Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater High receiver volume level, low volume source

ok, i have a massive mp3 collection on my computer (more than 23000 songs) now, as some people might notice not all mp3's are of the same volume some being much louder than others, to fix this i "leveled" the volume of my collection using a free program called mp3gain, now my question. because of this leveling, all my mp3's are now at 89db (most range from 90-100db) the problem this causes is that i use my pc as a jukebox, and even with the volume on the pc maxed out, my volume nob on the receiver ends up being from -5 to +5db when listening through my computer, whereas when i watch movies or listen to music on my dvd player my volume nob is usally at like -20 to -10db. does the amplifier actually have to do more work for the lower volume music comming out of the computer? i am asking this because i dont want to push the receiver into clipping because of the increased volume level as i am concerned for the safety of my m60's, sorry for the long read, any help would be greatly appreciated

The preamplifier section of the amp will have to amplify the line level input more but it doesnt make your power amp section pust the speakers any harder. However you could max out the preamp section of the amp and cause it to distort and such. When i use my computer as a source i actually use two preamps so that the signal level is high enough that i dont need to have the volume cranked.

ok, thanks alot, i havent noticed any distortion just wondering

You might want to look into getting a pro grade soundcard like the M-Audio Audiophile 2496, where you don't have to crank the receiver volume in order to get decent SPLs.

my soundcard is an audigy 2zs, i know i have thought about getting a better soundcard, but i dont have the spare cash as after i buy my qs-8's im gonna start saving for a car