Puzzling sound problem

[RMellish]

In a Zoom session (hosted by someone else) when sound output was configured to use the HDMI connection to my monitor the sound was OK, but when it was configured to use the headphone output (with a connection from there to my hi-fi system) only the louder sounds came through. It resembled the situation when Zoom is filtering the input from one’s own microphone with Original Sound off, but this was with sound from other participants (more than one of them) and only when using the headphone output.

This was with Zoom 5.9.3,  Windows 10 Home Version 21H2  

I can update my Zoom version but can't easily test whether that will make any difference.

[NickS]

Generally, different levels of audio processing is applied to different output types. HDMI being a digital output as a bit more flexible that with an analog output like a 3.5 mm "Mini-jack".

[RMellish]

Thank you. That would explain how there can be a difference. Any suggestion how to overcome it? I would prefer to listen over the hi-fi system because that allows adjustment of frequency balance, particularly boosting "presence" to improve intelligibility of speech. I suppose if necessary I could add a gadget to extract the audio from the HDMI stream to feed to the hi-fi, but it would seem preferable to stop the processing when it is  counter-productive.

[NickS]

Without knowing the particulars of your system, I suspect that the input you are using on the HiFi is expecting a beefier signal that want a PC mini-jack supplies. (think a turntable that need to be grounded) I would recommend getting an inexpensive pre-amplifier to place between the PC and Hi-Fi. This is increase the loudness of the signal without introducing noise.

[RMellish]

Sorry, that's a misunderstanding. When the sound comes through at all the level is OK. But the sound comes and goes according to the loudness coming from the other end. The particular situation where it happened was a dance class. When the teachers were speaking I could hear them OK. When the musicians (further away from the microphone) were playing the loud notes could be heard at reasonable volume but the quieter notes not at all. The behaviour was clearly different between the headphone output and the HDMI ouput.