# Connecting laptop to an Old-school speaker



## polar_foxx (Jan 26, 2009)

Hello,

I've recently moved into my new room and one of the things I'd really like to see in it is a big old-school speaker.

... obviously I'd like to use it too, so i need to find a way to hook it up to my laptop with as few cables and external devices as possible. In the end it should look something like this:









:grin::grin::grin:


I'm very bad with HiFi terminology and even worse when it comes to understanding how it works, so please be patient with me.. 


What do I need to make my 'setup' happen?
I've been told that I would need a power-amplifier to drive my speaker. I wouldn't like that... Aren't speakers with integrated amps at least a relatively common thing? Do they have a special name?

Can such speakers be connected to my laptop only with the aid of wires? What kind of cables would I need?

I'm planning to buy the speaker second-hand and I'm not willing to pay more than 100euros for it. (actually, around 50 euros is an even better estimate)..


I'd really appreciate if you shared your opinions about this with me. Is it a dumb idea, or do you think it can be done? :grin:


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## magnethead (Mar 18, 2006)

it's doable. You're looking for a powered PA or concert speaker and a 1/8" male to 1/4" male patch cord. Typical powered PA/concert speakers will have a 4" round piezo or 4x12" horn tweeter and a 10" mid woofer...some will have a 5 or 6" mid range.


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