Need better sound quality! Echo dot 2nd gen.

[eboogs8]

I have echo dot 2 connected to bluetooth receiver, to my older (sony) a/v receiver via TaoTrinics bluetooth receiver 3.5mm audio jack to rca.
the sound quality is low, and ok at best. however, it does work well. Im wondering if i get a DAC to optical to my a/v/ receiver. will i get better quality audio? I love having the ability to use "alexa".
I can use my firestick to play music through my setup and it sounds great. just love the idea that i can ask alexa for specific songs. it is great for entertainment purposes.
so, again. will a (powered) converter rca-optic give me the full sound I'm looking for?
Honestly, i already purchased the converter, I will have my answer soon enough. i will update.
I would like to hear if anyone has done this or possibly have a better suggestion.
the objective is to stream from alexa via bluetooth receiver to optical. or will i still get low level output?
 

[coyote]

Alexa controls its own sound level output. If you have music going from the Echo Dot to another system via Bluetooth, you can control the volume by voice: "Alexa, volume ten". That will take it to its highest available output. Or you can use the volume up button on the Dot itself.

I've found no problem with the audio levels that way, and the sound from my system is pretty good.
Perhaps there's an issue with the Bluetooth receiver you're using??

[restamp]

I also find the default audio quality of my Echo Dot to be pretty good.  What I personally find annoying is that the audio coming from sources like TuneIn is noticeably softer than Alexa's voice.  I wish there were some way of setting Alexa's audio level independently of the other programming.

[renegade600]

I also find the default audio quality of my Echo Dot to be pretty good.  What I personally find annoying is that the audio coming from sources like TuneIn is noticeably softer than Alexa's voice.  I wish there were some way of setting Alexa's audio level independently of the other programming.

I do agree with this.  there needs to be some sort of levelization of all sounds from the echo.  every time I play the news brief, I get blown out by espn. 

[coyote]

I also find the default audio quality of my Echo Dot to be pretty good.  What I personally find annoying is that the audio coming from sources like TuneIn is noticeably softer than Alexa's voice.  I wish there were some way of setting Alexa's audio level independently of the other programming.

I do agree with this.  there needs to be some sort of levelization of all sounds from the echo.  every time I play the news brief, I get blown out by espn.

This, unfortunately, might require different hardware. What you seek is to control the many 'channels' of audio in the unit itself.

[renegade600]

I also find the default audio quality of my Echo Dot to be pretty good.  What I personally find annoying is that the audio coming from sources like TuneIn is noticeably softer than Alexa's voice.  I wish there were some way of setting Alexa's audio level independently of the other programming.

I do agree with this.  there needs to be some sort of levelization of all sounds from the echo.  every time I play the news brief, I get blown out by espn.

This, unfortunately, might require different hardware. What you seek is to control the many 'channels' of audio in the unit itself.

not sure if that would be necessary if amazon could control the volume level on their end.   

[mindmagic]

What I personally find annoying is that the audio coming from sources like TuneIn is noticeably softer than Alexa's voice. 

It depends on the station. One of the stations I listen to regularly is particularly loud, while another is particularly soft.

[coyote]

I also find the default audio quality of my Echo Dot to be pretty good.  What I personally find annoying is that the audio coming from sources like TuneIn is noticeably softer than Alexa's voice.  I wish there were some way of setting Alexa's audio level independently of the other programming.

I do agree with this.  there needs to be some sort of levelization of all sounds from the echo.  every time I play the news brief, I get blown out by espn.

This, unfortunately, might require different hardware. What you seek is to control the many 'channels' of audio in the unit itself.

not sure if that would be necessary if amazon could control the volume level on their end.

Amazon's servers don't control the volume of Bluetooth data being sent to the Echo. That is strictly local. So IF there were to be some way to do this, the Bluetooth channel would have to be the 'standard' and everything else emanating form it would have to work around it.

[ZeektheGeek]

Sorry for my butt-in, but this topic has been bothering me ever since I connected my Dot to my AV receiver. 

The problem of low level sound volume coming from this and some other devices is well known.  However I believe that the quality of the audio is the problem.  When comparing Amazon streaming from my receiver vs. the same music coming through the dot to my receiver, I hear a big drop in quality, even when compensating for volume.  The quality seems due to lack of high frequencies (tone).  The result is dull-sounding and lifeless.

I suspect that to save bandwidth that Amazon sends only low bitrate audio to the Dot, assuming that it will use it's own internal speaker or at most a bluetooth connected portable speaker.  If this is the case, a digital audio output (optical) will not help (and neither will increased volume of course).

[mike27oct]

High bandwidth is not a hallmark of internet music of any kind or source.  Most internet radio is hardly over FM quality (128 bps), and most are lower.  I can make my Dot and Echo sound better if I send music from my home server to iPad and then on to device via BT.

[iolinux333]

As the above people said, streaming quality is generally garbage. Amazon is probably sending the lowest quality they think they can get away with, to save (make) money.

Maybe in twenty years there will be excess bandwidth everywhere and audio quality will get back to 1970s levels.