AppleDesign Powered Speakers

[macinbot]

Went on my weekly visit to a local thrift and found a pair of AppleDesign Powered Speakers. Marked at "UNTESTED" and $4.95 I thought it was worth the risk. Apparently they were having some sort of tag sale and they rang up at $4.02 including the governor's share.

A little bit dirty, but I did an initial wipe down after these pics and they're looking better already.

Unfortunately, the power supply is missing. It's a weird one. 15v/1amp with a center pin like a laptop power connector has. Poking around the internet, and the closest thing that seems to work okay is Sony UMPC power supply running 16v/4amp. Not so concerned about the amperage, but mildly concerned about 16v instead of 15v. But since this isn't a digital piece of hardware, I like to think it would be okay. One of those Sony power supplies runs about $8.00 shipped on eBay.

I did a preliminary test running them off my receiver at low volume and they sound great! Well, at least the left one does. Searching around and it seems the powered right speaker needs the juice to let sound through. Read elsewhere someone had stripped their right speaker of the amp inside and the sound flowed through both after. Seems correct, but I want to use these powered, so I think I'll spring for the power supply and get them running right.

Thoughts?

 

[Macdrone]

I picked up a pair in the same kind of fashion you did. I found a Samsung AP04214-UV 14V x 3.0 amp laptop charger with the correct end to fit in the speaker (hardest part as I am sure the plug can be sliced to a better power supply if needed. I did find that when powered the speaker that has the volume knob on it made a scratchy noise when changing volume. Not a big deal but I noticed it. They do sound good tho. The black ones are harder to find, look cooler but didn't seem to sound as good so when I saw a set at re PC I passed on them. I would rather have their lisa as when I go up there all I do is drool on it. Yes everyone Im sorry for the wet marks on it, DON'T JUDGE ME!!!! }

 

[Byrd]

Also picked up a pair of these ages ago without power supply. I'm using a charger for a Toshiba laptop. One day I'll get a better connector on the charger so it fits in more snugly.

 

[macinbot]

Saw a 16v/1.8a possibly compatible connector (with the center pin) at Goodwill. I'll see if I can pop in there tomorrow with the powered speaker to test it out. I'm sure Macdrone's 14v undervolt is fine, but should I worry about 1v over?

 

[Macdrone]

I wouldn't think it would matter a whole lot.

 

[macinbot]

I went to goodwill (with the speaker) and picked up the 16v/1.8a Canon power supply. Works like a charm. I need to get some quality contact cleaner and lube as the volume pot is pretty scratchy.

Right now I've got it hooked up to my iPod Classic 160 and it sounds pretty good. Had I not been demoing some full size speakers and quality receivers earlier, I would have said that sound great. They are actually pretty flat, which for listening to music for enjoyment is okay, but I imagine they would work out really well for mixing. In fact, I think that these would be great as monitors for a Garageband recording station I had been thinking about. Apparently Bob Clearmountain uses these speakers (search/find "Apple") to double-check his mixes (Yamaha NS10's being his mains).

Anyway, $4.00 for the speakers + $3.00 for the power supply + some taxation = less than $8.00 for some pretty quality speakers which double nicely as a nifty Apple collectible -- I'm not complaining.

 

[mcdermd]

I was actually surprised at how decent they are. Not your typical "computer speakers", that's for sure.

 

[macinbot]

Yes, they're actually pretty nice. When I disassembled them, I took a look at the driver and it's quite hefty for its size. I should also mention that these speakers are running on a single full-range driver, not the woofer/tweeter that most cheap computer speakers have. The slot on the top (under the grill, above the driver) isn't a tweeter, but a bass reflex port. And like most speakers of this type, you can "adjust" the bass level by moving them closer of further from a hard solid surface (the wall in my case).

 

[CC_333]

I'm intrigued!

Where can I get some?

Better start looking...

c

 

[mcdermd]

It was the wide, airy soundstage that surprised me when I put them on my desk. No tin.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

They've always had a rep for being great speakers. After college and something over 15 years of continuous use, the kid decided they weren't that great after all and gave them back to me. But he was using them in a much larger space at the time. Gotta hook 'em up to the PowerCD and let 'em have their head in a couple of different spaces here to test the theory.

 

[macinbot]

I wouldn't think they would sound too great in a larger space. Definitely near-field monitors.