Surely you’ve seen that iPod Shuffle thing that Apple makes; not since the heyday of Brut by Faberge can I remember a product so heavily advertised. The Shuffle looks tempting until you see it has no display, so you cannot pick which tunes you will hear, or even see what’s playing. Apple says its research shows that most people do not care what song comes up next. Maybe this proves people no longer enjoy the close connection to music they had in the days of Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Ted Nugent—back when music mattered.

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The UNO-S2 keypad includes F1 and F2 “favorites” buttons that provide fast access to your preferred programs. (Click image to enlarge)

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But it still matters to me what song comes up next, and I bet it matters to you, too. It certainly matters to the multiroom audio specialists at Russound. Most multiroom audio systems tell you only what source device is playing; as with the iPod Shuffle, you end up hitting the track skip or disc skip buttons and hoping a song you like comes on. But with Russound’s latest gear—the CAV6.6 multiroom controller, the SMS3 music server, the ST2-XM satellite/AM/FM radio tuner, and the UNO-S2 keypads—you get all the information you need right there on the keypad.

The readout on the UNO-S2 tells you exactly what’s playing on each of the three simultaneous streams from your music server, including which playlist you have chosen, and which artist and tune are emanating from your speakers. It also tells you which XM station you have selected, and what song you’re hearing on that station. (You can also see the frequency of an AM or FM station you have tuned, although that capability is common.)

With other sources—such as CD, DVD, satellite or cable TV—it merely tells you which source is selected. But doing more would be practically impossible, because those source devices do not provide any information for the UNO-S2 to display. Most people will listen to the music server and the radio tuner 99 percent of the time, anyway.All this fancy functionality takes only seconds to set up, thanks to Russound’s RNET technology. RNET is an Ethernet-style connection that lets all the Russound components talk to one another. Just plug it in and it works. RNET is good for your installer because it simplifies and shortens the installation, and good for you because you won’t have some guy hanging around your house for hours while he programs the system.

The only complication is that the CAV6.6 is preset for the radio tuner to occupy inputs 1 and 2, and the music server to occupy inputs 3, 4, and 5. This makes setup easier—once you realize what Russound has done. However, it’s not really explained in the CAV6.6’s confusing manual. I must divulge that I had to make a tech-support call to Russound—a confession as painful to a tech pundit as it would be for Lance Armstrong to admit he had to walk his bike up a hill. But once I have this little matter straightened out, the system works great.

The CAV6.6 has six stereo audio/composite video inputs, but the radio tuner and the music server chew up five of those, so there’s only one left. If you like, you can use that one for an audio/video source, like a satellite TV receiver or a cable box, so you can distribute video to any room served by the Russound system. Or you can skip the radio tuner or the server and add a DVD player, a VCR, a security camera feed, or whatever you wish.The UNO-S2 keypad, which was styled by famed industrial designer Allen Boothroyd, makes a fine and friendly interface. The volume and source buttons are easy enough even for overnight guests to learn.

Key to the system’s appeal is that the SMS3 server plays three music selections at once, so your daughter can play her Lindsay Lohan CD while you listen to Bach. You can set up, say, a jazz playlist, a rock playlist, and a classical playlist, then simply press the source button until you hear (and see) what you like. A playlist—or as Russound calls it, a theme—can comprise all sorts of things; mine include Hawaiian, blues, 1980s pop, Miles & Trane, and Zep.

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Russound supplies separate remotes (top to bottom) for the SMS3, the ST2-XM, and the CAV6.6. The only one you are likely to use once the system is working is the CAV6.6 remote; the keypads handle most functions. (Click image to enlarge)

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The only real complication is that it’s much easier to create all these themes using a computer. Because the SMS3 can be controlled through Internet Protocol, you can open up its control screen in a Web page on any computer using the same network as the SMS3. From there, creating themes is simple. Computer-phobic users can create themes—and select playback of a specific tune or album—using the CAV6.6 remote and any video screen connected to the system. However, this is cumbersome. Better to use the Web interface, or opt for Russound’s new UNO-TS2 in-wall touchscreen, which offers more control.

You can also use the Web interface to transfer MP3 files from your computer to the SMS3. But why bother? Loading a CD into the SMS3 is as simple as placing it in the SMS3’s CD drawer and closing the drawer. It’s all automatic from there. And unlike almost all other music servers, the SMS3 automatically retrieves CD cover art.But most of your family members and guests will never see this. All they’ll see is the UNO-S2 keypad—and they’ll love it. With an entire music collection, XM, AM, and FM all available from a tiny keypad, there’s enough audio entertainment here for anyone. And if they don’t like what’s playing, they now have the power to select something different.

DESCRIPTION
Multiroom audio/video entertainment system. Provides video distribution and sound for as many as six rooms. Comprises CAV6.6 controller, SMS3 music server, and ST2-XM radio tuner.

AMPLIFIER OUTPUT
CAV6.6: 12 channels (six stereo outputs) at 20 watts per channel.

CONNECTIONS
CAV6.6: six stereo audio/composite video inputs with loop-through outputs, six stereo speaker outputs on block connectors, six stereo audio/composite video outputs for zone feed, six RJ-45 jacks for keypad connection, four RJ-45 jacks for A-Bus keypad/amplifier connection, RJ-45 jacks for RNET input/output, six 3.5mm jacks (one per zone) for 12-volt trigger, six 3.5mm jacks (one per zone) for IR output, 24-volt DC input for A-Bus power, 3.5mm jacks for 12-volt trigger in/out for CAV6.6, 3.5mm jacks for 12-volt trigger in/out for paging, composite video/mono audio input for paging, 3.5mm jack for accessory IR output, front/rear DB-9 connectors for RS-232 programming input, front RJ-45 jack for programming via UNO-S2 keypad, front 3.5mm jack for IR output.
SMS3: three stereo audio outputs, RJ-45 jacks for RNET input/output, IEEE-1394 input for backup via hard drive, 3.5mm jack for IR input, PC-style mouse and keyboard connectors, DB-15 jack for monitor output, composite video and S-video outputs, RJ-45 jack for LAN connection, two USB ports for backup devices, DB-9 connector for RS-232 control
ST2-XM: stereo audio outputs for both tuners, 3.5mm IR input jacks for both tuners, RJ-45 jacks for RNET input/output, F-connector for FM antenna, coaxial connector for XM antenna, DB-9 connector for RS-232 control, two RJ-45 jacks for keypad connection.

DIMENSIONS/RESOLUTION
CAV6.6: 3.5 x 17 x 12 inches (hwd)
SMS3: 1.8 x 17 x 12.9 inches (hwd)
ST2-XM: 1.8 x 17 x 8 inches (hwd)
UNO-S2: 4.5 x 4.5 inches (hw), 1-inch installed depth.

PRICE/CONTACT
PRICE: CAV6.6, $2,199; SMS3, $2,899; ST2-XM, $1,049; UNO-S2 keypad, $299 each
CONTACT: 800.638.8055, www.russound.com