# Losing power, length? size?



## Kellxr7 (Oct 12, 2007)

I have my tv audio hooked into my home stereo, it is an older midsize system with only one set of "in's", so I put in a Y to hook up the audio from my computer which holds my music library, when I play the music from my computer, it is much quieter than the sound coming from the cabletv audio (which comes from the from the same "Y"), is this because of the length (about 8 ft) of my wires coming from the computer? if so is there any way to make the sound come out equal so I dont have to crank the stereo 70% to have it at a decent decible & risk my kid or buddy turning on the TV not knowing its going to blow his ear drums? I assume the guage of these cables are standard, unlike speaker wire. Any ideas?


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## space_coyote (Nov 12, 2006)

Turn up the computer volume? If it's anything like mine, you can turn up the main volume, the wav/mp3 volume, and probably even the volume on whatever software you're using.


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## ktkelly (Apr 7, 2007)

A line level preamp will fix this issue....


Just do a "google" for *stereo line level amp.*


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## Kellxr7 (Oct 12, 2007)

space_coyote said:


> Turn up the computer volume? If it's anything like mine, you can turn up the main volume, the wav/mp3 volume, and probably even the volume on whatever software you're using.


 
this is one of the first things I checked, theyre all cranked to the max,


.... thanks for the info on that line level amp, I will look into this


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## renfrey (Oct 1, 2007)

Second on the pre-amp. :thumbsup: 

When you split an input with a Y, the input at the stereo will see a different impedence level then it would if you only had a single item hooked up. Thus effecting the ovarall sound level it receives. Combine this with the low levels that computers put out anyway and you will have a pretty low sound level coming into your stereo.


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## AllanJ (Nov 24, 2007)

Kellxr7 said:


> I have my tv audio hooked into my home stereo, it is an older midsize system with only one set of "in's", so I put in a Y to hook up the audio from my computer which holds my music library, ?


Use a switch box, not Y-connectors, to funnel multiple audio sources into a single set of inputs. Otherwise the sound quality can be degraded, even if all the sources except the desired source are turned off.

The length and size of the cables probably doe snot affect the volume of the sound in your case.


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