How do you control volume for DVD Audio?

Robert_Z · 07-30-2003, 10:58 PM

Out of curiousity, the other day I decided to connect my amp directly to my JVC DVD Audio player (have never heard DVD Audio before). I set everything up, pressed play, and at first the demo disc sounded great...it was a live recording, so the initial sounds were (thank God) audience applause only. But it started getting louder and LOUDER and LOUDER. Geez, I was lowering the volume on the receiver, I even pressed mute, but it would not respond. Thankfully I regained my head in time to stop the DVD before the music started, or I may have fried all 5 of my speakers. How in the heck do you control the volume in DVD-Audio? I could find no volume reference in the DVD player manual.

Adam.Gonsman · 07-31-2003, 12:34 AM

Controlling volume is one of the jobs of the receiver/pre-pro. That's why people typically don't hook a DVD player directly to an amp in most cases. Very few (probably more like none, but I know if I generalize someone will pipe and and say that such and such a model does) DVD players have any ability to control volume.

Now for audio purists that want the absolute fewest complications possible in the signal path, they do make integrated amps. (I think I have the right term, someone I'm sure will yell at me if I don't). These are like normal amps except that they have a volume control built in to them so you can do exactly what you describe, connect a source directly to the amp. This tends to be a very limited setup and not very practical for most of us which is one reason we tend to route sources through a receiver/pre-pro.

Kevin C Brown · 07-31-2003, 01:26 AM

I know that there used to be CD players with volume control, but I agree, don't know of any DVD players that do that.

Chuck Kent · 07-31-2003, 05:43 AM

Robert: Are you using a separate, standalone amp? Or did you run the player into the receiver's amps? How exactly was this hooked up?

Adam is right. You need to have volume control somewhere in the signal path and nearly all amps don't have it (no matter whether we're talking separate amp or receiver amps.)

What you should be using is a 5.1 analog input on a receiver/pre-pro, if you have one...

Robert_Z · 07-31-2003, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Controlling volume is one of the jobs of the receiver/pre-pro. That's why people typically don't hook a DVD player directly to an amp in most cases.

That's the only way I can hook up the components, unless I am misunderstanding the inputs and interconnects. The DVD player has speaker inputs just like the receiver. So I plug the speakers into the amp, and (instead of connecting the amp to the receiver, which does not allow DVD Audio) I connect the amp to the speaker inputs on the DVD player. This is the only way I can get DVD Audio.

Quote:

What you should be using is a 5.1 analog input on a receiver/pre-pro, if you have one...

I don't know what that means, but I'll look it up.

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Chuck Kent · 07-31-2003, 08:02 PM

Robert: If you can give us a listing of the equipment in your setup, we'll be able to give you better advice. Based on the comments you've made so far, you may not be able to play DVD-Audio...

Rick_Brown · 08-01-2003, 08:54 AM

Quote:

I connect the amp to the speaker inputs on the DVD player.

A big mistake. Those connections on the DVD player are not "speaker inputs", they are "line outputs" meant to go through a receiver, integrated amp, preamp or something with a volume control prior to your amp. Your amp has only one volume setting - "max".

RobertR · 08-01-2003, 09:04 AM

Quote:

The DVD player has speaker inputs just like the receiver. So I plug the speakers into the amp, and (instead of connecting the amp to the receiver, which does not allow DVD Audio) I connect the amp to the speaker inputs on the DVD player

Your terminology is confusing. DVD players don't have "speaker inputs" (how can a player receive input from a speaker?). I think what you mean is that you connect the line level outputs from the DVD player to the amp.

As for how you control the volume, my old Panasonic A310 DVD player was indeed able to do exactly that (it was a menu choice), and I was able to listen to Dolby Digital that way.

Cary P · 08-01-2003, 01:58 PM

Unfortunately, you won't be able to listen to DVD-Audio or SACD multi-channel output from your disc player unless your receiver or processor has analog multi-channel inputs. In most cases, you should be able to listen to the two channel tracks found on many DVD-Audio discs by routing the two channel analog output of your DVD player to one of the two channel analog inputs on your receiver.

Of course, you will need to figure out how to select the two channel option on the DVD-Audio disc, which varies by disc and player and is a lot more complicated than it should be. I have to say, DVD-Audio is probably the most ill-conceived and frustrating format I've ever come across. Even us enthusiasts have a hard time figuring out how to get the damn things to play properly.

But now that I think of it, WHY don't more DVD-Audio or SACD players have variable audio outputs? It could potentially simplify system setup for a great many people. If there was a universal DVD-Audio/SACD player with multi-channel variable audio outputs, and perhaps one or two optical inputs (for satellite or cable TV sources), a lot of us could ditch our receivers or processors altogether. Perhaps this might be a topic for another thread.

Wes · 08-02-2003, 09:22 PM

This inexpensive processor will work for you, it has a 5.1 pass through that will give you the volume control you need for DVD-A and SACD. Perhaps you can talk him down to a great deal for you.
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...hreadid=152369
A review:
http://www.audio-ideas.com/reviews/s..._sh-a500d.html

Wes