A glowing ring of blue light summons me in the dark. I touch my finger to its center, and a luminescent display above the ring comes to life. I now see in the soft cobalt radiance that an ultramodern, curvaceous silver panel holds the ring and the display. A yellow light races around the ring and back as strange, futuristic music begins to emanate from hidden speakers. Have I stumbled into Captain Kirk’s quarters on the Starship Enterprise? Hardly—it’s just my kitchen, and the music I hear is the everynight electronica of Los Angeles’ KCRW-FM.

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Each audio source (CD, radio, etc.) requires a ZIM-4 module (above), although your installer can plug an audio source directly into the ZR-98 router (below, shown with the remote that accompanies each ZAC-60). (Click image to enlarge)

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Struck by a sudden passion for the past, I push the button in the center of the blue ring again, spin the dial surrounding it until “CD Changer” appears in the display, then punch the button once more. The music switches immediately to guitarist Wes Montgomery’s album California Dreaming. I hold down the dial for a couple of seconds, punch the button again, and controls for the CD changer appear on the display. I skip forward to “Sunny,” my favorite track, and I am in heaven. I can also change to a different radio station or switch over to music from my Apple iPod, but for the moment, Wes suits me just fine.

All this entertainment pours forth at the touch of a dial and a button on a 4.8-by-5-inch wall-mounted panel. I am listening to what is surely the most modern multiroom sound system available today, the ZON digital audio system. Instead of the button-laden, intimidating keypads found on so many older multiroom systems, I face a sleek, simple silver plate that attracts the touch of even my most technophobic guests. And when they touch it—practically no matter how they touch it—sound fills the room. This kind of instant gratification even Captain Kirk would envy.The panel—which appropriately goes by the Star Trekish moniker ZAC-60—may be the only part of the ZON system you ever see. No bulky external amplifiers are required; the ZAC-60 has two 30-watt digital amplifiers built right in. All of your source components (such as a radio tuner, a CD changer, and an MP3 player) hide away in a closet along with the ZON system’s central router. Befitting ZON’s futuristic vibe, all signals travel from the router to the ZAC-60 in digital form, so the audio does not degrade as it follows the wires through your walls and ceilings.

And running those wires takes hours instead of days, because each ZAC-60 is tethered to the router through only a single, slim CAT-5 network cable. Speaker cables run from the ZAC-60 to whatever speakers you choose to use. Incidentally, the ZAC-60 is also available in white or black for those whose tastes in decor are more timid. (Click image to enlarge)

Thanks to its extraordinary expansion capability, the ZON system can serve anything from a shotgun shack to a massive mansion. A single router feeds as many as four ZAC-60s and accepts up to nine audio source devices. That’s only four rooms of sound, but your installer can add more routers as needed. The ZON website claims the system expands to accommodate more than 1,000 zones—enough for every crewperson on two Enterprise-class starships, and then some.I have to caution you, though. As easy as it is to summon music from the ZON system, performing more advanced tasks demands a greater level of technological temerity. ZON’s dial-and-button control arrangement may echo the iPod, but it is not as foolproof. Switching sources is easy enough—punch the button, spin the dial until the source you want appears in the display, and punch the button again. But many guests may not muster the courage to proceed further. Controlling a source device requires pressing the dial down for a couple of seconds, selecting the “IR commands” feature, using the dial again to flip through options like play, stop, and track skip, then punching the button again to activate that function.

ZON makes it easier, though, by giving your installer the power to name each and every item and function. Your sources can be labeled as you like—say, “Spock’s CD player”—and the names of the sources appear on the ZAC-60’s easy-to-read-even-without-glasses display. The display offers icons for functions such as play and stop, but the names of these functions also appear on the display as you flip through them. Adventurous users may even discover the ZAC-60’s treble, bass, loudness, balance, and equalization preset controls. And each ZAC-60 includes a built-in microphone and a pager button; touch the button and your voice emanates from all of the ZON-connected speakers in your home. (Yes, you can exclude, say, your bedroom from the paging system to keep your kids from waking you up with a “red alert” at 6 a.m. on Saturday morning.)

Any multiroom audio system is a great investment; if your listening habits resemble mine, you will use it 10 times as much as you do your home theater system. But the ZON system is particularly delightful—an irresistible combination of extensive control capability, gratifying ergonomics, easy expandability, clean digital sound, and 23rd-century style. I have to think ZON will live long and prosper.DESCRIPTION
Multiroom audio system. Distributes sound from multiple audio sources throughout a home using a central ZR-98 router, ZAC-60 amplified control panels, and ZIM-4 input modules. Optional ZIR-232 module is required for source device control

AMPLIFIER POWER
Stereo, 30 watts per channel (60 watts total) for each ZAC-60

CONNECTIONS
ZR-98 Router: 4 RJ-45 jacks for ZAC-60s, 4 RJ-45 jacks for ZIM-4s (each jack accommodates 2 ZIM-4s), 4 RJ-45 jacks for loop-through output of ZIM-4s, RJ-11 jack for RS-232 programming via computer, stereo RCA-type analog audio input and loop-through output, coaxial digital audio input, Toslink optical digital audio input, 3.5mm minijack for IR control flasher, RJ-45 jacks for additional router input and output
ZIM-4 Input Module: RJ-45 jack for interface with router, RJ-45 jack for connection of second ZIM-4, stereo RCA-type analog audio input and loop-through output, coaxial digital audio input, Toslink optical digital audio input, 3.5mm minijack for IR control flasher
ZAC-60 Controller: RJ-45 jack for interface with router, RJ-45 jack for additional ZAC-60

DIMENSIONS
ZAC-60: 4.8 x 5 inches (hw), extends 1 inch from wall, 2 inches installed depth
ZR-98: 12.3 x 11.4 x 2.7 inches (hwd)
ZIM-4: 4.5 x 2.7 inches, 1.5 inches installed depth (fits Decora-style wall plate)

PRICE/CONTACT
PRICE: ZAC-60 $599 each, ZIM-4 $249 each, ZR-98 $1,159, ZIR-232 $239
CONTACT: 800.262.6898, zonaudio.com