| The iPod is a new and wonderful way to store | | | | into the speakers themselves, making them self |
| and listen to music. Once you've stored your | | | | powered. Just as you can connect any PC to any |
| favorite songs, wouldn't it be nice to share your | | | | set of powered speakers, you can connect any |
| collection with others. What you need to do is | | | | portable music player to the same speakers. All |
| connect your player to your home stereo. To | | | | you need is a cable. This is a quick way to play |
| listen to your portable music player in your living | | | | your portable music play through a set of larger |
| room, you need to connect it either to a pair of | | | | speaker. Just connect any set of computer |
| speakers or to your existing home entertainment | | | | speaker to the headphone jack of your music |
| system. | | | | player. Instead of pumping the signal through a |
| The first option for listening to your portable | | | | set of headphones, your music now plays through |
| player in your living room is to connect it to an | | | | the connected set of powered speaker. It's that |
| audio docking system. These are systems that | | | | simple. |
| include a built in amplifier and a pair of speakers, | | | | Connecting with Normal Audio Cables |
| slide your player into the dock and it will play | | | | For many people, setting up a pair of computer |
| through the docking system's speakers. Most of | | | | speakers in their living room is a less than ideal |
| these docking systems are designed specifically | | | | solution. You'll get much better sound by playing |
| for Apple's iPod, in theory; they should work with | | | | your portable music player through your existing |
| any portable music player. You want to make | | | | home audio or home theater system. In the |
| sure that the connector on the bottom of your | | | | instance, you don't connect your player directly to |
| player fits into the matching connector in the | | | | your home speakers because those speakers |
| docking station. | | | | aren't powered. They get their power from your |
| Connecting to Powered Speakers | | | | audio receiver or amplifier, so that's where you |
| The secret behind all those docking systems is | | | | want to plug in your music player. All you have to |
| they are really just powered speakers with | | | | do is run a cable from the headphone jack to |
| connecting cables. And you can use any set of | | | | your music player into a set of right and left audio |
| powered speakers in the same fashion. The | | | | inputs on the back of your receiver. Switch your |
| speakers you connect to your personal computer | | | | receiver to the appropriate input, press play on |
| are powered speakers, so call because they don't | | | | your iPod, and you get terrific sound fed through |
| need an external amplifier. The amplifier is built | | | | your entire audio system. |