• AppleCentral Network:
  • Tech Support
  • |
  • Open Source
  • |
  • Apple News
  • |
  • Register Domains
  • |
  • SSL Certificates
  • |
  • iPod Deals
  • |
  • Mac Deals
  • |
  • Mac Book Shelf
  • AppleCentral Home
  • MacTech Magazine
    • About MacTech in Print
    • Issue Table of Contents
    • Subscribe
    • Risk Free Sample
    • Back Issues
    • MacTech DVD
    • MacTech Archives
    • MacTech Print Archives
    • MacMod
    • MacTutor
    • FrameWorks
    • develop
  • MacNews.com
    • MacNews News
    • Blog
    • MacTech Reviews and KoolTools
    • Whitepapers, Screencasts, Videos and Books
    • News Scanner
    • Rumors Scanner
    • Documentation Scanner
  • Apple Expo
    • by Category
    • by Company
    • by Product
  • MacForge.net
  • Job Board
  • Advertising
    • Benefits of MacTech
    • Mechanicals and Submission
    • Dates and Deadlines
    • Submit Apple Expo Entry
  • User
    • Register for Ongoing Raffles
    • Register new user
    • Edit User Settings
    • Logout
  • Contact
    • Customer Service
    • Webmaster Feedback
    • Submit News or PR
    • Suggest an article
  • Connect Tools
    • MacTech Live Podcast
    • RSS Feeds
    • Twitter
You are not logged in. [Log In] AppleCentral » Forums » Mods and Hacks » Desktop Mods
      » Hardware Mods » G4 cube speakers on G3 iBook
Register User    Forum List        Active Topics    FAQ
Page 1 of 2 1 2 >
Topic Options
Hop to:
#464791 - 12/23/05 11:45 PM G4 cube speakers on G3 iBook [Re: saratbol]
anomalous Offline


Registered: 12/23/05
Posts: 2
Hi all, apologies if this has been asked before but:

I've been given a set of G4 cube speakers - the spherical Harmon Kardon ones - and wanted to use them with my G3 500 iBook. Im aware that these speakers somehow require the G$ cube to function correctly - my guess is theat the G4 cube must have had high-power usb ports or something, that other models lacked. in which case, it should be a simple matter of wiring an exteral power supply to the usb interface/amp module to provide the power required.

has anyone done this? or have any info that would help me - specs on the G4 cube's usb ports or anything?

surely this is something many people would have wanted to try...

cheers,

ben

Top
#464792 - 12/24/05 12:21 AM Re:G4 cube speakers on G3 iBook [Re: saratbol]
maestro Offline


Registered: 11/16/07
Posts: 1656
Those speakers also came with iMacs. They run off of a digital amplifier in the Mac, which later G4s also had built in. Did you get the amplifier box with it? Its possible to get them to work, they are just speakers after all. You could use a seperate amp.
-maestro

Top
#464793 - 12/24/05 12:31 AM Re:G4 cube speakers on G3 iBook [Re: saratbol]
mordaskyt Offline


Registered: 01/25/05
Posts: 360
In my expeience they will work but the volume will be very low.
_________________________
PB G4 15" 1.2ghz - Pismo G3 400 mhz - iBook G3 500 "Jukebox"
"SawSmurf" G4 500 - Quicksilver G4 Dual 1ghz modding...

Top
#464794 - 12/24/05 01:31 AM Re:G4 cube speakers on G3 iBook [Re: saratbol]
TCPMeta Offline
MacModder

Registered: 11/16/07
Posts: 1816
Loc: Florida, USA
If I remember correctly the USB only pushes 5 volts. Adding more would blow the port or even the logicboard. How does these speakers work? do they use the power from the USB and connect to the speaker port or does it all go though the USB?
_________________________
To live is to let die

Top
#464795 - 12/24/05 01:38 AM Re:G4 cube speakers on G3 iBook [Re: saratbol]
JediJoker7169 Offline
Awesome

Registered: 11/16/07
Posts: 477
Too bad you came by these and not the H/K SoundSticks (and not the SoundSticks II), because they're USB, but are also powered by a unit in the subwoofer. You might, if you got this subwoofer, be able to wire the tweeters to it somehow.
_________________________
Cheers! :-)
- JediJoker

Current:
- "ProBook:" 15.4" MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo 2.33 GHz
- Mac Classic II
- Old PowerBook

Moved On:
- "The Book of Power:" 12.1" PowerBook G4 Aluminum 1.33 GHz
- Purple iMac

Top
#464796 - 12/24/05 03:19 AM Re:G4 cube speakers on G3 iBook [Re: saratbol]
macDeviant Offline


Registered: 02/14/05
Posts: 491
i believe the Cube's USB ports are special 10 watt ports... You can (at your own risk) use them on other computers but the volume will be lower. The Apple Pro speakers are different than the Cube's speakers in the fact that the imac's had an their own propriatary connection and no inline amplifier like the cube's. i don't know how you will get the extra power to the Cube speaker amp. but it would be cool. they are nice speakers.

also the Cube speakers when used would make the Cube run hotter. this might also be the case with your ibook. especially since you would also be putting heavier strain on the ibook's USB ports as far as power draw might be concerned.

macDeviant
_________________________
2.4gHz 15" MacBook Pro, 1.66gHz Core Duo Mac Mini, 2.5gHz G5 QUAD, 733mHz Quicksilver, 450mHz G4 Cube, 700mHz G3 iBook, 350mHz Sawtooth G4, 350mHz Revs. A and B B&W G3, 16mHz Powerbook 100, 8mHz Macitosh Classic.

Top
#464797 - 12/24/05 05:14 AM Re:G4 cube speakers on G3 iBook [Re: saratbol]
krusher117 Offline


Registered: 05/30/04
Posts: 1016
ok everybody is right...they require more power than standard USB provides. Griffin invented iFire. Since Firewire provides the nescessary amount of power, the adapter plugs into your computers firewire port and the audio in port. Then you plug the USB apple speakers into the iFire. Funny thing is you can also power it with the old iPods too! Then you have some working Apple Pro Speakers!

http://store.yahoo.com/lovemacs/ifire.html

Post edited by: krusher117, at: 2005/12/24 05:14

Top
#464798 - 12/24/05 05:59 AM Re:G4 cube speakers on G3 iBook [Re: saratbol]
JediJoker7169 Offline
Awesome

Registered: 11/16/07
Posts: 477
Wow... Cool! I knew about iFire, but never thought about using it to use the Pro Speakers as iPod speakers... Any model through the Photo, except for some minis, would support it! Again, wow...
_________________________
Cheers! :-)
- JediJoker

Current:
- "ProBook:" 15.4" MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo 2.33 GHz
- Mac Classic II
- Old PowerBook

Moved On:
- "The Book of Power:" 12.1" PowerBook G4 Aluminum 1.33 GHz
- Purple iMac

Top
#464799 - 12/24/05 02:46 PM Re:G4 cube speakers on G3 iBook [Re: saratbol]
macDeviant Offline


Registered: 02/14/05
Posts: 491
krusher117 wrote:
Quote:
ok everybody is right...they require more power than standard USB provides. Griffin invented iFire. Since Firewire provides the nescessary amount of power, the adapter plugs into your computers firewire port and the audio in port. Then you plug the USB apple speakers into the iFire. Funny thing is you can also power it with the old iPods too! Then you have some working Apple Pro Speakers!



not to steal your thunder, krusher, but the ifire is incompatible with the USB Cube speakers. It was made for the imac g4 Pro speakers, similar in apperance, very different speakers. Newbies over at http://www.cubeowner.com get this mixed up quite a bit. I just don't wan to see anybody get these two different products confused here too. :S
_________________________
2.4gHz 15" MacBook Pro, 1.66gHz Core Duo Mac Mini, 2.5gHz G5 QUAD, 733mHz Quicksilver, 450mHz G4 Cube, 700mHz G3 iBook, 350mHz Sawtooth G4, 350mHz Revs. A and B B&W G3, 16mHz Powerbook 100, 8mHz Macitosh Classic.

Top
#464800 - 12/24/05 03:29 PM Re:G4 cube speakers on G3 iBook [Re: saratbol]
maestro Offline


Registered: 11/16/07
Posts: 1656
Actually the speakers are the same. Its just the break out box thats different. Hack the wires and wire them out to a break out box that converts the Apple pro speaker to normal speaker out puts. Plug you wires to those regular speakers outputs. Not sure who makes it, but when I find the link, Ill post it. Try google.
-maestro

Top
Page 1 of 2 1 2 >
Previous Topic
View All Topics Index
Next Topic

Tweet

Preview

Moderator:  Acumowchek 
Print Topic
Switch to Threaded Mode
Publications, Articles and Industry Discussion
   »MacTech/MacNews Article Discussions
   »Apple World
Marketplace
   »Deals and Special Offers
      »Expired Offers
   »Trading Warehouse
Mac
   »Hardware
   »Software
   »Servers, Security, and Networking
   »Programming, Web Dev & Scripting
   »Windows and Virtualization
   »Cloud and Online Services
Mobile Technologies
   »iPhone Apps, AppStore, and iTunes
   »iPad, iPhone, iPod and Apple TV Hardware
Mods and Hacks
   »General Mods
      »Techniques
      »Miscellaneous
      »Mod Logs
   »Laptop Mods
      »Case Mods
      »Hardware Mods
      »Misc. Mods
   »Desktop Mods
      »Case Mods
      »Hardware Mods
      »Misc. Mods
   »Peripheral Mods
      »iPod Mods
      »Misc Mods
   »Software Hacks & Mods
General Discussion
   »Site Feedback & Issues
   »Stan's Lounge
   »Soapbox
Now Software Support
   »Announcements
   »Now X
      »FAQs
      »Discussion
   »Now Up-to-Date & Contact
      »Community Help
      »Tips and tricks
View profile
Send a PM
Add to your Watched Users
View posts
View profile
Send a PM
Add to your Watched Users
View posts
View profile
Send a PM
Add to your Watched Users
View posts
View profile
Send a PM
Add to your Watched Users
View posts
View profile
Send a PM
Add to your Watched Users
View posts
View profile
Send a PM
Add to your Watched Users
View posts
View profile
Send a PM
View homepage
Add to your Watched Users
View posts
View profile
Send a PM
Add to your Watched Users
View posts
View profile
Send a PM
Add to your Watched Users
View posts
View profile
Send a PM
Add to your Watched Users
View posts
Board Rules · Mark all read
Contact Us · AppleCentral · Top

MacTech Only Search:
Community Search:

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
  • SPREAD THE WORD:
  • Slashdot
  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • Reddit
  • Newsvine
  • Generate a short URL for this page:



AppleCentral. www.applecentral.com
Main office: 805-494-9797
Xplain's use of MacNews, AppleCentral and AppleExpo are not affiliated with Apple, Inc. MacTech is a registered trademark of Xplain Corporation. AppleCentral, MacNews, Xplain, "The journal of Apple technology", Apple Expo, Explain It, MacDev, MacDev-1, THINK Reference, NetProfessional, MacTech Central, MacTech Domains, MacForge, and the MacTutorMan are trademarks or service marks of Xplain Corp. Sprocket is a registered trademark of eSprocket Corp. Other trademarks and copyrights appearing in this printing or software remain the property of their respective holders.
All contents are Copyright 1984-2010 by Xplain Corporation. All rights reserved. Theme designed by Icreon.
Generated in 0.079 seconds in which 0.063 seconds were spent on a total of 14 queries. Zlib compression enabled.
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.5.8