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Apple Apple Pro Speakers · Apple (archived product page)
Apple Pro Speakers
A wired stereo speaker pair powered by the special amplified speaker connector on compatible Power Mac G4 and iMac G4 computers.
- Type
- Speaker
- Atmos
- No
- Connects by
- –
- Battery
- –
- Weight
- –
Product links
Specifications
Report a wrong or missing specSound
- Type
- Speaker
- Channels
- stereo
- Dolby Atmos
- No
- 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 Apple developed the system with Harman Kardon; unpublished driver dimensions and enclosure measurements are not inferred from photographs.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.
- 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.
- Frequency response
- Apple specifies 70 Hz to 20 kHz without a tolerance or measurement conditions. No comparison with a measured response is implied.
Connections
- Wi-Fi
- No
- Bluetooth
- No
- AirPlay
- No
- Voice assistants
- None
- Wi-Fi
- No Wi-Fi; wired speaker connection only.
- Bluetooth
- No Bluetooth; wired speaker connection only.
- 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.
- Streaming
- No network player or music service built in. Plays audio supplied by a compatible Mac.
Design
- Battery life detail
- No battery. Draws power through the special amplified Apple speaker connection on the host computer.
- Controls
- Volume and sound settings are controlled on the host Mac; no separate speaker volume dial is shown in the maker's product images.
- Mounting
- Separate desktop speaker pair. Apple's photos show the integrated circular supports; no mounting-hole standard is published.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Pros and cons
Pros
- No separate power supply required with a compatible Mac
- Clear spherical housings
- Can be used alongside a separately sold Harman Kardon iSub
Cons
- Requires a compatible amplified Apple speaker connector
- Cannot plug directly into a standard headphone socket
- Volume is controlled by the computer
Closest rivals
Model | Type | Atmos | Connects by | Battery | Weight | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speaker | No | – | – | – | 1994 | |
| Speaker | No | – | – | – | 1993 | |
| Portable speaker | No | – | 15 h | 6.6 kg | Feb 2006 |
Sources
- web.archive.org/web/20010123221000/http%3A//www.apple.com/speakers
- apple.com/newsroom/2001/01/09Apple-Delivers-New-Power-Mac-G4-with-733-MHz-Power…
- store.apple.com/Catalog/uk/Images/imacG4.pdf
- apple.com/jp/support/list.html
- guidebookgallery.org/ads/magazines/macos/imac
Photo: Apple (archived product page)
- Apple Pro Speaker with dark surround in an angled front view, showing the clear spherical housing and support; original 2001 maker photo: Apple (archived product page)
- Apple Pro Speakers with pale surrounds in a 2002 iMac G4 bundle scene; the computer, keyboard and mouse are not included with the standalone speakers: Apple brochure (GUIdebook archive)
