# adaptors for apple pro speakers??



## sashmo (Oct 19, 2002)

I have an iMac G4 computer that came with Apple pro speakers. The speakers have a 2.5 mm mini-plug. Is it possible to find an adapter for these speakers so that I can use them with my iPad 2?


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## John Clay (Jun 25, 2006)

Griffin made one a few years ago, but it's been EOL for a while. Might be able to find one on eBay or Craigslist.


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## MacMagicianJunior (Nov 28, 2010)

John Clay said:


> Griffin made one a few years ago, but it's been EOL for a while. Might be able to find one on eBay or Craigslist.


True, but I think the Griffin iFire adapter needed a firewire connection for power...


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## John Clay (Jun 25, 2006)

MacMagicianJunior said:


> True, but I think the Griffin iFire adapter needed a firewire connection for power...


Oh, so it did. I think the Pro Speakers have an amp built in, and draw power from that 2.5mm port - won't be able to do that from an iPad.


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## MacMagicianJunior (Nov 28, 2010)

John Clay said:


> Oh, so it did. I think the Pro Speakers have an amp built in, and draw power from that 2.5mm port - won't be able to do that from an iPad.


Thought so... I looked in on this thread because I have the same speakers and looked into the alternatives. So far I haven't found anything other than the iFire either (but have never tried one since the speakers work great with my MDD).

There are some pretty good alternatives for iPhone & iPad/iPod speakers. I just bought a Goal Zero Rockout set that's pretty sweet. They charge off USB and have a 40hr battery life, but they're pretty tough to find depending on your location. There are also a number of lightweight bluetooth options of varying quality and price.


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## sashmo (Oct 19, 2002)

MacMagicianJunior said:


> Thought so... I looked in on this thread because I have the same speakers and looked into the alternatives. So far I haven't found anything other than the iFire either (but have never tried one since the speakers work great with my MDD).


Thanks for responding. What is MDD? I don't know what to do with these speakers now as I rarely use the iMac G4, but the speakers weren't bad.


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## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

sashmo said:


> What is MDD?


"Mirrored Drive Door" - one of these older Power Mac models.


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## sashmo (Oct 19, 2002)

Thanks. It's looking like I won't be able to use these speakers for any other computers than the original iMac G4.


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

You gave up in a day? We have faith in you. Keep trying.



sashmo said:


> Thanks. It's looking like I won't be able to use these speakers for any other computers than the original iMac G4.


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## MacMagicianJunior (Nov 28, 2010)

The Doug said:


> "Mirrored Drive Door" - one of these older Power Mac models.


Exactly, I use mine for vintage Mac games from the classic era...


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## MacMagicianJunior (Nov 28, 2010)

sashmo said:


> Thanks. It's looking like I won't be able to use these speakers for any other computers than the original iMac G4.


Oh no, not true, you can use them with modern Macs with the Griffin iFire (and a FW400 to 800 adapter). Portable devices like the iPad are no-goes because they have no way to power the speakers.


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

sashmo said:


> Thanks. It's looking like I won't be able to use these speakers for any other computers than the original iMac G4.



They were good little speakers in their day and will still work with some older compatible Macs and probably not worth the trouble of using some work-arounds. Speaker technology has changed and improved greatly since those speakers were released.

You could try a small cheap amp and figure out some connection method and maybe software while also avoiding all the voltage differences to save wrecking anything. I believe they used 2volts input when most normal stuff used 3volts...

Or maybe try and locate the long ago discontinued Griffin Powerwave, and I'm guessing any software that might be needed — if it would even work with any of the later Macs and their OS X systems.

So I'd suggest that your summation is basically accurate. Unless you have some local electrical genius friend to create some sort of mod. But. not really worth the hassle IMHO.


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## Dr_AL (Apr 29, 2007)

What about finding an old iPod FireWire wall plug to power them with the old griffin adaptor? I have an old FireWire wall plug sitting around...


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

I believe those iPod FireWire wall plug chargers were only designed to work with certain early iPod models, and only as a charging unit, but with the griffin adapter — hmmm... who knows. Just a very slight slim maybe me thinks, and I don't how you'd get the speaker connections to work with a later Mac model.


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## John Clay (Jun 25, 2006)

Dr_AL said:


> What about finding an old iPod FireWire wall plug to power them with the old griffin adaptor? I have an old FireWire wall plug sitting around...


That should work just fine. From what I can tell, the iFire uses FireWire strictly for power.


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## John Clay (Jun 25, 2006)

pm-r said:


> I believe those iPod FireWire wall plug chargers were only designed to work with certain early iPod models, and only as a charging unit, but with the griffin adapter — hmmm... who knows. Just a very slight slim maybe me thinks, and I don't how you'd get the speaker connections to work with a later Mac model.


FireWire power is FireWire power.

The point of the iFire is to convert the audio from a regular headphone jack to the Apple Pro Speaker jack, and to power the speakers. You just connect it to the new computer with a regular 3.5mm jack.


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## iMatt (Dec 3, 2004)

pm-r said:


> They were good little speakers in their day and will still work with some older compatible Macs and probably not worth the trouble of using some work-arounds. Speaker technology has changed and improved greatly since those speakers were released.


Is it really that speaker tech has changed so much, or that Apple gave these particular speakers a non-standard connection/amplification method in the first place? AFAIK there was nothing like it before or after. 

Nice that they don't need their own power cord/brick, not so nice that you need a lampshade iMac, similar vintage PowerMac, or a fairly rare Firewire dongle to use them.

Even though I remember these as being great speakers for their size, I would also be inclined to retire them, unless I had a lampshade iMac I wanted to use as an MP3 player (kitchen, cottage, rec room...).


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

John Clay said:


> FireWire power is FireWire power.
> 
> The point of the iFire is to convert the audio from a regular headphone jack to the Apple Pro Speaker jack, and to power the speakers. You just connect it to the new computer with a regular 3.5mm jack.


Thanks, I didn't realize that the Griffin iFire Amplifier & Adapter actually had a separate "third port is the Pro Speaker port" (from the Griffin site).

But holy smokes, at least for one site that says they actually have stock:
Griffin iFire Amplifier & Adapter for iPod - $113.00 : Online Wholesale Discount Sale

"Griffin iFire Amplifier & Adapter for iPod $113.00" !!!!! 
Ouch!!! I think I'd look elsewhere or use something else. 

Recently at our local Costco, not exactly the best audio store, they had an incredible sounding (at least to my ears) speaker setup working in the computer section.

A small aprox 6" x 8" x 1" flat box (woofer maybe) and two small aprox 6"-8" speakers all for$87.00±. Quite amazing what audio some of the new small stuff can produce.


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## hayesk (Mar 5, 2000)

John Clay said:


> Oh, so it did. I think the Pro Speakers have an amp built in, and draw power from that 2.5mm port - won't be able to do that from an iPad.


The Pro speakers are completely unpowered. The amp is in the G4 - that is why you need an amp to use them with anything else.


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## MacMagicianJunior (Nov 28, 2010)

hayesk said:


> The Pro speakers are completely unpowered. The amp is in the G4 - that is why you need an amp to use them with anything else.


Hmm, seems you're right. I'd always thought the reason behind the convoluted plug was power...

Found a hack:
Make Your Apple Pro Speakers Useful | Grant Muller


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

hayesk said:


> The Pro speakers are completely unpowered. The amp is in the G4 - that is why you need an amp to use them with anything else.


I always thought with my small electronics knowledge that the extended end plug the Pro speakers used was just to provide power, sort of like the PlainTalk Microphone and Omni-Directional Microphone used with some Macintosh computers did, and the round thing at the back of the speakers contained some sort of amp.

But according to one PC Pro speaker hacker, the Apple Pro speakers adds another chip into the circuit in that junction connection:

"No the mod is a bit more extensive then just modding the connector.

In brief, it requires removing the little junction with the apple on it and replacing the wiring with a *normal* stereo Y connector.

Apple was quite clever in the way they disabled the Pro Speakers from working on a PC.

The Apple junction actually contains a chip that acts as a gateway. If the expected signal was not received by the gateway chip, the audio signal was not allowed to pass through to the speakers.

Very slick, but not sleek enough to aviod being defeated by an experienced hacker/modder. "
Using Apple Pro Speakers On A Pc - Aqua-Soft Forums


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

MacMagicianJunior said:


> Hmm, seems you're right. I'd always thought the reason behind the convoluted plug was power...
> 
> Found a hack:
> Make Your Apple Pro Speakers Useful | Grant Muller





MacMagicianJunior said:


> Thought so... I looked in on this thread because I have the same speakers and looked into the alternatives. So far I haven't found anything other than the iFire either (but have never tried one since the speakers work great with my MDD). ... ...



And when the time comes.... here's another link:
Use Apple Pro Speakers as normal stereo speakers"
Use Apple Pro Speakers as normal stereo speakers | Applefritter


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