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2021 M1Max 16 MBP Weird Rattley Noise from Left Speaker
- Thread starter smithdr
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Yes, I experienced same thing on mine - it's a similar age too. Strangely, it improved after I used a signal generator to establish what frequencies were causing the issue. I now have no obvious rattle but I'm not convinced the speakers are working as they should. They don't sound bad for laptop speakers but they don't sound great either.
I think you should contact Apple, because these speakers are incredible for a lap top computer. The best I've heard.
Took my vibrating left speaker to the Apple store. At intake, they ran the usual set of diagnostics. Nothing wrong. I then demonstrated the issue to the the individual and we agreed that something was wrong with the left speaker. We then agreed that the Geniuses were to open the laptop and look for something loose.
What happened was that the Geniuses ran the same set of diagnostics and declared nothing wrong that they could find and never even bothered to open the laptop.
A complete waste of my time.
Don
What happened was that the Geniuses ran the same set of diagnostics and declared nothing wrong that they could find and never even bothered to open the laptop.
A complete waste of my time.
Don
It seemed to be between 100 and 150 Hz. Sweeping a tone between 100 Hz and 400 Hz seemed to clear it up - still seems fine now - can no longer replicate the rattle. I'm going to assume that it just needed broken in but will continue to monitor it.
Hi Head and Kentzh,
I purchased a frequency generator application today for $0.99 US, I was searching up in the 1,000 - 3,000 Hz range using a sine wave. As a sine wave I heard nothing. But when I increased the modulation it became extremely "buzzy".
I also attempted using a square and a sawtooth pattern in the same frequency range and these also caused vibrations.
I will work on lower the frequencies tomorrow and see what they would do. Also, I have 2016 MBP and a 2019 MBA. Will test on these computers to see if I can produce any rattling.
I would contact Apple, but I really doubt that anyone of their techs would have any audio knowledge.
It would be terrific if someone with an audio background will chime in with a more learned opinion. I sincerely hope this is not going to be, now wait for it, Audiogate! as the music from shower scene in Psycho plays.
Don
BTW. The audio on these computers are set up far to bassey for my tastes. Really Apple! I just want to be able to hear clear dialogue. Not this muddy stuff that comes with heavy metal. These speakers are too small for this kind of base. Probably designed by some engineer that grew up listening to heavy metal using 16" Cerwin Vega speakers in the basement rattling every window in the house.
I purchased a frequency generator application today for $0.99 US, I was searching up in the 1,000 - 3,000 Hz range using a sine wave. As a sine wave I heard nothing. But when I increased the modulation it became extremely "buzzy".
I also attempted using a square and a sawtooth pattern in the same frequency range and these also caused vibrations.
I will work on lower the frequencies tomorrow and see what they would do. Also, I have 2016 MBP and a 2019 MBA. Will test on these computers to see if I can produce any rattling.
I would contact Apple, but I really doubt that anyone of their techs would have any audio knowledge.
It would be terrific if someone with an audio background will chime in with a more learned opinion. I sincerely hope this is not going to be, now wait for it, Audiogate! as the music from shower scene in Psycho plays.
Don
BTW. The audio on these computers are set up far to bassey for my tastes. Really Apple! I just want to be able to hear clear dialogue. Not this muddy stuff that comes with heavy metal. These speakers are too small for this kind of base. Probably designed by some engineer that grew up listening to heavy metal using 16" Cerwin Vega speakers in the basement rattling every window in the house.
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Today, the front right woofer appears to either be blown, loose, or in some other way faulty. My 16" 2021 MBP is less than 2 months old.
It makes an awfully distracting buzzing noise from the front-right during most dialogue & speech, and even the OSX boot up 'chime'.
A frequency test through the speakers was able to produce this very repeatably, all the way from 50 Hz (first audible frequency) all the way up to 350 Hz, at almost all volumes.
The machine is in mint condition, and is physically pristine (I have Applecare+ nonetheless, but this is clearly a hardware fault).
Apple web support was useless - I'm taking the machine into my local Apple store tomorrow.
Not impressed with yet another issue on this machine...
It makes an awfully distracting buzzing noise from the front-right during most dialogue & speech, and even the OSX boot up 'chime'.
A frequency test through the speakers was able to produce this very repeatably, all the way from 50 Hz (first audible frequency) all the way up to 350 Hz, at almost all volumes.
The machine is in mint condition, and is physically pristine (I have Applecare+ nonetheless, but this is clearly a hardware fault).
Apple web support was useless - I'm taking the machine into my local Apple store tomorrow.
Not impressed with yet another issue on this machine...
Hi Jaz:
Sorry to read that you have this problem. At least yours can be easily reproduced. My rattling was intermittent. I am still within the return window and decided to return it for factory defects. My new machine will arrive mid-February. It looks as though more and more of these machines are turning up with speaker issues.
Good luck with this. Please let us know how you made out.
Don
Sorry to read that you have this problem. At least yours can be easily reproduced. My rattling was intermittent. I am still within the return window and decided to return it for factory defects. My new machine will arrive mid-February. It looks as though more and more of these machines are turning up with speaker issues.
Good luck with this. Please let us know how you made out.
Don
Took it into the Apple Store today - they took the back off the machine & found a large bit of grit/small stone (about the size of 2 grains of rice) on top of the right sub speaker cone - luckily no damage to the cone. It must have been rattling/buzzing up against the back of the machine.
I've not taken the machine outside, but I do have cats in the house, so maybe a bit of grit picked up by them somehow.
Either way, speakers working fine again, with the mystery of how a literal stone ended up in my machine unanswered. Looks like I lucked out either way!
I've not taken the machine outside, but I do have cats in the house, so maybe a bit of grit picked up by them somehow.
Either way, speakers working fine again, with the mystery of how a literal stone ended up in my machine unanswered. Looks like I lucked out either way!
Hi Jaz:
That's great news. I wish i could have gotten Apple to open my unit up.
I really doubt that you could introduce a small stone into you laptop. Most likely this came from the factory. So much for the cleanliness of Apple's assembly facilities.
Don
That's great news. I wish i could have gotten Apple to open my unit up.
I really doubt that you could introduce a small stone into you laptop. Most likely this came from the factory. So much for the cleanliness of Apple's assembly facilities.
Don
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I am having this same problem. I reboot the computer and it goes away for a month or two. It came back yesterday. I thought it was in a cooking video that I was watching until it happened on other YouTube videos and it's still happening today. I'll reboot the computer after I post this and it will be gone for awhile again.
If you have an Apple retail store nearby, see if you can book in a genius bar appointment for them to open it up and check.
Took 5mins for them to open it up, find the fault (a bit of grit/a small stone!) and clear the dust.
I've not had any issues since the foreign object was removed, although i still don't know how it got in there!
I just restarted the computer and it's gone again. It's not something in the speakers or inside the case or it wouldn't "fix" itself after restarting.
Yours is more likely what's discussed in this thread:
New 16" Speakers Popping
Has anyone else had this happen? The speakers sound incredible, but I'm getting a lot of popping noises. Apple support wasn't particularly helpful and told me to reset my PRAM, which doesn't apply to Apple Silicone.
forums.macrumors.com
I have same issue between 60hz to 80hz. I constantly play this video between 60hz to 80hz, sometimes it rattles sometimes it doesnt. If ı touch left bottom part of speaker it stops.
16'' M1 Max, left speaker (exactly same with yours)
I took a video:
16'' M1 Max, left speaker (exactly same with yours)
I took a video:
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Seems so familiar to me, I've experienced that twice in the left speaker, seems not an uncommon issue, and always the left speaker involved:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...macbook-pro-16-inch-2019-model-a2141.2363585/
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...macbook-pro-16-inch-2019-model-a2141.2363585/