Wired, wireless, infrared, and powerline audio entertainment systems

A device for transmitting signals to speakers, the device comprising:

• means for receiving a multi-channel audio signal from at least one input device, the multi-channel audio signal being encoded in a channel format having multiple channels;
• means for converting the received multi-channel audio signal into a plurality of single-channel audio signals, each single-channel signal representing one of the multiple channels and being assigned to either a first group or a second group of audio signals, each group comprising at least one of the single-channel audio signals;
• means for amplifying only the first group of audio signals;
• and a transmitter configured to transmit the unamplified second group of audio signals along with at least one destination address to a plurality of speakers, via a network, the destination address identifying one of the plurality of speakers for broadcasting at least one of the audio signals in the second group;
• and
• a destination address input configured to receive an user input to select one of the speakers for broadcasting the at least one of the audio signals, wherein the destination address is determined based on the user input.

A device comprising:

• at least one input receiving a multi-channel audio signal from at least one input device, the multi-channel audio signal being encoded in a channel format having multiple channels;
• a processor configured to decode the received multi-channel audio signal into a plurality of single-channel audio signals, each single-channel audio signal representing one of the multiple channels and being assigned to either a first group or a second group of audio signals, each group comprising at least one of the single-channel audio signals;
• a power amplifier module configured to amplify only the first group of audio signals received from the processor;
• and a transmitter configured to transmit the unamplified second group of audio signals along with at least one control signal and one destination address to a plurality of speakers via a network, the destination address identifying one of the plurality of speakers for broadcasting at least one of the audio signals in the second group, wherein the control signal is to be used by the speaker to manipulate at least one of the audio signals in the unamplified second group;
• and
• a destination address input configured to receive an user input to select one of the speakers for broadcasting the at least one of the audio signals, wherein the destination address is determined based on the user input.