I have found a £2 adapter to change a 2.5mm jack to 3.5mm. Is there any reason not to use this with my Apple Pro speakers to connect them to the 3.5mm socket on my Intel iMac? Is there some reason that you actually need the Griffin iFire?
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Apple Pro speakers and Intel iMac
- Thread starter skunk
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Yes, you need the iFire. The Apple Pro Speakers have power and audio over a single cable. Only the Power Mac and iMac G4 have those plugs built-in.
You don't need iFire, but a simple adapter won't work either. Apple added a stupid little ID chip into the cable to prevent that.skunk said:
If you don't mind a little chopping and soldering (or even taping), they can be modified. One description here. You'll still need a little amp to drive them though; most PC speakers have an amp built in, the non-USB Apple style used an amp built into the computer.
They're a damned sight better than the iMac's built-in ones.mongoos150 said:I wouldn't bother, they're not very good speakers...
mongoos150 said:I wouldn't bother, they're not very good speakers...
Are you kidding me? They're some of the nicest speakers I've heard.
I am most definitely not kidding you... Some of the nicest speakers you've heard?! That makes me laugh... Sure they may be better than the iMac's build in speakers but they have nothing on a decent pair you can get for less than $100 from JBL or Klipsch. Do yourself a favor - the Apple speakers don't get very loud, have very weak lows, and crack easily. I know this from three pairs of these speakers I've owned.
mongoos150 said:
I've owned only one pair of the speakers and they have been the best things I've ever had. Maybe you just got some bad sets.
No, you just haven't heard decent speakers... maybe it's because I'm somewhat of an audiophile, but the Apple speakers have pitiful range, lacking decent mids and lacking ALL decent lows - the drivers are tiny and crack easily. Listen to some Klipsch Promedia 2.1 speakers or even the JBL Creature 2 speakers to hear a moderately priced system that will blow the Apple speakers out of the water. Anyone even semi-serious about listening to music or videos from their computer should trade up to a better pair.
Anyone who knows sound will tell you just about any 2.1 system sounds worlds better than the Apple speakers - there's not even a sub! The lows are NONEXISTENT on the Apple speakers (truely). Don't believe me? Throw in some Pink Floyd ("Money") - hardly even a baseline in the Apple speakers. The Klipsch 2.1s (and yes, even Creatures compared to the Apple speakers) will make you smile. A 2.0 system like the Apples house both a tweeter and a sub in one unit. This equals pretty sub-par sound, a lack of full-bodied response (full highs AND full lows). Not to mention volume is pretty abhorrent in the Apples.
Those are horrid speakers - blown out low end, $h!ttyty highs just made to sound *loud* as opposed to balanced and clear.wchong said:
I've got more speaker options arriving tomorrow. I'll keep you posted. I am under no illusion that the Apple speakers are anything near hi-fi quality, but at least the sound is reasonably balanced and rounded. They'll do till my others arrive.