Speakers showing up as "headphones"? Sound crappy too.

[jmre5150]

Ok, have a new iMac 24" 3.06ghz Gb RAM, etc etc.

Plugged in an old set of Harmen Karmen (sp?) desktop speakers with subwoofer, and Leopard thinks these are headphones. Needless to say, it is forcing all the bass sound through the tweaters, which as you can image, sounds muffled and horrible.

So, I went into System Preferences>Sound and sure enough, it is listing my speakers as "headphones". Naturally I am plugging my speakers in with the regular plug that fits in the headset icon hole in the back. Guess thats why it thinks they are headphones, but is there any other way to plug in speakers? Are speakers really USB now or something?

I don't mind buying a new set of speakers for my new iMac, but will they have to plug into the same slot, and be considered "headphones" as well by leopard?

Messing with iTunes EQ doesn't help much at all.

Any advice will help. These speakers worked great with my MBP, not sure why iMac with Leopard thinks these things are headphones. And no, there is no install disc for these speakers. Never has been.

 

[Krispo]

I believe there is an option to make the digital output/input accept a toslink cable with an adapter that was described in another thread. It makes a round hole into a square hole so that the toslink cable can fit in there. That being said I am using the output of the headphones but I have speakers that don't have an optical input but they are extremely nice Swans MK200II that sound great with no need for a sub. Just 2.0 sound but it sounds great to my ears, thought about adding a sub but don't see the need right now. Otherwise then you will need to get a usb breakout box for your audio.

 

[bigandy]

Anything plugged in to that jack, unless optical, will show as headphones.

You should be able to control where the bass is going on your Harman Kardon speakers using their controls.

I've never heard of it forcing bass through tweeters when you've got a sub. Sounds like something in the speakers isn't working correctly.