I have the cheapest pair of external, USB speakers. I bought them for the MacBook. For what I want them to do, they work well. Now I am wondering if I could use them with an iPhone too. Amazon has a $1.53 adapter (http://www.amazon.com/USB-Gender-Changer-Female/dp/B000BSN4UY) that would connect the male plug on the iPhone's USB cable to the speakers' USB cable. Would that work? Can the iPhone power bargain-basement speakers for very long?
iPhone 3G, iOS 4.2
It can't power them at all and that will not work.
O.K. Thanks.
I am still wondering why this idea would not work. From what I understand, the USB standard is five-volts. AFAIK, the iPhone conforms to USB standards, of which this voltage is one such standard. I have found _one_ report online on the subject of the power output of the iPhone (http://techtips.salon.com/specifications-iphone-4-vs-3gs-20097.html). As I read this article, it implies that the iPhone outputs five volts.
Volts is not the problem. The iPhone doesn't supply enough amps. Think about the difference between a 240 volts driven baby alarm, and a 240 volts driven three bar electric fire. The difference is amps.
That makes sense.
You can probably do the aforementioned on an iPad running iOS 4, not 5. http://www.maclife.com/article/feature/seven_hidden_features_ipad_camera_connect ion_kit
As stated, it won't work on the iPhone due to power issues.
Richard Gilpin wrote:
I am still wondering why this idea would not work. From what I understand, the USB standard is five-volts. AFAIK, the iPhone conforms to USB standards, of which this voltage is one such standard. I have found _one_ report online on the subject of the power output of the iPhone (http://techtips.salon.com/specifications-iphone-4-vs-3gs-20097.html). As I read this article, it implies that the iPhone outputs five volts.
The iPhone is a USB consumer, not a producer. It does not supply power at all.
there is really no thing such as usb speakers
usb is a digital serial interface it dont support carrying audio at all
what usb speakers really are is usb soundcards with speakers included
for any usb speaker to work a driver is required
What I have are ArtDio nb-005 2.0 True USB Speakers. They are not powered, and they do not have a soundcard. No driver is necessary. I just plug them in (to the MacBook), and they work immediately.
It would have been fun if the iPhone had the amperage to power them. But just fun; nothing important.
I guess not. 😝
Write off the seven dollars they appear to sell for and buy a pair of the millions of speakers out there that plug into a standard jack such as you have. Make them powered. 🙂
I paid $5. 🙂 And for the limited purposes I put them to, they're adequate.
using USB speakers?
