The short answer
A whole home audio system puts speakers in the ceilings and walls and plays music from a control screen on the wall. With Spark, the amplifier sits inside the panel: the Spark 7-inch Panel Amplifier connects up to 8 speakers in 2 zones, and the 4-inch Panel Amplifier connects 2 speakers in 1 zone. Both also run lights, curtains and scenes through a built-in Tuya Zigbee gateway.
On this page
What is a whole home audio system?
A whole home audio system is music built into the house. Speakers sit flush in the ceilings or walls, an amplifier powers them, and you choose what plays from a control point in the room, with no speakers on the shelves.
- Speakers in the ceiling or the wall, each wired back to the equipment that drives it.
- An amplifier that powers the speakers. On two Spark panels it is built into the panel.
- A control point where you start the music: in a Spark home, the touch screen on the wall.
Spark smart home control panels are Android wall screens for lights, curtains, locks, scenes and music, each with a built-in Tuya Zigbee gateway. That makes ceiling speakers part of a smart home music system: the screen that plays a room's music also runs its lights, curtains and scenes.
Multi room audio: what is a zone, and how many do you need?
A zone is a group of speakers that play the same music at the same time, usually one room or one open space. A multi room audio system has several, so the living area can play one thing while the dining area plays another, or stays quiet.
On Spark panels, the number of zones comes from the panel. The 4-inch Panel Amplifier is listed as 2 speakers in 1 zone. The 7-inch Panel Amplifier connects up to eight speakers across two zones, so each part of the home can play independently; Spark's example layout shows four speakers in each zone.
To decide how many zones you need, count the spaces where people want different music, or silence, at the same moment. An open living and dining area often works as two zones. A majlis, a bedroom or a study is usually one.
Which Spark wall panel has an amplifier or speaker outputs?
Two Spark panels state a built-in amplifier: the 4-inch Panel Amplifier and the 7-inch Panel Amplifier. Four more connect two external speakers each, and the 4-inch Panel Alexa has only its built-in speaker.
| Panel | Amplifier | External speakers | Zones | Screen and extras | Gateway and network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-inch Panel Amplifier | Built in | 2 speakers | 1 | 4-inch | Tuya Zigbee, Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, LAN |
| 7-inch Panel Amplifier | Built in | Up to 8 speakers | 2 | 7-inch | Tuya Zigbee, Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, LAN |
| Spark 7-inch Panel | Listed with the amplifier panels, not in its specifications | 2 frameless ceiling speakers | 1 (catalogue listing) | 7-inch | Tuya Zigbee, Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, LAN |
| Spark 6-inch Panel | Not listed | 2 frameless ceiling speakers | Not stated | 6-inch, 4 physical keys | Tuya Zigbee, Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, LAN on the UK version |
| Spark 8-inch Panel | Not listed | 2 speakers | Not stated | 8-inch, Alexa, intercom | Tuya Zigbee, Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, LAN |
| Spark 10-inch Panel | Not listed | 2 speakers | Not stated | 10-inch, Alexa, intercom, camera | Tuya Zigbee, Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, LAN |
| Spark 4-inch Panel Alexa | Not listed | None listed (built-in speaker only) | None | 4-inch, Alexa | Tuya Zigbee, Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz |
Every panel also has a built-in speaker and microphone, which Alexa and the intercom use. For music that fills a room, Spark's product pages point to connected speakers.
On the 7-inch Panel, the catalogue lists it with the amplifier panels as 2 speakers in 1 zone, but its specification sheet shows the two speaker connections without an amplifier line. If that matters to your plan, ask a Spark partner to confirm it.
Screen sizes, Alexa and which panel suits which wall are covered in our guide to choosing a smart home control panel size.
Spark panels for music in the ceiling
How to plan ceiling speakers for your home, room by room
Start from how the family uses each space, not from the ceiling drawing. These steps suit a villa or an apartment in Jordan, ideally while the ceilings are still open.
- 1
List the spaces that need music
Living room, dining area, majlis, kitchen, master bedroom, study. Skip the rooms where nobody plays music.
- 2
Group them into zones
Open spaces used together can share a zone. Spaces that want their own music, or quiet, need their own.
- 3
Choose the panel for each zone
One zone, two speakers: the 4-inch Panel Amplifier. Two neighbouring zones, up to eight speakers: the 7-inch Panel Amplifier. Two speakers plus Alexa or an intercom: the 8-inch or 10-inch Panel.
- 4
Mark the speakers and the panel
Place speakers over where people sit, spaced for even sound and clear of AC vents and light fittings. Put the panel by the room entrance, within a sensible cable run of each speaker.
- 5
Check the plan with a Spark partner
Share the drawings with a Spark partner, who confirms the speakers, the zones and the cabling before the ceiling closes.
Example: one family villa
- Open living and dining area: one 7-inch Panel Amplifier with two zones, for example four speakers over the sofas and four over the table.
- Majlis: two frameless ceiling speakers on the 7-inch Panel, as one zone for guests.
- Kitchen: two speakers on the 8-inch Panel, with Alexa and the intercom on the same screen.
- Master bedroom or study: two speakers on the 4-inch Panel Amplifier, a compact 86 × 86 × 10.5 mm panel.
In wall and ceiling speakers: run the cable before plastering
Speaker cable is the one part of a whole home audio system you can't add neatly later. Every speaker needs a cable back to the panel that drives it, so plan the runs with the electrical conduits, before plastering and before the ceiling closes. Unsure about a room? Leave a cable in the ceiling anyway.
Many homes in Jordan have gypsum false ceilings in the living areas, which makes ceiling speakers easy to place and hide. Under a bare concrete ceiling, an in wall speaker system is the usual alternative.
- Speaker cable from every speaker position to the panel's position, labelled by zone.
- A power feed at each panel position.
- A network cable where you want the wired LAN interface; both amplifier panels have LAN.
- Clear space above each ceiling speaker, checked against ducts, beams and light fittings.
The full list of what to wire in a new build, from neutral wires to the intercom cable, is in our guide to smart home wiring for a new build.
Music in scenes: Home mode, Leave mode and a movie scene
Spark panels start scenes from the screen: Home mode when you arrive, Leave mode when you go out, or a movie scene in the evening. A scene sets several devices with one tap, such as the main lights off and the curtains closed for a film.
Can the music be part of a scene, starting with Home mode or stopping with Leave mode? Spark's product pages don't say, so ask a Spark partner before you plan around it. What you can count on: the screen that starts the movie scene also plays the room's music.
For the curtain side of a movie scene, our guide to curtain motors, track or tubular explains which motor fits which window.
What can you play, and does it work with Alexa?
Spark's product pages say the panels play music from the wall but name no music service, streaming format or Bluetooth, so this guide promises none. The two 7-inch panels list Google Play as their app store; ask a Spark partner which music sources your panel will play before you order.
For voice, the 8-inch and 10-inch panels have Alexa built in and connect two speakers each. The 4-inch Panel Alexa lists no speaker connections, and the amplifier panels don't list Alexa.
Like any voice assistant, Alexa needs an internet connection. Your lights don't: Spark switches keep switching at the wall, as our guide to smart switches that work without internet explains.
Panels with two speaker connections
Ready to compare? Browse all Spark products, then plan your zones with a Spark partner.
Questions people ask about whole home audio
How many ceiling speakers do I need per room?
For background music, a pair is a common starting point for a bedroom, study or majlis, and larger or open spaces take more. The 7-inch Panel Amplifier connects up to eight across two zones. A Spark partner confirms the count from your drawings.
Can I control whole home audio from a wall panel?
Yes. The Spark 4-inch Panel Amplifier and 7-inch Panel Amplifier have the amplifier built in, so you play music from the same wall screen that runs the room's lights, curtains and scenes.
Do ceiling speakers need a separate amplifier?
Passive ceiling speakers need an amplifier. On the Spark 4-inch and 7-inch Panel Amplifier it is built into the panel, so those zones need no separate one. For other panels, a Spark partner confirms what your speakers need.
Can I add ceiling speakers to an existing house?
Often, yes, where a gypsum false ceiling leaves room to run cable to each speaker. Under a bare concrete ceiling the cable route is harder and may mean chasing the walls. Ask a Spark partner to look at the rooms before you choose a panel.
Does a home music system work with Alexa?
The Spark 8-inch and 10-inch panels have Alexa built in and connect two speakers each. Alexa needs the internet, and the product pages don't say whether it can start music on the speakers, so check with a Spark partner.
