mp3 sound volume

[mikeportable]

Is there anyway to increse the volume of the Zire 71 when playing back mp3's through real player?

Or... anyone know of headphones that have built-in amp?

[dirtydog]

Yeah we all ready talked about this.
http://www.pdastreet.com/forums//showthread.php?s=&threadid=20322



Dirtydog

[Stardust]

MP3 songs and RealOne soundtracks will sound louder if you simply bring the Zire 71 speaker close to your ears. In fact, it would sound louder this way than than if I use a pair of earphones.

Could it be that the headphone jack of the Zire 71 has some design defect? I've noticed, for instance, that Interrupt Me! produces very loud alarm sounds but the volume dips when I use earphones.

[madkins007]

I suspect that they just do not direct a lot of power to the earphones, possibly to minimize the battery drain seen on so many other MP3-capable PDAs.

[Stardust]

But that doesn't make sense. Earphones were made to make you hear sounds better and more clearly.

[madkins007]

Originally posted by Stardust
But that doesn't make sense. Earphones were made to make you hear sounds better and more clearly.

Not really. Earphones are designed to use as little power as possible- that is one reason why the speakers are so small, and to be very portable. 'Headphones', on the other hand, are designed for high-quality sound reproduction- big speakers, ear enclosures with acoustical damping, thick cords (better shielding), big gold plugs for better connections, etc.

In general (from a designers point of view) if you are using earphones, you are in a situation where sound quality is NOT your primary concern- portability, environmental awareness, etc. Joggers, for example, really don't particularly care about sound quality, and high-quality sound reproduction will be quickly distorted by traffic noise, the bumping and noise of running, their own heartbeat and breathing sounds, etc.- so why bother with really good 'phones?

However, the point I was making to start with was that other PDAs, like my old Clie T665, tend to loose battery power RAPIDLY when using earphones- a real problem for most users.

I would just be willing to wager that the Palm engineers decided to balance the need for music against the need for good battery life by limiting the power draw of the earphones. They probably figured that people who were really INTO music would use a different system as their main music device and the Palm would be for more casual use, so why put the data at risk by draining the batteries too much?

[Stardust]

Thanks for the interesting brief, madkins007.

I don't understand, however, what you mean by "the power draw of the earphones." I use a pair with a maxium power of 60mW. So the Zire 71 downscales this to save on battery? Wouldn't lowering the volume of RealOne somehow achieve the same end?

Speaking of battery drain, I think everyone has noticed that the Zire 71 screen is still very bright when set at the lowest level, especially in a dimly lit room. Doesn't this impact significantly the lifespan of the battery?

[madkins007]

Originally posted by Stardust
Thanks for the interesting brief, madkins007.

I don't understand, however, what you mean by "the power draw of the earphones." I use a pair with a maxium power of 60mW.

60mW is how much wattage you can run through the speakers before they will be damaged, not the rating it takes to run them, although lower upper end ratings usually mean lower overall operating needs.

You've got to send some electricity into the earphones to vibrate the speakers to make the noise. The less you send, the less vibration and the quieter overall the speakers are.

GOOD speakers vibrate very accurately, bad speakers don't- no matter how much power you send through them. Accurate vibrations are both a blessing and a curse- obviously, they play better music, but they are also a lot more sensitive to things like background hum and interferences.

Ideally, you want to find the magic combination of speakers that plays music as well as your device makes it- the poorer the sound being made, the lower quality speakers you can get away with! The Zire is a mid-range music device- it is a GREAT PDA, but only a mediocre MP3 player, regardless of the software and files in use.

So the Zire 71 downscales this to save on battery? Wouldn't lowering the volume of RealOne somehow achieve the same end?

Speaking of battery drain, I think everyone has noticed that the Zire 71 screen is still very bright when set at the lowest level, especially in a dimly lit room. Doesn't this impact significantly the lifespan of the battery?

I am only guessing that the designers cut back on the electrical flow to the speakers, and I would further guess that the bright screen is part of it. Dim screns have been a HUGE complaint for years with color screen users, and the bright screen is a HUGE selling point for the 71. I bet that they simply decided to sacrifice music for screen intensity.

[Stardust]

Madkins007,

Thanks once again for the info.

Yes, why force the issue? From now on, I'll just stick my ears close to speaker instead of using earphones. The music sounds better this way. And yes, let's all enjoy the bright, bright screen of the Zire 71.

[madkins007]

Originally posted by Stardust
Madkins007,

Thanks once again for the info.

Yes, why force the issue? From now on, I'll just stick my ears close to speaker instead of using earphones. The music sounds better this way. And yes, let's all enjoy the bright, bright screen of the Zire 71.

LOL! No need to get that extreme! Just no reason to buy those $50US earphones that are designed for very-high fidelity applications when a lot of $15 sets will work just fine! ;-)

[Stardust]

Just kidding, Madkins.

[brettw_10]

Why not just use PocketTunes? It allows 4 different levels of volume boost.

Cya,
Brett