Enjoy Music Outdoors with Zone 2
You are about to enter another dimension of home entertainment.
Summer’s here and we’re all spending more time outdoors. Whether you’re enjoying a weekend barbecue or a relaxing weeknight dinner on the patio, music is an essential part of the experience. And you don’t need to just get by with an inexpensive Bluetooth® speaker plopped in the middle of the table, either — not as long as you have a Yamaha MusicCast-enabled AV receiver, which allows you to bring the full power of your music outdoors.
These AV receivers support multiple zones, meaning that in addition to your main listening room, you can also listen to the same, or a different, source in another room or zone. Let’s say your family room or home theater room is where your AV receiver lives. By designating that room as your main zone and the two outdoor speakers on the patio as Zone 2, you can send music from your receiver to the patio simply by pressing a few buttons.
As an example, let’s look at how you would do this with a Yamaha RX-A3080 AVENTAGE AV receiver. (Other Yamaha AVENTAGE AV receivers work in a similar fashion.)
Creating Zone 2
1. First, connect your outdoor speakers to the receiver’s EXTRA SP1 jacks, shown in the red circle above.
2. Next, set up the receiver for Zone 2 as follows:
– Turn on your TV, then press the Settings button on the receiver’s remote. An onscreen display will appear.
– Select the Speaker menu.
– Select Power Amp Assign.
– Select 7.2+1Zone to use 7.2 channels in the main zone and 2 channels in Zone 2.
– Select a zone to assign to the EXTRA SP 1 jacks. The default is Zone 2.
Now you can use the receiver’s remote control to control Zone 2. If you’re listening to music in your main zone, all you have to do is press the PARTY button on the remote, and the same music will play on your backyard speakers. If you want to play different music outdoors (let’s say someone is watching TV in the family room), you just have to press a few more buttons:
– Switch the receiver’s remote control to Zone 2.
– Press the power button to turn on the receiver’s Zone 2.
– Use the input arrows to select the audio source for Zone 2.
If you have the MusicCast Controller app on your phone or tablet, you can control Zone 2 just like you would any other room or device. Just select the room — for instance, the patio — then select the source and control the volume. It’s that simple!
Zone 2 Indoors
We’ve been talking about the great outdoors, but of course Zone 2 can be used indoors as well. In fact, depending upon its capabilities, your AV receiver may be able to send audio to other rooms set up as a Zone 2 and a Zone 3. For example, you can send music to in-ceiling speakers in the hallway for true whole-home audio. (The Yamaha RX-A3080 and RX-A2080 AVENTAGE AV receivers are even capable of four zones!)
No Receiver? No Problem.
If your AV receiver doesn’t support multiple zones — even if you don’t have an AV receiver at all — there is still hope for your backyard happiness. A wireless streaming amplifier like the Yamaha WXA-50 can provide access to popular streaming services as well as your stored music and internet radio through Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth and AirPlay®. Simply connect your backyard speakers to the WXA-50 to enjoy these music sources and control it all through the MusicCast Controller app or via voice control with Alexa and Google Assistant™.
The bottom line? Make the most of your receiver’s features, indoors or out, to enjoy the best possible home entertainment experience.
Find out more about outdoor awesomeness:
How to Enjoy Great Outdoor Sound Without Disturbing Your Neighbors
Wireless Amp Turns Outdoor Speakers into MusicCast
Click here for more information about Yamaha MusicCast-enabled AV receivers.
Click here for more information about the Yamaha RX-A3080 AVENTAGE AV receiver.
Click here for more information about the Yamaha RX-A2080 AVENTAGE AV receiver.
Click here for more information about the Yamaha MusicCast Controller app.
Click here for more information about Yamaha ceiling and in-wall speakers.
Click here for more information about the Yamaha WXA-50 wireless streaming amplifier.
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