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#1 2003-07-02 6:29 pm
- Short Circuit
- authorized airduct engineer
- From: UESC Marathon
- Registered: 2002-05-17
- Posts: 4739
No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
The G5 does not have an internal amplifier!
Does that mean that if I plug in a pair of big headphones, I wont be able to hear a thing ?
Why this now ? Do internal amplifiers cost that much ? I mean even an iMac has one. Why ?
Am I supposed to buy a revolution 7.1 card or the speaker setup that Apple sells ? wft ?
W
Frog7blast the ventcore!
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#2 2003-07-02 6:30 pm
- Short Circuit
- authorized airduct engineer
- From: UESC Marathon
- Registered: 2002-05-17
- Posts: 4739
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
ups... I meant to post this in Circuit Board, dont know how I hit here, sorry.
W
Frog7blast the ventcore!
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#3 2003-07-02 6:36 pm
- petikas
- Member
- From: Cyprus
- Registered: 2000-11-12
- Posts: 3601
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
In most cases the line output is enough for most headphones. If you want to use some hi-fi big headphones you're better of with an external headphone amp which is more appropriate for hi-fi headphones than an internal amp.
The methods of science are manifestly effective, having made massive humanitarian contributions to society. It is this very effectiveness which the purveyors of mystical philosophies attack, because they recognise in it the chief threat to the belief-based source of their power and financial reward. -Harry Kroto, Nobel Laureate
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#4 2003-07-03 3:46 am
- benightedbastard
- Cheap and Juicy!

- From: Western Australia
- Registered: 1999-06-03
- Posts: 28733
- Website
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
ups... I meant to post this in Circuit Board, dont know how I hit here, sorry.
![]()
W
Moved.
I think you just like making more work for me :standard:
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#5 2003-07-03 4:52 am
- smilr
- Soldering Iron Savvy

- From: The Dalles OR, U. S. of Apple
- Registered: 2000-06-21
- Posts: 2869
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
The G5 does not have an internal amplifier!
W
Pardon me - but where did you find this little tidbit of information?
There is some solace in knowing that some things just can't be attained by throwing piles of money at them in the name of corporate greed. --CaptKevMan
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#6 2003-07-03 8:19 am
- Short Circuit
- authorized airduct engineer
- From: UESC Marathon
- Registered: 2002-05-17
- Posts: 4739
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
The G5 does not have an internal amplifier!
WPardon me - but where did you find this little tidbit of information?
Here:
http://www.macnyt.dk/default.tpl?news=20030625190634
its point five: lemme translate:
5. Sound in and sound out are minijackplugs, no internal speaker
Its sounds like a banality, but the PowerMac G5 has both sound out and in. Hvat is interesting is that it is beeing done though standard minijacksplugs (or optic out and in for audiophiles) As such the special Apple minijackplugs as known from i.e iMac G4 15" are not used. this however also means that the internal amplifier has been cut off in the PowerMac G5
If you can find something that disproves this, id be happy.
W
Frog7blast the ventcore!
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#7 2003-07-03 9:28 am
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
Do internal amplifiers cost that much ? I mean even an iMac has one. Why ?
Probably a few reasons. Heat and space being the biggest two. Price is probably last on the list. They shouldn't cost that much to include.
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#8 2003-07-03 10:31 am
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
Sounds like they're just saying there's no internal speaker?
That's sort of disappointing, though. Doesn't need to be high quality internal speaker but I always imagine someone finding an old computer with no sound and it's so gay.
I'm going to slap your ass so hard, your bell-bottoms will be ringing.
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#9 2003-07-03 10:42 am
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
From Apple's G5 Tech doc
The sound circuitry is connected to the K2 IC by a standard I2S (inter-IC sound) bus. The K2 IC provides DB-DMA (descriptor-based direct memory access) support for the I2S port. The Power Mac G5 circuitry consists of two main components: an analog audio CODEC IC and a digital audio CODEC IC. The analog audio CODEC IC includes an A/D converter, a D/A converter, and digital audio processing functions. The digital audio processing functions include output equalization, dynamic range compression, and volume control. The equalization and dynamic range control functions are set to fixed values to equalize the internal speaker. Those functions are bypassed for signals sent to the audio output jacks.
The codec functions include one stereo input pair, two stereo output pairs (line out and headphone out), and one mono output that drives the internal speaker. Stereo signals from the audio input jack are routed to an analog line input buffer that drives the internal A/D converter. The output of the A/D converter is routed to the K2 IC over the I2S bus.Digital audio data from the K2 IC is routed to the D/A converter on the analog audio CODEC over the I2S bus. The analog audio output from the D/A is routed to separate amplifiers that drive the line output, headphone output, and internal speaker.The digital audio CODEC IC includes an S/PDIF (Sony/Phillips Digital Interface) digital audio receiver, a sample rate converter (SRC), a phase-locked loop (PLL), and an S/PDIF digital audio transmitter.The S/PDIF input can operate in synchronous and asynchronous modes. In synchronous mode, the PLL in the digital audio CODEC locks on to the incoming S/PDIF data rate and drives the audio system clocks in the Power Mac G5, allowing bit-accurate data processing of the S/PDIF input data. In asynchronous mode, the incoming S/PDIF data passes through the SRC, where it is converted to the output sample rate of the Power Mac G5, allowing the Power Mac G5 to play audio at a fixed output sample rate while accepting S/PDIF input data over a wide frequency range. The S/PDIF input data is routed to the K2 IC over the I2S bus.Digital audio data from the K2 chip is routed to the S/PDIF output transmitter in the digital audio CODEC over the I2S bus. The Power Mac G5 sends and receives S/PDIF audio data over TOSLink optical connectors.Analog audio I/O is not independent of digital audio I/O on the Power Mac G5. Audio input can come from either the line input or the S/PDIF input, but not both at the same time. Audio output can be played simultaneously on the line output, headphones output, and S/PDIF output. However, these audio streams are not independent.For more detail on the audio, see
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#10 2003-07-03 10:55 am
- pcguy
- Member

- Registered: 1999-11-18
- Posts: 5234
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
Do internal amplifiers cost that much ? I mean even an iMac has one. Why ?
Probably a few reasons. Heat and space being the biggest two. Price is probably last on the list. They shouldn't cost that much to include.
Heat and space is always the excuse people give? from pb 12in to PM! Did you see the size of the G5 case? Did you realize there is 9 huge fan in that case? the G5 case is at least 4 inch taller then G4 and deeper, there is plenty of space and air flow!
by the way, there is a headphone analog amp that drive the output line in the G5 as post by Gipetto
Do not settle for the world in shades of grey
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#11 2003-07-03 11:02 am
- misterboo
- Member
- From: Los Angeles
- Registered: 2002-08-23
- Posts: 575
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
Considering that Apple and Emagic are in bed together and the G5 IS a pro machine, maybe they realised that we all prefer to choose our own audio i/o cards. While the G5 is not strictly an Audio machine exclusively, I'm sure Emagic were asked for input as to what would make a kick ass Logic box. Hence the Sony Philips digital in/out.
The digital in/out allows us to use whatever D/A conversion we choose to and this is a good thing, really.
Just buy a nice firewire/usb audio box.
Also, having 9 fan motors and a HD/DVDROM inside a case with the DAC would severely compromise the sound quality.
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#12 2003-07-03 11:11 am
- sosumi
- numbery
- Royal Wombat

- From: North Mexico
- Registered: 1999-02-21
- Posts: 17513
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
It's good that there is an internal speaker, I was just noticing that none of the stock G5 configurations offer sound-out otherwise.
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#13 2003-07-03 11:11 am
- pcguy
- Member

- Registered: 1999-11-18
- Posts: 5234
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
Considering that Apple and Emagic are in bed together and the G5 IS a pro machine .
According the Apple web page, Apple G5 is a "personal computer" and not a "pro machine" 
Do not settle for the world in shades of grey
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#14 2003-07-03 11:26 am
- Short Circuit
- authorized airduct engineer
- From: UESC Marathon
- Registered: 2002-05-17
- Posts: 4739
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
From Apple's G5 Tech doc...
<snip>
...Sorry for the lack of formatting, it came out of PDF that way.
It is a preliminary Apple tech doc available here PowerMacG5.pdf
thanks a lot Gipetto!
So it does have one.
I just want to be able to plug in a "big" pair of headphones into the front, without getting a box.
Yeah AppLe RuleZ...1!1!!1!!
W
Frog7blast the ventcore!
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#15 2003-07-03 11:31 am
- misterboo
- Member
- From: Los Angeles
- Registered: 2002-08-23
- Posts: 575
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
Considering that Apple and Emagic are in bed together and the G5 IS a pro machine .
According the Apple web page, Apple G5 is a "personal computer" and not a "pro machine"
It's a personal pro computer.
Let's not split hairs, here. It is cheaper that what some dorks spend on their PC gaming rigs, so I guess it's a professional box that costs as much as a consumer toy.
Maybe they should label it prosumer?
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#16 2003-07-03 11:33 am
- misterboo
- Member
- From: Los Angeles
- Registered: 2002-08-23
- Posts: 575
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
Um, the headphone socket should have clued you in to the ability to plug headphones in...

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#17 2003-07-03 11:39 am
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
Um, the headphone socket should have clued you in to the ability to plug headphones in...

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#18 2003-07-03 11:52 am
- Short Circuit
- authorized airduct engineer
- From: UESC Marathon
- Registered: 2002-05-17
- Posts: 4739
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
Um, the headphone socket should have clued you in to the ability to plug headphones in...
W
Frog7blast the ventcore!
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#19 2003-07-03 6:47 pm
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
Maybe they should label it prosumer?
That's the term Apple Reps throw around, so I always thought it WAS considered that...
Spirit was crushed; now is fading, But I want to help make things right.
Because I can see and I can feel, and you can see and you can feel
So why don't we both either stand up and fight
Or at least together we'll call it a night.
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#20 2003-07-07 7:46 pm
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
Maybe they should label it prosumer?
That's the term Apple Reps throw around, so I always thought it WAS considered that...
Prosumer? Naah. "Confessional" 
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#21 2003-07-07 8:57 pm
- iboy
- high as a kite
- From: Vancouver
- Registered: 2001-06-21
- Posts: 1536
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
Considering that Apple and Emagic are in bed together...
Yeah, um maybe because Emagic is a subsidiary of Apple. As in, Apple owns them, literally.
R.I.P. MacAddict

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#22 2003-07-07 9:31 pm
- misterboo
- Member
- From: Los Angeles
- Registered: 2002-08-23
- Posts: 575
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
Considering that Apple and Emagic are in bed together...
Yeah, um maybe because Emagic is a subsidiary of Apple. As in, Apple owns them, literally.
I know, I know... Considering I own *almost* every Emapple product...
I just like saying 'in bed together' because it makes me feel funny.
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#24 2003-07-07 9:43 pm
- Twisted Guy
- President of the Galactic Confederacy

- Registered: 1999-03-28
- Posts: 15984
- Website
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
Considering that Apple and Emagic are in bed together...
Yeah, um maybe because Emagic is a subsidiary of Apple. As in, Apple owns them, literally.
I know, I know... Considering I own *almost* every Emapple product...
I just like saying 'in bed together' because it makes me feel funny.
It makes me think of Steve Jobs having sex with that Germany guy from Emagic, which is very unpleasant to me.
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#25 2003-07-07 9:45 pm
- misterboo
- Member
- From: Los Angeles
- Registered: 2002-08-23
- Posts: 575
Re: No internal amplifier ? oh get lost!
I'm not thinking of it on a person on person level. I was thinking of the actual corporate office buildings of both in one gigantic bed with lots of fancy pillows and a hot water bottle.
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