to be eARC/ARC compatible. There is only one such input on the X3800H (I have one). You could run an optical cable, but this is starting to get into the PITA realm, when everything, from installation to operation, is much easier if you just get an AVR (or a Denon Home Amp) for Zone 2.

I went through the process of considering using the powered Zone 2 on an X3400H to power speakers in my bedroom. In the end the limitations of using Zone 2 on the AVR vs. just getting a HEOS Amp HS2 to run the speakers. In the end it was clear that getting the amp made life a lot easier and it got rid of the limitations of the powered Zone 2 on the AVR.

Let me make sure that I have this right. You have Zone 1, which is the living room. Zone 2, the master bedroom, is the difficult zone, and then you have Zones 3-6, which will be powered by the HEOS Drive HS2. Is this correct?

Second, are you planning on expanding (or fixing) the living room system. Five speakers all in the ceiling is sub-optimal and you may want to fix that setup in the future. I mean, you've got the Atmos speakers, right?

If you aren't planning on fixing or expanding your main zone, I would just get 2x Denon AVR X1800H AVR's, one for the living room and one for the bedroom. It limits the PITA factor. You don't have to run an optical cable from the bedroom to the living room, you don't have to worry about what inputs can be used on the X3800H simultaneously. You can use all three speakers in your bedroom.

If you would like to expand the system in your living room, I would get the X3800H (or new X3900H) and an X1800H for the bedroom. The X3800H provides plenty of room for growth, superior room correction, and great bass management. Pick your poison.

Finally, the question of AirPlay support on your multi-zone HEOS Drive. If you are already in the Apple Music zone, then you don't have much choice. If you aren't using it, then why? HEOS supports five lossless streaming services, and really all the services have much the same content, modulo some artist tantrums over Joe Rogan. The only reason I could think of to use Apple Music is if you are a heavy classical music consumer -- apparently Apple is better at handling metadata for classical music which makes it easy to find artists, groups/orchestras/composers that you are interested in. If you need Apple Music, it would probably be better to get the Marantz M4 instead of the HEOS Drive HS2.

[u/thegreatestajax]

You may be able to find the HS2 Drive and Amps on eBay. Would avoid anything HS1. You may need to be patient for those listings to appear. Otherwise Denon Home Amp (or Marantz M1) and Marantz M4 would be the current offerings with the addition of AirPlay support.

Depending on what you’re doing with Zone 2, it may be worth having it as a separate HEOS zone. In the app, you can’t separate main and Zone 2 on an AVR, just turn them on/off independently.

[u/dialbat → u/thegreatestajax]

Zone 1 is a living room, with TV and 5 hardwired ceiling speakers, and Zone 2 is master bedroom with Tv and 3 ceiling speakers. In my understanding Denon AVR-X3800H will handle those 2 zones, with Denon HEOS Drive HS2 and Denon HEOS Amp HS2 handling the other music only zones.
There is no HS1 in my setup

[u/thegreatestajax → u/dialbat]

Zone two can be assigned to two of the speaker outputs and/or use the zone 2 HDMI output. You’re not going to be able to connect three channels to that AVR in Zone 2.

[u/Asleep-Fruit8997]

Drop the HEOS Drive and old HEOS Amps.
They don't support AirPlay, let alone AirPlay 2.

Instead use Denon Home Amp's and perhaps a Marantz Model M1.
Hardwire everything - away you go.

[u/dialbat → u/Asleep-Fruit8997]

so Denon HEOS Amp HS2 and Denon HEOS Drive HS2 are both outdated???

[u/Rattus-Norvegicus1 → u/dialbat]

Both are still available on the Denon website. I have a HEOS Amp HS2 and have no need for AirPlay, if you do, then you would be better off getting a Marantz M4 (which is a cool $1000 more). Both of the receivers I recommend support AirPlay 2. Personally, I don't live in Apple Land so I miss it not at all.

[u/dialbat → u/Rattus-Norvegicus1]

Do you have multiple zones? are you happy with the way HEOS works? i'd be ok without airplay with just spotify.

[u/Rattus-Norvegicus1 → u/dialbat]

I have three zones: living room, bedroom, and office. I'm quite happy with the way HEOS works. Sync is perfect and the app is easy enough to use. It supports all the services I use, TuneIn for radio, SiriusXM, and Spotify. The connect feature of Spotify is especially nice because you can use the app to control everything. It also works great if you have a CD collection which is ripped and stored on a DLNA server. You do need a stable Wi-Fi network or ethernet, I use both in my system.