Randy Thanks for the input. To offer more insight to my VISION: Each destination is equiped with speakers only. At this time, the speakers are wired to a central location and a very dumb volume control. The central location is a single zone amplifier (Sonance SonAMP 260). My sources are hooked to a DENON AVR3300. I use the AVR3300's multizone capability to enjoy 5.1 surround sound in my family room while also listening, through the AVR3300's connection to the SonAMP 260, to a different/same source throughout the house. I want to replace the SonAMP 260 with a multizone amplifier or a bank of amplifiers. I want to be able to hook my sources up to a linux box. I want the linux box to also be a source so I could load CD's and have it act as a jukebox. Then all outputs will go from the linux box into the bank of amplifiers which in turn is hooked to the speaker pairs throughout the house. I want to control zone / source and volume through a web browser application. That way, technically I could control everything from one console - not very practicle though. But then I'd like to distribute - at geographically convenient locations throughout the house - small, wall mounted touch screen browser "appliances" (for lack of a better description) - which would be used to run the web app and control the system anywhere I choose to place one. The app would work something like this: A touch screen displays up to eight icons, generically zones 1 - 8, but the label should easily change to say kitchen, master bedroom, etc. THE USER THEN SELECTS A ZONE. The touch screen displays up to eight icons, sources 1 - 8. The app will need some "knowledge" of the source though. For tuners like directv, digital cable, XM radio, etc - the user will want to select "channel" after source. If however the source is a "jukebox" like device, it needs to run more sophisticated jukebox software. THE USER SELECTS A SOURCE. The touch screen then displays what it can - from and about the source - with a volume UP & DOWN icon included. THE USER ADJUSTS THE VOLUME Depending on the outcome of this project - I'm thinking there may be a real business opportunity here. Throughout the history of the PC - and I've seen it all - my first "PC" was an 8 bit 4Mhz Z80 running CPM - as it has grown in power and sophistication, the PC has continuously absorbed applications (and trampled on business models in the process) that were previously done by low volume, expensive and proprietary solutions. I'm thinking this might be one of those times and whole house audio maybe one of those applications ripe for a revolution.
