Ipod to stereo amplifer: getting volume

.... he wouldn't have any trouble with the volume being low.

Graham

Using the iPod Nano as an example, in the Settings Menu there is an Audio Menu wherein you can set the desired maximum audio output level.

My Nano can overdrive my home audio system if I do not reduce it's output volume.

I could guess it would just quit working if the battery runs low. I could also guess you like to raise issue where there are none.

Oscilloscope (I have one)?

I was thinking that rather than trying to get absolute values, to compare my equipment, like CD players, etc that result in a "normal" sound intensity through the stereo to what the Ipod does. If the difference in volume was small, I could see this also being problematic, but actually the low volume from the Ipod was noticable enough to make me want to "fix the problem" . The difference is bascially like a shout (scream???) versus a whisper. I am hoping my oldest crappiest meter will catch such difference.

Dominic

I admit ignorance in asking about possible sources of this problem. I own the stereo, which works great otherwise, but have never owned an Ipod, and don't know much about them other than I do not get much volume when played through my stereo receiver. This left me asking questions. My question about the impedence mismatch was answered, and I recognize this as a non-issue. In this sense, I am guilty of raising issues where there are none. That still leaves the volume problem. Am I halucinating? Maybe! But so are a lot of other people on this side. Here is an example from unrelated people:

There are commercial products for this, and as I am learning, people are buying things like headphone pre-amps, such as:

Volume issue is quite real, but I can only speak for my stereo receiver and one other and a couple models of Ipods that I have connected. The reason and solution now go in direction of a preamp.

Dominic

Don't forget there is supposed to be a proper "line-out" signal available on the ipod's dock connector, which ought work much better than the headphone output when trying to feed the signal into your receiver. You'll need to get a suitable adapter cable to connect this up though. I should also say I haven't actually tried doing this, so no promises ...

Thanks bunches TJB for this new "lead" on the case of the missing Ipod volume. Hunting around, I found item below on Ebay. Adapter for Ipod line out is clearly not a microphone plug, so there is no uncertainty I was using the headphone output. Amazing people are selling these for

HIGH END iPOD LINE OUT DOCK CABLE TO RCA FOR AMPLIFIER

I never thought of an Ipod as being worthy of "high end" anything since those I know who own Ipods are playing really crappy MP3 files. If I find someone who has one of these adapters, I'll give this a try.

Dominic

Here in the UK ebay has this one, which looks rather more sensibly priced:

BTW, if you do ge try one of these let me know if it works - as I have the same problem!

Had problems with the link, but

So, maybe I am not insane after all. Yippie!

Dominic

Have you tried a different cable between the iPod and the stereo?

Michael

This is misleading. "Line out" on such portable units tend to have an output that is independent of the volume control, which can be nice, but there's nothing really magic about it otherwise. That portable cassette player I have that I sometimes feed into a stereo amplifier has no line out, and the headphone jack is fine. That portable CD player that I similarly feed into a stereo amplifier has both line out and headphone jacks, and there's no difference in the sound (other than that the line out is not controlled by the unit's volume control). It's subjective, but when I checked yesterday because of this thread, the headphone jack even seemed to be a bit louder than the line out.

Michael

Argggh, now about to rip hairs out of my head..... Measurements! That is where I will go.

Dominic