Chapter 1 · The Case for Audio
The LOXONE Technology Advantage
Audio installations have always been about compromise. You could either have great sound, simple wiring, or low cost, but not all three at the same time. LOXONE Master/Client was built to remove this compromise. When you know how it works, you can show a customer why this system is different from anything they have seen before.
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
- Explain to a customer the main disadvantages of passive, 100V and network audio
- Explain to a customer how Master/Client gives great sound, simple wiring and low cost in one system
- Explain how Master and Client speakers work together
- Explain to a customer why Class D amplifiers lower operating costs
The situation
A customer once got an audio quote from a hi-fi installer. They remember two things: the system sounded good, but it was expensive and the wiring caused a lot of disruption. Now they think all building audio is like this.
Your job is to show them a better option that sounds just as good, the wiring is much simpler, and it costs less to install. To do this, you first need to know the older options and their weak points.
The three traditional approaches
Before Master/Client, almost all building audio used one of three methods. Each method has its own disadvantages:
- Passive audio gives great sound, but it is expensive and hard to plan
- 100V audio has simple wiring, but the sound quality is poor - it is the type of system often used for announcements in public places
- Active network audio has good sound and modern features, but it needs its own audio network
The table below shows the details.
| Approach | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Passive | High quality sound, perfectly synchronized zones | Multi-channel amplifiers, thick and costly cable, complex wiring, needs audio expertise to plan |
| 100V | Simple, cost-effective linear wiring | Poor sound quality because of a reduced frequency range, meant for announcements not music |
| Active network | Good sound, streaming, AirPlay, Bluetooth | Needs a dedicated audio network to stay in sync, high infrastructure cost, needs knowledge of audio network protocols |
What Master/Client does differently
Master/Client combines all three advantages into one system: the high quality sound of passive audio, the easy wiring of a 100V system, and the modern features of network audio. All audio zones stay fully synchronized.
The key idea is simple: the amplifier is inside each speaker. Master and Client speakers are active speakers, so they do not need separate amplifiers that would take up space in the utility room. Each Master speaker has built-in Bluetooth and stays perfectly in sync with other LOXONE speakers.
The speakers connect along a bus so they do not each need their own cable back to a central amplifier. This saves up to 80% on cabling compared with a passive system.
The Master leads, the Clients follow
A Master speaker always decides the music source for its group. Its Client speakers play the source that the Master has chosen. Client speakers can either play at the same volume as the Master speaker, or they can be in their own sub-group of the main Master group for independent control of volume.
Every Master speaker has Bluetooth so phones, tablets, computers or TVs can connect to it directly.
How it saves energy
LOXONE uses Class D amplifiers in the Audioserver, the Stereo Extensions and the Master and Client speakers. Class D amplifiers are much more efficient than the older Class A and B designs. They reach more than 90% efficiency, compared with around 60% for Class A and B.
This efficiency means low operating costs and very little wasted heat. You do not need large amplifiers that must be cooled. This is one reason why the whole system takes up so little space and costs so little to run.