Using iphone line-out

A couple years ago I made a custom cable to go from the dock connector on my iPod to my car stereo. This utilized the line-out signal from the dock connector, which is the right level for input to the stereo (and higher quality, as it bypasses the headphone amplifier). The cable also charges the ipod when it is plugged in.
I was hoping that I could use this same cable with my iphone, but unfortunately when I plug it in the audio continues to play from the built-in speaker. It does charge, but no sound.
So, does anyone have any information on how to "turn on" the iphone line-out? I would guess I need to drive some pin on the dock connector, which will signal the iphone that an accessory is connected, but I have not been able to find any information about this. Are there any documents for developers designing devices for the iphone that might be able to answer this question?
Thanks,
Alex

SendStation has released a revised version of its PocketDock Line Out USB some time ago, which is now also compatible with the iPhone: Line Out + Sync & Charge via USB.
http://www.sendstation.com/us/products/pocketdock/lineout-usb.html

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What is the iphone line out impedance

using the dock connector, what is the iphone line out impedance?

Welcome to Apple Discussions!
Is your Powerbook one that has Optical in and out? If it is, then it has SPDIF ports instead of the usual minijacks of older Powerbooks. You can tell by opening Apple menu -> About This Mac -> More Info -> selecting Audio (Built-in). If SPDIF is mentioned, then you have Optical in and out.
If it is, then I found this interesting article which may help you out:
http://www.epanorama.net/documents/audio/spdif.html

Using Audio-line out in MacPro

Hi,
I have recently switched to Mac from Windows. I have a good Altec Lansing speakers which I would like to continue using for sometime.
Normally the speakers contains black and green connectors and you connect the green to the audio out.
But connecting the green connector to the audio out in MacPro doesn't bring any sound.
What is this audio out? Can I use my Windows speakers with it?
The speakers works fine when I connect to the Headphone Jack in the front.
Any info is useful.
Cheers.
MacPro Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Getting the audio out to work the first time can at times be a little fiddly although once you have it working it's no problem after that. What I needed to do is, in the Sound System Preference, is to change the Output between the built-in speakers and the line out a few time while changing the system volume (via the keyboard) up and down inbetween.
I've never figured out why it's sometime like this but once you've fixed it its not a problem afterwards.

Possible to use audio line out and in simultaneously ?

In the current version of MacBook Pro Retina is it possible to use the analog audio line out and line in both simultaneously ? That is playback as well as record analog audio at the same time.
Does anyone know what is the audio hardward platform (Codec, DAC, ADC, etc..) in this machine ?
Thanks!

Air has a headset jack.
You can use a splitter
Mics should be USB capable for best results, almost all headset mics are junk quality.
then monitoring or listening thru the headphones
consider using a PRO MIC , such as an Audio Technica AT2020 USB
http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2020-USB-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B001AS6O YC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390776580&sr=8-1&keywords=at2020+usb
or better still use one of these with pro XLR mics:
http://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-2i2-USB-Recording-Interface/dp/B005OZE9SA/ref=sr _1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390776526&sr=8-1&keywords=2i2

IPhone dock 30-pin connector to line-out 3.5mm adapter/cable?

Hi folks,
I'm looking for a compact adaptor or cable to go from my iPhone 30-pin connector to a 3.5mm cable (or 3.5mm plug). Wondering if there are any recommendations, as some pre-date the iPhone and thus prompt the iPhone to switch to airport mode...
I've found:
SendStation - Products - PocketDock Line Mini Out USB (I don't need the USB part, but it's handy I guess)
http://www.inspiretech.com/p-483-dock-to-35-auxilary-audio-cable.aspx
IPHONE LINE OUT DOCK W/ 3.5MM JACK (WHITE COLOR) - eBay Other, Audio Cables Connectors, A V Accessories Cables, Electronics. (end time 17-Sep-09 02:25:07 AEST)
ZIP-AUDIO-IP1-B iPod/iPhone Retractable Stereo 3.5mm to iPod/iPhone Dock Connector (White), Apple Mac and iPod Accessories
There are no doubt other (maybe better?) options so look forward to any tips.
Cheers,
B

Did deeper research. It's apparently true that phone call audio is not and cannot be routed to the "line out" of the iPhone. I'm disappointed. It appears to be a hardware design thing, as I've found no app that would enable this, and darned if I can think of a situation that would have this capability as a downside.
tvengr

Weird Battery Usage Using the Dock's Line-Out

I have noticed something particularly weird about using my iPod w/the dock's line-out. (I have the original 60GB photo).
When I use the dock's line-out to connect to my home stereo via an RCA cable, I get roughly 3 hours of continuous play on a full charge before the battery meter changes decreases.
But when I use the dock's line-out to connect to my PC computer speakers via an RCA cable (at work), I get roughly 2 hours of continuous play on a full charge before the battery meter changes decreases.
Anyone have any ideas what may be causing the shorter battery life while listening via PC speakers?
Lisa

Hi Carl - thanks for the reply. I consistently get 15 hours of continuous play from my battery. Yep, the battery & meter are properly calibrated (in fact, I'm pretty anal about that!) I'm not sure I'm getting less battery life, per se, I just find it interesting that I get 2 different readings from using the line-out in 2 different configurations. I'm assuming that maybe the PC speakers are using more power? I'm not electrically-inclined, and maybe I'm just going on a wild goose chase!
Lisa

Power usage when using line out dock /poor battery life

Hi,
Does using a line out dock use more battery power than using the headphone jack?
I'm asking because in real life usage I am only getting about 6 hours of play time from my 4GB Nano. For me real life usage is maybe 20-30 minutes of use at a time while commuting to and from work or going for walks. Much of that play time is spent using a line out dock connection in my car. I have an Aux port in my car and the sound from the headphone jack is horrible. With the line out dock it's great.
I did run the Apple suggested battery test and when I leave my unit on and don't touch it at all I get about 13-13.5 hours of play time. So I'm trying to understand why that drops in half when I use the Nano the way I use it. Was wondering if using the line out dock is part of that. I do not have the Equalizer on, I use the Hold switch when I'm not using the Nano and am carrying it around in a pocket or in my purse, and I have the backlight set to 5 seconds. I don't use any of the extra features. I just play music. All of my music should be in AAC format. It's music I either purchased and downloaded from ITunes or music I imported from my own CD's using the default ITunes settings.
Lisa

I too share your frustration. I'm on my fifth iPad as an owner, and really like them, but Apple made a huge mistake with the Air 2 by making it thinner and putting a smaller battery in it. The iPad Air was wonderfully thin and didn't need slimming down. I get noticeably worse battery life on my iPad Air 2 compared to my first iPad Air. My Air had epic, brag-worthy battery life. My Air 2 has cringe-worthy battery life. Apple's product designers need to get their priorities straight: thin, when it compromises the user experience, is TOO THIN.

Line Out: broken ground connection?

Hi!
At home, I ususally connect my MacBook Pro with my stereo using the line out socket to listen to music.
Today, after coming home from work, I plugged in my stereo into the line out of my MacBook and all I got was some nasty buzzing. Just like if there was no ground connection between the Mac and my stereo. The internal speakers worked fine.
So I plugged in my headphones and started an AC/DC song. The guitars where OK, but the drums, the base and Bon Scott was gone. Yes I know, Bon Scott died some 30 years ago, but I mean: His voice could not be heard. The line out combined with the headphones now act like a karaoke machine, cancelling out the vocals.
Looks like there's no ground connection and the headphones are drawing all the current through the left an right channel, creating an out-of-phase cancellation effect.
Does anybody experience the same "lost ground connection" with their line out?

I don't have a mac, but am having a similar issue with my first gen iphone. Weird thing is for me, only headphones are affected (no center), while any speakers (line out) seem to play fine.

Line out volume ?

hello there,
iPhone seems to ignore the volume control when using the line out (base station)... Any clue why does this happens ? I was able to plug my previous iPod on my car but now the P2 cable dont fit the iPhone jack so I have to use the line out jack. Having volume always on max is disturbing

AFAIK, Line level is an industry standard (or theoretically standard) 'level'. Everything that outputs to line level should register on say a mixing desk as the same volume.
There could be one or two things happening here. Either the iphone's line out is weak and not outputting the right signal, or it could be the system's your're plugging into.
Line level connections are a bit like scart connection on yout tv. It bypasses the tuning circuitry of the output device and the tv to give a higher quality signal. Line level bypasses the heaphone amp of the iphone and often the 'pre-amp' of the speaker system going straight to the power amp. So bypassing 2 levels of amplification.
Maybe your bose soundwave has an internal pre-amp for the radio, cd etc which for some reason the line out doesn't go through.
I have a small Sharp HiFi (from the days when minidisc ruled) that has a seemingly weak line input. I've tried all manner of devices through it, but they are all much quieter than the built in radio, cd and md.
You could try either the headphone out like I say that uses the built in headphone amp to boost the signal, or perhaps look for an external preamp.
you could find out if the iphone's line out is def weak if you know someone with a hifi separates system. All the connections between modules are line level, so plug in to say the tape or cd 'in' on the amp section and see if the volume matches the rest of the system.

IPad line-out design flaw - really!!!

I just bought a cable that uses the line out of the ipad to use with my car stereo (Kensington 2-in-1 Charger and Audio Cable for iPhone/iPod)
I first tested the cable by plugging it into some external computer speaker ... hissssss. Then into my nice NAD stereo amp .... hisssss and finally in the car ....... hissssssssssssssss.
I then investigated the hissssssssing problem further and IT APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW WITH IPADS ! I ordered another cable from Amazon and got the same hiss. I even went to the Apple store and myself and a Genius even tried another iPad with this cable and still got a hiss. To top it off WE USED THE OFFICIAL IPAD DOCK with the line out (using another cable with mini plugs) and still got a hiss.
So peeps, it appears that there is a major problem with the line out on the ipad. Perhaps these cables are at fault but how can you explain using a standard line out cable with mini plugs with the official Apple dock and still getting the same hiss. It's not a very loud hiss but definitely noticeable and renders the ipad line-out useless for anyone who wants to use this device to get better sound quality than the standard headphone out jack on home and car stereo units.

Michael Morgan1 wrote:
I plug an audio cable between the iPad the the home theater inputs and it sounds fine. And do the same to the powered speakers in the bedroom, and it sounds fine. Or connect a different cable from the iPad to the car radio's AUX to play audiobooks on the road, which sound great. And, of course, headphones sound fine too.
I use my iPod the same way and I expect to use the iPad that way also.
However, about a year ago I drove a rental car that had a USB connection to the sound system. According to the car user manual, that allowed the sound system to pick up sound from the iPod but also allowed the sound system to control the iPod via user inputs. Unfortunately, it required that the iPod have MS formatting and mine has Apple formatting so I never had a chance to play with it.
Having said all that, I suspect (but can't prove) that the OP's problem is that, with ONLY the sound out function being accessed, the noise is reasonable. The cable includes other wires that are unterminated in this configuration. Unterminated wires are a good antenna. The antenna is picking up random noise (hiss) and transferring it to the audio.

No line out audio via dock connector

I have a Sendstation pocketdock:
http://www.sendstation.com/us/products/pocketdock/lineout-usb.html
I use the line out with other iPods including 4G ipod and 2G Nano with no problems.
But when I use the same Pocketdock with the iPhone, audio does not go through the line out, audio keeps coming out of the iPhone.
Is there a way to force audio out the dock/line out?

Folks,
on Nov. 29, 2007 we have begun shipping a revised PocketDock Line Out USB, which is now iPhone-enabled. We have also revised the 1/8" stereo plugs on the included cables, so they are now thin enough to fit the iPhone’s recessed headphone jack.
Note that not all retailers might have the newest stock, so if you want to be on the safe side, either ask for which revision they sell (the iPhone-option is mentioned on the packaging) or order directly from http://www.sendstation.com.
Best regards,
André Klein
+President, SendStation Systems+

Audio problems - soft sound, no line-out detected

ok, so a number of things went wrong with my computer.
it was working perfectly, and i opened garage band up to record music, and all of a sudden, no sound was coming out. at this stage i was using the line-out to my stereo amp. it also wouldnt let me change the volume and came up with the circle-with-a-line-through-it symbol.
i did all the standard stuff, close garage band, play with the settings, go into system pref. restarted it, and then it was making some strange fuzzy noises, and system pref. said that no audio devices were detected, so i restarted again. now i only have built-in output detected, and its very quiet, even on full volume, the volume and mute controls all work.
so thats all of my problems. im currently running OS X 10.4.10 on an intel-based iMac.
thanks

Folks,
on Nov. 29, 2007 we have begun shipping a revised PocketDock Line Out USB, which is now iPhone-enabled. We have also revised the 1/8" stereo plugs on the included cables, so they are now thin enough to fit the iPhone’s recessed headphone jack.
Note that not all retailers might have the newest stock, so if you want to be on the safe side, either ask for which revision they sell (the iPhone-option is mentioned on the packaging) or order directly from http://www.sendstation.com.
Best regards,
André Klein
+President, SendStation Systems+

Line Out in Software 2.0 Not Working

Shortly after upgrading to the 2.0 software on my 1st gen iPhone, I docked it in my Universal Dock, with some speakers plugged into the line out (like many times before). I didn't get the airport mode prompt, and it didn't chirp, like it always had. When I played audio, it only played through the speakerphone speakers, not through the dock. I restored the software and re-synced everything and it started working, but I've since noticed it not working on a speaker-dock, a Belkin iPod car charger with line out that I've used since I got the iPhone, and also in an iPhone dock (which I tried plugging my headphones into). It charges fine through all of the above, but the line out does not work. What could be wrong? Is anyone else experiencing the same thing? Thanks.

I'm having the exact same problem, or at least one very similar to the above one.
I have a first generation iPhone that is now on firmware 2.0.1
I did not try using the line-out on the dock before now.
When I put the iPhone into the dock (have tried both with power in from wall and from computer USB and without power as well) and connect computer speakers or headphones to the dock's line out with my iPhone in the dock I get no audio from the speakers/headphones... audio only plays through the phone's speakers.
How do I get it to switch to playing through the dock's lineout?

Static coming through computer line out, PLEK500

I have three of these working just fine, in this configuration:
#1 tied to cable modem
#2 tied to ethernet port of a macbook pro
#3 tied to a Roku box
#4 is meant to serve the Ethernet port on the Mac Pro tower in my home office. Unfortunately, upon installing it I get a huge amount of audio static coming through the Line Out jack on the computer, or the speakers if not using the Line Out (which I connect to a stereo receiver). The static correlates clearly to network load; if I run a test on speedtest.net, pushing a big amount of data up and down, the static is nearly continuous. If I'm just working locally on the word processor it's intermittent. So something is interacting between the Ethernet connection and the other electronics of the computer.
What is going on here? I can't use it like this.

Hi zenpicker,
I would suggest you try using another Ethernet cord for isolation. Make sure as well that the Powerline's firmware is upto date for better performance.
Help, learn and share

Line out and headphone problems

Just recently I have started to have a problem where if I use the line-out funtion of my iPod audio will not come out of the headphones afterwards. I use the Belkin auto-kit so I just connect my iPod whenever I drive somewhere, and it annoys me that I have to reset my iPod every time I want to listen through my headphones. I have tried unplugging and plugging back in, increasing and decreasing the volume, pausing/resuming, and changing songs but to no avail. The only solution is resetting the iPod. I was just wondering if anyone out there has had this problem, or knew if there was a more practical solution than just resetting the iPod every time.
5g iPod 30GB Windows XP Pro

Went to the genius bar earlier today to have my Mac Pro looked at. They said that front board and backplane failure is fairly common. In fact, the genius mentioned that his own 12-core suffered the same issues insofar as audio crackling and eventual analog out failure.
I should be getting it back in 5-7 days.

Using iphone line-out

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