Computers and speakers

Is there any way to plug a computer into standard stereo speakers? I think listening to music through the computer speakers I have now is making me tone deaf or something.

If I remember far back enough I think my friend used one of those cassettes with a small jack coming out for that. I can't remember what they are called, but they used to be used to hook your discman up to the car cassette player. Lol those things were so cool before cdplayers for your car came haha, you should just be able to plug it into the lineout of your soundcard and it should work, but the quality runnig through your tape deck wouldn't be that great. I'm sure there is a WAY better method to do this, but this is just something I remember. Sorry.

You'd need some kind of an amplifier, like a receiver or something. A lot of computers these days even have Dolby 5.1 outputs jacks, for surround sound.

Can't go direct to speakers, though. That's why you need an AC adaptor for your computer speakers, since they're powered (i.e. there's an amp built into them).

::watches it all fly overhead::

So what do I do, plug my computer through something like a head and cabinet?

That's exactly what I do. I've got an audigy soundcard and I plug a headphone jack into one of the holes in the back (the one that works) and split it into a tiny 100w pa amp which goes to my speakers. I only get mono due to the nature of the pa amp but I only use speakers when i'm working out, I almost always listen with headphones.

...mind you I put it into the aux jack of the amp, otherwise you may end up with differences in whatever electrical term applies here.

[Edited by daveasdf on 12-11-2003 at 07:21 AM]

If you have stereo speakers, I assume you have an actual hi-fi system of some sort.
Simply check if you have some sort of input/aux on that system and get a cable that has a mini stereo jack on one side, and whatever plugs the hi-fi system requires on the other side.

If you don't have a hi-fi system, then yes, you'll have to get an amplifier of some sort.

assuming if you have speakers you have a stereo with that... you would use a y cable that takes the output from your soundcard and use the y jack to convert it into 2 sepeperate cables of rca hook ups. then put the rca hook ups into each of the aux plug ins on the stereo. click the aux switch and your good to go!

yup, they've all got you covered...

the plug you're looking for I think is called a Mini Din plug or a 5mm... one of the 2 (yeah - I'm helpful....NOT)

the answer to your problems is Radio Shack. They have adapters for things that haven't even been built yet!

That's what happens when frustration with completely retarted and very irate cell phone customers is taken out in a productive way.

"Don't like the service, bi+ch!? Yeah, well, watch me make an adaptor from your coffee pot to your stereo! And then feed your cd player through your microwave! And out the toaster! Hahaha! What do you say to that, bi+ch!? You like that, huh?"