Multi-channel pairing in a media system

A method comprising:

• receiving, at a first playback device, audio data over a network;
• processing, at the first playback device, the audio data before the first playback device outputs audio from a plurality of speaker drivers;
• determining that a type of pairing of the first playback device comprises one of at least a first type of pairing or a second type of pairing, wherein the first type of pairing comprises pairing with a second playback device and the second type of pairing comprises pairing with a plurality of playback devices;
• determining a portion of the audio data to be output by the first playback device based on the determined type of pairing of the first playback device and the audio data;
• determining, when the determined type of pairing is the first type of pairing, a first time delay to facilitate sound synchronization with the second playback device;
• when the determined type of pairing is the second type of pairing, determining a second time delay to facilitate sound synchronization with the plurality of playback devices;
• and
• configuring, based on the determined type of pairing and the one of either the first determined time delay or the second determined time delay, the first playback device to output the determined portion of the audio data.

A tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions to be executed by a processor, the instructions, when executed, specially configuring the processor to implement a method comprising:

• receiving audio data over a network at a first playback device having a plurality of speaker drivers;
• processing the audio data before the first playback device outputs audio from the plurality of speaker drivers;
• determining that a type of pairing of the first playback device comprises one of at least a first type of pairing or a second type of pairing, wherein the first type of pairing comprises pairing with a second playback device, and the second type of pairing comprises pairing with a plurality of playback devices;
• determining a portion of the audio data to be output by the first playback device based on the determined type of pairing of the first playback device and the audio data;
• determining, when the determined type of pairing is the first type of pairing, a first time delay to facilitate sound synchronization with the second playback device;
• determining, when the determined type of pairing is the second type of pairing, a second time delay to facilitate sound synchronization with the plurality of playback devices;
• and
• configuring, based on the determined type of pairing and the one of either the first determined time delay or the second determined time delay, the first playback device to output the determined portion of the audio data.