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Macintosh Sound: The Great and the Pedestrian
- 2000.05.11
Apple's 2000 model iMac has arguably the best audio system
available since the 20th Anniversary
Macintosh. Engineered for three years by Harman/Kardon and
utilizing rare-earth magnets, the Odyssey speakers provide
unparalleled clarity and frequency response. Earlier this year,
Harman/Kardon also made available the long-awaited iSub subwoofer.
Designed solely to compliment the Odyssey system, it further
increases frequency response and takes over all low-end sound so
the Odysseys can do their best at dishing out the treble and
midrange. The divvying also allows the Odysseys to be twice as
loud, making your iMac an even more viable replacement for your
aging Sony boom box.
This is all fantastic, and I applauded Apple for utilizing such a great set-up for making a vociferous computer out of an otherwise hushed one in Listen To The iMac. I can attest to the iMac's audio prowess, too. I'm typing this article on my DV model right now. However, Apple's power users, the G4 owners, who are often more evangelical about their systems, get a considerably more meager helping of the sonic casserole.
Instead of speakers with a "High Fidelity Design Utilizing Rare Earth Neodymium Iron Boron Magnets And Featuring Spatializer Audio Laboratories Three Dimentional Simulated Surround Sound," the Power Mac G4 has a single monaural speaker. Okay, Apple does have a good marketing reason for bringing better sound to the iMac first: It's Apple's best-selling and most heavily advertised computer, targeted more to consumer-electronics buyers.
However, with a Sawtooth replacement imminent, it would be wise for our buddies in Cupertino to Odysseyize the G4 as well, and therein lies a problem. The G4 is Apple's one modular Mac. It has a computer case and a separate monitor. With the current design, the one speaker is centrally located on the front of the system. The problem is, that design allows little space for stereo separation, even if two speakers were to be mounted there. And, above that, the case is not the best place for sound to come from. Minitowers like the G4 are designed to be mounted off-center from the monitor or under your desk. This layout kills any benefits of the stereo design of the Odyssey system, and leaves the sound susceptible to being obstructed by your desk and whatever else is down there.
Why not put the speakers inside the monitors? They'd be placed just like the iMac has them and share the same speaker housings and grilles as the iMac. Not only would this reduce the desk clutter that third-party speakers provide, but it would also allow G4 users to use the fantastic iSub subwoofer. The flat-panel studio displays, which don't have enough room to fit the Odyssey speakers, could use the ones Harman/Kardon is reportedly developing for the PowerBook and iBook lines. The iSub could likely be made to work with these speakers, but there have been no such announcements about these speakers yet. To enhance the 3D surround sound, four speakers could be used! This multispeaker setup would be a great way to market the forthcoming multiprocessor G4s. (Think, in the Jeff Goldblum voice, "Presenting the new multiprocessor, multispeaker, Power Mac G4.")
Also, the third party speaker manufacturers wouldn't be badly hurt, since many G4 users also use third-party monitors, and many 2000 iMac users use third-party speakers, since their non-built-in design improves stereo separation and allows for bigger transducers.
But the G4 should still keep some kind of dinky speaker built into the case that would turn off when using externals or the Odysseys, because removing that would make it the first-ever Macintosh to be able to operate PC-style, without any built-in audio! Scary, isn't it?
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: iMac Core Duo, Jan. 2006 - The first Intel-based iMacs ran at 1.83-2.0 GHz, came with 17" and 20" displays.
- Group of the Day: Mac Pro List is for those using a Mac Pro.
- Support Low End Mac
Recent Content
- Apple's Tablet an End Run Beyond Netbooks, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 11.20. Whatever Apple has planned will leverage existing technologies while going beyond what its competitors can offer.
- i5 iMac Benchmarked, Mac mini 'Shouldn't Be Overlooked', Twitter Client for Classic Mac OS, and More, Mac News Review, 11.20. Also why Apple leaves the low end to others, 10.6.2 fixes video playback problem in 27" iMac, 3D Leopard and Snow Leopard performance, and more.
- Apple #4 in Reliability, Apple Tablet a Gadget for All?, HP's i7 Notebook Outdoes Mac Rivals, and More, The 'Book Review, 11.20. Also Flash 10.1 improves video on Hackintosh netbooks, thin-and-light notebooks impress, Windows XP finally on the way out, and more.
- NASA Chemical Sensor for iPhone, Smartphone Death Match, iPhone Earrings, and More, Ian R Campbell, 11.20. Also mobile phone dangers, new apps, GPS solution for iPod touch, new iPod and iPhone cases, and more.
- Replacing the Hard Drive in a Clamshell iBook, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 11.19. Yes, it is one of the most difficult Apple notebooks to disassemble and reassemble, but a 10 GB hard drive just will not do.
- IBM Model F: A Great Old Keyboard with an Outdated Layout, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 11.19. Although it used a different technology than the revered IBM Model M keyboard, the Model F was a great keyboard in its own right.
- Soft Touch Keyboards, Wireless Mouse Options, Loving SeaMonkey 2, and More, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.18. Also the future of browsing with PowerPC Macs and the multiple mouse input bug introduced with OS X 10.5.8.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best eMac Deals, 11.18. Used 1 GHz Combo, $100; SuperDrive, $269; 1.25 GHz Combo, $119; SD, $319; 1.42 GHz Combo, $289; SD, $498.
- Best Mac OS X 10.6 and Mac Box Set Deals, 11.18. "Snow Leopard", single user, $25; 5 users, $45; Mac Box Set, single user, $139; 5 users, $180; Server, $414. Shipping included.
- Best Xserve Deals, 11.18. Used 1 GHz dual G4, $649; 2.3 dual G5, $795; 3.0 4-core Xeon, $1,899; refurb 2.26 4-core, $2,499; new, $2,888; refurb 8-core, $2,999; new, $3,449; more.
- Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, 11.17. Used 1.83 GHz, $750; 2.16, $800; 2.33, $900; refurb 2.4, $1,299; 2.53, $1,449; 2.66, $1,699; 2.8, $1,899; new 2.53, $1,579; 2.66, $1,799; more.
- Best Power Mac G4 and AGP Video Card Deals, 11.17. Used 400 MHz, $50; 933 MHz, $80; 500 dual, $60; 867 dual, $90; 1 GHz dual, $150; 1.25 GHz dual, $225; 1.42 GHz, $499.
- Best Mac OS X 10.5 Deals, 11.17. "Leopard" upgrade, $80; single user license, $135; 5 users, $173; Mac Box Set, 5 users, $230; Server, 10 users, $340; unlimited, $850. Shipping included.
- Best Mac mini Deals, 11.16. Used 1.42 GHz G4 mini, $379; 1.66 GHz Core Solo, $419; 2.0 Core 2, $450; new 2.26 GHz nVidia, $580; 2.53 GHz, $769; Server, $990.
- Best iBook G4 Deals, 11.16. Used 12" 1.07 GHz Combo, $210; 1.33 GHz, $298; 14" 1.33 GHz, $398; 1.42 GHz, $479; SuperDrive, $498.
- Best iPod shuffle Deals, 11.16. Used 1 GB, $35; 4 GB, $65; refurb 1 GB, $39; 2 GB, $59; new 2 GB, $55, 4 GB, $75. New and refurb prices include shipping.
- More deals in our archive.
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