| Topic Review |
MonkeyMoo7
Sony Buff
Joined: Nov 19, 2003
Posts: 22
From: Boston
 |  Posted: 2005-11-05 08:29
Hello -
I have a Sony - 4ES receiver and I was wondering what RCA port to hook my ipod up to? I currently have it hooked up to Video 1 and it sounds like crap. The RCA ports that I have hooked up this far are as follows -
DVD - DVD Port
Cable Box - CD port
TV - TV port
Any suggestions you can offer would be a great help. Thanks
|
jehill
Sony Senior Advisor
Joined: Mar 13, 2003
Posts: 13790
From: Sewell, NJ
 | Posted: 2005-11-05 10:50
Are your connecting left (white) and right (red) audio outputs to Video 1? If so, switching to another set of available stereo input jacks shouldn't make any difference. If not, perhaps the cable that you are connecting includes a digital signal. Try connecting it to the CD/SACD coaxial input. This raises another question. Why are you using stereo analog inputs instead of coaxial or optical digital inputs? What digital outputs do your DVD player, cable box and TV include?
-----------------
-John
Sony A/V System: KDL-55XBR8, BDP-S550, AVD-C700ES Super Audio CD/DVD Receiver, 4 SS-LA500ED surround speakers, 1 SS-LAC505ED center channel speaker and 1 SA-WD200 Active Subwoofer
|
MonkeyMoo7
Sony Buff
Joined: Nov 19, 2003
Posts: 22
From: Boston
| Posted: 2005-11-05 11:21
jehill -
Thanks for your input. I am connecting my dvd and cable boxes via coaxial cables. I am connecting my ipod via the analog red and white jacks. What do you suggest? I don't know if there are any other coaxial inputs left on the back of the 4es? Help?
How should I connect my iPod to my stereo?
Thanks for your help.
|
bizzibee
Sonyphile
Joined: Feb 10, 2005
Posts: 438
From: Wagga Wagga NSW Australia
 | Posted: 2005-11-05 16:42
As far as I know (own a iPod) you can't connect an iPod to anything other than a Analog input for play back. The iPod's Firewire port is only available for High Speed Data transfer. That is the uploading of Data & Music files to and from the iPod. Also if you could transferred Digital between the iPod and say the 4ES, the 4ES would have to be able to decode MP3 and AAC which I'm sure it won't. However my old Sony TA-E9000ES did AAC.
One question. Why would you want to listen to MP3 quality audio on your High Quality 4ES? Forgive the question but it seems like a very strange thing to want to do.
I only use my iPod when I'm driving long distances in the car for work. I wouldn't even think about listening to it through my TA-DA9000ES.
Anyway unless something has changed regarding the iPod and it's Firewire port I'm certain of my statements above regarding the iPod's Firewire Port. My Ipod is a few years old now but I still don't think things have change. However I could be wrong.
If someone knows different, please enlighten me/us.
Mark
-----------------
Panasonic TH-50PZ800A
Sony BDP-S550
Pioneer DV-S969AVi (SACD & DVD-Audio)
Toshiba HD-E1
Sony PS3
Sony TA-DA9000ES (Pure Digital Amp)
Sony ST-SA5ES Tuner
Infinity Kappa 90 Main Speakers
Infinity Kappa Centre Speaker
Boston Acoustics VRS Pro Dipole
|
bizzibee
Sonyphile
Joined: Feb 10, 2005
Posts: 438
From: Wagga Wagga NSW Australia
| Posted: 2005-11-05 16:57
Well I thought I had better check my facts regarding the lastest Apple iPods. See:
www.apple.com/ipod/specs.html
Looks like nothing has changed.
Mark
-----------------
Panasonic TH-50PZ800A
Sony BDP-S550
Pioneer DV-S969AVi (SACD & DVD-Audio)
Toshiba HD-E1
Sony PS3
Sony TA-DA9000ES (Pure Digital Amp)
Sony ST-SA5ES Tuner
Infinity Kappa 90 Main Speakers
Infinity Kappa Centre Speaker
Boston Acoustics VRS Pro Dipole
|
MonkeyMoo7
Sony Buff
Joined: Nov 19, 2003
Posts: 22
From: Boston
| Posted: 2005-11-05 17:43
Mark -
Thanks for your input and I agree, I cannot find any evidence that would allow anything besides a analog hook up. I purchase a lot of songs from iTunes, and my iPod is the only option for listening to them on my stereo. Do you have any other suggestions? How do you listen to your downloaded music on your stereo? Any advice you can offer would be appreciated. Thanks again
|
bizzibee
Sonyphile
Joined: Feb 10, 2005
Posts: 438
From: Wagga Wagga NSW Australia
| Posted: 2005-11-05 18:00
O.K. now I understand. 
To tell you the truth I never buy Music on the Internet. I'm not an Audio Snob any any means. But I'm really into High Quality Audio and MP3 & AAC just doesn't do it for me. I rip all my CD's and Hybrid SACD and put them into iTunes so I can listen to them while I'm driving around the country. Or when I go for a run or walk (depending on how I feel) each morning. That's the only reason I have an iPod. I can deal with MP3 quality due to car noise etc. But I couldn't listen to it on my HiFi system.
Anyway back to your question. Are you using the Line out on the bottom of the iPod, Or the Headphone output on the top of the iPod. If you using the headphone output which you really shouldn't be. Then perhaps you need to adjust the volume level down or up so that it is as close to line level as possible. Remember the Analog inputs on your 4ES expect to see Line Level Audio. To use the Line out output on the bottom of the iPod you will need to use the Dock.
I can't offer much more advise than that.
Mark
NEC XG-1350G CRT Projector
Focus CenterStage 1 Scaler
Sony KV-HR36M31 36" HDTV
Sony TA-DA9000ES
Sony ST-SA5ES Tuner
Sony CDP-CX235 (200 CD Juke Box)
Pioneer DV-S969AVi
Infinity Kappa Speakers (Front)
Bostons Acoustic (Rear)
M&K V-125 Sub
[ This message was edited by: bizzibee on 2005-11-05 18:03 ]
|
Navmaster
Sonyphile
Joined: Jan 05, 2005
Posts: 443
From: Tampa Bay - Florida - USA
 | Posted: 2005-11-10 09:58
On 2005-11-05 17:43, MonkeyMoo7 wrote:
Mark -
Thanks for your input and I agree, I cannot find any evidence that would allow anything besides a analog hook up. I purchase a lot of songs from iTunes, and my iPod is the only option for listening to them on my stereo. Do you have any other suggestions? How do you listen to your downloaded music on your stereo? Any advice you can offer would be appreciated. Thanks again
MonkeyMoo,
For higher quality audio from MP3 or other digital audio files you really have to use some other device. You are on the right track, unfortunately the MP3 player manufacturers are missing the boat when it comes to selling to people who want to play these files on quality home audio equipment. Not one MP3 player that I have found will output the signal in the digital format.
The only choice that I can determine is to use either a laptop or a media center PC to send these files to your receiver. If you already have a laptop there are several products available on the market which will plug into any available USB port and produce a pure digital signal via toslink. These products are made by Xitel, Turtle Beach and others. The advantage to this solution in my mind is the complete bypass of the actual sound card in the laptop. The files never leave the digital format with a product like the Xitel pro hi-fi link or the Turtle Beach external usb solution.
I am in the same boat as you are with my Creative Zen Media Centers analog only output... I had planned on trying the Xitel unit to convert MP3's to toslink for my DA4ES but there are rumblings on the horizon here that tell me that maybe a Media Center PC is in my future for the Home Theater setup so I have not yet tried the laptop route because I may not need it.
You can find a Xitel here and with all of the included cables it is really inexpensive.
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=Xitel+Pro+HiFi+Link&btnG=Search+Froogle&scoring=p
Scott
-----------------
Scott
Sony KDL-40XBR2 LCD Television
Sony DA4ES
B&K Reference 200.7 SII
B&K Reference 4430
Sony CX995 400 disc DVD
Sony CX450 400 disc CD
Panamax 5100
Definitive:
BP30 Mains
ProTower400 Center
BPX Surrounds
SVS 25-31 PC+
|
ES_Revenge
Sony Addict
Joined: Dec 23, 2003
Posts: 226
From: Toronto, ON Canada
 | Posted: 2005-11-12 01:32
On 2005-11-05 08:29, MonkeyMoo7 wrote:
Hello -
I have a Sony - 4ES receiver and I was wondering what RCA port to hook my ipod up to? I currently have it hooked up to Video 1 and it sounds like crap.
I hate to be the one to say it but that last sentence kinda sums up the iPod itself, LOL. I'm tempted to say that the reason it sounds like crap is because the DA4ES is just showing you exactly what the iPod really sounds like. I do hate the iPod but I don't think I'll go that far. I have actually hooked up my friend's iPod mini to my DA4ES and while I can say for certain that it did *not* sound spectacular by any means it wasn't too bad.
Does the iPod have any EQ settings or anything? If so turn them off. Also turn the volume up to maximum on the iPod (unless there is a line out feature which I don't think there is). If maximum creates any kind of distortion or noise, go a few steps below maximum.
Try encoding your music at higher bitrates. If you use something like 128kbps MP3, that honestly is not going to sound good on the DA4ES. I'd recommend at the very least you go with LAME encoded VBR at --alt preset extreme. Personally I use LAME with --alt preset insane (320kbps CBR) and I only use MP3s on my computer (which has a digital output which I often use to playback on my DA4ES). Still even at that quality I'm sometimes disappointed compared to the original CD.
Since the iPod has no line out (to my knowledge, unless you get some kind of connector for the bottom connector that gives you line out) you're always going through the iPod's headphone amp, which is honestly not that good. Additionally the headphone out impedance will not be good in terms of what you want for a line out impedance, and it's level even with the volume at max will probably not be too great either. Edit: Oh I see someone mentioned there is a line out through the bottom if you have certain docks--definitely get a dock w/line out or use one if you have one!
Sure lots of people have iPods but that is in no way a testament to their sound quality, it's just popular.
[ This message was edited by: ES_Revenge on 2005-11-12 01:35 ]
|
