connect iPod to a receiver

Use the same cable, but try getting a dock for your iPod and connect to the line-out jack on it. That will give you a much better signal than the iPod's headphone jack.

Cheers!
-Bryan

In Bryan's defense, your post was misleading.
The dock doesn't have a headphone jack. That's a line-out jack.

If you are going from the Dock's line-out jack, then you are getting the best audio quality from the iPod.

Other factors influencing the quality of the audio are:
- A bad cable or connection between the Dock and Stereo (or iPod & Dock)
- A low quality Stereo system or Speakers
- Low bit rate (or poor quality) music files on the iPod
- A high-quality Stereo that is uncovering the limitations of the Lossy music files on the iPod
- Unrealistic expectations

I think I can relate to Nicholas. However, I have a twist to his situation. I, too, noticed that my iPod volume is quieter listening through my home stereo (I'm using the line-out on the dock and Monster Cable's Apple iCable). Same can be said for the volume level coming out of my car stereo (there I use Monster Cable's iCarPlay FM Transmitter). A CD played through the CD player in either my home stereo or car stereo is much louder in volume.

I've also noticed that older CD's (pre-1999) that I rip to iTunes have lower volume levels than newer CD's or new songs purchased at iTunes Music store.

Here's my twist:
I've been trying to compensate for the volume difference by playing with the Volume Adjustment per each song in iTunes. What happens is peculiar. Listening through headphones, the Volume Adjustment works. However, listening through my home stereo or car stereo, the Volume Adjustment does not have the same relative volume with respect to the new CD's or purchased iTunes music. The songs adjusted to raise the volume still sound quieter than the newer CD songs, while sounding louder through headphones.


Does anyone know if there is a relative volume level difference between headphones and external speakers (i.e. home stereo, car stereo). It doesn't sound possible, but hearing is believing!

I appreciate any insight anyone may have. I'm going nuts trying to normalize the volume level to the level of the louder new CD's!

Help

Dell Dimensions 2400 Windows XP

"I've also noticed that older CD's (pre-1999) that I rip to iTunes have lower volume levels than newer CD's or new songs purchased at iTunes Music store"

Yes. It does seem that way. I think that the earlier CDs were better mastered relative to total volume, and the more recent ones may be too 'hot', thereby causing digital clipping or distortion. Especially when used with positive volume leveling or EQs. But that's just my opinion....

"I've been trying to compensate for the volume difference by playing with the Volume Adjustment per each song in iTunes"

Try setting the 'Sound Check' to 'ON' within iTunes and then on the iPod. It may help a bit.

"Does anyone know if there is a relative volume level difference between headphones and external speakers"

Not sure on this one. Someone else should come along with an opinion or some facts. 🙂

I tried Sound Check and I did not like it. I've found out that Sound Check normalizes all the volume to the lowest volume file you have. Therefore, when listening to it through external speakers, you raise the stereo to its maximum volume and the sound level is still not quite where you want it to be.

I've always thought the max volume setting on anything should be just loud enough to hurt your ears. Therefore, you should never need the loudest setting. However, when I use Sound Check on the iPod, I can max out the volume and my ears never hurt. This is true even when I'm listening through my headphones.

I wish Apple would come out with a fix that would normalize the volume to the loudest songs. BTW, I actually like the volume level of the new songs compared to those of older CD's. I don't apply positive volume leveling with the new songs. I'm just trying to bring the older CD songs up to the level of the new songs.

I guess I could level the volume to something less than that of the newer songs, but that would be defeating my purpose. Although I want volume leveling, I want it leveled at the loudest possible position.

I think I'm finding out that there is no good fix for what I want. Thanks for your input.

Dell Dimensions 2400 Windows XP

Is this just my dock problem or is it like everyone elses?

I use the line out port on my dock with a quality minijack to stereo plug line, and I would suppose I get the quality output you suggest if I didnt have the AC plugged into the dock (the dock connector to AC gear that Apple provided with the 4G ipod I have, and that was written as having the ability to "charge your ipod while playing through the dock into your home stereo".

If it is plugged in, the stereo gets an interference hum/buzz when I select the input channel on my stereo, prior to plugging my ipod into its dock. If I unplug the AC of the dock the humbuzz goes away.

First time this happened I chose not to plug in my ipod into its dock while the dock AC connector is plugged in too.... did I misread something somewhere in using this higher quality audio to stereo solution?

My stereo makes a hum/buzz noise also when the dock is connected to the stereo with no iPod in it and the AC adapter is plugged into the wall. Is your volume turned up fairly high when you hear this hum/buzz? I have to raise my volume dial above the 50% mark to get this hum/buzz, but if I listened to my iPod at this volume level, I'd be shaking my house, so it's wouldn't be common.

If you hear the hum/buzz when the iPod is not connected to the dock and the volume dial is fairly high, then it's normal. That's just electrical noise because the dock is an open electrical circuit at this point until the iPod closes the circuit.

However, if you have the hum/buzz noise regardless of the volume position, then you may have a bad connection somewhere. Something may not be plugged in very well.

Dell Dimensions 2400 Windows XP

The level is at pleasant to low. I try not to ever start up or play anything at any other volume output, choosing to adjust after everything is set up. Trouble is with this hum so obvious and intense, I dont want to plug it in.

I will try it I guess.

Otherwise the cabling to the stereo setup is all good, and the lines have been testing with other products. It seems that using the same patch cables with the dock/AC plugged in is the start of the issue.