# connecting my mp3 player to my home stereo **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 15, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-my-mp3-player-to-my-home-stereo/503141 "2009-07-15T19:25:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![baileygrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@baileygrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/baileygrrrl)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-my-mp3-player-to-my-home-stereo/503141/1 "2009-07-15T19:25:26Z")
I’m sure there is a very simple solution to this but I’m not very good with electronics 🙂 I would like to be able to listen to my mp3 playlist through my home stereo. Do I just need a stereo-audio cable to connect them? Do I connect through the headphone jacks on each component? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-my-mp3-player-to-my-home-stereo/503141/2 "2009-07-15T19:33:03Z")
If your mp3 player and your stereo have plugs marked line in/line out, then you simply connect the two. If not, you connect through the headphone output on your mp3 player and an audio input on your stereo. However, you’ll need to start with your mp3 player set to a very low volume and then adjust it up to what sounds right. ---
**Author:** ![Shark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Shark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-my-mp3-player-to-my-home-stereo/503141/3 "2009-07-15T19:34:45Z")
Headphone jack (3.5mm) on the mp3 player end to a Y-configuration RCA jack (typically a red and white plug) that plugs into the RCA input on the stereo. That is one way. ---
**Author:** ![Casserole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b77776/32.png) [@Casserole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casserole)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-my-mp3-player-to-my-home-stereo/503141/4 "2009-07-15T21:58:01Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > If your mp3 player and your stereo have plugs marked line in/line out, then you simply connect the two. If not, you connect through the headphone output on your mp3 player and an audio input on your stereo. However, you’ll need to start with your mp3 player set to a very low volume and then adjust it up to what sounds right. Isn’t it the other way around? An mp3 player will output at line-level volume, which is often too low for amplifiers, hence why power amps could be used to compensate…? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-my-mp3-player-to-my-home-stereo/503141/5 "2009-07-15T22:06:54Z")
> [@Shark](#): > > Headphone jack (3.5mm) on the mp3 player end to a Y-configuration RCA jack (typically a red and white plug) that plugs into the RCA input on the stereo. That is one way. Yes, that’s probably what you need, depending on your stereo. If you aren’t sure what an RCA input is, take a picture of the inputs on the back of your stereo and go to a Radio Shack or some such store. They’ll give you what you need for a few bucks. Don’t get too long of a cord or you’ll pick up lots of interference. Six feet or less, unless you pay for an ultra-shielded cord. I’d start at a medium volume and experiment from there. Good luck!..TRM ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-my-mp3-player-to-my-home-stereo/503141/6 "2009-07-15T22:31:29Z")
You can pick one up on Amazon for a [penny](http://www.amazon.com/3-5mm-Mini-Plug-Computer-Stereo/dp/B000V0G2C4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1247696792&sr=1-3) (+ $2.98 shipping)! Or you could waste your money on a [monster cable](http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Cable-Standard-THX-I-MINI/dp/B000S2ARK8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1247696953&sr=1-1) ($21.48 + $8.04 shipping) :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-my-mp3-player-to-my-home-stereo/503141/7 "2009-07-16T02:31:48Z")
You can also use radio transmitters, like used in cars. It creates a very small-range radio frequency, then you tune your stereo to that frequency. They’re pretty common. ---
**Author:** ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-my-mp3-player-to-my-home-stereo/503141/8 "2009-07-16T04:16:35Z")
I use an Creative Zen mp3 player with my car stereo; 1/8" stereo phono to R/W RCA plugs. I just have the Zen’s volume at max, and control the volume with the car stereo. It’s still lower-level than a CD; CD = 25 for comfortable-loud Zen = 30 for same approx. volume S^G