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My external Bose speakers suddenly stopped working in my IMac. They work on another computer. I installed the newest OS to see if that would help, but no. The headphones work, however. Could this be a hardware problem instead of a software problem? If so, how do I fix it since it seems to be the computer and not the speakers?
Optional Information: Computer OS: Mac OS XBrowser: Other Already Tried: I installed the latest software. I plugged the speakers into another computer and they work fine.
Welcome to JustAnswer! I'm John. As I and other Experts work on your question, itwould help to know the following information, if you please:* What version of OS X are you using? To obtain this information, click on theApple icon at top left, then choose About This Mac from the menu. The numbers tothe right of Version is what I'm looking for.* What web browser are you using? Ex. Firefox 3.5 or Safari 3.2 etc* What do you see in Sound under System Preferences while the Bose speakers are plugged in?Thank you for trusting us with your question. Answering these questions will help us help you more effectively and will ensure a quality solution for you so please be as thorough and descriptive as possible.Regards,John
I was using Tiger. But today I upgraded to Leopard 10.6.3 to see if that would fix the problem.I am using Safari 4.04I do not see Bose speakers in the Sound menu of Preferences. I only see Internal Speakers as an option
It sounds like your Sound Card may be "hurting". I'll "Opt Out" in case any other Experts might have an idea what might be happening here.Regards,John
Thanks.
Hi there,Welcome to JustAnswer.com! My name is XXXXX XXXXX X'X love to help you.How do the speakers hook up to your iMac? Using a USB cable or a "mini-banana" stereo cable (same as headphones)? Also, do your headphones work in the same port?Let me know!Best Regards,BrandonBeBoo40274.1408902778
The speakers use the 'mini-banana'. I tried my headphones but they do not work in that port either. When I plug either the speakers or the headphones in the sounds still comes out of the external speakers as if nothing is plugged in at all.
Thanks for that info. There are a couple things we can try. First, let's try a PRAM reset and Safe Boot. If this doesn't work, we can try a PMU reset. If neither of these work, the port might be shot.To reset the PRAM and boot into Safe Boot:
Experience: 10+ Years Mac Support as contractor and currently an IT Manager for law firm
Let's check something real quick. Can you look inside the headphone port? Do you see a red light inside the port?Also, when you plug something in and look in the Sound Preference Pane, do you ever see it change from Internal Speaker?Let me know.Best Regards,Brandon
No red light. When I plug something in there is no change in the Sound Preferences. It still says "Internal Speakers". Also, did you get my previous message with my serial number?Michelle
Yes I did. In the future, you can reply to a question after you accept. I wanted you to check this one thing before we dove in any further. Let's try resetting the SMC. To do this, shutdown your iMac. Unplug all the cables. Push and hold the power button for at least 5 seconds (with the power cord still unplugged). Once thats done, reconnect all your cables and turn your iMac back on.Let me know if this works for you.Best Regards,Brandon
This didn't work. Still no speakers :(
There is one more thing I can have you try. If this doesn't work, you'll have to take it in and have a hardware test done on the iMac at an Apple Store or authorized service center.Try creating a new user and testing with the new user. In System Preferences, go to Accounts. Create a new user and logout of your user and in with the new user. Does sound still not work? If it still fails to come out of the external speakers or headphones, I would suggest taking it to have a hardware test done to make sure nothing has failed on the iMac's board. If you are not aware, you can find the closest Apple Retail Store here:http://www.apple.com/retail/storelist/Hope this information helps! Good luck!Best Regards,Brandon
This didn't work either. Now I know it must be a hardware problem. Thank you so much for you help and patience.Michelle