[geomorphmarsh]

I'm looking for recommendations for a small hifi (micro or mini?) that
can play songs from my laptop. I'm based in the USA. What type of
line-in should I look for--I'm not familiar with the digital v. analog
technologies, however I know the RCA type (I presume this is analog)
and the smaller, single pin type (like a headphone jack).

Many thanks in advance.

[Don Pearce]

On 10 Aug 2006 09:46:08 -0700, "geomorphmarsh"
wrote:

I'm looking for recommendations for a small hifi (micro or mini?) that
can play songs from my laptop. I'm based in the USA. What type of
line-in should I look for--I'm not familiar with the digital v. analog
technologies, however I know the RCA type (I presume this is analog)
and the smaller, single pin type (like a headphone jack).

Many thanks in advance.

Just buy whatever takes your fancy, as long as it offers line in. You
may need to get an adaptor plug to help you connect it to your laptop,
but Radio Shack, Circuit City etc can sort that out for you.

One more thing. If your laptop uses Windows, don't go anywhere near
iTunes. It takes over the machine in a frankly bullying way, and I
have yet to see a single machine on which it was capable of
reproducing music without constant ticking noises. Windows comes with
applications that will play MP3s very happily - stick with them.

d

--
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

[andy]

geomorphmarsh wrote:
I'm looking for recommendations for a small hifi (micro or mini?) that
can play songs from my laptop.

This might be a tidy solution if you only want to use the laptop as the
source of music:

http://www.behringer.com/MS20/index.cfm?lang=ENG

http://www.behringer.com/MS40/index.cfm?lang=ENG

particularly if you have an S/P DIF output (digital) from your laptop
soundcard. I suggest it because if you go the midi/mini route at this
sort of price the sound quality from midi/mini speakers is going to be
fairly poor.

What type of line-in should I look for--I'm not familiar with the digital v. analog
technologies, however I know the RCA type (I presume this is analog)
and the smaller, single pin type (like a headphone jack).

You will have to look in the manual for your computer to find what
audio outputs your computer provides. You will almost certainly have
some form of analogue line out but you may also have digital outputs
such as optical and/or coaxial sockets. However, if your laptop only
provides a headphone output and not a line out you are almost certainly
better off buying a small external USB soundcard if you want to
maintain reasonable quality. A couple of cheap examples around $30:

http://www.behringer.com/UCA202/index.cfm?lang=ENG

http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/imic/

but there are others.

If you are looking at a mini/midi amplifier you need a line in socket.
Whether it is an analogue RCA socket or a small jack socket does not
matter since you can buy a lead or converter to match whatever is
provided. Similarly with a coaxial or optical digital connection. Be
warned that cheap mini/midi systems often do not provide such input
sockets.

[geomorphmarsh]

I have a MacBook Pro, so the only audio out is a headphone jack. Thanks
for the tips--I should have noticed earlier that Apple have a stereo
connection kit that is probably the best solution.

Cheers, all.

[Todd H.]

"geomorphmarsh" writes:

My last post indicates I must be half asleep! I propose to use Airport
Express and my MacBook Pro. Airport Express which has a output like a
headphone jack.

I'm mainly concerned about the small line-in jacks, as opposed to the
RCA type: surely the RCA is superior, but will I notice problems with
the small line-in type if I am playing music in a small to moderate
size living room at moderate volumes?

In a word, no.



--
/"\ ASCII Ribbon Campaign | Todd H
\ / | http://www.toddh.net/
X Promoting good netiquette | http://triplethreatband.com/
/ \ http://www.toddh.net/netiquette/ | "4 lines suffice."

[Laurence Payne]

On 10 Aug 2006 09:46:08 -0700, "geomorphmarsh"
wrote:

I'm looking for recommendations for a small hifi (micro or mini?) that
can play songs from my laptop. I'm based in the USA. What type of
line-in should I look for--I'm not familiar with the digital v. analog
technologies, however I know the RCA type (I presume this is analog)
and the smaller, single pin type (like a headphone jack).

Your laptop probably offers Headphone out on a stereo mini-jack. If
it offers Digital Out it may be on a RCA jack, or maybe an optical
connection. RCA jacks are also used for Line Out, but on larger
equipment than laptop computers.

There is a large choice of small speaker systems designed to do
exactly what you want, connected to a computer or an iPod-like device.
(But avoid an actual iPod brand. Like much Apple equipment it's
quirky in use, over-styled and far too expensive:-)

[Laurence Payne]

On 11 Aug 2006 07:19:39 -0700, "geomorphmarsh"
wrote:

I'm mainly concerned about the small line-in jacks, as opposed to the
RCA type: surely the RCA is superior, but will I notice problems with
the small line-in type if I am playing music in a small to moderate
size living room at moderate volumes?

It doesn't work like that. You don't get more sound through a bigger
connector :-)

[andy]

geomorphmarsh wrote:
I have a MacBook Pro, so the only audio out is a headphone jack. Thanks
for the tips--I should have noticed earlier that Apple have a stereo
connection kit that is probably the best solution.

The specification states that the output jack provides both an analogue
headphone output and an optical digital output but no analogue line
output (i.e. you do not have anything to plug into a cheap mini/midi
system). Does the pack of connectors that came with the laptop have
something that sorts out the headphone from the digital connection and
is the digital connection S/PDIF? If not, life is likely to be easier,
higher quality and probably cheaper (avoiding Apples prices) if you buy
an external USB soundcard. I have a few year old Powerbook (headphone
audio output only although I think they fixed this in recent versions)
and buying an external USB soundcard looked the only sensible option
and so I am pretty much out of the Apple loop when it comes to audio.

My last post indicates I must be half asleep! I propose to use Airport
Express and my MacBook Pro. Airport Express which has a output like a
headphone jack.

I am not sure I understand. On my laptop the wireless card is called
Airport but looking at Apples web pages Airport Express seems to
provide nothing more than what you already have on your laptop in terms
of connections although the analogue output might be a line out rather
than a headphone out. I also spotted this footnote when trying to work
out what an Airport Express does:

6 Requires compatible stereo system or powered speakers.

which may or may not be serious since I readily admit to not knowing
exactly what is going on from browsing Apple's incomplete marketing
description. Anyone?

I would suggest you need to find out a bit more because you do not seem
to have an analogue line output unless you are prepared to use a
headphone output. You do have a digital output although I am not
certain it is S/P DIF which would plug into the powered speakers I
linked to but not normal powered speakers and not normal mini/midi
systems.

If audio is important then the sensible solution is an external USB
soundcard to provide a good quality analogue line out and you can plug
into a large range of "normal" audio equipment.

I'm mainly concerned about the small line-in jacks, as opposed to the
RCA type: surely the RCA is superior, but will I notice problems with
the small line-in type if I am playing music in a small to moderate
size living room at moderate volumes?

No. The size of the connector is not a problem in terms of audio
quality. However, the jack on the laptop looks to be both complicated
and propriatary and this might be a problem in terms of cost (you may
have to buy expensive proprietary cables from Apple) and reliability
(it may break after a period of use). But you are probably better off
finding someone who knows more about it than me.

[geomorphmarsh]

Thanks all for the comprehensive and self-reflecting responses. I am a
little clearer on the matter but like others, am still a little
confused by Apple's web info.

I am hoping to use a small stereo system because we've moved country
with our CD collection on our laptop and we'd like a radio/cd
player/and speakers (to play our iTunes via AirportExpress).

Cheers all!

[Bill Kraski]

geomorphmarsh wrote:

I'm mainly concerned about the small line-in jacks, as opposed to the
RCA type: surely the RCA is superior, but will I notice problems with
the small line-in type if I am playing music in a small to moderate
size living room at moderate volumes?

I've got a tower pc feeding audio into an Onkyo home theater receiver.
Works like a champ. The connector size has no effect on audio quality.

--
Bill K

[bob]

geomorphmarsh wrote:
Thanks all for the comprehensive and self-reflecting responses. I am a
little clearer on the matter but like others, am still a little
confused by Apple's web info.

I am hoping to use a small stereo system because we've moved country
with our CD collection on our laptop and we'd like a radio/cd
player/and speakers (to play our iTunes via AirportExpress).

Very simple: All you need is a cable with an eighth-inch stereo plug at
one end and a pair of quarter-inch mono (aka RCA) plugs at the other.
Any electronics store will have them for less than $10.

If all you want is a minisystem, Denon, Yamaha, and Onkyo make decent
ones. If you want something a little better, but still compact,
consider this item:

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=3668123

plus a pair of speakers.

bob