Many home theater receivers have the ability to power another set of speakers that you place in say the kitchen or backyard. Only issue with doing this is being able to control the volume independently in that other room. If the phone rings you have to walk over to the receiver and turn it town. A volume control can solve this problem and can be placed anywhere in the home. The home theater receiver still powers the speakers but the volume control sits between the receiver and speakers so you can lower or cut the volume locally. It’s also important to purchase an impedance matching volume control that will take strain off the receiver. In the event of wiring a whole house audio system, if they are not provided, impedance matched volume controls are necessary.