ccruz said:
Is there a device that can regulate the input sound level? Sometimes just changing the channel from the digital sat. there is a significant volume increase. What do I need to buy to make sure all volumes stay the same?
This is a nearly impossible problem to solve completely. There can be a huge difference between different sources and even different media. It all depends on the average level of the recording. Older CDs were mastered conservatively with low average power; newer CDs are mastered aggressively with insane levels of power. The analog channels on cable are often at a lower amplitude than the digital channels; sometimes the reverse is true.
DVD movies have a large dynamic range and thus a lower average power to leave headroom for the explosions, etc. A DVD will always be lower than a CD and when changing inputs to CD from DVD you will get blasted if the volume was up high for the DVD.
Having said all that, there are a few things that may help.
1. Onkyo IntelliVolume (TX-SR601 and up). Allows you to set a correction factor for each input. If one input is about 6dB louder than another, you can set a correction of -6dB for that other input. It helps but is not a cure-all.
2. Find a receiver that allows you to set the level of "mute". Most mute completely, but some allow you to set an attenuation level. You could set the level to -20dB and then hit mute when the input changes. This would at least keep your ears from bleeding while you turn down the volume.
3. Run all the audio out to a digital processor that can apply dynamic compression.
In general, there is nothing you can do about this because there are no standards for mastering audio (except for movies) and we just have to live with it and keep a close eye on the volume level before changing inputs.
