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Apple Pro speakers with mini jack connect to new Intel iMac ?

I would like to be able to connect the pair of perspex globe Apple Pro Speakers with mini-jack that came with my PowerPC G4 Mac to my new Lion desktop Intel iMac.


However, the mini-jack is too small for either the ' audio in / optical digital audio in port ' or the ' headphone out / optical digital audio out port ' (I'm not sure which is the correct one to use !)


Is it possible with an adaptor, or by some other means, to connect them ?


If it is unfortunately not possible, any cheap alternative speakers recommended would be appreciated.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Sep 28, 2012 4:19 AM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Sep 28, 2012 6:32 AM

There are no adapters that are readily available to use the old Apple Pro speakers with other computers or newer Macs.

The only adapter that worked but has long been discontinued in the Griffin Technologies iFire.

These are even harder to find now and if you do, indeed find one, you're going to pay an outrageous amount of money just for an adapter that used to sell for $40!!

For the cost of this adapter, you could just buy new speakers.

The big problem with the old Apple Pro speakers is that Apple went out of its way to make sure you couldn't use these speakers with anything else but certain G4 Mac models. The connector and subsequent wiring make these speakers very proprietary and limited use without spending gobs of time altering some of the components and purchasing external computer audio amps and connectors.

Apple simply made these unusable on anything but their own hardware at that time.

It's simply not worth the effort.


Look in the Apple Store online. There are a lot of decent priced, good-looking speakers to use with your iMac.


Good hunting!

4 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Sep 28, 2012 6:32 AM in response to paul harland

There are no adapters that are readily available to use the old Apple Pro speakers with other computers or newer Macs.

The only adapter that worked but has long been discontinued in the Griffin Technologies iFire.

These are even harder to find now and if you do, indeed find one, you're going to pay an outrageous amount of money just for an adapter that used to sell for $40!!

For the cost of this adapter, you could just buy new speakers.

The big problem with the old Apple Pro speakers is that Apple went out of its way to make sure you couldn't use these speakers with anything else but certain G4 Mac models. The connector and subsequent wiring make these speakers very proprietary and limited use without spending gobs of time altering some of the components and purchasing external computer audio amps and connectors.

Apple simply made these unusable on anything but their own hardware at that time.

It's simply not worth the effort.


Look in the Apple Store online. There are a lot of decent priced, good-looking speakers to use with your iMac.


Good hunting!

Apple Pro speakers with mini jack connect to new Intel iMac ?

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