So does the rio central have volume control on the remote ?

Rio central has no volume control at all. It has no amplification, it's strictly a line-level output device. Use the volume control on your home stereo amplifier.

This is the same as a home CD changer, which is the kind of component that the Rio Central is meant to replace.

That would be nice to have to eliminate having to use two remotes.
Just because there is no amp doesn't mean they can't have a volume (Empeg)

That's a slightly different case, the empeg plugs into a in car amp, which doesn't generally have an easily accessible volume control. In car head units are expected to have their own volume controls.

It does however seem a little odd that the Central does have a volume control, most home CD players I have owned had a volume control (even if it meant having two seperate outputs, one variable and one fixed).

Adding volume changing to the Central would probably be straight-forward for a Linux kernel hacker. Just hijack a couple of buttons on the remote (or perhaps the long press if the remote supports it) and change the volume in software.

most home CD players I have owned had a volume control (even if it meant having two seperate outputs, one variable and one fixed).

Funny, I've had exactly the opposite experience. I've never owned a home stereo component which had an independent volume control. They have all been fixed-volume line-level output for the purpose of plugging into one of the inputs on my home stereo amp/tuner/receiver and using its volume.

Andy: I've never seen a cd player built for a home audio system with a volume control on it.... Can you give us a hyperlink?

I really don't see the point in adding volume changing to the central since it's done on your receiver or amp.

The difference with A normal home stereo component is that you can usually buy one brand and run everything with the remote that comes with the reciever. I have everything from yamaha and I can run the cd player the reciever and the tape deck all with the remote that came with the reciever.

If I am reading right the (now discontinued) compaq music center had some sort of universal remote that would run a reciever also. So that would be another way to do it.

My cd player has a volume for the headphone jack.

An admission first, I haven't bought a CD player for myself for quite a while...

(since my 12 year old Marantz CD50SE is still working fine)

However, I did take a quick look at the Marantz and Sony UK websites and they do both still have players with variable outputs and volume on the remotes. I think this feature originally appeared on CD players because at the time most people's amps did not have remotes and hence adding the feature to the CD player gave people the ability to control the volume remotely.

Perhaps this is just a UK/European thing ? (I know that Sony et all tend to vary their hi-fi ranges quite a bit between the US and Europe)

No links, but looking at Marantz.com and sony.co.uk shows that both of them at least still have players with variable outputs.

I really don't see the point in adding volume changing to the central since it's done on your receiver or amp.

Some people still have amps without remotes (and yes I know that you should get better audio quality if you control the volume on the amp rather than the source).

The other thing it might be useful for is if your Rio Central outputs a noticably different level to your other sources.

Well, I guess some people do still have amps without remotes (it actually didn't occur to me) and come to think of it when I last visited my grandfather in Preston Lancashire and aunt in Lees (near Oldum) it seemed like things across the pond were a bit behind as compared to here. Or, I suppose the thought over there might be that things should last a lot longer (referencing the way homes and fences are built of stone) so why upgrade your perfectly good amp just for the remote feature.

It seems that here in the states we tend to be more of a "disposable" country; expecting things to last a relatively shorter period of time as compared to there.

Cheers!

Amps with remotes are pretty much seen as low end here. I guess the reason is, they usually are low end. A bit circular

Rob

I think it used to be that way here too and you would have a seperate pre amp that would have the remote. Now with the home theatre craze all anyone seems to sell are the all in one amp/pre amp with lots of inputs and outputs.