Thanks for the reply. Is there also a difference in the level of the output? My zone outs have adjustable "volume". Am I right is assuming the pre-outs have a very low level output, zone outs have a variable level of output and line outs (e.g. tape out) have a high level (full line-level) output?
J. Vigne
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The voltage from the pre out is determined by the volume control on the pre amp. Unlike what most people assume, a pre amp runs at full voltage when in use. The volume control simply trims the voltage to the desired level. A zone output can be whatever the manufacturer decides it should be. Some have adjustable volume on the front of the pre amp to simplify controls to one location. Other pre amps may have a fixed level that is meant to feed an amplifier with level control on the amp. Most have the ablity to switch between fixed and variable output level. Tape out is similar to pre out in level. Tape is generally set at 1 volt output. There are not the recognized standards in consumer audio that must exist in professional equipment and that level may vary from maunfacturer to manufacturer. Normally tape out is no more than 2 volts output. It is a fixed level that is not changed by the volume control (it is in front of the volume control) that works because the pre amp is running at full tilt at all times. It has a different output impedance (normally around 10k Ohms though again there are no standards that are applied to consumer gear). It should not, therefore, be used to drive excessively long cables. A pre amp output can vary in output impedance from one model to the next but it should stay between 600 and 1,000 Ohms to allow for the use of long cables without significant signal loss. All output levels are determined by input levels. In other words, if the CD player you are using puts out 2 volts you will reach full power at X position on the volume control. If you switch to a CD player that puts out 1 1/2 volts the volume will have to be set higher to achieve the same power output (volume) from the amplifier. Similarly, if a new CD player puts out more voltage the volume is set lower for the same power. Make sense?
Thanks for your detailed response. I'm starting to figure it out. Essentially I'm trying to run a line-out of my main system to a remote system. Basically, I want to send the main system source to the remote source. Currently, I'm doing this with a wireless connection and using the tape-out (I've tried the audio portion of video-out as well). I'm running this into a line-in (AUX) on my remote receiver. The signal seems to be coming in too hot (overmodulated?). My main system has a zone-out which I have set at Fixed with a volume level of -20dB. This works, but I plan to purchase a main system (2-channel) that does not have zone-out. Its been suggested I use a line-level attenuating device. I've improvised by using the headphone out of my tape deck and using the record level to drop the signal down. This works but I'm assuming there is a better way. I also tried the pre-outs of my main to the "main-in" of my remote. This works as well but disables the other sources of my remote system (e.g. CD hooked up to it). Maybe there is some type of switching device that I could use to switch between the source coming into the "main-in" and the systems own preamp section? (not sure if I'm saying this right but I assume the jumpers from the pre-outs to the main-in connect the preamp signals of the receiver to the amp part - I'm assuming when I remove those jumpers to plug the main system's output into the "main-in" of the remote receiver I am disabling any sources connected directly to the receiver in question).
Bottomline, I'd like to be able to send the source from my main system (where all my CD changers are) to other parts of the house. I have amps/receivers and speaker sets for the other parts of the house. Also, due to my house config, I'm not ready to go to the trouble and expense of a whole house system. The wireless thing works well with the zone-out set up but as I said above, I'm planning to move to a 2-channel system and very few I'm finding have zone 2 connections. I don't need an AV receiver and it seems like a waste and music compromise to buy one just to get zone 2. I'm probably making this much more complicated than necessary.
However, I've learned quite a bit about audio systems and connections in the last few days thanks to your (J. Vigne) and others' comments.