6 Audio Sources to Enjoy on Your Whole Home Audio System
Streaming music is great, but what else can you listen to with whole home audio?
March 2025: This blog has been updated with more current information.
Installing a whole home audio system is a great way to cater to the unique entertainment needs of everyone in your home. A whole home audio setup uses centralized source components and cabling to deliver music and other audio sources to individual speakers in every room of your house.
With multi-room audio distribution from Control4, you can use your smartphone or touchscreen tablet to play music in a single room or every room with the press of a button. Most likely, everyone in your family has different music tastes, and a whole home audio solution can accommodate them all!
Keep reading to learn more about the various audio sources you can enjoy with your whole house sound system in Henrico, VA, and surrounding areas.
SEE ALSO: 3 Ways to Enjoy a Whole House Audio-Video System
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CDs
Do you still own a large CD collection? You don’t need to let them collect dust! CDs actually provide higher audio resolution than streaming and digital files, and are still a great way to listen to music.
It’s relatively simple to connect a CD player to your sound system. You’ll need either an amplifier or receiver with a built-in phono preamp or a separate phono preamp. And all you need to connect a CD player is an input connection on the receiver or amp.
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Vinyl Records
Whether you’re a new collector or still own your old-school records, you can also connect your turntable to the whole home audio system. Like a CD player, the turntable will connect to your amplifier or receiver through the phono preamp. This way, you can listen to the warm cracks, crinkles, and hi-fi sound of vinyl wherever you roam.
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High-Resolution Streaming
Take your music streaming to the next level by adding high-res streaming services to your whole home sound system. Most streaming platforms deliver music in MP3 files—a format that uses audio compression to reduce the file size to fit onto digital players and platforms. The downside is that compression results in a loss of sound quality.
Today, multiple streaming services are available to support high-resolution, uncompressed audio files for a better listening experience. You can use platforms like Tidal, Qobuz, Apple Music, and Amazon Music HD to deliver crisp, clean, and high-fidelity music anywhere in your home with the press of a button on your smartphone.
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Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to stay informed and entertained throughout the day. From news and educational discussions to comedy and true crime, there’s a podcast for every interest. With a whole-home audio system, you can start an episode in one room and continue listening as you move around the house. No need to pause when you step away—your favorite shows follow you, making it easy to stay engaged while cooking, cleaning, or relaxing.
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Audiobooks
If you love getting lost in a great book but struggle to find the time to sit down and read, audiobooks offer the perfect solution. With a whole-home audio system, you can listen to bestsellers, memoirs, and classic novels while going about your daily routine. Apps like Audible and Apple Books let you stream your library across every speaker in the house, so you can move from room to room without losing your place in the story. Whether you’re cooking, working out, or simply relaxing, audiobooks bring the joy of reading to every part of your home.
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TVs
Your TV is another non-music source you can link to your whole house sound system—all you need is an input connection on your central receiver or amplifier. One benefit of a TV connection is that having external speakers can boost the sound quality of your TV while you’re watching shows and movies. Another benefit is that you can use your smartphone or tablet to send the TV audio to another room if you need to grab a snack or drink in the middle of a show, game, or movie. Now, you can follow along with important dialogue without pressing pause and disrupting movie night.
Why Whole House Audio Installation Matters
With so many ways to enjoy whole-home audio—from streaming high-resolution music to listening to podcasts and audiobooks—having a system that delivers clear, balanced sound in every room is essential. A professionally installed setup ensures that every speaker is placed for optimal performance, wiring is neatly hidden, and audio seamlessly moves with you from one space to another. Proper installation also integrates your system with your smart home controls, making it effortless to switch between sources, adjust volume, or create custom listening experiences.
At Sound + Image, we specialize in designing and installing custom whole-home audio solutions in Henrico, Richmond, and Chesterfield County, VA. Whether upgrading an existing setup or starting fresh, our team ensures your system is perfectly tailored to your space and listening preferences.
Discover Whole-Home Audio in Henrico & Richmond, VA
Ready to enjoy simple, streamlined, and easy-to-use entertainment with whole home audio? Then give us a call at (804) 741-5816 or fill out our online form to get started today. We look forward to working with you!
