I got the new 2013 iMac to replace my monster of a Windows rig that I built 6 years ago. Figured I'd try out a Mac. I knew it would force a lot of upgrades and replacements of peripherals, but I did not know that the new iMacs use the "smart plug" 3.5mm audio jack that combines the audio output (headphones) and input (mic) into one, single jack. This made my Windows style headset useless, but more than that it made my audio system setup inoperable. I have my computer connected to my 5.1 surround sound stereo system, both for output listening to iTunes and other audio as well as input from other devices connected to the stereo for recording. I needed a solution that would undo Apple's "bright idea" of combining all audio functions into one plug. I can understand such decisions when space is a premium such as laptops, notebooks, cell phones, and tablets... but a 27" desktop iMac computer??? Really?
Anyway, this little gadget does the trick! It splits out the audio output from the audio input beautifully and once again gives us 2 different jacks serving different functions to plug in our various audio devices. This is NOT an audio output splitter or y-adapter. You would not plug in 2 headphone into this. Instead, it once again gives us a plug for a microphone and a second plug for a headphone. I was a little worried that this StarTech adapter would not allow stereo sound, but it does. Very nice! It's a great product!
Just FYI, I've done this with my system. After plugging the StarTech jack in, I plugged an 3.5mm stereo audio y-adapter into the headphone jack to split the audio output so that I could plug my stereo system and my headphones into the iMac and hear sound from both. It works great! There is a little picture of a microphone on one of the StarTech jacks, and a little picture of headphones on the other jack. It's a little hard to see since it's all the same color, black, but that's fine. I then plugged in the microphone jack from my headset into the StarTech microphone jack. Once you have all the connections plugged in you may need to re-boot or re-start your computer so that the "smart plug" notices that there is now a microphone attached and allows sound to be inputed into the iMac and the mic to work. Also, just in case you are new to the iMac like me, it seems the the iMac's built in mic continues to function even if headphones are plugged into the headphone jack.
| Brand | StarTech.com |
|---|---|
| Series | Mini-phone Audio Cable |
| Item model number | MUYHSMFF |
| Item Weight | 0.422 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 7.87 x 0.39 x 0.39 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 7.87 x 0.39 x 0.39 inches |
| Color | Black |
| Manufacturer | StarTech.com |
| Language | English |
| ASIN | B004SP0WAQ |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | July 28, 2017 |
