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AppleDesign Powered Speakers

Scott Baret

Scott Baret

68LC040
On Thursday I received a pair of AppleDesign speakers from a family member. However, the only cable included with the speakers was the power cable. Looking at the back of the speakers reveals a multitude of cables that can be used.

Apple, as usual, made things easy enough to figure out as far as where to plug a Mac, a CD player, etc. I will probably have to make a trip to Radio Shack to get some minijack to minijack connectors in the near future and put a spare RCA audio cable to use if I am to connect this to a Mac with an external CD-ROM (although I'm thinking of using these on my MacBook or my iBook or possibly my turntable).

I am confused about connecting the two speakers together. Do I need speaker wire, as in regular wire with an exposed tip and not a jack, to do this? If so, would a store such as Radio Shack cut me a length by request or would I have to buy a spool of wire and cut this myself?

 
Could you post clear pictures of the rear of both speakers?

Any electronics shop will sell you wire by length. The assistant will measure and cut for you if you ask. Most of them will let you self-serve as well.

 
If Scott means the speakers that Mac128's link lists as "Powered Speakers", then yes; standard speaker wire is what you need.

These are among the best sounding stereo computer speakers I have ever used. I still use them on my modern Mac. (I have two sets, one on my Mac, one for my iPod.)

P.S. I never realized that the black Speakers II had a monochrome Apple logo; which appears to be silver. Is this the first use of the monochrome Apple logo on a hardware product? (Other than molded plastic like on the bottom of those speakers, or screen-printed logos like on the keyboards.) Now I *REALLY* want a pair of the black speakers to go with my PowerCD.

 
One interesting thing about the ADPS1's is that they have provision for an optional subwoofer to be attached. I wonder how difficult to find those subwoofers are today.... (or if they even exist, for a start...)

 
As far as I know "Mac like things" (the developer group of the ADS) never produced or invented a subwoofer for these boxes. In fact, any subwoofer is just a passive bass box driven by a small board within the major amplifying right (?) channel loudspeaker. I tried to connect an active subwoofer but it produced some odd noise, using a passive box solved that.

J

 
Yeah, the ADPS1, which is the model I have. The ADPS II is the smaller type, which has no subwoofer connection (nor does it have an RCA input)

 
Yeah, the ADPS1, which is the model I have. The ADPS II is the smaller type, which has no subwoofer connection (nor does it have an RCA input)
Click to expand...
No, check the link, it's referring to variants of the same product, the ADPS1 (M4575LL/A & M4475LL/B), meaning not all of the first speakers had the subwoofer option built-in.

This model (M6082) has the sub-woofer jack:

http://popcorn.cx/computers/apple/peripherals/audio/powered-speakers/powered-speakers-02.jpg

Curious to see if the non-subwoofer model has the same model number similarly to the ADPS2 white/gray sharing one, and only differentiated by product number. Apple's tech note could also be a typo (not unusual).

Clearly, the sub-woofer model was not enough in demand to offer one, even optionally, on the ADPS2 (M2497 white/gray). If so, your model may be somewhat rare. Or Apple quashed a planned subwoofer project during tight economic times, so no reason to offer the electronics in the new model.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Let me contribute another picture, too. It is german language but just in case I can translate:

panels.gif


These are my own pair of ADS ;-)

J

 
Actually, that one does have the subwoofer jack. Thats what the other 1/8" minijack next to the Mac input is for.
Click to expand...
Ah, I could not tell that those were 1/8" jacks. They looked like screws. So clearly M6082 is your model number as well. Now to find one without the subwoofer jack for confirmation.

 
I never realized that the black Speakers II had a monochrome Apple logo; which appears to be silver. Is this the first use of the monochrome Apple logo on a hardware product? (Other than molded plastic like on the bottom of those speakers, or screen-printed logos like on the keyboards.)
Click to expand...
I believe so, and the only one until the PowerMac G3 All-In-One which had both (unless you count the floppy drive for the PB 2400), the iMac being being the first to only have a monochrome logo. Looking through Kunkle's Apple Design, it is the only released product with an inlaid logo that is not the rainbow. Stamped integrated case logos don't count as they have been present since the Lisa. Likewise, the white, black or gray Apple that appeared on the regulatory labels does not count. There are a few products I cannot find pictures for, which may have had other logo variants. I know there was a QuickTime conferencing kit, which included a web-cam, but whether it was branded with an Apple Logo, I don't know. Mac Like Things produced a web-cam prototype that had a silk-screened gray logo on it, which could have appeared on some of these misc. products which came to market. But in terms of major products with monochrome primary logos, I would say this is it until the iMac.

 
Just a little annotation:

the single-colored logo only appears on the dark black / anthrazite / grey whatever ADS II models. The beige version still bears the rainbow colors.

J

 
Notice this model (M6082) does not have the have the sub-woofer jack:

http://popcorn.cx/computers/apple/peripherals/audio/powered-speakers/powered-speakers-02.jpg
Click to expand...
Actually, that one does have the subwoofer jack. Thats what the other 1/8" minijack next to the Mac input is for.
Click to expand...
Here's one on eBay right now that does NOT have the subwoofer jack.

Again the model number seems to be exactly the same: M6082 Like the ADPS IIs in gray or platinum, these would appear to be with or without subwoofer.

 
How interesting! Am downloading that pic right now. Mine's a M6082, and most certainly does have the subwoofer jack.

 
The pair in that photo is the one that I have. Still haven't gotten them up and running, mostly because I need to find space on my desk for them! Those speakers are bigger than you'd think!!!

 
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