Hardware :: Preserving Audio Quality When Sharing Speakers
Jun 24, 2010
I currently use the Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speaker System in my home office, which by all accounts is a pretty high-end system (maybe not for a true audiophile, but for an average joe like me they're great). I am trying to figure out what the best way would be to share a single input on this speaker system between two computers (a Mac Pro and an iMac).
I am currently using a basic headphone splitter with two standard 3.5mm male-to-male stereo cables to perform the task, and for the most part it works just fine with one minor issue that is likely to prevent me from keeping things setup like this. There is a subtle, yet clearly audible humming noise coming out of the speakers.
Situation: no sound out from speakers in admin and user account and newly created account. Headphones work, startup chimes work on speakers.
Go to Sound in Preferences and only shows Digital Out for output. Should show Internal Speakers. Ran Diskwarrior and Applejack and zapped pram. Took mac apart and confirmed speakers wired correctly which is verified by the start up chimes being audible on the internal speakers. tested all accounts and created new account all with the same results. Did search of Google and MacRumor. Found one unaswered post indicating same problem. Had same problem with another macbook pro, ran same steps, take apart, confirm wiring setup, Diskwarriored, applejacked and zapped pram and it fixed the problem. I'm not sure what else to try. Did check Audio Midi Setup util and it also did not see the internal speakers.
Trying to figure out if something is up with mine and a buddies machine specifically or they are all buggered....
Please post if you have an audio pop or click type sound that is intermittent (every few minutes or couple hours) on your i5 or i7 machine while playing audio through external speakers.
If you have it, please describe your situation as it occurs so we can perhaps isolate it:
I.e. Plugged in / on battery, programs running, usb plugged in, etc.
Mine happens whether on battery or not, iTunes, games, movies, Locked in video card...
I'm currently in the market for some computer speakers for my aluminum macbook.Basically looking for the best pair of 2.1 speakers for under $200.I been eyeing up the Harmon Kardon Soundsticks II and Logitech Z-2300.One thing that kinda amazes me is that there have really been no updates to either of these sets of computer speakers.I really like the look of the soundsticks.What do you guys recommend?
Anyway I would like to be able to listen to podcasts, audiobooks and music in better quality than I currently get from the built-in speaker in my Macbook. I do have some speakers but I never use them as I have to plug them in and make sure that the Macbook and the speakers are near a power socket. Then of course the cables will be in a tangle, so they just don't get used.
Are there any speakers that I can get that can connect to my MacBook wirelessly? What I was thinking of would be small speakers that could sit on the kitchen counter connected to the power but not connected to my MacBook. In other words I could just use them without connecting any cables. They don't have to be great quality they would mainly be used for podcasts and audio books.
I'm after some really nice speakers for my nice new Mac Pro and don't know what to get... Seen the Eclipse TD307PA II Speaker and Amplifier on the Apple site and they look great, price is a bit expensive but the wife has said "Yes!" ;O) I want some decent sound to either listen to music, possibly playback something I've created and watch a movie or two. I wouldn't call myself an sound enthusiast or anything, just want some decent quality.
I want to have high quality speakers to use with my macbookpro 15" to use with Band in a Box. Just wondering if anyone uses their laptop with exteranl speakers & would recommend something. I would prefer wireless but it's not a deal breaker to have to plug everything in...
How can I change the quality of screen sharing in Snow Leopard? I've tried adjusting defaults write com.apple.ScreenSharing controlObserveQuality but I'm having no luck. It always streams at full quality which leads to painfully slow screen refreshes.
Short and sweet: how do the speakers on the new Cinema Display sound? I know they won't be phenomenal or anything, but are they at least decent? Balanced? Loud?
Are there any known issues (and if so, fixes) with the Mac Pro audio output? I have iTunes 7.6.2 on a (late '07) Mac Pro (OS X 10.4.10) with JBL Creature II speakers. Nothing too high-end, but enough to expect consistent sound reproduction in a small office space.
I am planning to hook my Mac Mini upto my LG tv this weekend (37LG7000). DVI to HDMI cable for the video signal, and a 3.5mm single audio cable into the back of the TV for the audio..
What would the sound quality be like? Will it be ok? I know i wont get surround sound or anything.. but hopefully it will still be crisp audio...
For music I've been primarily listening to pandora for quite a while now, and am finally wanting to convert my CD collection to something I can put in my iPhone. I'm going to upgrade my car stereo soon w/USB hookup. I'm a bit of a freak when it comes to sound quality, and I used to burn CD mixes so I have CDs in AIFF format on my hard drive( -I know). I know this is pretty basic, but maybe someone can link me to the right info...here's my question: What is the best audio format to convert my AIFF music files to that will have the highest quality, and I'll be able to put in iPhone and play with a new Car Stereo I'm about to purchase?
I am using QuickTime to record audios of myself talking in a quiet room, using the built-in microphone, but I just found that the audio quality is poor, even less than the voice memos I recorded on my iPod touch 4 (I said the same thing in the same room). Although I can hear my every words, I think it is near the sound quality of talking on telephone; the voice is not clear and pure.
I have the model of early 2011 MacBook Pro, with the newest OS X Mountain Lion.
headset mic with excellent audio quality for VoiP and listening to music? I currently use a set of Sennheiser PX100s and a desktop mic and would like to consolidate.
My iMac 24" (3.06 GHz Core 2 Duo, 4 GB memory, one of the newest generations) has an audio out jack that double as an analog/digital out? I have a high end sound system with receiver, sub, speakers, surround, etc. that I want to deliver the highest quality sound I can from my iMac. I use optical cables with my other peripherals yet I was unaware that there was a converter that could take an optical signal to an analog "headphone" jack? This doesn't reduce the quality at all? Could someone tell me the exact name of such a converter and if I'm correct in assuming it allows a standard optical fiber audio cable to fit in the "headphone" jack on my iMac. Would like to run out and grab one. And again, is this the best option for highest quality audio from my iMac?
I know there's some subtle differences between the HK Soundstick version I & II, but I was wondering if there's actually any difference in audio quality between the two? Or is it simply cosmetic/feature differences?
I have Vista (yeah, yeah, it sucks. Really. Just testing the Ati card) on my brand new iMac 24 and the audio quality is VERY low. Worst than the macbook speakers. The strange thing is that in MacOSX the quality is good and even in Vista with earphones. I reinstalled the Realtek HD drivers but it didn't change anything.
I have 2 macs - mac mini and a macbook pro Both audio outputs of the computers are teathered to my speakers with a Y cable. When computer one is playing music to the speakers, I'll be using computer two for work purposes. Should computer two experience an audible alert (instance message, new e-mail message, etc) the music will dim for about 30 seconds. How do I prevent the "dimming" of the music?
Is it just me or does Skype have the superior audio and video quality? Whenever I do some audio or video chatting it seems subjectively better than iChat. (Both on a Mac tried close after one another.
I recently got a receiver and surround sound speaker system. The quality of the audio from the CD player connected to it is far beyond the quality of the audio that comes from the MacBook pro via headphone jack to RCA connection. This was confirmed by burning a CD from the MacBook, placing it in the CD player then testing the two against each other - the same audio piece from the CD player or the MacBook, both connected to the same receiver/speaker set up. What other options might get better audio quality from the MacBook to the receiver?
A couple of years ago when I got a tv for my room, my dad built a rack of shelves into the wall, one for my tv, one for my stereo and one for random stuff. It's always been nice, but restricting. I like to move my room around, and My desk is forced to stay right next to that rack to transmit audio to my receiver via a hard wire. Seeing as my iMac has bluetooth built in, I was wondering if it is at all possible to send stereo high quality audio over bluetooth to some sort of receiver that would feed into two RCA plugs... Now, I'm not talking audiophile quality, this is just a $400 sony rig, no crown audio here, but I dont want it to sound like those old 900mhz wireless headphones with all the interference. Is this at all possible? Or am I doomed to either staying put, or running 5' of cable under my carpet?
I have a new aluminium 2.53 MBP and have installed vista 64 ultimate on it via bootcamp.
I have noticed that I am having problems with the audio, there is no audio from the internal speakers at all and when ever I boot up in vista the audio jack has a red light coming out of it...This only occurs in bootcamp and if i go back to OSX the problem disappears
I have installed the latest driver from realtek and have tried to fiddle with the audio jack using cotton buds etc, but nothing seem to work... are there any other ways from rectifying this?
This is the second time an update has done this to me (Early 2008 Mac Pro). Run the update (10.6.2) - reboot - "sound effects" and "output" changed from "line out" to "internal speakers". What's up with that? Not a big deal - but kind of a pita when I get a call at work from a family member asking why iTunes is playing from the internal speaker...
I am streaming iTunes to another room using an Audioengine AW1 (over usb, not the analog input) and it works fine. Looking at JACK audio, Soundflower or Apple's AudioMIDI utility, I feel I should be able to use one or a combination of these resources to output iTunes to both the AW1 and my desktop's headphone port. Unfortunately, I can't seem to perform both. Well, technically I can in using a "y" audio cable to output from the Mac headphone port to headphones and to the analog-in on the AW1's, but that really doesn't work adequately. The output volumes are considerably lower and tied together. I am looking to figure out how to add a usb audio device as another, and simultaneous output.
I want to disable audio output on my MBP, either entirely or just disable the built-in speakers. I don't want to mute it and be able to raise the volume and it'll start working again; I want there to be no possibility of sound unless I go back and fix what I changed. I know this sounds weird, but does anyone know how to do this?
Just got my 15 LED SR Macbook Pro. When I plug my bose speakers in at my desk and listen to itunes, I am getting a static pop sound. Should I take it back or is it fixable? By the way, LG panel and no yellow 1/3 of screen. Initially thought it was yellow, but I calibrated it, and now it only looks yellow if viewed from the side. Head on, white. One thing I have noticed, when I watch movies on it in the dark with the brightness turned down (cause this thing is a torch), I am getting quick flashes when a screen has high contrast light and dark. I am very sensative to LCD flat panel TVs that use a colorwheel. Like a JVC dilila, I see rainbows! Is that normal for an led flat panel to see "quick white flashes of light"?
