Connecting iMac to stereo receiver

I am trying to figure out the best way to connect my iMac to a stereo receiver. Which option will result in superior sound on my home stereo: (1) running a TOSLINK cable from the iMac's optical digital audio out port to the receiver's optical input or (2) connecting the iMac to the receiver using a USB DAC?
Thanks for your help.

I do not agree. The headphone amp outputs a conventional two channel analog signal on the multi-purpose 3.5 mm audio output jack on all Intel iMacs. But that same jack outputs a digital optical signal if the iMac senses a mini-Toslink adaptor plug has been inserted instead of an analog stereo TRS (tip ring sleeve) plug.
IOW, the same jack furnishes two entirely different kinds of output (analog or digital) depending on what is plugged into it. The digital output encodes the audio (which could consist of multiple channels of audio) on a single beam of digitally modulated light. The analog output is two separate signals, each on its own electrical conductor, derived from the internal DAC in the iMac & amplified by the amp to provide enough power to drive headphones.
It is possible that the amp does double duty to also drive the light source for the digital output, but that is in no way is comparable to using it to drive headphones -- for the digital output all it would have to do is switch the light level between the digital high & low states.
My guess is that whoever told you about the headphone amp either did not know about the dual function of the jack or thought you were talking about an analog connection to your stereo.

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Trouble connecting iMac to stereo receiver

For the past couple of years I've been playing the MP3s on my G5 iMac through a Sony receiver (STR-DE197) with home stereo speakers. I use an RCA connector to connect the computer's audio output jack to the receiver. Last night, I unplugged the receiver for a few minutes, and when I plugged it back in, there was no sound. I know that there's nothing wrong with the receiver, because I can still listen to my iPod through it without any problems. I'm pretty sure there's nothing wrong with the RCA connector or with the receiver's input jacks, for the same reason. The computer's audio output also seems fine. I can still listen to music through headphones plugged into the audio output jack. Yet for some reason I can't get anything to come through the receiver, and it's driving me crazy. Any help would be hugely appreciated! thanks.

So if you connect your iPod to the same connector that you plug into the iMac, the stereo works. If you connect earbuds to the iMac's audio output, they work. But if you connect that same connector that goes to the stereo to the iMac's audio output, it does not work? Very strange...
First, make sure you did mistakenly connect it to the iMac's audio input port by mistake.
Also, go to the System Preferences Sound pane Output tab. On the list of sound output devices, when you connect the jack into the audio output port, the Name should change from +Internal Speakers+ to Headphones. So make sure the system acknowledges you plugged something into the port. The OS stores the volume level for Internal Speakers separately from Headphones, so make sure the setting for Headphones did not get set to Mute somehow.
Sound volume is stored in PRAM, so you can also try resetting PRAM.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379

How do I play itunes/imac through stereo receiver?

How do I play itunes/imac through stereo receiver?
iMac late 2012 > vintage NAD 7140 receiver. How do I accomplish this?
Thanks.

How do I play itunes/imac through stereo receiver?
iMac late 2012 > vintage NAD 7140 receiver. How do I accomplish this?
Thanks.

Connect to a stereo receiver?

I feel stupid asking such a basic question, but I'd like to listen to the music on my ipod by connecting it to the stereo receiver I drive my home speakers with instead of using headphones. Is this as simple as finding an audio cable that plugs into the iPod headphones jack at one end, and plugging into an auxilary input or phono input on the receiver end? Seems as if this will have to be some kind of hybrid cable since the receiver has dual (R/L) jack inputs.

Yep, all you need is a cable with a 1/8" Stereo plug on one end (the headphone plug like on your ear buds) and the other side is a pair of RCA plugs. This is a fairly common type of cable that you can buy in many places. You could pay a lot and get a nice white shiny Apple one. Or just go to your local Radio Shack and pick up a generic one for much less.
Example: http://tinyurl.com/ywvf5h
Patrick

Connecting iPOD to stereo receiver

Sorry if this has been asked before but I couldn't find anything posted.
I have an 80 gig Fifth Generation iPOD and was wondering if there was a way to connect it to my stereo receiver by use of RCA plugs or other wired means??? I know I could use a radio transmitter but I haven't found one that works very well.
Many thanks in advance,
Rich
PS - Although this is my first time posting a question, you guys and gals have helped me countless times after reading your posts. You're the best!!!
Dell Windows XP

Hi Rich,
Yes you can buy a simple patch cable from Radio Shack that gives you the stero headphone jack on one side and a pair of RCA jacks on the other and go to your stereo. I have found with mine, using one of those cassette adapters, I do have to crank up the iPod volume to almost max to make it sound the same volume on the car stereo as the other sound sources (radio, CD player, etc.). But other than that, it works fine.
Like this one for $7... http://tinyurl.com/ypo8o6
Or you can buy one of the fancier made for iPod docks that will give you this same ability with some also providing charging power to the ipod as well.
Patrick

Connect Imac to Stereo via Headphone Jack & 2nd Stereo via Airport Express

I have two whole-house stereo systems; one serving the lower level (basement) of my house and another serving the first and second floors. My iMac is on the lower level. The house was prewired with two coax cables (standard cable TV-type cables) from the area behind my stereo on the lower level to the room where my iMac is located. Using adapters from Radio Shack, I was able to directly connect my iMac to my home stereo on the lower level. I can currently play my iTunes on my lower level stereo by plugging the cable into the headphone jack on my iMac.
I am set up with a wireless network using a Linksys WRT54G. I would like to be able to also stream music from iTunes on my iMac to my home stereo on the first floor. I realize I can do this with the use of Airport Express.
My goal is to be able to play the same music from iTunes on my iMac on both stereos simultaneously. My question is; if I have my lower level stereo connected to my iMac via the headphone jack, will I still be able to stream the same music from iTunes to my upper level stereo via Airport Express? I'm concerned that by connecting the lower level stereo to the headphone jack, the music will not be able to be streamed wirelessly to the upper level stereo.
Thank you in advance for your time.
iMac 24 in. Mac OS X (10.4.8) Wireless keyboard & mouse, Linksys WRT-54G connected wirelessly

Hi.
Assuming your iMac is no more than 50 feet from where you intend to locate the express then:
You will need to configure your airport express to join your current wireless network in client mode (otherwise you won't be able to use the internet and the express at the same time).
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302153
In iTunes there is an option to select multiple speakers. Thus you select this and then check the desired options. Hence you can have music coming out of the speakers/hadphone jack on your iMac AND out of the speakers connected to the airport express.

Music from external HD- iMac- Airport Express- stereo receiver- speakers?

Can I stream my music from my external HD to my iMac (current set-up, which works) to a new Airport Express which will be connected to a stereo receiver and speakers, and avoid going through my older D-Link router? In other words, will my (fairly new) iMac talk wirelessly to a new AE?
Reading all the posts about various ways to set this up is giving me a headache ....
Thanks in advance.

The default "out-of-the-box" mode of the AX is a wireless router. That means that the AX will broadcast its own wireless network when powered-up. Since you already have a wireless router you, in effect, will have two wireless networks operating at the same time if you leave the AX in its default configuration ... and why you would have to change to the wireless network created by the AX in order to stream iTunes.
The inconvenience of this, of course, is that you would have to switch to the D-Link's wireless network when you want Internet access and to the AX's when streaming. To overcome this problem, the AX would need to be configured to "join a wireless network"; in this case, that would be the network created by the D-Link. Once the AX is joined, you will be able to access the Internet & stream iTunes simultaneously.
To reconfigure the AX to do so, I suggest that you first access the AX's wireless network from your iMac's built-in AirPort (on the menubar). (Note: The default network name of the AX would be something like AirPort Network xxxxxx, where the x's are the last six digits of the AX's AirPort ID (printed on the label attached to the AX).) Then use the AirPort Utility, in "Assist Me" mode, and follow the directions to join a wireless network.

How can i connect my Imac sound to my stereo receiver speakers and not disconnect the computer's speakers?

I find lots of confusing answers re how to connect my Imac to my stereo receiver, and I aldso want to avoid cutting of the Imac's speakers entirely when the sound goes to the stereo receiver and thsu to the larger speakers. Is there a way to switch between them, or can i keep them running simultaneously, which is what I'd really prefer? What do i need to go to Radio Shack to purchase?
FYI, I have a 27" desktop Imac purchased 3 months ago, running Mountain Lion, and the receiver I want to connect to is an Onkyo TX-8050, wityh lotys of available ports in back - digital, universal, ethernet, and many rca ports "in."

I think this should work, although the description doesn't appear to cover this use. Call Griffin to confirm.
FAQ's
http://www.griffintechnology.com/support/imic
http://store.griffintechnology.com/imic
http://www.jr.com/griffin-technology/pe/GRF_GC16035/

Connecting iMac 24" to Stereo System

I've just ordered a 24" iMac 3.06 Ghz machine. I would like to use the optical interface to connect to a stereo system (hopefully with 5:1 surround sound support). Can I do this? What currently sold brands and models of receivers allow this? Will I have to buy the optical cable separately?
I have also purchased the 24" Cinema Display for dual head computing. I know it has its own sound options. But my Infinity speakers are likely to be better (plus I have a Velodyne sub)
I do have a rather old Sony STR-G3. I do not know if it supports the right connection type.
Thank you.

Hornet Developer,
Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new iMac. You should be able to successfully connect your iMac to a hi-fi system and get 5.1 sound on at least iTunes material. This is assuming of course the content in iTunes was recorded in 5.1. In fact if you have an Airport Express you can even do it wirelessly, using Apples Air Tunes feature.
This will work with any receiver that supports optical input, there are even some powered speakers available so this would work with them as well.
Yes you do need to purchase a separate cable however they are relatively inexpensive. An example would be something like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Optical-TOSLink-to-Mini-AUDIO-Cable-6ft-for-Apple-MacW0QQitemZ230378402121QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item35a39f7149&_ trksid=p4999.c0.m14#ht_1400wt1170
Assuming your Sony STR-G3 supports optical in and it's functioning OK you should only need a cable to connect your iMac and you're good to go. If you want to do this wirelessly you would need to get a cable and the Airport Express which would connect to your wireless network. I do this myself with my Imac, my wireless router is the Airport Extreme and I have a Airport Express connected to a B&K Reference 50 Pre-Pro which is connected (via my separate amp) to my B&W Nautilus speakers.
Regards,
Roger

I recently purchased an Onkyo stereo receiver with a wireless USB adapter, UWF-1, and want to stream audio from my MacBook Pro through my stereo system. The receiver tells me it is connected to my wireless LAN, but I cannot get music to play?

New to the community here, thanks for your patience. I recently purchased an Onkyo TX-8050 Network Stereo Receiver with the UWF-1 USB adapter with the intent to stream audio from my MacBook Pro to the stereo. I have gone through the setup instructions for the adapter and the receiver gives me a message saying that it is connected to the password protected network, but that is as far as I can get.
I have gone into iTunes and clicked on the "Open Stream" option, but I just get a pop up box labeled "URL" that is empty. I have Home Sharing turned on and File Sharing turned on, but I am not seeing the receiver in my Finder window or as a iTunes device.
I would appreciate any and all advice and assistance.
Thanks so much.
Dan

So I have been searching the iStore for Airplay and I find lots of information about what it is, but nothing about how much it costs, how/where to buy it, etc.?
Fortunately, AirPlay does not cost anything as it is a streaming protocol used by Apple. Currently, the AirPort Express and Apple TV are AirPlay-ready. A number of other companies, like JBL, iHome, Denon and Klipsch are also rumored to be working on AirPlay versions of their products.
Your other option would be to get an AirPort Express and connect it to your Onkyo analog or optical digital audio input and stream from iTunes that way. I currently do this with my 10+ year old Harmon Kardon HT receiver.

Can I connect a stereo receiver to Apple TV and stream iTunes to my stereo?

I copied this question from a discussion archived from 2008, it's pretty much my question, although I hope to get a little more information on the answers... My stereo receiver (Sony STR-D511) is an older one but currently my TV (signal from Directv DVR) plays through the receiver on video 1 but I can't get the Apple TV to play through the stereo... My TV is quite new, a philips 1080, and the Apple TV is hooked in to HDMI 3, the Directv box is hooked into AV3, I believe I'm having issue with all the different sources my TV has and somehow I'm unable to cross the paths (make the connections) any ideas would be greatly appreciated as I would like the ability to play my itunes via Apple TV through my stereo receiver so that it's on the Stereo speakers rather then the TV Speakers.

Hi, and firstly thanks for the reply... I think my TV back has different labeled areas, so I took a photo and posted -- I'm bad with the electronics terms and the translating of it all - ( I attached a pic) - I hope this helps with the photos you can also see where I have
thing plugged in - that one with svideo/rca cables is AV 3, where my DVRbox is going - the red/white cables on the right without a yellow go to my video 1 input on my receiver... the cables on the side are for my dvd player which the audio only works thru TV as well... then also below the red/white ones is HDMI3 where the apple tv is going... that's why i thought the stereo would work because its right below the cables that go to the stereo?
i hope this helps thanks again for your time
cheers
L-

What is the process for connecting ethernet. Have ethernet cable connected to stereo received for internet radio and Blue Ray. However Network System Preferences indicates ethernet not connected and has red dot to left. Note Airport wireless is working.

What is the process for connecting airport extreme ethernet? I have ethernet cables connected to stereo receiver for internet radio and another to blue ray player. The system preference network indicates "ethernet not connected" with red dot to left of this message. The airport wireless works and has green dot to left of it. The stereo receiver and blue ray player do not respond and give message not connect to internet. Thank you. / cfpirate

It worked for me finally. I took out the DNS numbers in airport admin utility, and restarted the airport express. I do not remember putting the DNS numbers in, I wonder from where the airport express got those numbers.
After restarting, it worked.
Thanks!

Connect to stereo receiver via hdmi

Is it possible to connect my macbook pro to my stereo receiver with an hdmi cable. The receiver does not have a USB ports

Yes. You need a Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter. Once you have the adapter, just plug in the HDMI cable to an HDMI port on your reciever.
A good, cheap adapter -> http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=104&cp_id=10428&cs_id=1042802&p_id=5311&se q=1&format=2.
Good luck,
Clinton

Connecting DVD player, speakers and stereo receiver to mac pro

I'd like to 'integrate' my living room system with my Mac Pro.
This entails connecting my living room speakers and digital DVD player to my Mac. My stereo receiver is outdated so I plan to buy a new one. The reason I want to connect the DVD player is so I can use the remote control with it. Unless there's a remote I can buy for the Mac Pro ?
(1) What cables do I need to connect a stereo receiver
(2) Can anyone recommend a good receiver that's compatible with Mac
(3) What do I need to connect my speakers to my Mac ? The speaker connect with standard speaker wire, + and -
thanks

I'd like to 'integrate' my living room system with my Mac Pro.
This entails connecting my living room speakers and digital DVD player to my Mac. My stereo receiver is outdated so I plan to buy a new one. The reason I want to connect the DVD player is so I can use the remote control with it. Unless there's a remote I can buy for the Mac Pro ?
There are several remotes for the Mac Pro that will control its DVD player, such as
<http://www.tripplite.com/en/products/model.cfm?txtSeriesID=517&txtModelID=3910>
(3) What do I need to connect my speakers to my Mac ? The speaker connect with standard speaker wire, + and -
The Mac Pro can't drive speakers directly. You need powered speaker, ao an amplifier.

RGB Stereo Receiver/Monitor TV connect to Macbook Pro?

I recently acquired a RGB Stereo Receiver/Monitor TV circa 1985 for free. Is there a way to connect to my Macbook Pro and watch DVDs on or stream movies onto the tv screen?
Any help would be wonderful. Thanks!

In this age of technology your free unit is ready for the Smithsonian Museum. I suppose if you had one of those digital/analogue converter boxes and exceptional electronic skills you could conger up a connection. Sorry to disappoint you, but their is no practical way of doing this.
Ciao.

Connecting iMac to stereo receiver

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