Amazon Echo and Whole House Audio
Worked through many failed attempts to have Amazon Echo control my whole house audio. The main source has been iTunes on a Mac Mini, connected to the whole house amplifier. I have tried many things (spoofing HUE HUB the closest) to have Alexa control iTunes on the Mac.
I have had a gen 1 Amazon Echo that I got from my son. I recently added a Echo SPOT, with an audio out. This made me think, this could be the whole house audio, BUT the echo would be in the basement in a closet connected to the amplifier…..
Step one, Echo out to Amplifier
Ordered an Echo DOT. This has an audio out jack, that I connected to Audio In (1) of the Whole House Amplifier. This was easy, talk to the DOT and say ‘Alexa, play soft rock’ and all rooms speakers hear the music. How do I now do that from upstairs?
The Echo’s now can Multiroom audio. If I did not have the Amplifier, and 2x Bose speakers in the walls of 5 rooms, then buying Echos and speakers would shovel this. Place all Echo’s into a Multi-room group Called “EVERYWHERE”. Then near any echo say ‘Alexa, play soft rock everywhere’ and all of the Echos would play the same songs.I have the rooms wired, so the multi echo does not work. Place the Dot at the Amplifier, audio cable to the amplifier. Next name the echo dot. In the Alexa app, you can name the Echos, I called this echo “House“. I then go to any other echo, and sat “play soft rock on House” this redirect the command to play to be done on the echo in the basement..
BAM I can play music via voice
Step two, Echo remote
With the Amazon Echo Remoter (that will work with a DOT, but not a SPOT) with the Bluetooth remote, I can speak into the remote, and directly command the whole house audio. As a bonus you do not need to say ‘Alexa’. You also get volume and play pause.
About the Author
Kevin Cossaboon
A networking profesional located in Northren Virginia, USA. My hobbies are Technology and Photography. Love playing with the latest technology, and will try to post reviews of them. Also love my life long journey of learning to capture light, to trigger emotions, through photography.