Cannot get sound from my external speakers (Bose)

In System Preferences -> Sound make sure the Output (and volume) is set correctly

Have you tried headphones in the jack?

Then it sure sounds (pun intended) like an isse with the Bose speakers.

Have you tried restarting the MBA with the speakers plugged in and powered up? I'm assuming these speakers have their own power source.

Do you have something else you could plug into the speakers? Maybe an iPod, iPad, etc or another computer that also outputs using the same connection to see if they will work with something other than the Dell?

One other quick check as well--these speakers wouldn't happen to be expecting optical input would they? As I recall, the Air does not have the dual analog/optical jack that the MacBook Pro has. If the Dell also had the optical out option that might explain why it works and the Air doesn't. That's a connection option that most computers do not have, but it does provide a 5:1 output option.

The connector should not be the issue, since I've attached two different sets of speakers to two different MacBook Airs, and one of the speaker sets is an ancient set used on a couple of standard Windows machines going back over a decade and the other is an "off the shelf" Logitech set. As well, the manual for the speakers you linked to specifically talks about hooking it to an iPod, so it shouldn't have an issue with an iPod style jack.

I noticed the Bose speakers you linked to show a headphone jack you can plug into--if you plug into that do you get sound on the Apple headphones? As well, the manual for those speakers indicate they have a "Standby" mode they enter automatically. Just for testing can you disable that as well to eliminate that as a potential issue?

So I too went to the Bose link. Do you have the cable needed to try plugging into your auxiliary input jack on your control module?

From the Bose Manual:

"Connecting an external music source

You can connect an iPod, mp3 player, or other music source to the control pod using a 3.5 mm plug (not supplied). The music source audio and computer audio are mixed and will both play at the same time.

To connect an external music source

Fully insert the 3.5 mm plug from the music source into the Audio In connector on the control pod. To avoid hearing both the computer and external music source, mute the computer audio."

Have you tried the Auxilliary Input on the Control Module as the input?

Hopefully it works, but there's got to be something else in play here.

Apple sells the Companion 20 in the online store:

http://store.apple.com/us/product/H6251VC/A/Bose-Companion-20-Multimedia-Speaker -System

As well, it's highly unlikely that Bose, a premium priced seller, would not consider the speakers might be hooked to an Apple device (another premium priced seller) with a microphone in, so testing them on current model devices from Apple would seem like standard procedure. It's not as if the idea of hooking them to an iPad or iPod is something Bose couldn't conceive of, especially when marketing them to Apple to have their retail group sell the device.

I never use the Apple earbuds (don't really like them) and have no problem with my iPhone or iPod Touch, both of which have a combined headphone/microphone jack (it's a phone headphone style input--not that unusual) using both headphones with a microphone and those without, as well as external speakers. And, as I've noted, I use various speakers on the Air with no issue, none of them being Apple built or even marketed as being for Apple devices.