[corkybstewart]

I'm looking for an affordable way to control volume for 4 sets of speakers:  living room, garage, back yard and front porch.  I currently am using a passive device that lets me takes the signal from my Denon receiver and splits it, but if I don't keep everything exactly balanced it  shuts down the receiver.   Any of you audio experts(Denny for instance) have any suggestions.
Thanks in advance.

[redzim]

I had the Niles SSVC-4 (http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Hw7UxBxAcqH/p_190SSVC4/Niles-SSVC-4.html) recommended to me by a big acoustic consulting firm in New York City last year, when I was working on installing PA in an old Catholic monastery chapel that is now a private high school. (We needed to control 4 pairs of speakers spaced equidistant down the chapel walls, to increase near-field sound to the audience and mitigate the crazy reverb from the vaults.) It's a $400 unit that does exactly what you want, I think...  we never bought it though, so I have no first-hand experience. In the end we went with a QSC amp (http://www.amazon.com/QSC-CX168-Amplifier-Detachable-Blocks-Variable-Speed-Fan/dp/B003BQ97LS) which was more pricey but of course obviated the need for a separate amp.

red

[riverrat]

I have a volume control similar to this in each room:
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=109&cp_id=10903&cs_id=1090301&p_id=8241&seq=1&format=2

I have a speaker selector similar to this connected to my B channel on my receiver:
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=109&cp_id=10903&cs_id=1090305&p_id=8229&seq=1&format=2

If you don't need volume control in the room, you can get a selector with volume control similar to this:
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=109&cp_id=10903&cs_id=1090307&p_id=8232&seq=1&format=2

[reverseapachemaster]

You are pulling too much power out of the receiver and activating the shut off function.

The foolproof option is to buy a multi-channel amplifier with one channel for each speaker you plan on running off the amplifier (you can still run the speakers in the room with the receiver off the receiver). Using an amplifier allows you to use all of your existing equipment and get maximum power to each speaker. Other options will require your receiver and/or your speakers to conform to specific ohm requirements.

Take a look at this page: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-zv6S6VQk0kl/learn/learningcenter/home/multiroom_diagrams.html

[Slowbrew]

I have a volume control similar to this in each room:
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=109&cp_id=10903&cs_id=1090301&p_id=8241&seq=1&format=2

I'm no expert but I did install a system that worked for 10 years.

I have similar controls, to the ones above, in each room with a total of 12 speakers in various rooms and on the deck.  My cheapo 165W receiver has been running for years without any issues (knocks on wood).  The controls are all balanced to 8 ohms and internally adjust the  left and right channels separately.  We usually have the master volume set to 50 (out of 65 I think) and adjust the volume via the control knob in each room.

My most bothersome issue is when we use an iPod to supply the sound track.  With no pre-amp we have to turn the iPod all the way up and then really crank the master volume on the receiver to get decent volume out or the system.

IMHO, YMMV, IANAST, "Sold as-is, no warranty".   

Paul

[loopy]

I went with sonos for whole house zoned music and have never regretted it.  It is not exactly cheap, but you can grow over time.  To be honest, I forgot about problems like these .. 

[Joe Sr.]

My guess is that it's an Ohms issue and that the speakers are not all the same.

I use similar equipment to what riverrat has posted and have no problems.

I only run three sets, though, and rarely all at once. It's nice to be able to change from room to room and the in-room volume controls are niiiiiice.