Its quite common for our installs to have :

- 6x distributed audio zones playing through ceiling speakers managed by a distributed audio matrix amp
- 1x AVR surround sound zone in an open plan living / media room.
- 1x 2ch ceiling speaker TV zone in an open plan living / "light" media room. The amp is typically a 2ch AVR like the Marantz 70s

The distributed audio all stays in sync, but ive found if i take a RCA out of the distriuted audio amp and feed it into the AVRs that i get a delay on the distributed audio.

To get around this in the past i used a amp selector called a Niles SPK-1, which allowed 2x amps to be fed to 1x speaker pair, with a 12v trigger handling the switching. But Niles no longer make these.

Any idea of a similar way to get the distributed audio to play out of the same speakers used for TV audio in the AVR zones, without those zones when playing distributed audio having a delay ?

I would expect that there are used SPK-1's available. Modern AVR's pass the sound through a digital processor that adds the delay. Many AVR's offer a "direct" option that eliminates the processing. Of course, in direct mode there is no surround.

This. All brands have something without processing.

You could also use an audio matrix with adjustable delays to make everything match, then you don't have to worry about changing modes on the AVR.

eBay is a good source for used Niles.

Thanks

If I used RCA out of the distributed audio amp into the AVR (rather than a digital connection so there was no DAC delay either) and used the AVR setting with no processing would there essentially be no delay ?

Pretty much. Should be the same as your audio matrix.

i have some sas 1 and some spk1's kicking around. my favorite pieces... i save them as i upgrade old systems

mike.iss@hotmail.com if u need one?

SAS-1 keep one around at all times.

I just took one out of a working system. $75 shipped here in the states.