Whole-Home Audio Guide: Multi-Room Sound with Home Assistant

1. Why Whole-Home Audio?

Whole-home audio is the smart home upgrade you will use every single day. Once you have music available in every room without carrying a phone or dragging a portable speaker around, it becomes hard to imagine your house without it.

The benefits go well beyond entertainment. Multi-room speakers give you a built-in announcement system that reaches the entire house. When someone rings the doorbell, every speaker can announce it. During Oklahoma severe weather season, Home Assistant can interrupt whatever is playing to broadcast a tornado warning to every room simultaneously. Morning routines become smoother when your kitchen speaker plays the news while your bathroom speaker plays your wake-up playlist.

Whole-home audio also makes entertainment automations practical. One button can trigger party mode: group all speakers, start a playlist, set the volume, and activate a lighting scene. Another button winds down the house at bedtime: fade the living room audio over five minutes, start sleep sounds in the bedroom at low volume, and turn off everything else. Background music during gatherings means no one is fumbling with a phone to change the song.

The technology has caught up over the last few years. Wireless multi-room speakers like Sonos are reliable and sound great. Ceiling speakers have become affordable. And Home Assistant ties everything together with automations that make the audio system feel like it reads your mind.

2. Audio System Approaches

There are three main approaches to whole-home audio. The right choice depends on your budget, whether your home is new construction or existing, and how much you value invisible hardware versus plug-and-play simplicity.

Wireless Speakers

Wireless speakers from Sonos, Google Home, and Amazon Echo are the easiest path to multi-room audio. Each speaker connects to your WiFi network independently. No wiring, no construction, no electrician. You can start with one speaker and add rooms over time. This approach is ideal for existing homes and renters.

The trade-off is that each speaker is a visible object on a shelf or counter. For most people this is perfectly acceptable, especially with the sleek designs of current Sonos and Google speakers. Sound quality from premium wireless speakers like the Sonos Era 300 holds up against many wired setups.

Ceiling and In-Wall Speakers

Ceiling speakers with a multi-zone amplifier give you the cleanest look. The speakers are flush-mounted in the ceiling, virtually invisible. Sound distribution is excellent because audio comes from above, filling the room evenly. This approach requires speaker wire run through walls and ceilings, which is easy during new construction but much more expensive as a retrofit.

Ceiling speaker systems also deliver higher total output. A pair of quality in-ceiling speakers driven by a proper amplifier will outperform most wireless speakers at high volumes, making this the preferred choice for entertaining spaces and outdoor areas.

Hybrid Approach

The hybrid approach is what we recommend for most homeowners. Install ceiling speakers in the main living areas where you want clean aesthetics and high output: living room, kitchen, and covered patio. Use wireless speakers in bedrooms, the home office, and secondary spaces where flexibility matters more than invisible hardware. This keeps costs reasonable and puts better audio where you spend the most time.

3. Sonos: The Smart Home Standard

Sonos is the market leader in wireless multi-room audio, and for good reason. The ecosystem works reliably and integrates with every major smart home platform, including Home Assistant. If you are building a wireless multi-room system, Sonos is our default recommendation.

Key Products

• Era 100 ($249)Compact bookshelf speaker. Excellent for bedrooms, offices, and smaller rooms. Louder than you would expect for its size.
• Era 300 ($449)Spatial audio with Dolby Atmos support. Premium sound for living rooms and entertainment spaces.
• Arc ($899)Soundbar for TV. Replaces your TV speakers entirely with immersive surround sound. Pairs with Era 300s as rear surrounds.
• Sub ($799)Wireless subwoofer. Adds deep bass to any Sonos setup, especially impactful with the Arc in home theater configurations.
• Roam ($179)Portable, waterproof. Use it indoors as part of your multi-room system or take it to the patio, pool, or anywhere outdoors.

Multi-Room Grouping

Any combination of Sonos speakers can be grouped to play the same audio in sync. You can also play different audio in different rooms simultaneously. Group the kitchen and living room for a dinner party while the kids listen to something different in their rooms. Grouping and ungrouping is instant, controlled from the Sonos app, AirPlay, or Home Assistant.

AirPlay 2 and Streaming

Every current Sonos speaker supports AirPlay 2, meaning you can stream directly from any Apple device without opening the Sonos app. Sonos also supports Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Apple Music, and dozens of other streaming services natively. Sonos Radio is included free with every speaker.

Home Assistant Integration

The Sonos integration in Home Assistant is one of the better media player integrations out there. You get full control over playback (play, pause, skip, seek), volume, grouping, and queue management. Text-to-speech announcements work natively, allowing you to use Sonos speakers as an announcement system for your entire smart home. Automations can trigger specific playlists, adjust volume based on time of day, and respond to any Home Assistant event.

For a detailed walkthrough of connecting Sonos to Home Assistant, see our Sonos + Home Assistant Guide.

No Subscription Required

Sonos core features, including multi-room grouping, AirPlay, streaming service integration, and Home Assistant control, require no subscription. Sonos Radio (free tier) provides curated stations. The optional Sonos Radio HD subscription adds lossless audio quality, but it is entirely optional.

4. Ceiling Speakers and Multi-Zone Amplifiers

For homeowners who want invisible audio with maximum output, ceiling speakers driven by a multi-zone amplifier are the premium choice. This approach is especially cost-effective in new construction where speaker wire can be run before drywall goes up.

Ceiling Speaker Brands

Quality in-ceiling speakers are available at every price point. Sonance and Klipsch sit at the premium end ($150-$300 per pair) with excellent sound and paintable grilles. Polk Audio occupies the mid-range ($80-$150 per pair) with reliable performance. Monoprice offers excellent budget options ($50-$80 per pair) that sound better than their price suggests. For most rooms, a single pair of 6.5-inch ceiling speakers provides ample coverage.

Multi-Zone Amplifiers

A multi-zone amplifier drives multiple pairs of speakers from a single rack-mountable unit, with independent volume control per zone. The Monoprice 6-zone amplifier ($400-$600) is the best value, powering up to six pairs of speakers with individual source selection per zone. HTD Lync ($700-$1,200) offers a more polished experience with better app control. For tighter Home Assistant integration, the Sonos Amp ($599 per zone) drives ceiling speakers while maintaining full Sonos ecosystem compatibility.

Streaming Sources

Each amplifier zone needs an audio source. The Sonos Port ($449 per zone) is the best option for Home Assistant integration, feeding line-level audio to any amplifier while maintaining full Sonos grouping and control. Chromecast Audio (discontinued but available used for $50-$80) supports Google Cast grouping. HiFiBerry boards ($60-$100 per zone) turn a Raspberry Pi into a high-quality streaming endpoint running Volumio or similar software, ideal for audiophile setups on a budget.

Speaker Wire and Installation

Use 16/4 or 14/4 gauge speaker wire for ceiling runs. Thicker 14-gauge wire is recommended for runs longer than 50 feet. Pre-wiring during new construction costs $300-$600 for four rooms, a fraction of the $1,200-$2,500 it costs to retrofit speaker wire after drywall is up. If you are building a new home, pre-wire every room you might ever want audio in, even if you do not install speakers immediately. The wire is cheap; the labor to open walls later is not.

For detailed new-construction planning, see our Pre-Wire Guide.

Outdoor Speakers

Oklahoma outdoor living is a major part of home life from spring through fall. Weather-rated ceiling or pendant speakers under covered patios handle the elements well. Choose speakers rated IP65 or higher to withstand rain, humidity, and the temperature swings from Oklahoma winters to summers. The Sonos Roam is a solid portable option for uncovered outdoor areas, and it automatically joins your multi-room system when within WiFi range.

5. Home Assistant Audio Automations

Whole-home audio in a smart home is not just about playing music. It is about automating when, where, and what plays based on your routines, who is home, and what is happening around the house. Here are six practical automations you can set up with Home Assistant and multi-room audio.

Morning Routine

At 7:00 AM on weekdays, Home Assistant starts a news briefing in the kitchen at 30% volume and plays your morning playlist in the bathroom at 25% volume. Volume is kept low because mornings are for easing into the day. On weekends, the automation does not trigger, letting you sleep in. If you are already awake (detected by motion sensors), the automation starts earlier.

Doorbell Announcement

When the doorbell rings, Home Assistant pauses whatever is playing on all speakers, announces "someone is at the front door" using text-to-speech, then resumes the previous audio after 30 seconds. This ensures you hear the doorbell no matter where you are in the house, even over loud music. You can also have it announce the visitor's name if you have a camera with person recognition.

Party Mode

One button press (physical, phone, or voice command) triggers party mode: all speakers group together, a party playlist starts at 50% volume, and the lighting scene switches to colorful accent lighting. When the party ends, pressing the button again returns everything to normal, ungrouping speakers and restoring regular lighting.

Bedtime Wind-Down

At 10:00 PM, the living room audio fades down gradually over five minutes rather than cutting off abruptly. Once faded, sleep sounds start in the bedroom at 15% volume. All other speakers in the house stop playback and mute. The gradual fade is the key detail here; it signals to your brain that the day is ending without the jarring silence of an instant stop.

Away Mode

When the last person leaves the house (detected by phone presence or door sensors), Home Assistant stops all audio playback and mutes every speaker. No more coming home to discover music has been playing to an empty house for eight hours. When someone arrives home, the system can optionally start a welcome-home playlist in the entryway.

Severe Weather Alert

When Home Assistant detects a tornado warning for your county (via the NWS weather integration), it interrupts all audio on every speaker, plays an emergency alert tone, and announces the warning details using text-to-speech. All lights in the house turn on to full brightness. In Oklahoma, where severe weather hits fast, this automation makes sure you hear the warning even if you would sleep through a phone alert.

6. Room-by-Room Recommendations

Every room has different audio needs. Here is what works best in each space based on typical usage patterns, acoustics, and practical considerations.

Kitchen

The kitchen is where most families spend the most time, making it the highest-priority room for audio. A Sonos Era 100 on the counter or a single ceiling speaker works well. Mono audio is perfectly fine here since the kitchen is typically noisy with cooking. The speaker needs to be loud enough to hear over the range hood and running water. This is also the primary room for podcast listening, recipe read-aloud, and morning news.

Living Room

The living room is your entertainment hub and deserves the best audio in the house. For TV integration, a Sonos Arc soundbar paired with Era 300 surrounds and a Sub creates an immersive home theater experience. For music-only living rooms, stereo ceiling speakers or a pair of Era 300s deliver excellent coverage. This is also where party mode audio is centered.

Master Bedroom

A Sonos Era 100 on the nightstand or a pair of ceiling speakers handles bedroom audio. Primary use cases are sleep sounds at low volume, gentle alarm music in the morning, and occasional podcast listening. Volume rarely exceeds 25% in this room. The bedtime wind-down automation makes this speaker one of the most-used in the house despite its low volume.

Home Office

A Sonos Era 100 or quality bookshelf speakers for focus music during work hours. The office speaker should also handle video call audio if you work from home. Consider a speaker with good midrange clarity for voice reproduction. This room benefits from the away-mode automation, stopping playback when you leave for meetings or lunch.

Bathroom

A moisture-rated ceiling speaker is the ideal choice for bathrooms. Standard speakers and electronics should not be exposed to shower steam and humidity long-term. A ceiling speaker rated for damp locations handles the moisture while delivering audio for morning routines, shower playlists, and podcasts. This is one room where ceiling speakers are clearly superior to wireless options.

Patio and Outdoor

Oklahoma outdoor living is huge from April through October. For covered patios, weather-rated ceiling speakers or outdoor pendant speakers deliver reliable, permanent audio. For uncovered areas and poolside, the Sonos Roam is portable, waterproof, and automatically joins your multi-room system. Outdoor speaker zones should be on a separate amplifier zone so you can control outdoor volume independently without affecting the rest of the house.

Kids Rooms

An Echo Dot or Google Nest Mini ($30-$50) provides budget multi-room audio for children's rooms. These speakers handle storytime audio, music, and receive whole-house announcements. For a step up, a Sonos Era 100 integrates more tightly with Home Assistant automations. Kids rooms benefit from the bedtime automation, which can automatically stop audio at a set time.