[comp.sys.apple] IIgs audio output

UD182050@VM1.NODAK.EDU (Mike Aos) (11/30/89)

Is the headphone jack a mono, or stereo plug?  I know it's a mono signal,
but I seem to recall "Walkman-type" (ie stereo) pictured above it.  I have some
Sony External Stereo speakers, and I can't get EITHER of them to go if I plug
the jack in all the way, 1 channel at halfway, and both, with a little jiggling
if I'm real lucky.  It falls out, though.  I figured it was just the mono plug.
Yesterday, though, a friend brought over a cable w/mini phono-->RCA, and I
ran it into the Aux on my stereo, with no problems.  Visually, there is no
difference 'tween the two plugs.  Could it be that the plug on my speakers is
bad, or do I need a mono-> stereo converter (just a patch to run it to both
channels).

Mike

unknown@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (The Unknown User) (11/30/89)

In article <8911292223.AA14413@apple.com> UD182050@VM1.NODAK.EDU (Mike Aos) writes:
>Is the headphone jack a mono, or stereo plug?  I know it's a mono signal,
>but I seem to recall "Walkman-type" (ie stereo) pictured above it.  I have some
>Sony External Stereo speakers, and I can't get EITHER of them to go if I plug
>the jack in all the way, 1 channel at halfway, and both, with a little jiggling
>if I'm real lucky.  It falls out, though.  I figured it was just the mono plug.
>Yesterday, though, a friend brought over a cable w/mini phono-->RCA, and I
>ran it into the Aux on my stereo, with no problems.  Visually, there is no
>difference 'tween the two plugs.  Could it be that the plug on my speakers is
>bad, or do I need a mono-> stereo converter (just a patch to run it to both
>channels).
>
>Mike

	It's a mono signal (as you said) but is routed to both speakers.

	If a program won't let me go to the Control Panel to turn down the 
sound and I forget to do it before hand (or it overrides the control panel
settings), I often just plug in a set of Walkman headphones.  And I sometimes
listen to things that way too because they sound better. It definitely comes
out both speakers.

	Sure seems like if you could (previously) get a stereo card for $30
mail order, it must have cost at most maybe $20 to make, probably less. And
that was from Applied Engineering. With Apple's high volume, I would say
you could probably cut that to $5 per computer or maybe $10.. And it seems
with the high prices that Apple computers are compared to other companies'
computers, they could swallow that amount and give us real stereo output.
That is one of my only (except speed) complaints.  I do not really know the
prices of those things (other than the $30 stereo card that was true), I
am just GUESSING. So if I'm wrong, politely correct me. Thanks.
--
unknown@ucscb.ucsc.edu

trd10523@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (12/01/89)

As far as I can tell, the GS headphone jack is stereo.
I tried plugging in some external Sony Walkman speakers, and the problem
I had was not enough output from the GS to drive them. If you run a cord from
the headphone jack to an amplifier, and then to speakers, it works a lot
better.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
/ Todd Davis                        INTERNET: trd10523@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu   /
/ Computer Engineering Student   COORDINATES: 40 06' 47" N / 88 13' 35 W  /
/ University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign                              /
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

krb20699@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (12/01/89)

     Actually, the plug is mono: one mono channel is soldered to both channels
of the stereo plug.  This eliminates your headphones only putting out thru one
speaker.

							Ken.
						   ken-b@uiuc.edu

cbdougla@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu (Collin Broadrick Douglas) (12/02/89)

In article <113300191@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> trd10523@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu writes:
>
>As far as I can tell, the GS headphone jack is stereo.
>I tried plugging in some external Sony Walkman speakers, and the problem
>I had was not enough output from the GS to drive them. If you run a cord from
>the headphone jack to an amplifier, and then to speakers, it works a lot
>better.
>
>///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
>/ Todd Davis                        INTERNET: trd10523@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu   /
>/ Computer Engineering Student   COORDINATES: 40 06' 47" N / 88 13' 35 W  /
>/ University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign                              /
>///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


   The GS headphone jack in mono.  That's why I bought a stereo card.

	  Collin Douglas

	  cbdougla@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu

dlyons@Apple.COM (David A. Lyons) (12/07/89)

In article <8911292223.AA14413@apple.com> UD182050@VM1.NODAK.EDU (Mike Aos) writes:
>Is the headphone jack a mono, or stereo plug?  I know it's a mono signal,
>but I seem to recall "Walkman-type" (ie stereo) pictured above it.  I have some
>Sony External Stereo speakers, and I can't get EITHER of them to go if I plug
>the jack in all the way, 1 channel at halfway, and both, with a little jiggling
>if I'm real lucky.  [...]

I had a similar experience.  It's a stereo plug, but both channels are
identical.

My problem was that the casing on the plug I was trying to insert was a
little too large, so I was unable to fully insert it (I didn't realize
it right away).  By unscrewing the casing a little big, I was able to
get it in all the way, and then it worked great.
-- 

 --David A. Lyons, Apple Computer, Inc.      |   DAL Systems
   Apple II Developer Technical Support      |   P.O. Box 875
   America Online: Dave Lyons                |   Cupertino, CA 95015-0875
   GEnie: D.LYONS2 or DAVE.LYONS         CompuServe: 72177,3233
   Internet/BITNET:  dlyons@apple.com    UUCP:  ...!ames!apple!dlyons
   
   My opinions are my own, not Apple's.

jordan@hpfcdj.HP.COM (Steve J. Jordan) (12/14/89)

The GS audio jack is mono.
If it makes you feel better, I've had the same problem that I if 
push my plug all the way into the audio jack, sound doesn't come
out of either channel.  Maybe it's true, a little hacking on the
audio cable plug will let it slip in further.  However, I have a
solid metal one bought at Radio Shack & it can't be hacked on.
Maybe I should look for another plug.