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Is my Cambridge Soundworks Four Point Surround compatible with Mac?

M

maw4bc

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 11, 2009
149
0
I have been using this sound system since about 98 and i have yet to find one that can output something nearly as good as this. This thing is LOUD!! Bass is great and sound is crisp. But as of about 2 years ago I haven't been using a PC so I am wondering if I can get this this hooked up to a mac. Can someone give me an answer on this?

Here is the unit:
http://download.cambridgesoundworks.com/manuals/FPS2000.pdf

My set up on my old PC was a sound card that I would plug the Audio inputs (left and right) in. Also would plug in the Digit DIN into the Cambridge and it had a converter that would go to the audio out on the sound card.

Thanks for the help.
 
Seems to have a normal Cinch input, which is the standard input for consumer audio devices apart from an optical input.
So the answer is yes.
 
Transporteur said:
Seems to have a normal Cinch input, which is the standard input for consumer audio devices apart from an optical input.
So the answer is yes.
Click to expand...

What exactly is a cinch input? all I see on the unit as far as inputs is:

Audio Inputs [ Front , Back ]
Digital DIN
 
They can be most colours:
 

Attachments

  • RCA.jpg
    RCA.jpg
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I have this, they aren't RCA, they are 1/8" or 3.5mm regular jacks, like on headphones.

You can hook them up with a male/male cable. but you'll only get sound out of 2 of the speakers and the sub. If you want sound out of all 4, you'll need to get a splitter, but you'll only have double stereo, (2 left and 2 right), not surround.

pictures:
male/male cable
splitter

links are to monoprice, you can get these online, or at your nearest electronics store (shack, best buy, etc...)

the digital din, I don't believe there is anything available to make that work on macs.
 
haha, this is the exact system I had!
I connected it with the analog pins (1/8) since the digital din doesn't really exist anymore.
I think it's the same signal than a S/PDIF (with can be converted from a Toslink cable), but I never saw an adaptator doing S/PDIF to the Digital DIN cable.
 
waw74 said:
I have this, they aren't RCA, they are 1/8" or 3.5mm regular jacks, like on headphones.

You can hook them up with a male/male cable. but you'll only get sound out of 2 of the speakers and the sub. If you want sound out of all 4, you'll need to get a splitter, but you'll only have double stereo, (2 left and 2 right), not surround.

pictures:
male/male cable
splitter

links are to monoprice, you can get these online, or at your nearest electronics store (shack, best buy, etc...)

the digital din, I don't believe there is anything available to make that work on macs.
Click to expand...

Are you using this system with your mac setup? If so, How are you set up?
 
Mr. Frog said:
haha, this is the exact system I had!
I connected it with the analog pins (1/8) since the digital din doesn't really exist anymore.
I think it's the same signal than a S/PDIF (with can be converted from a Toslink cable), but I never saw an adaptator doing S/PDIF to the Digital DIN cable.
Click to expand...

Then you know how great the sound is on the PC's I have had! Did you ever get it working on any of your mac setup?
 
I use it with the analog connection, with only the sub and 2 speakers. The sound still rocks! (I use a big high-quality wire)

I checked, and I don't think it's possible to use the Digital DIN connection:
http://www.fixya.com/support/t94928-cambridge_soundworks_fps2000_using

It's not compatible with the AC3 S/PDIF signal, you'll need another decoder for that, but if a such decode still exist, I don't know if it's compatible with a Mac and it's gonna cost a bit.
 
Mr. Frog said:
I use it with the analog connection, with only the sub and 2 speakers. The sound still rocks! (I use a big high-quality wire)

I checked, and I don't think it's possible to use the Digital DIN connection:
http://www.fixya.com/support/t94928-cambridge_soundworks_fps2000_using

It's not compatible with the AC3 S/PDIF signal, you'll need another decoder for that, but if a such decode still exist, I don't know if it's compatible with a Mac and it's gonna cost a bit.
Click to expand...

Which wire you using? Thanks for all the help. Shame that I can't fully use these bad boys.
 
maw4bc said:
there is only [ left , right] and [ Digital DIN ]
Click to expand...

no, there's front, back, and digital din.

the cord is stereo, so plug it into the front, and the sound will come out of the front 2 speakers (nothing out of the back), if you get the splitter i mentioned earlier, you will get left of of front and back left, and right out of front and back right.
 
The manual states:

Note: If you have a stereo sound card (one without a rear stereo minijack line output), connect a green miniplug cable to the LINE OUT minijack of your sound card and the opposite green miniplug to the FRONT minijack on the subwoofer. This will cause both left front and left rear satellites to play the left stereo channel and both right satellites to play the right stereo channel.
Click to expand...
If I'm reading this right, it sounds like the unit will automatically route audio to both the front and back speakers if you only connect to the front jack.
 
mchalebk said:
The manual states:


If I'm reading this right, it sounds like the unit will automatically route audio to both the front and back speakers if you only connect to the front jack.
Click to expand...

Mr. Frog, Have you tested this by chance?

Really appreciate all the help I am getting here. Love these forums. What did people do before the internet?
 
maw4bc said:
Mr. Frog, Have you tested this by chance?
Click to expand...

If you've already got the speaker system, you could try this easily by simply plugging any stereo device (computer, iPod, etc.) into only the Front connector(leaving the Rear unconnected). If sound comes out of all four speakers, you're good to go. Of course, it won't be 4.0 surround; for that you would need a source that had front and rear.
 
maw4bc said:
What did people do before the internet?
Click to expand...

experimented
tried things out for themselves
learned from their mistakes
made themselves better prepared for the world
made themselves better problem solvers
didn't have to have everything handed to them on a plate

--------------
Just set the damn things up, play around, learn something, it's just an audio signal, the chances of you doing damage are pretty slim
 
waw74 said:
experimented
tried things out for themselves
learned from their mistakes
made themselves better prepared for the world
made themselves better problem solvers
didn't have to have everything handed to them on a plate

--------------
Just set the damn things up, play around, learn something, it's just an audio signal, the chances of you doing damage are pretty slim
Click to expand...

yup ive spent my whole life with things handed too me. Thanks for the personal attack when I am trying to get help on an issue I know nothing about. So if you ever have a neurological disorder and need to come into my clinic I will be sure to tell you the following:

experiment
try things for yourself
learn from your mistakes
make yourself better prepared for the world
make yourself a better problem solver
dont have everything handed to you on a plate.
 
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