Ask Anything: How do I use my iPod with speakers? Video

Ask Anything: How do I use my iPod with speakers? Video Transcript

^M00:00:01 [ Music ] ^M00:00:06

>> Randall Bennett: I am Randall Bennett for CNET.com in this edition of Ask Anything, we are trying to figure out how to hook up the iPods with anything but headphones. For that we turn to John Falcone, Senior Editor from CNET.com and he has all the info on how you can get the best out of iPods. So John how do we hug up to speakers with some easy ways?

>> John Falcone: Well first of all if you want to buy new equipment you can just buy a unit that already has an iPod dock built into it. So you just want something as the standard 30 pin iPod dock. It has the one that's an iPod that's come out in the past few years. You get to go you just pop right in and you hear your music over the speakers.

>> Randall Bennett: So what is the many advantages and disadvantages of using the iPod dock?

>> John Falcone: The advantage is that it is simple, direct and gives you a one level output so you can control everything with just the volume on the unit. The disadvantage is if you don't already have something with a dock in it you got to go out and buy it.

>> Randall Bennett: So we have, one of the other options is if we have a pair of power pc speakers running around you can plug them in right?

>> John Falcone: Absolutely. Every iPod like everything else has a headphone Jack and all pretty much every PC speaker has a standard mini jack connection as well so you just grab that connection and pop it right in and turn up the volume of the speakers and make sure the volume on your iPod is adjusted a good volume as well because using the headphone volume.

>> Randall Bennett: So you want to make sure that your iPod is turned up and that your speakers are turned up and you kind of got to make sure there is a balance there so it's not [ overlapping ].

>> John Falcone: Yeah exactly. I had a nice medium volume so you are not getting any distortion on either side.

>> Randall Bennett: Awesome. So lets say you have a good PC or stereo receiver rather going to use some good cables how can you hook this up to your stereo receiver?

>> John Falcone: You already have a stereo you already got a free input or two like CD or VCR or something same thing you buy a separate patch cable that has mini jack on one end and the red and white stereo RCA jacks on the other same thing plug in your iPod, plug this into your input of choice. Make sure the volume is good on your iPod and your stereo and you are doing a music.

>> Randall Bennett: That's only 10 bucks, so it's not too expensive.

>> John Falcone: I would not pay more than $10 for that patch cable absolutely.

>> Randall Bennett: So [inaudible] table top radio a lot of them come with inputs as well what kind of cable do you need for that?

>> John Falcone: Pretty much the same thing but you wont want one that just has the mini jack connections on both sides. So one side is the iPod headphone jack, the other one like on this radio just has an Aux in and

>> Randall Bennett: Once you set the volume gauge you are good to go. [inaudible] done with us, again this is all pretty inexpensive. These cables are like 10 bucks so. Should be able to figure out something flat. I am Randall Bennett for CNET.com. See you later. ^M00:02:44 [ Music ]