Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Studio Display - Owners Thread

xraydoc said:
OK, so I did a thing. I was at the Apple Store today and purchased a new 14" MBP with the M3 Max processor. And since the M3 Max supports more than two external displays, bought a height-adjustable Studio Display. My other two are VESA models.

Yes, it's overkill. And it's glorious.
View attachment 2350143
Sorry about the blurry, compressed picture. Done on purpose to hide personal information.
Click to expand...
Follow up questions, please.

First, what make and model are your two VESA mounts holding the ASDs?

Second, do you find those VESA mounts satisfactory for holding and stabilizing the two displays (e.g., secure clamp-on mounting to the desk/table, secure in holding the weight of the ASDs, no vibration when typing)?
 
  • Like
Reactions: picpicmac
spinner1001 said:
Follow up questions, please.

First, what make and model are your two VESA mounts holding the ASDs?

Second, do you find those VESA mounts satisfactory for holding and stabilizing the two displays (e.g., secure clamp-on mounting to the desk/table, secure in holding the weight of the ASDs, no vibration when typing)?
Click to expand...
The VESA arms are Amazon Basics. They're not particularly smooth when moving the displays, but they stay put once positioned. No drifting or sagging. Once I got them to where I like them, I don't really move them at all. The arms clamp strongly on the desk with a C-clamp.

No vibration at all when typing, but my Mac's desk is thick and heavy solid wood, so not sure how much of the stability is due to the arms and how much is due to the desk. I do, however, have another two Amazon Basics VESA arms on my WFH PC which is on a sit/stand height adjustable desk. That desktop is thinner than my Mac's desk, and while it's remarkably study as well, there's no vibration of the monitors on it, either, so I think the arms should be good as long as the desk isn't going to move when typing.

I don't know who makes them for Amazon, but they seem quite decent. Again, not anywhere nearly as smooth as moving the Studio Display on Apple's height/tilt stand, but once positioned, they stay put.
 
  • Like
Reactions: colodane
So, I think @xraydoc has cracked it... I'm really loving this setup with the two portrait displays bordering the landscape one. Some random thoughts...

  • It gives me a chance to have 2-4 windows at eye level across the three screens, like an Ultrawide
  • But unlike an ultra wide, I can then have less-used windows above and below the ones off to the side. Music player, messaging apps, reference stuff
  • Or like @xraydoc showed, having two windows stacked vertically on each portrait screen also gives me a lot more windows on screen without having a really wide setup with three landscape screens
  • It maintains the middle screen as my key focus with whatever I'm working on
I still wonder if Apple made a Studio ultrawide, would that be the ideal screen for me, but I'd lose some vertical screen real estate? With other ultrawides, I really miss the screen crispness & brightness you get with Apple screens.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Thechillmaster, xraydoc and picpicmac
ascender said:
I still wonder if Apple made a Studio ultrawide, would that be the ideal screen for me, but I'd lose some vertical screen real estate? With other ultrawides, I really miss the screen crispness & brightness you get with Apple screens.
Click to expand...
Yeah, at work I have a Dell 38" Ultrawide and it looks so blurry compared to my Studio Display. The size is nice but I prefer the smaller but much higher quality ASD. Maybe if Apple had a monitor like that things would be different.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ascender
With my previous setup for my corporate gig, I had my LG UltraFine 5K flanked by a 24" Dell monitor in portrait mode. I used the Dell for Outlook and Teams and the LG for the window(s) I was actively working in. It was a pretty nice setup.

After swapping out the LG with an ASD, I'm back to just using the one monitor. I find the virtual desktops to be enough, and the Dell was just too ugly to put next to my ASD.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lioness~, diggy33, justmadeupname and 1 other person
xraydoc said:
OK, so I did a thing. I was at the Apple Store today and purchased a new 14" MBP with the M3 Max processor. And since the M3 Max supports more than two external displays, bought a height-adjustable Studio Display. My other two are VESA models.

Yes, it's overkill. And it's glorious.
View attachment 2350143
Sorry about the blurry, compressed picture. Done on purpose to hide personal information.
Click to expand...
Suddenly I have an urge to watch Star Wars again
 
  • Haha
  • Like
Reactions: tomtattoo, Diskutant, picpicmac and 7 others
I have been using two ASD's for a few months. Directing the sound to one display or another. Yesterday I found a suggestion to use Loopback. I was a little nervous to change the security settings, but I am really happy with the improvement in sound quality from using each monitor as a channel for the audio. Definitely worth it if you are on the fence.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ascender
xraydoc said:
OK, so I did a thing. I was at the Apple Store today and purchased a new 14" MBP with the M3 Max processor. And since the M3 Max supports more than two external displays, bought a height-adjustable Studio Display. My other two are VESA models.

Yes, it's overkill. And it's glorious.
View attachment 2350143
Sorry about the blurry, compressed picture. Done on purpose to hide personal information.
Click to expand...
I liked your set up so much that I did similar buying three ASDs in the same orientation. It seems that in portrait mode ASD is limited for split screen of different apps. I see your two portrait ASDs (LHS and RHS ASDs) have split screens with multiple apps.

Do you use a third-party app for split screen in portrait mode? Or am I missing something native in MacOS?
 
xraydoc said:
OK, so I did a thing. I was at the Apple Store today and purchased a new 14" MBP with the M3 Max processor. And since the M3 Max supports more than two external displays, bought a height-adjustable Studio Display. My other two are VESA models.

Yes, it's overkill. And it's glorious.
View attachment 2350143
Sorry about the blurry, compressed picture. Done on purpose to hide personal information.
Click to expand...
I know this is old but I’m curious, for the M3 Max, are you using all 3 available TB4 ports or do you have a splitter/dock? I’m interested in possibly doing something like this (I have a VESA ASD and a maxed out 14” Max, but the ASD is usually connected to my 2020 5K iMac (also VESA mounted)), but I'd want to be able to use some of the laptop's I/O that doesn’t rely on the slow-ass USB ports built into the ASD.

I could always use my TS4 Caldigit dock for one of the ASDs, which is what I do now (I swap the ASD cable between the TS3+ connected to my iMac and a TS4 optimized for my 14” MBP), but I don't know the bandwidth maximums and if that changes if you’re using two other ASDs too.
 
filmgirl said:
I know this is old but I’m curious, for the M3 Max, are you using all 3 available TB4 ports or do you have a splitter/dock? I’m interested in possibly doing something like this (I have a VESA ASD and a maxed out 14” Max, but the ASD is usually connected to my 2020 5K iMac (also VESA mounted)), but I'd want to be able to use some of the laptop's I/O that doesn’t rely on the slow-ass USB ports built into the ASD.

I could always use my TS4 Caldigit dock for one of the ASDs, which is what I do now (I swap the ASD cable between the TS3+ connected to my iMac and a TS4 optimized for my 14” MBP), but I don't know the bandwidth maximums and if that changes if you’re using two other ASDs too.
Click to expand...
🚀!

You could use the Sabrent Thunderbolt KVM, that'll give you plenty-fast I/O. The only catch is that if any of those are storage devices, you gotta remember to unmount before flipping.

sabrent.com

Thunderbolt 4 KVM Switch

KVM mode can connect and switch between 2x DisplayPort Alternate Mode (DP Alt Mode) compatible computers over 2x Thunderbolt 4 ports. 3x Thunderbolt 4 ports transfer at up to 40Gbps with BC1.2 charging. 4x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 ports transfer at up to 10Gbps with BC1.2 (5V@2.4A) charging for...
sabrent.com sabrent.com
 
  • Like
Reactions: filmgirl
filmgirl said:
I know this is old but I’m curious, for the M3 Max, are you using all 3 available TB4 ports or do you have a splitter/dock? I’m interested in possibly doing something like this (I have a VESA ASD and a maxed out 14” Max, but the ASD is usually connected to my 2020 5K iMac (also VESA mounted)), but I'd want to be able to use some of the laptop's I/O that doesn’t rely on the slow-ass USB ports built into the ASD.

I could always use my TS4 Caldigit dock for one of the ASDs, which is what I do now (I swap the ASD cable between the TS3+ connected to my iMac and a TS4 optimized for my 14” MBP), but I don't know the bandwidth maximums and if that changes if you’re using two other ASDs too.
Click to expand...
I have a CalDigit TS4. That’s connected to one of the MBP’s TB4 ports. The two side portrait ASDs, along with Ethernet and two Samsung T7 Shield SSDs, are plugged into the dock. They all seem to run fine sharing the bandwidth of the one TB4 port. Performance on the SSDs is sufficient (they’re just TimeMachine volumes, so whatever bandwidth they’re getting is fine) and Ethernet gives me full gigabit speeds (cat 5e throughout the house and gigabit ISP service).

The middle ASD is plugged directly into the MBP’s second TB4 port. My keyboard’s USB cord and my wireless mouse’s RF dongle are plugged into the USB-C ports on the back of that display.

That leaves me with one free TB4 port on the opposite side of the laptop should I need a high-speed TB4 connection for any other reason, plus the front USB-C ports on the TS4 and the rear of the displays. Plus of course the HDMI port if I feel the need to add a 4K display (which I do not).

All sufficient for my needs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ascender and filmgirl
Opinions please...Do you think Apple will update the ASD this year, 2024? I.e. a new model 5K or better, improved web cam, etc. I know nobody can answer this definitively but am curious and appreciative to hear your thoughts.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jayderek and Cape Dave
Greg_K said:
Opinions please...Do you think Apple will update the ASD this year, 2024? I.e. a new model 5K or better, improved web cam, etc. I know nobody can answer this definitively but am curious and appreciative to hear your thoughts.
Click to expand...
Who knows. But it would surprise the heck out of me to see a new ASD in '24.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ascender and Greg_K
Greg_K said:
Opinions please...Do you think Apple will update the ASD this year, 2024? I.e. a new model 5K or better, improved web cam, etc. I know nobody can answer this definitively but am curious and appreciative to hear your thoughts.
Click to expand...
I would be very surprised if Apple updates the ASD this soon. Historically, Apple has been VERY slow with monitor updates.
 
  • Like
Reactions: The Clark, miemo, ascender and 2 others
Greg_K said:
Opinions please...Do you think Apple will update the ASD this year, 2024? I.e. a new model 5K or better, improved web cam, etc. I know nobody can answer this definitively but am curious and appreciative to hear your thoughts.
Click to expand...
I don’t see it happening. As others have said, Apple very rarely updates displays, partially because they have no real competition. They knew it was a terrible webcam when it launched and tried to gaslight all of us into ignoring it. And I think most of us who were willing to spend $1600+ on a monitor that was only nominally different from a $1300 monitor that had been available for the prior 6 years, were willing to spend another $150+ on a better webcam or to use an older iPhone as webcam.

You don’t buy this monitor because you’re a rational consumer or because it is a good value (it isn’t), you buy it because you need a 5K monitor because you prioritize pixel density and proper macOS resolution scaling and because you are willing to pay more for a monitor with better aesthetics and consistency than the LG and you don’t want to take the risk of getting the Samsung.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: miemo, colodane, loby and 4 others
I am hearing a consistent view on the future of Apple and what they may or more than likely will not do with monitors soon. Very helpful comments to a somewhat newbie like myself. Reason for asking, am using an older LG with only 1080p resolution, a Mac mini and MacBook Air and am having eye strain. I suspect I will upgrade to a 4K now probably LG, retire the 1080 display and wait for Apple to update the ASD whether it be 1 year or 5 or ??.

Thank you to all that commented, you're a great group and am very happy to be here learning from you.
 
xraydoc said:
I have a CalDigit TS4. That’s connected to one of the MBP’s TB4 ports. The two side portrait ASDs, along with Ethernet and two Samsung T7 Shield SSDs, are plugged into the dock. They all seem to run fine sharing the bandwidth of the one TB4 port. Performance on the SSDs is sufficient (they’re just TimeMachine volumes, so whatever bandwidth they’re getting is fine) and Ethernet gives me full gigabit speeds (cat 5e throughout the house and gigabit ISP service).

The middle ASD is plugged directly into the MBP’s second TB4 port. My keyboard’s USB cord and my wireless mouse’s RF dongle are plugged into the USB-C ports on the back of that display.

That leaves me with one free TB4 port on the opposite side of the laptop should I need a high-speed TB4 connection for any other reason, plus the front USB-C ports on the TS4 and the rear of the displays. Plus of course the HDMI port if I feel the need to add a 4K display (which I do not).

All sufficient for my needs.
Click to expand...
This is perfect, thanks for the info! I’m unsure I want to buy two more monitors — but if I did, this would likely be the setup I use. Thanks again!
 
filmgirl said:
I don’t see it happening. As others have said, Apple very rarely updates displays, partially because they have no real competition. They knew it was a terrible webcam when it launched and tried to gaslight all of us into ignoring it. And I think most of us who were willing to spend $1600+ on a monitor that was only nominally different from a $1300 monitor that had been available for the prior 6 years, were willing to spend another $150+ on a better webcam or to use an older iPhone as webcam.

You don’t buy this monitor because you’re a rational consumer or because it is a good value (it isn’t), you buy it because you need a 5K monitor because you prioritize pixel density and proper macOS resolution scaling and because you are willing to pay more for a monitor with better aesthetics and consistency than the LG and you don’t want to take the risk of getting the Samsung.
Click to expand...
Very true. I am one of those "non-rational" buyers...but here is a "rational" reason to buy it and justify the extra cost..

When the monitor first came out, I immediately went to a retailer who had one on the floor. Tried it out for awhile and convinced myself that it was too expensive for a monitor, though I paid $1,000 for the Thunderbolt monitor back in 2016 (still use).

Then..after about 9 months of debating, I sold some gear and had enough money to just suck it up and buy it and told my self not to regret the outrageous price I would paid for it (bought it on the road and out-of-the country at a crazily more expensive price than in the U.S. - needed it for projects). Bought the Studio Display with the adjustable stand.

Well..The monitor overall..after the first week of use was well..actually too suitable (perfect) to my needs as a content creator (to my surprise).

When I work on video with Final Cut I need to adjust the monitor's height so I can see the timeline directly in eye line view (requires the monitor being higher than normal).

NOTE: I am able to adjust the monitor with ONE finger and move it up without an issue very quickly in a matter of seconds (up and down)...the pixel density is exact for all of my Macs and needs, including the color grade. The speakers are 'decent' for a monitor (actually pretty good...the thunderbolt speakers were also good in my opinion for a monitor). You don't get this monitor if you are one who requires outrageous audio. I use Logic Pro and it work on for me. If you solely use Logic Pro, it is still a good monitor, but you will probably already have expensive speakers, so you will use those anyway.

The camera...use it on occasion as I see it as just "as an extra" and it is now decent after the last two firmware updates. Not "excellent", but ok for my use without too many complaints.

A hub with USB-C ports on the back is also a big bonus. If it had two thunderbolt ports it would be perfect for my usage (have Apple's LG 4K 24" offering also - like that too). Monitor also wakes up fast from sleep; able to use the built in keyboard controls for display and audio volume etc. adjustments. Works perfectly in my all Mac environment...AND...looks excellent on my desk. When you look at the monitor all day and every day...It is pleasant to have in front of you for the day and night hours working projects etc.

After over spending on it...I am glad I bit the bullet and spent the extra money on having the Studio Display. Literally "zero" issues with it.

This is a "rational" viewpoint.. :cool:
 
  • Like
Reactions: justmadeupname, Greg_K, tstafford and 3 others
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back