Ask S&V

Q I have 6 pairs of speakers spread throughout my house that are powered by a Rotel RB-1080 stereo amp. I use a Rotel RSS-900 speaker selector box to feed each speaker pair, and there’s a wall-mounted volume control in each room. The setup works good overall, but doesn’t sound that great.

I’d like to upgrade my system with a multichannel amp, but can’t find one that A) has at least 100 watts per channel, and B) has banana plug connections. I’m willing to spend a few thousand on the upgrade, so price isn’t an issue. Do you have a few amps you can suggest that meet my requirements? —Rob Green via email

A After much poking around, I could only find one amp that even comes close to meeting all of your requirements: ADA’s PTM-1260 12 Channel—6 Zone Luxury Power Amplifier. The PTM-1260 has banana plug speaker outputs for each of its 12 amplifier channels. Each channel pair on the PTM-1260 can be individually triggered on via an external DC trigger source for one-touch power-up. Though power output is 75 watts per channel, ADA’s specs cite nearly double that amount into 4 Ohms with less than 0.1% THD, along with stability down to 2 Ohms. Given those specs, you’re likely to get all the power you want and then some.

I’m glad to hear that price isn’t an issue, because the PTM-1260 lists for $6,000. And that’s just the beginning. To complete your upgrade, you’ll need to invest in new electronics including a multiroom preamp and keypads to replace your speaker selector and wall-mounted volume controls. ADA makes that stuff as well, though you can also use the PTM-1260 with less pricey multiroom products from third-party manufacturers.

I’d be remiss here if I didn’t mention a wireless alternative that provides similar functionality, but with reduced cost and complexity. The BlueSound Digital multiroom audio system, for example, lets you stream CD-quality and high-res audio to multiple rooms, and features a wireless receiver called the PowerNode with a 2 x 50-watt amp you can connect to your existing speakers. And even if wireless audio isn’t your thing, it’s hard to dispute the appeal of an affordable, high-res-capable multiroom system that can be easily controlled by a smartphone or tablet app.