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Ipod to stereo amplifer: getting volume

The meter test will be a problem, unless you have a very good meter... and even then it won't be simple. Your meter will at least have to have a sensitive AC Volts range, and preferably true RMS. The problem is that ratings on inputs and outputs are based on maximum sine wave levels before distortion, which are way higher than the average RMS levels of normal program material. So, for example, if your stereo Line In specs say 1 VRMS sensitivity, that means that a 1 VRMS sine wave will produce a full-power output when the volume control is all the way up. But you probably don't have any pure sine "music" handy to play through the Ipod. (Though I'm sure there are test tones available for download.)

If you do get 1 VRMS from a test tone on the Ipod, note that this will correspond to the peaks of the music, easily 12 dB or more above the average level of normal music. I'm not talking about sustained crescendos, but instantaneous waveform peaks that your ear doesn't notice as being especially loud because they are brief. The system must be able to reproduce these at their corresponding level, because if it can't it will clip them off and you will easily hear that as distortion.

Best regards,

Bob Masta DAQARTA v3.50 Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis

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Scope, Spectrum, Spectrogram, FREE Signal Generator Science with your sound card!

Reply to
Bob Masta
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.... he wouldn't have any trouble with the volume being low.

Graham

Reply to
Eeyore

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.

Reply to
Don Bowey

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.

Reply to
Don Bowey

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

Reply to
Dominic-Luc Webb 

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Bingo!
Reply to
John Fields

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:

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

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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

Reply to
Dominic-Luc Webb

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 ...

Reply to
TJB

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

100 bucks in the USA.

HIGH END iPOD LINE OUT DOCK CABLE TO RCA FOR AMPLIFIER

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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

Reply to
Dominic-Luc Webb

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

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

Reply to
TJB

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Had problems with the link, but

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and Item 130155923382 gave the obvious item. 2.95 is pretty cheap in any currency. It even specifies this beast as producing "the very best quality sound output from your iPod as it utilises the optimum signal from the docking port of your player rather than the output from the earphone socket". This statement and yours is in line with my observations.

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

Dominic

Reply to
Dominic-Luc Webb

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

Michael

Reply to
Michael Black

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

Reply to
Michael Black

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

Dominic

Reply to
Dominic-Luc Webb 

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JF
Reply to
John Fields 

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You might save yourself a lot of grief by just building a simple pre
(post?) amp: (View in Courier)


         
LIN>------|-\\
Reply to
John Fields 

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oOPS...

Hit the \'send\' button too soon.
Reply to
John Fields

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