Can I enable Amazon Alexa support on my legacy MCA-C3 or MCA-C5 system?
Unfortunately, the MCA-C3 and MCA-C5 do not have the processing power to properly support voice control.
How many zones are supported with voice control with Amazon Alexa?
Currently, only the zones of a master controller (Zones 1 through 6 on an MCA-66, and Zones 1 through 8 on an MCA-88/88X) are supported for voice control with our standard firmware. For installers who wish to enable voice control to up to 36 zones on an MCA-66 system or up to 48 zones on an MCA-88 or MCA-88X system, please go to the Russound Portal site and login with your Russound Certified Installer credentials to download special firmware files from the Russound Certified Installer section of the Russound Portal.
Can I use Alexa for multiple Russound systems on the same Amazon account, like one for my home and one for my office?
Yes, you can use Alexa for multiple Russound systems while using the same Amazon account, with the limitation being that you would be able to control the audio of both your home and office from any Alexa device on the same account. You could turn up the volume too loud at your home (or vice versa at your office) and because you aren’t located in the same building, that might adversely affect other people at that location. Also, if you said “Alexa, ask Russound to turn all rooms on”, it would turn on all rooms at both locations. The same would happen with the “turn off” command. If you are leaving your office and say “Alexa, ask Russound to turn all rooms off”, it would also turn off the rooms at your house. To avoid issues like this, we recommend using a separate Amazon account for each location where you have Russound audio systems.
How do I change my source from TuneIn to SiriusXM with voice commands?
Alexa allows you to change physical sources, from Source 1 to Source 2, etc. Streaming services are typically using the same source, such as a Russound MBX-AMP or MBX-PRE. It’s therefore not possible to use a voice command to change the source because it would be the same source in use for both SiriusXM and TuneIn. The easy solution is to use Russound’s Favorites system. Simply create a favorite for your preferred SiriusXM channel and another favorite for your preferred TuneIn station and then use the command “Alexa, ask Russound to play Favorite “XX” in the Living Room”.
I’m in Canada and I’ve been using Alexa. I’m being asked by the Alexa app to change my language settings. What should I do?
Some of our Canadian customers who used Alexa before its official Canadian release have reported that their Alexa app is asking them to do this. Alexa supports three English language variations (US, UK, and CA). The Russound/Alexa integration works with all three variations. We recommend that all of our Canadian customers choose English (CA) as their selected language for their Amazon Alexa devices.
Is there support for languages other than English?
The Russound/Alexa integration only supports English language voice commands and requires that the Alexa device be configured for an English language.
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