I have a Sherwood Newcastle R965 (7.1) with the 2 rear channels assigned to the Room 2 amp. Room 2 is my Algonquins outside (no video). I want to know if I can play an MP3 player through the room 2 amp, but I cannot seem to get it to work. I have tried connecting the MP3 player into the video 6 jacks (RCA) on the front of the receiver by using RCA cables plugged into the headphone jack on the MP3. The audio comes through the speakers but is barely audible. If I play a CD at the same settings the volume is very loud.

The manual states that video 6 is an acceptable input for room 2, but I am not running a video signal, only audio. The video 6 jack consists of a yellow RCA video, and the red/white audios.

If I am hooking this up wrong, is there some other way to do it? I also have an optical inpout on the front of the unit that I could use. Is there some way to connect an MP3 thru that?

Thanks in advance.

Check the volume on the MP3 player. If it is set low increase it to 80% - 90% and see if that helps. If it introduces hiss, lower the volume on the MP3 player accordingly.

Bob, it may simply be that the headphone jack output is too low to provide a satisfactory output with the 965. Have you tried setting the player volume higher, as was suggested?

Are any other inputs available to try? Could you temporarily free up a more conventional audio input just to experiment to see if you get the same results?

I too am thinking that the receiver is just expecting that it should be getting a much stronger signal, as it would via a CD or DVD player verses the headphone out jack of an MP3 player which is almost always very weak. For instance, I must crank my MP3 player to 90% and turn my car deck up louder as well in order to play the Zune in my Jeep.

I have no experience with headphone amplifiers but some here do. How much boost can they provide and might adding one inline between the MP3 player and the receiver help him out?

I set my Cowon D2+ volume to 86% with my headphone amp. I don't usually ever go past the half way point on the volume dial on the amp.