New iMac Supports High-Impedance Headphones

The new 24-inch iMac with the M3 chip supports high-impedance headphones, according to an Apple support document updated today.

iMac power speaker heaphones copy
The built-in 3.5mm headphone jack on the left side of the new iMac features impedance detection and adaptive voltage output, and the computer now has an improved digital-to-analog converter with support for sample rates of up to 96 kHz, allowing for users to listen to high-fidelity, full-resolution audio with supported headphones.

Apple's list of all Macs that support high-impedance headphones:

  • iMac introduced in 2023
  • MacBook Air introduced in 2022 or later
  • MacBook Pro introduced in 2021 or later
  • Mac mini introduced in 2023
  • Mac Studio introduced in 2022 or later
  • Mac Pro introduced in 2023

The new iMac launched today after being introduced at Apple's event last week. Key new features include the M3 chip, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3. The all-in-one desktop computer has the same design as the 2021 model with the M1 chip.

Related Roundup: iMac
Buyer's Guide: iMac (Neutral)
Related Forum: iMac

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
bsod

Crowdstrike Says Global IT Outage Impacting Windows PCs, But Mac and Linux Hosts Not Affected

Friday July 19, 2024 3:12 am PDT by
A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
iphone 14 lineup

Cellebrite Unable to Unlock iPhones on iOS 17.4 or Later, Leak Reveals

Thursday July 18, 2024 4:18 am PDT by
Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
Apple Watch Series 9

2024 Apple Watch Lineup: Key Changes We're Expecting

Tuesday July 16, 2024 7:59 am PDT by
Apple is seemingly planning a rework of the Apple Watch lineup for 2024, according to a range of reports from over the past year. Here's everything we know so far. Apple is expected to continue to offer three different Apple Watch models in five casing sizes, but the various display sizes will allegedly grow by up to 12% and the casings will get taller. Based on all of the latest rumors,...
tinypod apple watch

TinyPod Turns Your Apple Watch Into an iPod

Wednesday July 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...

Top Rated Comments

GMShadow Avatar
9 months ago

Oh good. I’m sure that will mean something to the preschoolers using it in their classroom where those crayola colors fit right in.
Don't worry, the people who hate a little color will suck it right out of any iMac that isn't silver just like they suck the fun from life in general. ;)
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vegetassj4 Avatar
9 months ago
I don't want to be highly impeded by my headphones
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
guzhogi Avatar
9 months ago

the computer now has a built-in digital-to-analog converter ('https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212854') with support for sample rates of up to 96 kHz, allowing for users to listen to high-fidelity, full-resolution audio with supported headphones.
I hate to be "that guy," but why not 192 kHz? I find it strange that Apple offers 24-bit, 192 KHz music, but can't actually play said music on its devices without a third party adaptor.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
9 months ago
Great. Users are able to enjoy lossless & spatial over wired connections... unlike "the future" which still lacks the bandwidth to deliver the same. When does "the future" actually arrive again?

Those:

* who want maximum quality have a way to enjoy it.
* happy with the "convenience" (the future) method can enjoy their compressed audio their preferred way too.

I call that Win:Win!

And personally, I'd welcome a headphone jack back on the next incarnation of my favorite iPad, given an Apple-quality DAC is already inside to play to it and I'm no fan of dongles at all. Those who:

* ARE fans of dongles,
* already own USB-C wired headphone,
* are fans of "the future" option and/or
* want to maximize the quality of the audio from lossless/spatial...

...could fully have audio their way. Everybody could get what they want with one little resurrection that Apple themselves are still interested in adding to brand new hardware offerings in late 2023.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProfessionalFan Avatar
9 months ago

Oh good. I’m sure that will mean something to the preschoolers using it in their classroom where those crayola colors fit right in.
Yeah preschools are definitely putting brand new iMacs in the classrooms
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Fuzzball84 Avatar
9 months ago
I like this! Im sure those who buy this and wear headphones will likely really appreciate this. In some cases, nothing beats a wire and a good set of headphones.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)