Switching between audio devices on the fly doesn’t have to be hard. If you have the volume button enabled to show in the menu bar, then you can switch between devices right from the menu bar. Step 1: The first thing you’re going to need to do is ensure that the “Show volume in menu bar” option is checked in System Preferences → Sound. Once it is, you should notice the speaker icon representing the current volume in the menu bar. Step 2: Next, it’s just a matter of holding the Option (⌥) key while clicking the menu bar volume icon. Once you do so, you’ll see a listing of all of your Mac’s input and output devices. You can then easily switch between those devices with a mere mouse click.
Speakers with Chromecast built-in. Audio is re-compressed, which can compromise sound quality. Select Chromecast built-in speakers can be grouped together to play the same song everywhere.
Video walkthrough This method certainly beats having to go into System Preferences every time you wish to change your audio output source or input source. You can even use this method to quickly output sound to an AirPlay capable device like an Apple TV. I use this handy shortcut multiple times a day as I juggle my many sound input and output options on OS X, and it’s something that I find so handy that I felt compelled to share.
You can use Audio MIDI Setup to configure audio input and output devices that you use with your iMac, such as microphones and multichannel audio interfaces. Audio MIDI Setup works with many types of audio and MIDI interface devices, including your computer’s built-in audio and digital multichannel audio devices. It works with devices connected to your iMac using FireWire, USB, Bluetooth, PCMCIA, and PCI. The settings you can change in Audio MIDI Setup depend on the audio device you’re using.
For example, if the device supports volume control, you can adjust the volume for each channel your audio output device has available by following these steps:. Connect your audio devices to your iMac.
If necessary, install any software included with the devices. See the documentation that came with your audio devices. Open Audio MIDI Setup (you can find it in Utilities, inside your computer's Applications folder). Choose an audio device from the list on the left side of the Audio Devices window. To use the device for sound input, choose 'Use this device for sound input' from the Action pop-up menu.
To use the device for sound output, choose 'Use this device for sound output' from the Action pop-up menu. If you also want to use the device to play system sounds, choose 'Play alerts and sound effects through this device' from the Action pop-up menu. On the right side of the Audio Devices window, choose the options available for the device you're setting up:. In most cases, leave the 'Clock source' pop-up menu on the default setting. To set up surround (multichannel) speaker configurations, click Configure Speakers. Then, choose the type of configuration you want to use. See for more information.
You can set the sample rate and bit depth in the Format pop-up menus. Make sure they match the appropriate settings for your audio device and that the input and output sample rates are set to the same value.
For example, the built-in speakers of an iMac computer may appear like this: Additional settings. If your iMac supports the hardware sample rate converter, the Hardware Rate Converter pop-up menu is available in the Input menu. When you choose Automatic from the pop-up menu, the hardware sample rate converter is turned on if the audio samples coming in are PCM and formatted according to the international standard IEC 60958-3. The hardware sample rate converter is turned off if the input stream is encoded. You can also choose Enable or Disable from the menu to keep the hardware sample rate converter turned on or off. If you choose Enable from the menu, you may not be able to stream non-LPCM or encoded audio because the audio may not be recognized.
If software volume control is available for your device, the Volume sliders are blue to indicate they are active. Drag the sliders to set the volume for each channel.