That iMic USB audio system thing was in both input and output, along with the built-in speakers. Those were the only choices.
That was your first clue. Pretty good detective work, I must say.
Gregg, I'm a little confused - do you have an iMic?
Are your speakers powered?
What have you got for your Preferences->Sound output setting? It should be "Line Out Built-in Audio" or similar.
What are your volume levels? There are a number of places to set them - the preference panel for Sound, the top menu bar, the speakers themselves. Check them all.
So, yes, I do have an iMic. The purpose for it is to get music from my stereo to the computer. After setting up the Mini, I connected the iMic to a USB port in order to see if the RCA cables I have would reach to the stereo. (Previously, the iMic was used with my sons' iBooks at closer range.) I just left the iMic plugged in.
So, after our exchange on the other thread at lunch, I went for my noontime walk (it was only 6 below zero, so I headed over to the downtown mall!). Thinking about your response in this thread, I realized the above and wondered what would happen if I unplugged the iMic. Well, the only thing that seems to have happened is that
iMic USB audio system is no longer a choice in the Sound control panel.
Yes, the speakers are powered. The power supply is plugged in to a wall outlet, and the mini-RCA cable is plugged into the Mini.
My volume levels in the Sound control panel, and the menu bar are all at about halfway. The on/off knob on one speaker is also the volume adjustment. When hooked up to the old G3, it didn't take much of a "turn" to get a decent amount of volume.
Something is still missing. I don't get sound out of the speakers. I was puzzled that I couldn't test alert sounds yesterday, but that appears to be a volume issue. At 50%, it's very faint, but it's there.