G4 speakers adapter

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Now don't laugh !! I want to reuse my OLD speakers that came with my G4 iMac...you know those spheres that have that dedicated goofy plug that only fits the special G4 only input ? It's the input right next to the mini-headphones input. The input only existed on these G4 bubble bases..Anybody got an idea as to how I can adapt these or ever convert them to use on another mac ? I can still hear you laughing !!! try to help out a mac- head for 20 years! Thanks !!!
 
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I know what you mean, I still have the same speakers but not the computer because I love them so much.
The reason they have the strange plug on the end instead of a usual 3.5mm jack, is that the metal circle around the outside of the jack is a power source to boost the perfomance of the speakers.
So there really isn't much you can do with them.

- Simon
 
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Thanks

I appreciate the reply...I was at Radio Shack trying to find an adapter but, of course, no luck...I guess I'll just leave them on the shelf and breakdown and buy a small speaker sys. for my G5 PowerMac...I gotta have something to listen to while watching stuff on HuLu at work...
 
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HAHA very true, what would bumping off a bit of work to watch HuLu be without sound? lol

- Simon
 

pigoo3

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Not much you can do. I've seen & answered this question before. That plug on the iMac G4 speakers is pretty "different"...and if you've been a Mac User for 20 years...you know what I'm talking about (Apple's fondness for unique video ports & cables)!;)

The best you can do is get another iMac G4 to use those speakers with (assuming you no longer have your iMac G4)...or put the speakers up for sale on e-Bay or Craig's List (I'm sure someone out there could use them).:)

- Nick
 
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Nick-

Still using my old G4 at home...with a better audio sys... eBay here I come !

Thanks
 

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Nick-

Still using my old G4 at home...with a better audio sys... eBay here I come !

Thanks

I see. I'm looking for a pair of speakers similar to your iMac G4 spherical speakers for my Mac Cube. But like I mentioned above...Apple likes to "play around" with things...and so the original spherical speakers for the Mac Cube (which look just like the iMac G4 speakers)...have a USB connector rather than the "special" connector on the iMac G4 speakers.

So speakers from an iMac G4 won't physically work with a Mac Cube due to the connector/plug.:(

Good luck with e-Eay. If priced right...those speakers should see pretty easily.:)

- Nick
 
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iMac G4 Pro Speaker Connections

I'm trying to re-use the speakers too, but I have an electronics background and not scared to pull things apart. I've read a fair bit of rubbish on forums about how these are digital speakers, or have an amplifier in them. But YES there is a logic chip in the Y junction! I did one thing wrong in wrecking the Y junction in that I no-longer know which are the R and L connections.
The computer-end plug has 6 connections. Starting with the tip and moving in the direction of the wire and finally outwards to the outer ring, the connections are:
1 White wire: Speaker 1 +
2 Blue wire: Speaker 1 -
3 Brown wire: Speaker 2 -
4 Yellow wire: Speaker 2 +
5 Red wire: Logic chip signal
6 Black wire and all shields: Logic chip ground

All the speaker wires pass straight through the Y junction with the same colour, and you can see the colours where they connect to the speakers looking through the back of the speaker spheres.

The logic chip is a Dallas DS2430A 256-Bit 1-Wire EEPROM.
This chip is not connected to the speakers at all and has no effect on them. What is does is gives the computer the ability to detect that it is a genuine speaker plugged in and what kind of speaker it it (if there are different kinds).

To re-use these speakers, cut off the peculiar plug and wire on your own favourite kind(s). Do not connect the shields or the very fine red and black wires. There is no need to cut away the Y junction.
 
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Your Mac's Specs
2008 Mac Pro 3,1: 3.2Ghz octo
Now don't laugh !! I want to reuse my OLD speakers that came with my G4 iMac...you know those spheres that have that dedicated goofy plug that only fits the special G4 only input ? It's the input right next to the mini-headphones input. The input only existed on these G4 bubble bases..Anybody got an idea as to how I can adapt these or ever convert them to use on another mac ? I can still hear you laughing !!! try to help out a mac- head for 20 years! Thanks !!!

There is something called the Griffin PowerWave that can do this, the problem is they are expensive and hard to find. the same applies for the griffin ifire which does this job as well. if your willing to spend some money this would probably be the easiest way
 
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I see. I'm looking for a pair of speakers similar to your iMac G4 spherical speakers for my Mac Cube. But like I mentioned above...Apple likes to "play around" with things...and so the original spherical speakers for the Mac Cube (which look just like the iMac G4 speakers)...have a USB connector rather than the "special" connector on the iMac G4 speakers.

So speakers from an iMac G4 won't physically work with a Mac Cube due to the connector/plug.:(

Good luck with e-Eay. If priced right...those speakers should see pretty easily.:)

- Nick

If you don't mind having different speakers, I have found that A cheapy USB sound card works PERFECTLY for the cube because it gives the cube a 3.5mm and a line in.
 
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imac g4 speaker adapter

Hello, Thare is no adapter for the iMac g4 speakers what i did with my old g4 speakers i choped the two wires right before it goes into that white thing that puts into one than strip it until you get the two wires than your good to go (I use mine on my stereo)
 

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