I want to connect my Fios STB to a vintage receiver.

[DRJ4]

I am using the STB connected to my Samsung TV with the HDMI cable. But I have a very good pair of speakers, I want to use with the receiver. The main problem I have is when I connect the STB to the receiver with the red/white RCA audio jacks, the volume is minimal even with the volume turned up past 3 o'clock. They are plugged into an AUX input on the receiver, why is my volume so low?

[clem21 · Accepted solution]

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@DRJ4 wrote:

I have the 4100 STB pictured. We have a 32" Samsung TV UN32N5300. The STB is connected to the TV with the HDMI cable. I am using the red and white audio jacks to connect to the AUX input on the receiver. The external speakers I have are connected to the receiver with bare speaker wire. I updated my fios one audio settings to your recommendations from yesterday.

I do have a DVD player and when I connect it to my receiver AUX inputs, the volume is fine.

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OK, the problem here is the Fios box was not designed to supply audio on both the HDMI and analog outs at the same time. The analog outs are supplied to hook up a composite setup. What you will need to do is get an optical to analog audio converter and use the optical output on the back of your TV to connect the converter. Then from the converter to the receiver. An example of the converter is here:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRFVMCJV/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B0BRFVMCJV&pd_rd_w=c3Q2i&con...

Not very expensive and I think it will take care of the problem, and allow you to send audio from streaming content on the TV to the receiver too.

[clem21]

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@DRJ4 wrote:

I am using the STB connected to my Samsung TV with the HDMI cable. But I have a very good pair of speakers, I want to use with the receiver. The main problem I have is when I connect the STB to the receiver with the red/white RCA audio jacks, the volume is minimal even with the volume turned up past 3 o'clock. They are plugged into an AUX input on the receiver, why is my volume so low?

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Which Fios box are you using?

Is the volume control on the box set to FIXED?

Main Menu > Settings > Audio & Video > Audio>Volume Control

Is the Audio Passthrough set to enable?

Main Menu > Settings > Audio & Video > Audio > Audio Passthrough

What is the audio format chosen?

Main Menu > Settings > Audio & Video > Audio>Audio Format

Does your receiver allow you to set input levels independently?

[DRJ4]

A question. I read on the community site that the FIOS STB puts out 2 volts of output much like a CD player or other components.  If that is so why do the community members refer us to try increasing volume to 30, 40 or more when connected to a receiver's inputs? I don't think that increases the output voltage of the STB.

Also the difficulty with using the enable and passthrough once you turn off the receiver, the fios volume blasts across the family room. I would like to listen to the vintage stereo receiver when I am alone without the rest of the family.

[clem21]

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@DRJ4 wrote:

A question. I read on the community site that the FIOS STB puts out 2 volts of output much like a CD player or other components.  If that is so why do the community members refer us to try increasing volume to 30, 40 or more when connected to a receiver's inputs? I don't think that increases the output voltage of the STB.

Also the difficulty with using the enable and passthrough once you turn off the receiver, the fios volume blasts across the family room. I would like to listen to the vintage stereo receiver when I am alone without the rest of the family.

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The 30, 40 , or more you refer to is only available when you use the Variable output option on the Fios Audio menu. If you set it to fixed, it is exactly like a CD player or other electronic audio device with a standard 2V output. If it is blasting volume, you need to check the input volume settings of whatever you have it hooked up to. The same would happen with a CD player.

[DRJ4]

Thank you clem, I'll go back to your original instructions on 05/09 and try again.

[clem21]

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@DRJ4 wrote:

Thank you clem, I'll go back to your original instructions on 05/09 and try again.

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When you turn off the receiver, is a passthrough to your TV enabled? Is your receiver's Audio output hooked up to your TV too? Is that why the volume seems high when you turn the receiver off? Does the receiver have HDMI ins and outs or only component or composite ins and outs? A lot of questions, but all the info will help me help you. also if you can post the model and brand of receiver it would help me too.

[DRJ4]

OK Clem, I followed your original instructions. passthrough is enabled, no audio output to the TV. Just composite ins/outs, the receiver is the Marantz Twenty-Two from 1969, it has 40 wpc.  The only appropriate modern inputs it has are tape and aux. The STB composite is attached to the AUX input.

I did all of this today. No loud volume when the receiver is off. The receiver is off most of the time, it is only on if I listen to CD or FM. When I started watching more movies and music I thought hooking the fios one STB to my vintage receiver would make them sound better even if only in stereo. BTW, the cd player works fine into either input on the receiver. However the audio from the STB to the receiver is not loud enough. At 3pm on the knob it is barely heard.

[clem21]

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@DRJ4 wrote:

OK Clem, I followed your original instructions. passthrough is enabled, no audio output to the TV. Just composite ins/outs, the receiver is the Marantz Twenty-Two from 1969, it has 40 wpc.  The only appropriate modern inputs it has are tape and aux. The STB composite is attached to the AUX input.

I did all of this today. No loud volume when the receiver is off. The receiver is off most of the time, it is only on if I listen to CD or FM. When I started watching more movies and music I thought hooking the fios one STB to my vintage receiver would make them sound better even if only in stereo. BTW, the cd player works fine into either input on the receiver. However the audio from the STB to the receiver is not loud enough. At 3pm on the knob it is barely heard.

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OK, which Fios box do you have, and where are you getting the audio output from it? Is the TV a modern TV? What make and model TV is it?

Make sure the volume on the Fios box is set to FIXED;

Main Menu > Settings > Audio & Video > Audio>Volume Control

Also set the Audio Format to STEREO:

Main Menu > Settings > Audio & Video > Audio>Audio Format

Set the dynamic Range to HEAVY:

Main Menu > Settings > Audio & Video > AudioDynamic Range

And DISABLE the Audio Passthrough:

Main Menu > Settings > Audio & Video > Audio > Audio Passthrough.

It would be really helpful to know about your TV and which Fios boxes you have as I looked up the Receiver(VERY cool) and need the TV info to point you in a better direction.

If you have the Fios one boxes you should be using the RED and WHITE jacks to get audio to the receiver

.

The main box is pictured above is a Fios One VMS.

[DRJ4]

I have the 4100 STB pictured. We have a 32" Samsung TV UN32N5300. The STB is connected to the TV with the HDMI cable. I am using the red and white audio jacks to connect to the AUX input on the receiver. The external speakers I have are connected to the receiver with bare speaker wire. I updated my fios one audio settings to your recommendations from yesterday.

I do have a DVD player and when I connect it to my receiver AUX inputs, the volume is fine.

[dexman]

I may be wrong, but I'll throw this out. The HDMI cable carries both audio and video signals.

Now add to that a second audio connection. Is it possible that the "load" is too much for the STB to handle? 🤔

[DRJ4]

I don't think so since the STB has the standard 2V output. But thanks for the thought.

[dexman]

Even Clem thinks that the double audio connection is a potential problem. 🤔

[clem21 · Accepted solution]

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@DRJ4 wrote:

I have the 4100 STB pictured. We have a 32" Samsung TV UN32N5300. The STB is connected to the TV with the HDMI cable. I am using the red and white audio jacks to connect to the AUX input on the receiver. The external speakers I have are connected to the receiver with bare speaker wire. I updated my fios one audio settings to your recommendations from yesterday.

I do have a DVD player and when I connect it to my receiver AUX inputs, the volume is fine.

---

OK, the problem here is the Fios box was not designed to supply audio on both the HDMI and analog outs at the same time. The analog outs are supplied to hook up a composite setup. What you will need to do is get an optical to analog audio converter and use the optical output on the back of your TV to connect the converter. Then from the converter to the receiver. An example of the converter is here:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRFVMCJV/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B0BRFVMCJV&pd_rd_w=c3Q2i&con...

Not very expensive and I think it will take care of the problem, and allow you to send audio from streaming content on the TV to the receiver too.

[DRJ4]

Thank you, I have one of those, they come in handy. I'll try it tomorrow.

[dexman]

As a last ditch option....if the OP is willing to upgrade the stereo receiver, modern offerings include Bluetooth capabilities.

That could provide another solution. 🤔

[DRJ4 · Accepted solution]

Thank you clem and dex. The TV output connectors worked great.