HydrogenAudio

CD-R and Audio Hardware => Audio Hardware => Topic started by: toronado455 on 2013-02-02 07:45:54

Title: Sennheiser RS160 volume
Post by: toronado455 on 2013-02-02 07:45:54
Does anyone else have the Sennheiser RS160 wireless headphones?

There are two volume controls on the system. One is on the headphones, the other is on the wireless transmitter. The user guide states that if the source signal is too strong*, that the volume can be adjusted on the transmitter to remedy this. I'm confused as to what is the "normal" position to have the transmitter volume set to. Should it normally be turned all the way up, and only adjusted down if the input signal is too strong?

The headphone transmitter receives its signal directly from the analog outs of my computer's audio card (M-Audio Audiophile 24/96). I normally leave the output of the sound card at the max level.

*there is no sound level meter on the wireless transmitter - only a red warning LED if the input signal is too strong - since there are no meters to view signal level, I feel like I'm just guessing at levels
Title: Sennheiser RS160 volume
Post by: Arnold B. Krueger on 2013-02-04 12:42:01
Does anyone else have the Sennheiser RS160 wireless headphones?

There are two volume controls on the system. One is on the headphones, the other is on the wireless transmitter. The user guide states that if the source signal is too strong*, that the volume can be adjusted on the transmitter to remedy this.


Seems pretty straight forward.  However I know that this is a gain-staging issue and gain-staging is a common source of confusion. The problem is that there are two volume controls, both of which affect the signal. This differs from common experience where there is only one volume control.

Quote
I'm confused as to what is the "normal" position to have the transmitter volume set to. Should it normally be turned all the way up, and only adjusted down if the input signal is too strong?


The volume control on the transmitter is there to provide the kind of operation of the volume control on the headphones that you desire.

You want the volume control on the headphone to be all the way up or a notch or two below that when you are listening to:

(1) The weakest source.
(2) When it is playing the softest music or speech it ever provides.

You don't want to do is have to turn the volume control on the headphones so far down that the next step would be silence.
You don't want to be sitting there with the volume control on the headphones all the way up and you still don't have a comfortably loud signal to listen to.