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duncan007 · Mar 21, 2004, 02:07 PM

Would like to connect my mac to my stereo system. Mac is on opposite side of living room from stereo equipement? at least 12ft. Please give detailed description of connection. I do have firewire and Usb ports. Can I run itunes thru my system? I use Comcast Cable ISP

Thanks

DeniD

cenutrio · Mar 21, 2004, 03:33 PM

Your stereo needs to have an auxiliar "in".

I have a three feet long cable connecting my mac to my Hi-Fi ( I also can connect my iPod), works fine. i doubt there re 12 feet long cables.

You may have to use a wireless solution, but they provide poor sound quality.

I'm not aware of any device that may use the airport broad band, it would be a nice idea, though.

can you get the HiFi closer to your mac or viceversa?

Alceste · Mar 21, 2004, 03:41 PM

A slimp3
slimp3

Mine is wired via ethernet, but the newer ones are wireless. It's pricey,(299) but it's really great. It doesn't use iTunes directly BUT it does use the iTunes directory and xml file (so you can still use iTunes to organize the music).

You can also use an powermate and Detour (combined cost of 50 bucks or so), but you have have your mac wired up to the stereo.

Hope this helps.

Bengt77 · Mar 21, 2004, 03:44 PM

Originally posted by duncan007:
Would like to connect my mac to my stereo system. Mac is on opposite side of living room from stereo equipement? at least 12ft. Please give detailed description of connection.

Well, it can easily be done with a (very common) cable that has a regual 3,5mm stereo connector (also called a mini jack) on one side and two (probably red and black, or red and white) tulip connectors on the other side. Obviously, the mini jack goes into the sound out-port on your Mac (can be either the dedicated sound out or the headphones port), while the tulip connectors go into the sound in (auxiliary, or simply aux) ports on your stereo. That setup should work fine. You can get those cables at almost any electronics store in the length you desire. I recently bought one with a length of one meter to connect my iPod to any sound in-port I come across.

Hope this helps you out...

rickg1 · Mar 21, 2004, 03:45 PM

You didn't provide enough clues to be sure about your configuration. But, if your mac is on a network, then you can share your music files with a stereo system using a digital media player like an 'audiotron', 'rio receiver', or 'prismiq' device. These connect to a network (via ethernet, 802.11, or HPNA) and play shared music from a server.

This is how I run a music server for all the rooms in my house (from a G5mac). In combo with iTunes, the solution totally rocks.

If you don't have a network, then you'll need to run a sufficently long cable from the audio out of your mac to the inputs on your receiver. If possible, use the digital audio out of your mac to a digital audio in on your reciever (presuming they both have them).

On my G5, I tried connecting the optical ouput to an optical in on my sony 5.1 receiver, and it sounded incredible.

Good luck.

crucial · Mar 21, 2004, 04:17 PM

I have been using a HiFi Link for a year or so, just plug it into a USB port and change your sound out preferences. Works great and comes with a 30 foot cable.

I know there are other USB adaptors that are cheeper, but non that come with that 30 foot cable which makes the whole thing usable even if your stereo is in the next room.

http://www.xitel.com/

CTMartin · Mar 21, 2004, 04:22 PM

I'm curious which system you're using. The WEB sites for Prismiq and Rio Digital Audio Receiver say that they are not (yet) compatible with the Mac.

Might this type of device be something the rumor mills are talking about coming from Apple soon?

Originally posted by rickg1:
You didn't provide enough clues to be sure about your configuration. But, if your mac is on a network, then you can share your music files with a stereo system using a digital media player like an 'audiotron', 'rio receiver', or 'prismiq' device. These connect to a network (via ethernet, 802.11, or HPNA) and play shared music from a server.

This is how I run a music server for all the rooms in my house (from a G5mac). In combo with iTunes, the solution totally rocks.

BlueCabbie · Mar 21, 2004, 04:39 PM

I have mine system setup this way.

1) Any Mac with a USB port and iTunes or other music program.
2) USB cable up to 15 feet. For longer runs use an active repeater cable. I use two http://www.national-tech.com/specs/uc-6005m.htm cables,but you can chain up to 5 for about 75 feet max.
3) Griffin iMic or PowerWave to convert USB to analog out. http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/imic/
4) RCA stereo cable to the Stereo system

My system is about 25 feet from the amplifier. I originally used a 25 foot RCA cable, but got lots of interference from the systems being on different grounds. Still get a tiny amount, but I think that a ground isolator will fix that, though it has not been bad enough to deal with it yet. -Chuck-

plaguebearer · Mar 21, 2004, 06:18 PM

M-Audio has 3 products for attaching any "New World" Mac to a Dolby Digital Stereo Receiver (or lower). The Revolution 7.1 PCI for Towers (including G5's) It's PCI-X compatible. The Sonica Theater for iMacs and eMacs. It's a USB breakout box. And the Transit. A portable version of the Sonica for iBooks and Powerbooks. These range in price from $129 for the Revolution to $99 for the Sonicas.

The Revolution works fine in OS X 10.3.3 for me. (With the latest version of the driver) These are also OpenAL compliant. Which should make for Killer gaming

if you have your mac set up in the soundfield correctly.

www.M-Audio.com

-------------END

mhodos · Mar 21, 2004, 06:28 PM

I too have connected my Mac (powerbook) to my stereo.

I purchased a couple 12' "extension cables." they have a male 1/8" stereo jack on one end (fits into the headphone jack on my powerbook) and a female 1/8" stereo jack on the other end. I strung them together to go from my couch, behind the wall and over to my stereo.

The final cable has a 1/8" male stereo jack and a R and L RCA jack (aka phono) that goes into the CD input of my stereo receiver. Purchased all from Radio Shack. Total cost of about $25

In theory, the longer the run and the more the connections, the more deterioration in signal quality (heard as sound quality) you will have. My thoughts are, since I'm listening to compressed (MP3) music anyway, ultra high-fidelity obviously isn't my #1 priority. And I don't really notice any difference with a couple cables. I can play studio CD's, or DVD-Audio thru my DVD player and optical connection to my receiver if I really wanted.

Hope this helps,

Mike

rickg1 · Mar 21, 2004, 06:34 PM

Originally posted by CTMartin:
I'm curious which system you're using. The WEB sites for Prismiq and Rio Digital Audio Receiver say that they are not (yet) compatible with the Mac.

Might this type of device be something the rumor mills are talking about coming from Apple soon?

I'm looking forward to the apple device, myself. I expect it to be a video-ipod.

But, to answer your question -- the software on some devices (like the audiotron) expect to use windows networking, others don't much care. My network at home supports both platforms. I keep my audio files on a windows file server (sad as that sounds). I configured iTunes to use the files but not copy them to it's own repository. That way, all my boxes (pc's, stereos and mac's) can all share the (growing) audio library.

Folks offering USB suggestions are right on too. That's a fine solution. I forgot to mention two other options: the slimp3 (very nice), and the eye-home (elgato systems) -- which let's you share video, audio and images from your mac to your stereo/tv. Very nice.

normr · Mar 21, 2004, 07:05 PM

Monster cable makes the icable which has a stereo miniplug on one end and RCA connectors on the other.

duncan007 · Mar 21, 2004, 10:34 PM

Originally posted by duncan007:
Would like to connect my mac to my stereo system. Mac is on opposite side of living room from stereo equipement? at least 12ft. Please give detailed description of connection. I do have firewire and Usb ports. Can I run itunes thru my system? I use Comcast Cable ISP

Thanks

DeniD

Thanks, will use
www.Rokulabs.com

player works like slimp3 and my ethernet card no cables...THANKS everyone
DeniD

duncan007 · Mar 21, 2004, 10:39 PM

Originally posted by Alceste:
A slimp3
slimp3

Mine is wired via ethernet, but the newer ones are wireless. It's pricey,(299) but it's really great. It doesn't use iTunes directly BUT it does use the iTunes directory and xml file (so you can still use iTunes to organize the music).

You can also use an powermate and Detour (combined cost of 50 bucks or so), but you have have your mac wired up to the stereo.

Hope this helps.

Thanks!
Was checking this out...
www.Rokulabs.com
DeniD

kuzelnik · Mar 22, 2004, 12:16 AM

I use one of these . . no cables or cords . . .

http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...t%5Fid=15-2572

Just plug one end into your Mac stereo output and the other pod into your stereo input jack. Also works for video if you hook it up to your VCR.

higgybaby5 · Mar 22, 2004, 12:21 AM

Originally posted by Alceste:
A slimp3
slimp3

Mine is wired via ethernet, but the newer ones are wireless. It's pricey,(299) but it's really great. It doesn't use iTunes directly BUT it does use the iTunes directory and xml file (so you can still use iTunes to organize the music).

You can also use an powermate and Detour (combined cost of 50 bucks or so), but you have have your mac wired up to the stereo.

Hope this helps.

when you say it uses "xml file", what do you mean. if i were to go and buy a slimp3, would i have to convert all of my mp3s to xml in order to use it?

Spheric Harlot · Mar 22, 2004, 05:27 AM

Originally posted by higgybaby5:
when you say it uses "xml file", what do you mean. if i were to go and buy a slimp3, would i have to convert all of my mp3s to xml in order to use it?

.xml is a standard data format. iTunes stores its library information in an .xml file. the slimp3 uses this data file.

This has nothing to do with the format the music is in - mp3 is fine.

-s*

booboo · Mar 22, 2004, 03:43 PM

Just go to a pro-music/studio spares store and buy a stereo phono to phono cable of the length you require. They're readily available up to 5 metres.

(You could also buy the same at a 'hi-fi' store and pay at least 5 times as much.)

Whilst you're there, buy a stereo mini-jack to phono lead, and 2x female phono-tp-phono connectors. Use the connectors to join your long phono lead to the phono-to-mini-jack lead. (I feel this is much better than having a heavy mini-jack to female phono connector hanging out the back of your G5)

You will end up with a long lead with phono plugs at one end (to plug into your amplifier) and a stereo mini-jack at the other (to plug into your Mac's 'sound out'.)

Total cost about �8/$14