Low volume when using phone via 3,5mm

[johnniz]

Hi.

I am a total noob when it comes to Hi-Fi. I got my first set of active entry level hi fi speakers today. They are replacing an old 2.1 cheapo "gamer" sound system. There is a world of difference. but somehow it does not play really loud. I might be expecting too much out of them, but the volume (at max) is noticably louder when I connect my phone via 3,5mm stereo jack to designated input (also mini aux), than when I use my laptop. Is this enierly relying on the sound card of the device? I thought it would draw all the power from the onboard amplifier.

the combined power is 40W RMS and I am using them in a small living room 100 square feet. Will upgrading to bigger speakers in the same range (100w RMS) also help with the slightly low volume using a smart phone? or do I need to get an aditional amplifier or reciever?

Thanks a lot!

-Johnniz

 

[davedotco]

Hi and welcome.....*bye*

This is most likely a 'level mismatch', ie the output (level) from the laptop not being sufficient to drive the speakers to ful output. Amplifiers, such as the ones inside your speakers, have a maximum 'gain'.

'Gain' is the difference between the input and the output (usually given in dB, but don't worry about that). Let's say that the gain is x 20, ie 1 volt in gives 20 volts out. Assume that 20 volts is the maximum output of the setup, but your laptop is only putting out 250 mvolts, So 250mV x 20 is just 5 volts, so you are getting nothing like the maximum out of your setup, maybe your phone headphone out is 500mV, more than the laptop but still not really enough.

So we need to boost the output from your laptop. The cheapest, simplest way to do this is a usb dac. This will improve on your soundcard in quality terms and give a much healthier output in terms of voltage. Cheapest option is the Behringer UCA202, which does all you need for just £25. You can spend more if you wish, there are several more sophisticated designs around the £100 mark, though in this instance I doubt the improvement over the UCA202 will be worthwhile.

 

[unsleepable]

Phones often don't produce a high voltage, so it's strange that the computer would do worse. Or is the other way around? I ask because of the thread title.

What speakers, computer and phone are you using?

 

[johnniz]

I may have formulated that post a bit poorly. It is the Phone (Samsung galaxy s3) that plays low volumes, and the PC laptop that plays noticably louder with the same audio cable (Midrange (1000 dollar) ASUS from 2009).

The speakers I bought are sold at a Hi-Fi company from Scandinavia. The brand of speakers are: Argon 6340A. Manual is avalable in english here ( http://www.argonaudio.com/downloads/loudspeakers/) lol 🙂

Will that Behringer UCA202 Audio interface also work with my phone?

Cheers

 

[richardw42]

Is the cable sitting snugly in the headphone socket of the phone ? The reason I ask, is I remember some of the older iPhones had a recessed headphone socket which some cables wouldn't secure into.

 

[johnniz]

Yes it does, it works fine with headphones and plays plenty loud then. I did not notice that kind of volume difference between the phone and my laptop when I used the cheap 2.1 computer sound system from Creative. I`m using another cable than I did with the 2.1 system. Is it possible that the cable is of inferior quality and might cause these volume differences?

 

[Paul.]

that is normal, my S3 is very quiet compared to my other portable devices.

 

[davedotco]

I may have formulated that post a bit poorly. It is the Phone (Samsung galaxy s3) that plays low volumes, and the PC laptop that plays noticably louder with the same audio cable (Midrange (1000 dollar) ASUS from 2009).

The speakers I bought are sold at a Hi-Fi company from Scandinavia. The brand of speakers are: Argon 6340A. Manual is avalable in english here ( http://www.argonaudio.com/downloads/loudspeakers/) lol 🙂

Will that Behringer UCA202 Audio interface also work with my phone?

Cheers

Firstly, according to the spec, neither input is particularly sensitive, the 3.5mm jack is more sensitive than the phonos so will be louder than the jack with the same device. Your phone does not have enough output to drive these inputs to high levels.

The UCA202 will output 2 volts, so will drive the phono inputs without a problem. However it is a simple usb device, hence the price. Multi-input dacs, especially those that can handle analogue and digital signals are far more complex and expensive. It would be cheaper to buy a cheap Bluetooth receiver for your phone and plug it into the 3.5mm jack socket.

 

[johnniz]

Ok, I understand. Would upgrading to more powerful speakers be able to play louder (with the same smartphone) or would the output volume be the same? I would imagine that 130W RMS would be louder than 40W RMS right?

 

[davedotco]

Ok, I understand. Would upgrading to more powerful speakers be able to play louder (with the same smartphone) or would the output volume be the same? I would imagine that 130W RMS would be louder than 40W RMS right?

No, sadly you do not.

Your issue is primarily a 'level mismatch', which I have tried to explain but apparently failed.

Oh well, happy new year anyway.....*drinks*

 

[unsleepable]

As davedotco explained, the problem is related to the fact that your phone doesn't produce enough voltage to get loud volume from your speakers. But yes, more powerful speakers with the same input sensitivity will play louder.

The input sensitivity of your speakers is specified as 1V on the RCA input, and 457mV on the mini-jack. Both seem to me like reasonable values. You are likely getting your speakers to their loudest when playing from the computer—so I would use that to judge whether more powerful speakers are needed or not.

As for your phone, if you feel like hacking the phone a bit, check this page. Otherwise, a Bluetooth receiver might be the simplest solution.

 

[johnniz]

Thanks a lot for the answers/sudgestions.

Cheers! and Happy new year!