SP-404

Q.I've connected a CD player to the SP-404's LINE IN jacks, but the sound is sometimes distorted. The distortion occurs even if I lower the EXT SOURCE level so that the PEAK indicator does not light. How do I eliminate the distortion?

A.

The maximum input level of the SP-404's LINE IN jacks is approximately +4 dBu. The PEAK indicator indicates the clip level (0 dB) at the internal analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion.

If the output level of the connected device exceeds the maximum LINE IN level of the SP-404 (+4 dBu), distortion will occur at the SP-404’s analog input circuit before A/D processing. This will result in a distorted sound, even though the PEAK indicator is not lit.


To avoid this problem, try the following:

• Lower the output volume of the connected device until the sound does not distort.
• If you can't lower the output volume of your device, route the signal through a mixer or level-adjusting device before connecting it to the SP-404, and use it to adjust the volume.
• If the connected device is equipped with a headphone jack with an adjustable volume control, connect the headphone jack to the SP-404’s LINE IN jacks. Then, adjust the headphone jack’s volume so that the sound is not distorted.

(2005/10/14)

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