1 Set of Speakers a Mac and a PC Help

jordeeboi

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Hi Everyone,

Hope all is well.

Apologies if this is a simple one, but I need some advice.

I have a set of Yamaha MSP5 Studio monitors that I use as my PC speakers and for music production.

I have recently bought a 2020 Macbook pro M1 and want both the PC and the Macbook to be able to use the speakers at the same time.

The Yamaha MSP5's have a single 6.35mm jack into the rear of each speaker (L&R) which leads to a single 3.5mm jack that I currently swap from PC to MAC as and when I use them.

Would a simple 3.5mm splitter do the job and allow me to use the speakers at the same time across both the PC and the MAC?

Thanks in advance for any help

Cheers

MC
 
No, definitely don't do that. That will have both audio outputs stages from your Mac and PC connected together actively or in parallel... 'Live' if you will.

You just need a switch box of some sort to switch two 3.5mm sources A & B between one out. A two in - one out).

something like THIS
 
Last edited:
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If you really mean at the same time then you need an audio mixer, really.
 
If you really mean at the same time then you need an audio mixer, really.
yeah I did think about that, but I figured by "at the same time" he meant 'alternatively' since having both actually playing content at he same time would be a little pointless... and weird.
 
hi All,

Yeah, that would be weird and pointless both on at the same time...lol, what I meant was both online and ready to use at the same time rather than manually having to unplug and plug in the existing 3.5mm jack.

I ordered this

Amazon Switch Box

Its arriving today, hopefully this will do the job?

Also, your help is genuinely appreciated, thanks for taking time out to assist me all

MC
 
— As an Amazon Associate, AVForums earns from qualifying purchases —
No, definitely don't do that. That will have both audio outputs stages from your Mac and PC connected together actively or in parallel... 'Live' if you will.

You just need a switch box of some sort to switch two 3.5mm sources A & B between one out. A two in - one out).

something like THIS
Hi

Just out of interest, what would be the outcome of connecting them in this way without a splitter?

Thanks

Mike
 
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It is difficult to say. You could certainly blow the output stages of one or both audio devices. You may get away with little or no damage, especially if it is only connected for a short time and not turned up.

Typically the output power of a computers audio stage is small (<1W with headphones) but the potential for rendering it mute is real when connected this way. A bigger worry is the potential difference the outputs may be working at which could cause damage not just to the audio stage but the motherboard. Generally Motherboards are designed to compensate for this difference with removable connectable devices such as USB or monitors, but there is little provision for this in the output stage where such devices are not meant to be connected together.

Remember the output stage of any audio device wants to see a passive device like a speaker or at least a 'load' of some sort with no signal or 'foreign' current/voltage being presented. If you connect them together you are driving the electrical signal of one output directly into the output stage of the other and vice versa.
 

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