Is it possible to hook up external speakers for the MacBook? If so, what do people recommend?
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speakers for macbook
- Thread starter john2006wright
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So would the JBL Creature II 2.1 speakers that apple sell be a good purchase? I want them for watching movies and listening to music (not gaming)
They should sound great. My headphones when left on the desk sound better than the built in speakers. 
altec lansing has the best speakers hands down...if you can find some of those with some subs then you're in business...I picked up a brand new set for $1 (had some coupons, but they were marked down to $25) at office depot yesterday...their bass and quality are always superb IMO
Don't know why my post didn't go through before.....
Do not use the Macbook's headphone jack as if it were a real line out. The sound quality will suffer. Get a Griffin iMic if you want to stick with cheaper speakers.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/iMic/
Do not use the Macbook's headphone jack as if it were a real line out. The sound quality will suffer. Get a Griffin iMic if you want to stick with cheaper speakers.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/iMic/
John: I just went through the exact same thing last month, and ended up getting a white pair of brand new JBL Creature 2's from Buy.com for $35 ($45 - $10 Google Checkout coupon + free Budget shipping). I had them in 4 days and couldn't be happier. Yes, there are much better sounding speakers out there than this (maybe the SoundSticks?), but they also cost 3 times as much, or even more.
I've mainly used the Creatures for listening to iTunes music/radio/podcasts and they sound great. Sure, the mid-range is a little lacking, but at the Buy.com price, you are essentially getting a $100 speaker system for a third of the price.
IMHO, it all works best with the sub-woofer on the floor, while keeping the small satellites on your desk. Plus, they look really good with the white MacBook I have.
I also hooked them up to my HDTV, and was very impressed. The only downside is that they aren't remote-controlled for the volume......otherwise I'd be buying another set!
To sum up, the first time my girlfriend heard them, she got straight on my Mac and ordered the Aluminum-coloured ones for her HP desktop.
Give them a try. I don't think you'll regret it.
- Nigel
Creature speakers sound very good, and they add a bit of style to your desk. I would say that they are probably the best speakers one can get for the money, as they can be found cheap if you shop around a bit. Of course, there are many better speakers out there, but you'd have to go over $100 to get them, which just isn't worth it for most people (creatures can be found for about $50 online).