I am trying to use both external headphones and the internal speakers simultaneously on a new 27" iMac (Retina 5K, Late 2015, Intel Core i7). I tried to follow other posts from earlier years to create a Multi-Output Device, but the headphones don't appear in the Audio Device list even thought they are plugged in and turned on. How can I use both outputs simultaneously?
iMac with Retina 5K display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.3)
Thank you. I understand that I can spend more money and buy more equipment.
My question is how I can use what I have already bought for a good deal of money to do what apparently, people were able to do years ago. I am trying to find someone who can answer this please.
And again, old posts look like there used to be a way to do this.
If the headphones plug into the headphone jack you can't. There is a physical switch inside the jack that cuts the output to everything except the headphones. If they are USB or Bluetooth headphones post back with what they are and how they connect.
They do plug into the headphone jack And I understand about the physical switch.
In previous years, there are descriptions of how to create a Multi-Output device option via the Audio MIDI Setup Utility. Is there no way to do this now? Why don't the internal speakers show up as one of the options on the list when I activate MOD in this utility as they did previously?
My knowledge of MOD devices is rather limited I'm afraid but, I did create an Aggregate Device which consists of Built-in Output plus a USB Headphone DAC. The Built-in Output will either play through my eternal speakers if they are plugged into the headphone jack or the internal speakers if nothing is plugged into the headphone jack. The audio will play through the DAC simultaneously if I so choose.
I've owned Macs for a long time but I've never tried cresting MOD setups until El Capitan was released so I don't know what was or was not possible in previous versions. I just know that the headphone jack and the internal speakers are both the "Built-in Output" depending on whether anything is plugged into the headphone jack or not because of the switch. As far as I know, you could never select the internal speakers and the headphone jack simultaneously.
Thank you very much. I hope that someone out there will have an answer on how this can be done. It is strange that, having paid a lot for the high end iMac with plenty of computing power, it should be able to put out sound to two devices. Very disappointing if it is not.
You're welcome. I think you misunderstand though. Mine is putting out sound to two devices. I could put out sound to more than two devices. You just can't put out sound from the internal speakers if something is plugged into the headphone jack because of the switch.
Yes, while I may not have worded it well, I do understand. It is disappointing that I can't do it using the internal and the headphone jack. I have a set of infra-red headphones with the base using the headphone jack. This is to help compensate for my hearing loss. I was trying to watch a movie with my wife, who would then listen through the internal speakers. This is how we normally watch our plain old television, with the headphones using an adapter to the Audio Out jacks.
I see no way to use this configuration on the iMac.
FWIW, you could get a Y-adapter, one to run to your headphones, and one to run to a separate set of headphones or external speakers for your wife. Or a pair of USB headphones or speakers for her, or a pair of Bluetooth headphones or speakers for her.
Headphones and internal speakers on new iMac
