Whole-home audio in Denver: music in every room, from the apps you already use
Whole-home audio puts speakers flush in your ceilings and walls, wired to a small set of equipment in one closet, so any room can play music on its own or all together. You play from Spotify, Apple Music or AirPlay on your phone, with nothing new to learn and no subscription.
By HUM · Denver, Colorado · Updated
How does whole-home audio work?
There are three parts, and you only ever see one of them.
- Speakers in the ceilings and walls. They sit flush, with a thin grille that can be painted to match. Most rooms need a pair.
- Wire from each room to one place, usually a closet, basement or utility room.
- Streaming amplifiers in that one place. They receive music from your phone over your home Wi-Fi and power the speakers. Each one runs one or more rooms.
To play music, open Spotify, Apple Music or any app that uses AirPlay, press play, and choose the rooms. Guests can do the same from their own phones if you let them.
Which rooms should have music?
Most families start with the rooms where they spend their days: the kitchen, the main living area, and often a primary bedroom or office. Patios and gardens are a common next step; see outdoor audio in Colorado.
A few questions help decide:
- Where do you gather? Kitchens and great rooms benefit most.
- Where do you want quiet? Not every room needs speakers. Leaving some out keeps the cost down.
- Which rooms are open to each other? Open-plan spaces are usually designed as one zone, so the sound is even as you move through.
We'll walk the house with you and suggest a plan. You decide.
Finished home or new build?
In a finished home
This is most of our work. We run wire through existing walls and ceilings from the attic, basement or closets, and install each speaker through an opening its grille covers completely. Older Denver homes with plaster walls take more care than drywall, which we plan for at the visit. See where we work for more on older homes.
During a remodel or new build
If walls are open, bring us in before insulation and drywall. We run wire to every room you might ever want music in, even if you only install speakers in some of them now. Adding a room later is then simple.
Already have speakers in the ceiling?
Many homes do, from a Control4, Savant or older system that no longer works well. The speakers and wire are usually standard parts that can stay, which saves most of the cost of a new system. See replacing Control4 and replacing Savant, or compare the options in Sonos vs Control4 vs Savant.
What drives the cost?
- The number of rooms. Each room needs speakers, wire and a share of an amplifier.
- Finished or open walls. Running wire through finished walls takes longer than during construction.
- Existing speakers. Keeping good speakers and wiring saves the largest part of the cost.
- The speakers you choose. We'll show you where spending more makes an audible difference and where it doesn't.
After a free visit, you receive a written plan with a fixed price. There are no hourly programming charges and no subscription from us.
How a project works
1. A listening visit
We walk your home with you, learn how you live, and listen to the rooms. Free, unhurried, no pressure.
2. A clear design
A written plan with a fixed price: every speaker, every room, no surprises later.
3. Careful installation
Tidy, respectful work. Speakers disappear into ceilings and walls, and we clean up each day.
4. We stay with you
We show you how it all works at your kitchen table, and come back whenever you need us, at no cost.
Free in-home support, for as long as you own your system.
If something isn't working, or you'd simply like a refresher on the app, call us. We'll come to your home and help — no service fees, no trip charges, no time limit. It's how we stand behind our work, and it's simply the right thing to do.
Questions about whole-home audio
Speakers built into the ceilings and walls of several rooms, all connected to one system. Each room can play something different, or the whole house can play the same music together. You control it from your phone.
Yes. Most of our work is in finished homes. Wire is run through existing walls and ceilings from the attic, basement or closets, and each speaker goes in through an opening its grille covers completely. We protect floors and furniture and clean up every day.
If walls are open, yes. Running wire before drywall is simpler and gives the most freedom in where speakers go. If you're building or remodeling, bring us in before insulation and drywall.
Yes. Each room, or group of rooms, is its own zone. One person can play a podcast in the kitchen while another plays jazz in the living room.
No. You play from the music apps you already use: Spotify, Apple Music, or anything that uses AirPlay. A simple app covers the few things those apps can't, like turning rooms on and off.
If you want music in one or two rooms, good wireless speakers may be all you need, and we'll say so. A built-in system makes sense when you want several rooms, sound without speakers on shelves, or outdoor areas included.
It depends mostly on how many rooms play music, whether the house is finished or open, and the speakers you choose. After a free visit you get a written, fixed price.