Boost audio output from PC to Stereo

[puppetworx]

My Dad is currently in the process of ripping all his classical music to PC so that it's easier to browse. When he's done he wants to play it back through his Bose sound system. The Bose system is a little older so it has no digital inputs which means he's using an analogue solution of a 3.5mm jack to RCA jacks. The trouble is that the output from the PC is pitiful and even with the Bose cranked up fully it's still deathly quiet which is a problem because my dad likes his Wagner LOUD.

The PC is currently using an onboard Realtek audio chip. I think the best solution may be to get a discrete soundcard - I've been looking at the Asus Xonar DG. However I'd appreciate any experts thoughts or suggestions on this as I'm inexperienced with audio technology. Essentially what is needed is a solution which will boost the signal to the Bose by 3-4 times.

[sluggo]

It's surprising that the output from the PC is insufficient to drive the inputs of the Bose unit. If anything, Realtek line outputs tend to be a little on the "hot" side. I would first open up both the Windows and the Realtek control panels and make sure that all the outputs are maxed. Also, make sure that you're using the correct output from the back of the PC - there may be several 3.5 mm jacks with some output, but you want to be sure you're using the "front", "stereo", or "line" outs, however they are marked (they should be colored light green, if colors are used). Finally, make certain that your Bose unit is selecting the correct input - you may be set to the wrong input and amplifying only some leakage signal from another of the analog inputs.

If you've tried all of the above and the output is still too low, try playing another sound source on the PC. Drop a CD in and see if it's loud enough. If it is (and I suspect it will be) then it's likely that your father has recorded the vinyl at too low of a level. This is not an uncommon problem, as a lot of us geezers are particular about clipping inputs. Try recording a little hotter and see how that works out.

If the sound output from a CD played on the PC is still too low, you could try another sound card (the Xonar DG would be a good choice), but at that point I would start to suspect the problem may be in the Bose unit. It should be able to drive adequate volumes from any sort of reasonable output from a sound card.

[morphine]

Best bet was that it was recorded without a proper phono preamp. That's not going to fly. You can connect a tape deck, CD, etc, and it'll all be at line level. A record player will need a preamp to boost the signal to a proper level, so that it can then be recorded / played back.

FWIW, if you have to re-record things, you can route the signal through your stereo (phono input) first, and then into the PC. Kind of a kung-fu move, but it'll work.

[Zoomastigophora]

You could also try sticking an amp between the PC and Bose unit, but I'd probably try sluggo's and morphine's advice first.

[puppetworx]

If the sound output from a CD played on the PC is still too low, you could try another sound card (the Xonar DG would be a good choice), but at that point I would start to suspect the problem may be in the Bose unit. It should be able to drive adequate volumes from any sort of reasonable output from a sound card.

The ripped music is actually from CDs I didn't make that clear. I tried boosting the volume of a ripped file with Audacity and that worked but there was a lot of distortion/clipping so that's not an option. System sounds, CD and DVD playback is obviously unaffected by that option too. I've tried pretty much everything conceivable on the software front and had no real result without distorting the sound. I then tried the Bose on another PC running Linux and it's still roughly 50% of the volume that you get from playing a CD inserted in the Bose system. I finally tried using the HDMI from the PC into a TV and then took the audio from the TV via RCA into the Bose and this was still quiet. So then I connected the Bose to my DVD player and it was still quiet.

So long story short it does seem like the Bose has the problem. I estimate the volume to be roughly half as loud when played via an Auxiliary source versus direct from the Bose CD player. The question is what do I do about it? I'll try speaking to Bose about it but if you have any suggestions let me know.

[cheesyking]

what inputs have you got on the back of the Bose? Is it the same on all of them?

[sluggo]

The ripped music is actually from CDs I didn't make that clear.

I thought about that possibility just after I posted.

So then I connected the Bose to my DVD player and it was still quiet. So long story short it does seem like the Bose has the problem. I estimate the volume to be roughly half as loud when played via an Auxiliary source versus direct from the Bose CD player. The question is what do I do about it? I'll try speaking to Bose about it but if you have any suggestions let me know.

Bose has done some odd things w/r/t playing nice with others in the past, but this is a new one to me. If it affects both channels the same way and there are no other obvious problem with the sound quality, I'd call it a design problem rather than a slow decline. Bose could provide an explanation, but I'd be surprised if you got one that's helpful.

Options are limited. Inserting another amp in-line won't work, as anything with a standard line-level output is going to give you the same problem you have now. There's professional (expensive) gear that will drive higher levels, but if it were me, I'd use this whole exercise as an excuse to replace the Bose unit with something with equally nice sound and a digital input. Make the Bose the new garage unit. Just me.

[ludi]

Sounds like the Bose unit has an unusually high input impedance on the Auxiliary jack. But first, check to make sure there isn't an input impedance selector switch or level adjustment near the jack. If it selects between something like 10k-100k-1M, it's probably on one of the higher settings and needs to be flicked down a peg or two. If it's a small pot, it probably selects between -6dB and +6dB or similar, and needs to be turned up. Another alternative: if it has a display with menu settings, scroll through and see if there's an input level adjustment for the auxiliary jack. It might be disguised under a weird acronym like "SLA" (Sound Level Adjustment -- very common on car stereos for balancing sources and preamp outputs).

If those options fail, then you can try an inline active preamp between the Bose and your external source.

[puppetworx]

But first, check to make sure there isn't an input impedance selector switch or level adjustment near the jack.

Guys, you're gonna love this:

I went to check for a switch, there wasn't one, but while my head was back there I noticed something else. The Line In was plugged into the Line Out socket...Yes, it was that simple. My dad had plugged the RCA jacks in and I had simply taken for granted that they were in the right sockets as there was sound coming out. Turns out this Bose will play a signal plugged into the Line Out socket! All be it at a much lower volume, who knew?

I've plugged into the Aux In socket and everything is working as it should should be now. Thanks for everyone offering help, too bad it was my rookieness which was the problem all along!

[Aphasia]

How low was the volume. Some low quality connections will actually give you crosstalk. I can easily believe that an output that weren't made for input can give enough crosstalk on the input channels to be able to hear it. Just like some old or badly designed recievers picked out radio frequencies on input cables that could be raised enough to hear a low signal.

[puppetworx]

I compared the volume from CD player in the Bose and the line I was dropping into it and the line in had approximately half the volume of the CD player. I was astounded when I discovered that the Line Out jack had been accepting input it didn't make any sense to me, needless to say I just had to look up 'crosstalk' on Wikipedia.