Portable DVD too quiet; how to fix?

Blarg · #1 05-24-2005, 07:57 AM

I use a portable DVD player a lot, and the sound is not very loud on it. Not the speakers; I don't even bother with those on portable units, and just use earbud headphones. It's a nice Toshiba model I otherwise like, but for some reason they made it produce such low sound even through the earphones. It's not a defective unit, because I've read reviews from other people saying the sound seems low.

Is there any way I can amplify the sound somehow? I was thinking of buying powered speakers, but that defeats my ability to enjoy good loud sound without bugging the neighbors late at night through the thin walls of my apartment, and it defeats the portability a bit.

I know it's not the headphones, because they're the same earbud headphones I've been using on another portable DVD player that finally broke on me, and they produce adequate sound on that other unit. That means it's not my ears, either. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Any advice, or am I basically screwed?

daveymck · #2 05-24-2005, 08:13 AM

Read reviews before buying?? [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Think your screwed, could try headphones that have volume control on but suspect that wont help.

In the house if you have the right outputs could maybe put it via your hifi and have the headphones in that, but again lose the portability.

Maybe try the toshiba support site> might have something on there, or a hifi type forum.

Blarg · #3 05-24-2005, 08:41 AM

Yeah I read the reviews, but I didn't figure the sound would be low through headphones too. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] These things all have crappy speakers, but that didn't bother me, since I never intend to use the speakers.

faman · #4 05-24-2005, 09:24 AM

Your best (only?) bet is to use a headphone amplifier. Here's one that is cheap ($25) and supposedly decent, although I haven't personally used it:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/ele...c/3399/?cpg=cj

If you're more of a do-it-yourself type, here are some plans for building one yourself ($20-50 depending on how nice you want it to be):

http://tangentsoft.net/audio/cmoy-tutorial/

Blarg · #5 05-24-2005, 10:04 AM

Wow, thanks a ton, faman!