ClearOne IP Speaker - Manual (Page 3)

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StreamNet
™
Connected IP Speakers W H I T E P A P E R
home theater with no expense spared. Unfortunately, the reality of centralized audio
distribution and this desire for having sound reproduced just for me don’t mesh. In
commercial environments one set of solutions is used, in home theater another set of
solutions is used, all to bring a unique and personal touch to the way audio is
reproduced. These different systems drive cost up and don’t typically play well with the
audio distribution system itself, leading to a hacked together system that ‘sort of’ works.
With all these new requirements on audio distribution, manufacturers of electronics and
speakers have been clamoring to find the perfect solution. The result is a wealth of
choice for the consumer and installer. In this next section we’ll compare the options
available today and discuss why StreamNet Connected IP speakers address all the
challenges and needs of the market.
Solving the audio distribution challenge
Like the evolution from analog to digital to IP delivered content, the audio distribution
architecture for consuming the content has evolved from analog, to digital, and now to
complete IP-Based. In looking at the next generation of requirements you will see that
only the StreamNet Connected IP-Based architecture creates a platform for meeting the
needs of the market.
Analog Distribution systems with passive speakers
Analog systems have proven themselves over the years and work in today’s low-cost
environments where the audio system is being used for low level background music, but
as we look to the future the analog system fails to meet all the new requirements for
audio distribution in any meaningful way.
From a scalability and extensibility perspective the analog system is confined by the
matrix switch, and while some matrix switches offer the ability to cascade, they
generally reach their limits with 32 or 64 channels. Additionally the cost to build out a
system with an odd number of channels or zones is excessive; consider the 9
th
zone on
an 8 zone system.
Environmental impact was covered earlier in some detail, but it’s worth restating. The
copper in the matrix switch and amplifier combined with the copper wire to transmit the
data has a large carbon dioxide footprint. As mentioned earlier for a 6 zone system the
carbon footprint is almost ¼ of a ton! This doesn’t even include the actual energy
consumed during the 1
st
year of operation.
Internet connectivity is only now being added to analog systems; however the
connectivity is only for meta data typically. In the case where IP connectivity is added to
downstream components like speakers, this is typically for control. However, going