Apple Apple Pro Speakers vs Apple iPod Hi-Fi

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Apple Pro Speakers compared with iPod Hi-Fi

	AppleApple Pro Speakers	AppleiPod Hi-Fi
Overview
Released
Released	January 2001	February 2006
Sound
Type
Type	Speaker	Portable speaker
Channels
Channels	stereo	stereo
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos	No	No
Drivers
Drivers	Clear spherical housings with visible speaker cones. Apple developed the system with Harman Kardon; unpublished driver dimensions and enclosure measurements are not inferred from photographs. The original Apple product photos show dark cone surrounds; the later iMac brochure shows pale surrounds. These images describe the photographed versions without guessing their exact ordering-code mapping.	Two wide-range drivers in isolated enclosures and a ported woofer; Macworld reports two 80 mm drivers and one 130 mm woofer
Amplifiers
Amplifiers	The speakers receive amplified audio and power from the host Mac, with no external amplifier box of their own. Apple's original Power Mac G4 product page claims 20 W total, 10 W per channel, supplied by the computer; it publishes no RMS or distortion conditions. The UK July 2002 iMac data sheet instead specifies 9 W per speaker and an 18 W internal iMac amplifier. These are host-specific claims, not interchangeable speaker or mains-consumption ratings.	Built-in amplifier; Apple did not publish a power rating
Frequency response
Frequency response	Apple specifies 70 Hz to 20 kHz without a tolerance or measurement conditions. No comparison with a measured response is implied.	53 Hz low-end figure reported by Macworld from Apple; no official full-range specification found
Connections
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	No	No
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	No	No
AirPlay
AirPlay	No	No
Voice assistants
Voice assistants	None	None
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	No Wi-Fi; wired speaker connection only.	No built-in Wi-Fi
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	No Bluetooth; wired speaker connection only.	No built-in Bluetooth
Ports
Ports	One attached cable connects the pair to a compatible Mac's dedicated Apple speaker minijack. This is a special powered connector, not a standard headphone socket or USB input. The visually similar Power Mac G4 Cube speakers are a separate USB-powered system with their own external amplifier; their connectivity is not transferred here.	30-pin iPod dock; 3.5 mm auxiliary input accepts analogue stereo or Mini-Toslink optical digital audio; no video output or computer sync port
Streaming
Streaming	No network player or music service built in. Plays audio supplied by a compatible Mac.	Plays music from a separately connected AirPort Express through the auxiliary input; no wireless receiver built in
Design
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	–	Up to 15 hours
Weight
Weight	–	6.6 kg
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	No battery. Draws power through the special amplified Apple speaker connection on the host computer.	Six D-cell batteries or mains power; Apple told Macworld up to 15 hours at normal listening levels and approximately five hours at maximum volume. Macworld measured just under 11 hours with alkaline cells
Controls
Controls	Volume and sound settings are controlled on the host Mac; no separate speaker volume dial is shown in the maker's product images.	Touch-sensitive volume buttons on top and included infrared Apple Remote for volume, playback and track changes
Mounting
Mounting	Separate desktop speaker pair. Apple's photos show the integrated circular supports; no mounting-hole standard is published.	–
Size
Size	Speaker dimensions and exact pair weight were not recovered from the manufacturer; computer dimensions and weight in the shared iMac sheet are not applied to the speakers.	17.0 × 6.6 × 6.9 inches and approximately 6.6 kg without batteries, measured by iLounge; approximately 7.6 kg with six D-cell batteries
Colours
Colours	Transparent housings. The original 2001 product photos show dark surrounds; the 2002 iMac bundle photograph shows pale surrounds. Apple's surviving Japanese product list names M8282J/A and M8756G/A as Apple Pro Speakers, but it does not map the photographed surrounds to those ordering codes.	White enclosure with removable black fabric speaker grille
In the box
In the box	Standalone pair sold as an optional Power Mac G4 accessory. Some iMac G4 configurations include the pair; the iMac, keyboard and mouse in the brochure scene are bundle companions rather than parts supplied with the standalone speakers. Apple announced the optional speakers alongside immediately available Power Mac G4 configurations on 9 January 2001; its archived 23 January product page offers online ordering and describes the then-current powered connection. January 2001 is supported, but a separate exact first-sale day for the speaker accessory remains unresolved. A separately sold Harman Kardon iSub can be used with the compatible Mac system; it is not included.	Apple Remote, removable grille, AC power cord and ten Universal Dock adapters