Amp / Speaker / Volume Help

[Marc J]

Posting here hoping someone will be able to help, as I drew a blank at Maplin :eek:

I'm doing up my bathroom, and part of it is having a single stereo speaker mounted in the ceiling (Monitor Audio C165-T2 (http://www.monitoraudio.co.uk/products/past-products/100-series/c165-t2)) fed by a Sonos Connect Amp (http://www.sonos.com/en-gb/sonos-shop/products/connectamp?r=1).

Since this can only be controlled by a phone / tablet, I want to be able to feed it 100% volume from the Sonos amp, and have a knob on the wall in the bathroom somewhere (near the bath) which will actually control the volume.

Sounds simple, but apparently not. The problem being the minute there's the slightest bit of power through the speaker cable, using most off the shelf variable resistors is a no-no as they'll just blow. The guy at Maplin suggested I need a Wire Wound Variable Resistor, whatever that is?

And the guy at Richer Sounds (where I bought the speaker from) reckons a QED Wall Plate (can't see it on their site, but I think maybe this one (http://www.ceiling-speakers.co.uk/QED-WM14-Wall-plate-with-volume-control-accessories-51.asp)), but I'm not keen on paying £110 just to change the volume from the shower....

Any ideas? It's a stereo speaker so any solution would be 4 wires in / 4 wires out, with the knob in between....

[Excalibur]

saved you £80. (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volume-Control-Unit-Face-Plate-Outlet-Ceiling-Speaker-/310190199944)
Best I can do, sorry. With you wanting stereo, I think you'll be in this sort of territory.

[Marc J]

Nice find, thanks Peter :beer1:

[Nakatomi]

I looked into doing this in my last house long before we moved, except I was going to do all the house & thought that one Sonos receiver upstairs with line level outs would do, then go with individual wall mounted room amplifier plates in upstairs rooms.. cheaper than a Sonos per room if you're going the whole hog:

http://www.keene.co.uk/20w-digital-in-wall-amplifier-grey-inc-uk-psu.html

Okay, it's only 20W RMS per channel, but how loud do you want your music in the shower? :D

[Marc J]

UPDATE: Have ordered Peter's suggestion, thinking that I'll buy a 2 gang polished chrome blanking plate (and drill a hole in it) to put it behind, in place of the horrible white thing that comes with it.

Seems I'm not the first to try this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2MFD8IXFHXHUR/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B000Q4V3OM

Hopefully should do the trick :)

[Marc J]

Job done, works a treat as well :)

17104

[Shaun]

Job done, works a treat as well :)

17104

:thumbsup:

[Excalibur]

Job done, works a treat as well :)



Pleased to hear it. :approve: