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Problems with Audio System and new iMac

D

davidleonard

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 25, 2021
4
0
Hi all, I have bought the 2021 Mac, I am loving it!

I have an issue with my Bose Speakers. Have usually had these wired in directly to the mac via USB-A. Now the new mac only supports USB-C I can get the mac to recognise the speaker system, but no sounds comes out. When I do it lasts like 30 secs. I have a couple of USB-C to USB-A adapters but they don't seem to work. Any ideas? Seems very wasteful having these amazing speakers and not being able to use them.
 
The solution I believe is to get a Thunderbolt cable.
It looks the same as USB-C but it isn't and it'll support audio out natively.
 
Ruggy said:
The solution I believe is to get a Thunderbolt cable.
It looks the same as USB-C but it isn't and it'll support audio out natively.
Click to expand...
Do they make a cable that has a USB-A adapter? sorry am a bit clueless on what to buy
 
Regular USB-C to USB-A adapters should work perfectly. Are yours Apple or third-party?
 
I would suspect settings before suspecting hardware, especially since you've tried more than one. Unfortunately, I don't know which settings to check. Do the Bose speakers require their own software? Did you install it in the new machine? Check Bose.com support.
 
Ruggy said:
The solution I believe is to get a Thunderbolt cable.
It looks the same as USB-C but it isn't and it'll support audio out natively.
Click to expand...

That won't make any difference. They're not Thunderbolt speakers so, at best, it will work exactly the same as a USB cable - and you'll still need an adapter for USB-C to USB-B/microUSB/whatever the input on the speakers is.

There is a "native audio" mode for USB-C - but it's fairly obscure and not relevant to USB speakers.

davidleonard said:
When I do it lasts like 30 secs.
Click to expand...

So you *have* had sound out over a USB-C to USB-A adapter, but it cuts out?
Are they battery-powered speakers and, if so, are they charged? Can you give them a good charge from an old Mac or USB-A charger? Could be that they're not charging properly over USB-C.

Knowing which model of speakers and exactly what connection you have (USB-C to USB-A adapter with a USB-A to MicroUSB cable...?) might help.
 
OP wrote:
"I have an apple one - the mac recognises it, I am just not getting any sound - so wondered if it was my settings?"

Did you open the "Audio/MIDI Setup" utility and see if the Bose speakers are recognized there?

What kind of Bose speakers?
What kind of INPUTS do you have on the speakers?

Last resort -- have you tried an analog connection from the Mac's headphones out to the analog in on the speakers?
 
Thanks all - have sorted... I'd plugged the USB connector into the Thunderbolt port - and now all seems to be working - thanks so much!
 
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