Using outdoor speakers for fun and profit.

[bpardy]

Hello,

I usually don't post on these forums as I try to find things out myself, but I'm a bit stuck.

I'm constructing a new home, and found a nice little pair of exterior speakers at Costco I'd like to put on my back deck. Problem is, I'd like these speakers to play from my Macmini I have connected to my TV. How do you go about doing this? Do you need an amp to hook these speakers up to, and THEN hook them to the mini? or is there some kind of connector or trick to it?

Also, can you set up "zones" on a computer? So, for example, my mini is connected via HDMI, and plays its sounds through my TV, But when I'd like to play music, how do I tell the mini to use the exterior speakers? Is there a way to automate this?

Hopefully someone out there has experience with this semi obscure question!

 

[soundguruman]

You can hook from the headphone jack to an amplifier to the speakers.
As far as software, there are several digital audio distribution systems, that can be programmed to route signal into different destinations. They do have different zones.
depends on how much you can afford to spend doing it.

 

[bpardy]

I'm trying to do it as cheap as I can. Ideally I'd like an inexpensive amp I could use as a medium between the mac and the speakers. Could you recommend anything like that? Or any software you know of that routes signals?

Thanks for the reply.

 

[soundguruman]

software that routs signals controls a router unit which costs several hundred dollars.
Headphone jack to amp to speakers is the inexpensive solution.
Any small integrated amp or tuner amp, or power amp will work for that application.
http/www.amazon.com /AudioSource-100-Watt-Monoblock -Power-Amplifier/dp/B00006I51M $59
check amazon, e bay, crutchfield, or a second hand store.

 

[MEgamer]

ull need a pre amp for that power amp, otherwise just get an integrated, but they arent as powerful as a seprates component, unlesss u deciding to spend loads.