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Optical Out volume control?
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Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New Jersey
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I pipe my G5 into a receiver that powers 2 Paradigm Reference 20's. I quickly learned that one cannot control the volume output of the optical out as you can with the analog outs. I did notice that you can control iTunes volume and thus the iTune volume being outputted from the optical outs. My question is: if you can control volume through iTunes, why can't I control overall system volume? Do you think someone will (or has) make a utility to allow me to control optical volume out from my Mac? I prefer that to adjusting the volume on the receiver.
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Sydney, Australia
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Doesn't it just make sense to control the volume via you're amplifier ? How many DVD players you own have their own volume controls ? It just makes things more complicated.
I think the reason they have volume controls on analogue is that you don't need an amplifier to listen to it.. ie: headphones, speakers.
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- K
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Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New Jersey
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The receiver is out of arms reach. I found it convenient to control the volume using the keyboard vs. picking up the remote control.
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Aug 2000
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I think the idea behind the optical out is that it's a pure, clean signal with no amps or volume controls or other circuitry to muck it up. That's probably why you can't control the volume from the system controls.
Think of your G5 as if it were a CD/DVD player with a similar optical out. You wouldn't want your CD/DVD player to mess with the signal any more than necessary before it got to your receiver.
You can control the volume (and the EQ) from iTunes because iTunes is manipulating the sound digitally, at the source.
At least that's my layman's idea of it - I'm sure an engineer could explain it better.
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Forum Regular
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: NoVA
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I agree with zigzag... the whole point of optical digital is you have a signal being sent that is identical to the source. Of all the devices with optical I have, none have gain control.
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2002
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optic is not sound. it is a form of data transfer. much like usb or some such.
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: BFE
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Think of the optical out the same as "line out" of any other device. It is a fixed ratio of signals. An amplifier is required to increase or decrease the sound level you hear AFTER it is converted back to analog.
While it is possible to "reduce the bits" to get a perceived volume, no one would ever do it that way. It's silly.
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