[plug] Altering Gains on Multiple Audio Files

[Daniel Pittman]

Jason Posavec <jasonposavec at iinet.net.au> writes:
> Daniel Pittman wrote:
>>
>> Are you sure that is using compatible voltage at both sides?  You
>> haven't plugged the headphone out into the line in, have you?
>
> Not really an option there. The iRiver only has a headphone out.

Oh.  Then your problem will *NOT* be solved by changing the encoding of
the files, because it is an electrical problem.  The headphone socket is
*NOT* compatible with a line-in or line-out socket:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_level

> But, previous to buying the iRiver, my setup was spdif-out from my
> laptop using the same cable into CD-in. No apparent loss of volume
> there.

S/PDIF is a digital protocol, carrying digital bits, between two
compatible sockets.  No wonder it works.

> My guess is that the iRiver was designed for headphones only, not as
> an audio source for an amp.

Um, yes.  If it doesn't have a line level output (aka line-out) then,
indeed, it isn't designed for that.

> So the solution is to beef the gains on the files.

Are you sure you will not burn out the input on your amplifier?  That
is, in fact, a genuine risk of what you are doing, although it might
work, more or less...


> While I'd love to use open source vorbis, it's clear that the iRiver
> doesn't support replaygain tags. Or AAC. In other words I'm *settling*
> for mp3...

This will not help.  You have an electrical problem, not an encoding
problem.

No, seriously, fix it by getting a playback device that is compatible
with your amp, or vice-versa, not by pushing the volume up until you
burn out the amplifier or the iRiver.

Regards,
        Daniel