Customer Reviews

APPLE Professional Edition (S W) Speaker KIT

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

...but it needs the addition of another piece of equipment. The Pro Speakers are marketed by Apple for use with the flatscreen iMacs and G4 PowerMacs. However, Griffin Technology's iFire amplifier, available seperately, allows the speakers to be connected to any computer with a FireWire port (this provides power).
The speakers themselves are great. They give crisp, clear sound across the whole range and while they're not bass factories, playing The Crystal Method or Black Eyed Peas produce satisfying thumps. I'd say that they're balanced, with equal amounts of treble and bass. They also look cool, especially with the chrome diaphragms at the front and the clear plastic casing.
Note:if you bought the iFire and if you have the iPod's power transformer available, these speakers can be plugged into any minijack-equipped device, such as a Walkman or Discman - so long as you're near a power point. This allows for great portability - the speakers, amplifier (with included cable) and transformer can easily be dumped into your bag before you head off on your holidays or round to your friend's house. Great value for money.

Wow, these things are amazing.

I got these speakers for my bedroom. I wanted to play music from my iBook. Before the cable was even connected, I was falling in love. These little things are so sleek and attractive -- like modern crystal sculptures.

Then came another pleasant surprise. These tiny things back a punch. They are more than enough to fill my large bedroom with nice, crisp sound.

I will say that the connector issue can be confusing. I thought I couldn't use these with my iBook, because iBooks don't have the special jack that's needed. But Griffin Technology's iFire has solved that problem. The iFire even allows you to use these speakers with the iPod. Lots of possibilities now.

Great buy!

High quality, small size, looks like a cristal piece, sounds like 5 times larger speaker. It is high fidelity speakers not too loud but wery well serving.
Definitely recommend.

They are small. They look great. They sound great. There are great!
The are a bit pricey, but it is really good quality stuff.
I use a Power Mac G4 Dual 1GHz and I had no connectivity problem at all. I don't understand the problem of the previous reviewer.

First of all, these speakers look awesome! The audio quality is pretty good when you listen to a CD. However, if you want a lot of bass for movies or something you should buy the SoundSticks product. The Apple Speakers do give off pretty good bass for their size though. Mine came with my computer and I probably wouldn't have bought them if they didnt come with it.

I am really *very* pleased with these speakers; they sound great and--well, OK--they look pretty cool, too. I'm using them with my G4 powerbook and the sound is awesome. (It got a lot better, by the way, once I turned off the "preamp" feature of iTunes [under Equalizer], which seemed to be introducing some static.)

I purchased them thinking surely they can be used with my powerbook--but, no, they can't. You have to purchase the iFire adapter (another $40 or so). The speakers require BOTH the headphone outlet and the firewire outlet on my powerbook, so I cannot use my firewire external hard drive and the speakers simultaneously until I get a firewire splitter or hub (which is a nuisance, but not that big a problem).

My only complaint is that Apple really ought to have included an adapter with the speakers in the first place. I imagine a lot of people have purchased these speakers without realizing that they are only "plug-and-play ready" if you have an iMac--or else they have thought, once they received their speakers, that they can't be used. With the iFire adapter, all you need is a standard headphone jack and a firewire plug and you're good to go.

And that's why I'm giving this product four stars instead of five. Even with the extra cost of the adapter, however, I think these speakers are still a terrific value.

If you want these speakers for the g5. Time to move on. It is a completely different speaker jack. I'm returning them.

Like another person - I got these speakers to use with an older Mac - G3 - only to find out the Mini-Jack did not fit on my Mac. A trip to Radioshack did not solve the problem and neither Apple or Amazon could direct me to an appropriate adapter. They are going back.

How disappointing (doubly, since they were a Xmas present) to receive computer speakers with the wrong cable connection. And after being assured they were manufactured for Apple G4, which is what they were purchased for. Now I have to take them back from the recipient, go to an electronics store and try to find an adapter, a converter, something to try to make them work. Disappointing, discouraging, and certainly discouraging enough to dissuade me from ever using this method of buying anything again!