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Kelvasco · Nov 29, 2007, 03:13 PM

Hey, hopefully tomorrow I should be getting my shiny new 24" iMac. I was wondering if it was possible to connect the iMac to 2 set of speakers ( well a surround sound and headphones ), the connection to the surround sound can be connected via 5.1 analog or co-axial and the headphones by the usual 3.5mm. These outputs are only going to be used on occasion so I was wondering if you can choice the ouput between built-in speakers, surround sound and headphones with all three connected all the time. Thanks very much, Kel.

0157988944 · Nov 29, 2007, 04:46 PM

i know you can do headphones, I don't think you can do the other stuff, but don't quote me on that.

mduell · Nov 29, 2007, 06:20 PM

The iMac has neither 5.1 analog nor coax outputs, so you'd need to buy an external Firewire or USB sound card for that. Built in speakers should be automatically disabled when you plug headphones in.

Cave Man · Nov 30, 2007, 02:22 AM

The iMac has a single dual-purpose audio out port. It will give you analog audio with 1/8" stereo plug to drive conventional speaker/headphones, or you can connect it with a Toslink cable to an optical input on a digital audio device, such as a receiver. You are limited to outputting 5-channel surround sound (e.g., Dolby Pro Logic II) using the analog connection (and provided your amp can decode DPLII). The Toslink cable can deliver up to DPLII or passthrough of AC-3 audio (5.1 Dolby Digital) if you use VLC with MKV files. Supposedly, DVD Player app will also passthrough AC-3, but my Onkyo receiver always reports it as DPLII. Only VLC passthrough is reported as DD with my setup.

badidea · Nov 30, 2007, 06:10 AM

Originally Posted by Cave Man

DVD Player app will also passthrough AC-3, but my Onkyo receiver always reports it as DPLII. Only VLC passthrough is reported as DD with my setup.

Weird - DVD player does passthrough AC-3 to my Harman/Kardon Reciever without problems!
Do you have the option "use SPDIF if available" (<- or similar wording) turned on in the prefs?

Cave Man · Nov 30, 2007, 10:32 AM

The only audio option in DVD Player (10.5.1) is System Sound Output. In the System Prefs Sound panel, there's nothing else, either. What I don't understand is why VLC will passthrough (it has its own S/PDIF setting), but nothing so conspicuous in DVD Player. If I play MKV/AC-3 videos (all through a Toslink cable) my Onkyo receiver reports it as Dolby Digital. But if I do the same with DVD Player with the Dolby Digital 5.1 track enabled, the receiver reports it as DPLII. Strange.

Gankdawg · Nov 30, 2007, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by mduell

Built in speakers should be automatically disabled when you plug headphones in.

Except when you restart -- the sound comes out of the built-in speakers. So annoying.

0157988944 · Nov 30, 2007, 04:11 PM

why? It's less than 2 second chime.

Gankdawg · Nov 30, 2007, 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by adamfishercox

why? It's less than 2 second chime.

What's annoying to me probably isn't annoying to you but here goes:

With prior Macs, you have total control of the startup chime. If you didn't want to hear at all, you could just plug something into the headphone jack and that would mute it. Or, if you have speakers plugged in, you could turn them all the way down. Turning the sound down all the way, or even muting the sound, before a restart has NO affect on my iMac. So I have no way that I can figure out how to silence or lessen the startup chime. Ever hear of an iMac in the bedroom where others may be sleeping? What if you want to restart into Bootcamp to play games? What if you are doing updates before you go to work and that requires a restart.

If I lived alone, I wouldn't care so much. Regardless of that though, it's still too loud.

0157988944 · Nov 30, 2007, 10:33 PM

the startup sound chimes at the volume of your last settings. So mute your volume before shutting down.

Gankdawg · Dec 1, 2007, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by adamfishercox

the startup sound chimes at the volume of your last settings. So mute your volume before shutting down.

Originally Posted by Gankdawg

Turning the sound down all the way, or even muting the sound, before a restart has NO affect on my iMac

...

badidea · Dec 1, 2007, 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by Cave Man

The only audio option in DVD Player (10.5.1) is System Sound Output. In the System Prefs Sound panel, there's nothing else, either. What I don't understand is why VLC will passthrough (it has its own S/PDIF setting), but nothing so conspicuous in DVD Player. If I play MKV/AC-3 videos (all through a Toslink cable) my Onkyo receiver reports it as Dolby Digital. But if I do the same with DVD Player with the Dolby Digital 5.1 track enabled, the receiver reports it as DPLII. Strange.

Yeah, I just realized that the option "use S/PDIF when available" is in VLC and not in DVD Player.
DVD Player gives me the option to use "System Sound Output" and "Digital Out - Build-In Output" though!

(I have a 24" white iMac connected to a Harman/Kardon Receiver with an optical cable)

Cave Man · Dec 1, 2007, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by badidea

Yeah, I just realized that the option "use S/PDIF when available" is in VLC and not in DVD Player. DVD Player gives me the option to use "System Sound Output" and "Digital Out - Build-In Output" though!

(I have a 24" white iMac connected to a Harman/Kardon Receiver with an optical cable)

I have Terminator 3 in right now and under the DVD Player app preferences, the Disk Setup, Audio section Audio Output is grayed and set to System Sound Output. How can I get this to be active so that I can try to see if it allows Digital Out? I've looked in System Preferences Sound panel and there's nothing I can do there, it appears. I'm using a Toslink cable for S/PDIF and VLC sends Dolby Digital to my Onkyo receiver. My Sound panel says Digital Out with Built-In Out for its type.

Cave Man · Dec 1, 2007, 04:18 PM

Crap. I just figured it out. If you open a DVD (or its VIDEO_TS folder) you're locked from changing Audio Out in the DVD Player preferences. I quit DVD Player, then relaunched it and set the Digital Audio Out before opening the VIDEO_TS folder. Homer Simpson moment...

P · Dec 2, 2007, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by Kelvasco

Hey, hopefully tomorrow I should be getting my shiny new 24" iMac. I was wondering if it was possible to connect the iMac to 2 set of speakers ( well a surround sound and headphones ), the connection to the surround sound can be connected via 5.1 analog or co-axial and the headphones by the usual 3.5mm. These outputs are only going to be used on occasion so I was wondering if you can choice the ouput between built-in speakers, surround sound and headphones with all three connected all the time. Thanks very much, Kel.

Your question got sort of lost here...

The iMac doesn't have multiple analog (and no DDL, so no surround sound from games). Best bet is to use a receiver that accepts optical audio in and has a headphone plug as well as the regular 5.1 (or 7.1) speakers - most home theater receivers work that way. That way you would get 5.1 sound from movies, Dolby Pro Logic II from all other things and use speakers when you want to.