Clueless - need Speaker help

[admin_exported]

I have just purchased a mac mini and have wired it to my tv with intention of using it as a jukebox of sorts playing my music through apple's "front row" software - However my tv speakers aren't nearly good enough. What sort of speakers do I need to get that would plug into the back of the mac? Wireless would be good but not essential - basically I'm confused about the connection I need?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[John Duncan]

Wireless not going to happen, not sounding better than your telly anyway. You need either an amp and passive speakers or a pair of active speakers, on which you could spend anything from 20 quid to a grand and up. How much were you thinking?

 

[JonnyD]

So if you want to go wireless, you can get the apple airport express which lets you stream music from iTunes. It connects with a 3.5 jack (can do optical out too) that you can connect to either a set of active speakers, or to an amplifier that any speakers can connect to. It depends how much you want to spend. I love the wireless solution with my Macbook, but if you're mini isn't moving much, then it might not be necessary.

Otherwise a connection from the mac would be the headphone output, which again can go to a set of active speakers directly.

Hope this helps.

edit - forgot the front row bit! There is a program to use airport with front row, it's called airfoil, captures audio from different programs, or system audio in general, and sends it to the airport express.

 

[professorhat]

You either need some active speakers or an amp and some standard speakers. Active speakers would be simpler, they'd just plug straight into the line out socket on the Mini Mac (where your TV is currently plugged into). What's your budget?
EDIT - You wait a few minutes for one response, then three come along at once!!

 

[John Duncan]

And all of them the same. We should set up a rota

 

[fr0g]

paulelvisjones:
I have just purchased a mac mini and have wired it to my tv with intention of using it as a jukebox of sorts playing my music through apple's "front row" software - However my tv speakers aren't nearly good enough. What sort of speakers do I need to get that would plug into the back of the mac? Wireless would be good but not essential - basically I'm confused about the connection I need?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Before a certain someone comes along, I'll say that if you have the budget, then a pair of AVI ADM9s would turn your Mac mini into a serious piece of hifi, rivalling kit at twice the price apparently.
They are about £1000 though. Do some googling for Mac mini and ADM9s... They do sound like a match made in heaven.

 

[Anonymous]

The AVI ADM9s would be the logical choice...but they aren't cheap. What's your budget?

 

[John Duncan]

There's a "what's your budget?" theme coursing through this thread.........

 

[Anonymous]

Have a look at an Apple TV for streaming too, they are wonderful.

I'd recommend ADM9s too, but I don't want to appear biased!
Ash

 

[John Duncan]

Well so would most of us, Ashley, if we knew his budget!

And yes, I agree on the Apple TV front, and actually would prefer it if only for music, so it depends on what you want to do with it - eg the @TV won't handle VIDEO_TS folders burned from DVDs, whereas the mini will.

 

[Anonymous]

Make them into DIVx and then it does.
Ash

 

[John Duncan]

Yeah I know I can get it to play movies, but if you want to avoid conversion.....

Anyway, streamed movies not on agenda in my house so moot point.