# Arduino as an audio switcher **URL:** \ **Category:** Interfacing\ **Created:** [March 24, 2009, 1:14am UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-as-an-audio-switcher/14683 "2009-03-24T01:14:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![agentsmith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/13edae/32.png) [@agentsmith](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/agentsmith)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 1:14am UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-as-an-audio-switcher/14683/1 "2009-03-24T01:14:30Z")
I'm thinking about using an Arduino as an audio switcher, like one audio source (a PC audio card) and multiple small speakers, like one per room, so you can have cheap music diffusion in your house. For the sake of simplicity I don't care about adjusting the volume of each speaker, but just turn it off or on. Any ideas on how to do this? I found a nice page with several amplifiers... [http://www.techlib.com/electronics/audioamps.html](http://www.techlib.com/electronics/audioamps.html) Is it suitable to have one amplifier, and so switching a power signal to the speakers, or switching the audio signal and handling it with an amplifier for every speaker? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/system/32/1140315_2.png) [@system](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 9:33am UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-as-an-audio-switcher/14683/2 "2009-03-24T09:33:03Z")
If you're switching speaker-level audion signals, just about the only way to do it is with relays. ---
**Author:** ![agentsmith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/13edae/32.png) [@agentsmith](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/agentsmith)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 11:06am UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-as-an-audio-switcher/14683/3 "2009-03-24T11:06:55Z")
What kind of relays do you suggest? Probably the solenoid ones are the cheapest but maybe they introduces noises... ---
**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/system/32/1140315_2.png) [@system](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 12:41pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-as-an-audio-switcher/14683/4 "2009-03-24T12:41:34Z")
I don't know what you mean by "solenoid ones", but the main consideration is the current rating of the contacts. How many Watts is your amplifier, and how many Ohms are your speakers? ---
**Author:** ![agentsmith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/13edae/32.png) [@agentsmith](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/agentsmith)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 5:24pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-as-an-audio-switcher/14683/5 "2009-03-24T17:24:14Z")
Sorry I mean electromagnetic relays 🙂 The speaker could be something that you find in cheap computer speakers... like this one, I think they usually are 2W 8 Ohm parts. > **[FRWS 5 8 OHM | Visaton 50mm dia 4W nom Full Range Speaker Driver, 8Ω, 150 Hz...](https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/speaker-drivers/3643391?redirect-relevancy-data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uy Visaton 50mm dia 4W nom Full Range Speaker Driver, 8Ω, 150 Hz → 20 kHz FRWS 5 8 OHM. Browse our latest Speaker Drivers offers. Free Next Day Delivery available. The amplifier could be a 20-30W one, so it can handle easily 8-10 mono speakers. It would be great to have a half duplex communication system, with a speaker and a mic in every room with just 4 wires (power and signal)... I think it's enough to put a relay to the amplifier to disable its output when you want to listen to the mics. ---
**Author:** ![agentsmith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/13edae/32.png) [@agentsmith](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/agentsmith)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 12:35am UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-as-an-audio-switcher/14683/6 "2009-10-27T00:35:23Z")
I'm ordering some parts and I'd like to have some advice about which device is best to switch amplified audio signals and microphone signals. - good old electromechanic relay? - solid state relay? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/system/32/1140315_2.png) [@system](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 7:01pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-as-an-audio-switcher/14683/7 "2021-05-06T19:01:38Z")
Closed on May 6, 2021, 7:01pm UTC