[PLUG] Computer audio out to stereo

[Galen Seitz]

John Jason Jordan wrote:
> The first thing I tried was simply a cable that had a "headphone" jack
> on one end and a pair of RCA jacks on the other. They work, but the
> sound is distorted. It has been a long time since my days as an
> audiophile, but I seem to remember that the impedance that a preamp
> expects is 40,000 ohms, where the impedance delivered by a sound card
> is designed for a headset, which is probably 4-32 ohms or so. I am
> guessing that this mismatch is the source of the distortion. If my
> guess is way off base, please enlighten me.
> 

You are overdriving the input to your receiver.  Set the volume on your 
receiver to its normal position, then reduce the volume of the computer 
output until the sound is no longer distorted.  At this point the sound 
level from your speakers may be too low.  Increase the volume using the 
*receiver* volume control.

galen