A multi-zone amp for large spaces

It's not always easy to find an amp that can drive all the speakers properly in a large multi-room audio system. But the versatile Parasound ZoneMaster 12 is designed for just such a scenario. Zone 1 (channels 1 and 2) gets significantly more power — 120 watts per channel — perfect for driving a demanding stereo speaker pair, or for outdoor applications where more wattage is required. Zones 2-6 (channels 3-12) get 60 watts per channel, which is great for more casual listening in additional rooms.

Adjustable level controls

Each channel has a level control that's accessible using a screwdriver, via the back panel. That means you can establish maximum volumes for each zone, at safe levels. If you install local in-wall volume controls in each room, then anyone using the system can turn it up as much as they want without risk of damaging the audio equipment (or their ears).

Inputs and outputs

This amp offers a great deal of flexibility for distributing signal in a multi-zone custom installation. Bus 1 features stereo RCA input, and Bus 2 features RCA line plus speaker-level Euroblock inputs. Each zone has a selector switch that allows you to choose which Bus provides input to that zone. In addition, each zone has its own individual "local" stereo RCA input.

Each zone also offers A and B pairs of four-pin Euroblock speaker outputs with a stereo/mono switch. In stereo mode, up to two pairs of connected speakers can be used to reproduce left and right channels. In mono mode, you can have a total of four speakers in that zone, all reproducing the same summed mono L+R signal.