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Can I listen through iMac speakers?

2012Tony2012

2012Tony2012

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Dec 2, 2012
741
3
I have an 3.5mm plug connected into my iMac and TV, and when my TV is off I want to listen to sound on my iMac, but it won't play on my iMac unless I pull the plug out which gets annoying and tedious task every day.

Any other solution?
 
Other option

You can go to system preferences and then go to audio and change the audio out to headphone jack or internal speakers
 
sounddesigner said:
You can go to system preferences and then go to audio and change the audio out to headphone jack or internal speakers
Click to expand...

Do you mean click on SOUND? In output there is only one thing listed, Headphones. Why is that seeing I have no headphones? Does the Mac think the cable going from Mac to TV is a headphone?:eek: And why isn't the internal speakers listed?

----------
initialsBB said:
Or hold down the alt key and click on the sound level icon in the menu bar.
Click to expand...

My keyboard don't have an ALT key?:eek:
 
Sorry thought it would work the same as my interface... but I think its becouse OS thinks u can just pull out the headphones if u want to use the speakers.. I cant think of any other work around to just pulling it out
 
sounddesigner said:
Sorry thought it would work the same as my interface... but I think its becouse OS thinks u can just pull out the headphones if u want to use the speakers.. I cant think of any other work around to just pulling it out
Click to expand...

I have a Mini display port to Optical coming in the mail want to have it hooked to my Surround Sound Onkyo. Are you saying I cant have it plugged in and just enable my iMac speakers to listen out of them? Id have to pull this plug to listen out of my iMac and not the Surround Sound?

Bummer if so
 
bobright said:
I have a Mini display port to Optical coming in the mail want to have it hooked to my Surround Sound Onkyo. Are you saying I cant have it plugged in and just enable my iMac speakers to listen out of them? Id have to pull this plug to listen out of my iMac and not the Surround Sound?

Bummer if so
Click to expand...

yeah u can do it that way just not through headphone port
 
initialsBB said:
Or hold down the alt key and click on the sound level icon in the menu bar.
Click to expand...

It only shows headphones, not internal speakers:(

But when I pull plug out, it only shows internal speakers and not headphones.

Is there a way to have my Mac show BOTH, headphones and internal speakers so I can switch between the 2 without always having to pull out and plug in the audio cable?
 
So it seems the only solution is to pull out the plug whenever I want to listen through Mac and put the plug in when I want to watch my Mac videos on my TV? :(

So my next question....does it harm the iMac if I pull out and put in the audio cable into the iMac when it's TURNED ON?:eek:
 
2012Tony2012 said:
So it seems the only solution is to pull out the plug whenever I want to listen through Mac and put the plug in when I want to watch my Mac videos on my TV? :(

So my next question....does it harm the iMac if I pull out and put in the audio cable into the iMac when it's TURNED ON?:eek:
Click to expand...
So id have to pull out the Ministoslink to hear the iMacs speakers?
 
USB audio adapter

Get a USB audio adapter. It basically adds another set of headphone and mic jacks to your computer. Use this for your audio out to TV.

Something like this:
USB-AUDIO3_LR.jpg

http://www.buy.com/prod/qvs-usbaudio3-usb-to-2-1-stereo-audio-adapter/226049977.html


This will free up your headphone jack and you will end up with something like this in your Sound preferences:

3005nqa.jpg


Make sure check the box on the bottom circled in red.


Now option/click (alt/click) on the speaker in the menu bar will allow you toggle your audio choice.

v30n5v.jpg



Not the most elegant solution but, No more unplugging...
 
Last edited:
macdaddykane said:
Get a USB audio adapter. It basically adds another set of headphone and mic jacks to your computer. Use this for your audio out to TV.

Something like this:
Image
http://www.buy.com/prod/qvs-usbaudio3-usb-to-2-1-stereo-audio-adapter/226049977.html


This will free up your headphone jack and you will end up with something like this in your Sound preferences:

Image

Make sure check the box on the bottom circled in red.


Now option/click (alt/click) on the speaker in the menu bar will allow you toggle your audio choice.

Image


Not the most elegant solution but, No more unplugging...
Click to expand...
Nice, but why doesn't it already have the sound Output preferences like that already? Where either the Minitoslink/Headphone output or iMac default speakers can be enabled?

BTW if I go this route with the adapter it doesn't effect sound quality since it isn't the native port?
 
bobright said:
Nice, but why doesn't it already have the sound Output preferences like that already? Where either the Minitoslink/Headphone output or iMac default speakers can be enabled?

BTW if I go this route with the adapter it doesn't effect sound quality since it isn't the native port?
Click to expand...

For some reason when they designed the iMac, if you plug something into the built in audio out/headphone jack, it disables the built-in speakers. I believe that this is the way iMac is hard-wired and it is not a software/OS function (Though I could be wrong).

My prefs with empty headphone jack

v30n5v.jpg




with something plugged in headphone jack

333cqi1.jpg



The only way I found around this is to add a usb sound out adapter.
They sold are in various levels of quality from simple stereo to full 3d surround.
How they stack up against the built-in head phone jack in terms of sound quality, I can't really say. I'm not much of any audiophile.
But it does work and its how i connect to my reasonably mediocre home sound system.
 
Does it harm the iMac if I pull out and put in the audio cable into the iMac when it's TURNED ON?
 
macdaddykane said:
For some reason when they designed the iMac, if you plug something into the built in audio out/headphone jack, it disables the built-in speakers. I believe that this is the way iMac is hard-wired and it is not a software/OS function (Though I could be wrong).
Click to expand...

I thought it was software based simply because when you have external speakers connected to your iMac and then you restart the system.

The apple chime comes out of the built-in speakers at boot up, once OS X is up sound comes out of the connected speakers.
 
Plugging a headphone jack in and out of your phone doesn't break it so why would it damage a more powerful and more capable machine.

It doesn't do anything except change where the sound comes out.

I hate the fact that the headphone jack is on the back. You either need an I credibly long headphone cable or have to sit right up next to the iMac.

Apple should either move the jack or include a pair of very long lead headphones with the iMac.
 
spinstorm said:
Plugging a headphone jack in and out of your phone doesn't break it so why would it damage a more powerful and more capable machine.

It doesn't do anything except change where the sound comes out.

I hate the fact that the headphone jack is on the back. You either need an I credibly long headphone cable or have to sit right up next to the iMac.

Apple should either move the jack or include a pair of very long lead headphones with the iMac.
Click to expand...

Or just buy a male->female 3.5mm extension cable....
 
I am very surprised that nobody at Apple could have better foresight to include the ability to choose between 2 different audio outputs. Even the people at Microsoft were smart enough to think of that lol :eek:
 
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