AUDIO OUTPUT APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus which prevents a speaker from outputting loud sound suddenly when a user notices that the power of the speaker is not turned on and turns on the power after the speaker outputs no sound and the user turns up the volume by operating a volume switch of a control apparatus.SOLUTION: The audio output apparatus controls the start of the reception of an audio signal on which control commands are superimposed and receives the audio signal in response to the control of the start of the reception to obtain the control commands superimposed on the received audio signal. If the control command for specifying the volume is obtained after the control command for staring the sound output is obtained, the audio output apparatus outputs the sound indicated by the audio signal at a first volume specified by the control command. If the audio output apparatus receives the control command for specifying the volume without obtaining the control command for starting the sound output, the sound indicated by the audio signal is output at a second volume which is less loud than the first volume.