Audio popping issue back on MacOS 11.3 for 16 inch MacBook Pro

[Badsheep]

I disabled swap as well:

However swap is somehow still used:

I've been using the system like this for 2 days, and just got some audio popping

Did you check that the setting is realy applied ?
Test it with this command :
sysctl -a vm.compressor_mode

EDIT. Sorry I misread your post, you have allready tested that...
Strange.

Turning off swap at best helps your SSD last longer, and at the very least helps you be more aware of your memory usage, which may in turn lead to less popping. But it doesn't fix the underlying issue. Glad to at least help in the SSD health department! Sorry for the misleading posts, I was really hoping the proposed fixes (safe boot, disabling swap) would help.

Please don't be sorry Skulley !!
Your idea is by far the most interesting I've seen on this thread, that I follow since months.

There are workarounds to eliminate those pops : Blackhole, some say Boom 3D.

But this are only workaround, and your discovery may help someone to find the solution...
Thanks

 

[Badsheep]

(double post)

 

[Ifti]

Upgraded my MacBook to a M1 Max, running Monterey of course.
No popping whatsoever.
I'm not saying replacing the entire machine is the answer, but its clear this is a software issue that affects earlier versions of the MacBook (late Intel models?) and Apple doesn't seem to know how to fix it!

 

[urakaze]

Yesterday I tried downgrading one of my older Macs (2017 MBP) to Mojave and it still popped like it would on Monterey. This is absolutely baffling to me. Perhaps as Ifti said, this issue has been silently resolved on the newest Macs.

Either way, from my perspective popping isn't going anywhere and reasoning about this anymore would be wasting time. I will try some of the workarounds. From my understanding, all of them involve keeping the system audio device busy to prevent coreaudiod from enabling and disabling IO on demand, which causes distortions.

 

[Mashnin]

I'm happy to report that I had not a single sound pop since updating to 12.5, and I had an uptime of a month before installing security fix.
I've read that people install software like Boom 3D to modify their audio and workaround the problem. I don't have any of that, it just works now.
Hope future macOS versions will not break it again.

 

[skardvin]

I'm happy to report that I had not a single sound pop since updating to 12.5, and I had an uptime of a month before installing security fix.
I've read that people install software like Boom 3D to modify their audio and workaround the problem. I don't have any of that, it just works now.
Hope future macOS versions will not break it again.

I as well have had no sound pop since 12.5. Took them long enough to fix it!

 

[hugojacomeandrade]

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/

I own a 16 inch MacBook Pro, Ive never faced the audio popping issue earlier. But after updating to macOS 11.3 the audio popping issue has started for me. My left speaker starts to pop when I skip through a few parts in a YouTube video.
Has anyone faced this issue after upgrade.

 

[tinygoblin]

macOS Big Sur 11.7.1 is out today, comes with new system firmware version 1916.40.8.0.0 (iBridge: 20.16.411.0.0,0). Has anyone checked if it finally fixed random popping sounds from the speakers of T2-equipped MacBook Pro laptops?

 

[Joeinger]

I'm trying to give back my macbook. I will repair it until they take it back. I'm not accepting this buggy machine which costs 4k. Nope.

More than 1 year later, 3 unsuccessful repairs, countless phone calls und about 50 uploaded log-files and videos it's done. Apple changed my 2019 16" machine. I got a brand new 16" mbp with m1 pro. It was a lot of work but totally worth it. The crackling has not yet occurred with the new device and could not be reproduced. The whole process was pain in the ass. Constantly changing contact persons at apple made this whole thing very difficult. But finally a flawless machine as already expected while buying the 16" 2019....

 

[skardvin]

More than 1 year later, 3 unsuccessful repairs, countless phone calls und about 50 uploaded log-files and videos it's done. Apple changed my 2019 16" machine. I got a brand new 16" mbp with m1 pro. It was a lot of work but totally worth it. The crackling has not yet occurred with the new device and could not be reproduced. The whole process was pain in the ass. Constantly changing contact persons at apple made this whole thing very difficult. But finally a flawless machine as already expected while buying the 16" 2019....

Nice congrats! Apple should have fixed this issue though...

 

[IAMSLEEP]

More than 1 year later, 3 unsuccessful repairs, countless phone calls und about 50 uploaded log-files and videos it's done. Apple changed my 2019 16" machine. I got a brand new 16" mbp with m1 pro. It was a lot of work but totally worth it. The crackling has not yet occurred with the new device and could not be reproduced. The whole process was pain in the ass. Constantly changing contact persons at apple made this whole thing very difficult. But finally a flawless machine as already expected while buying the 16" 2019....

Glad to hear but sorry to report I got my MBP 2021 M1 Pro 16gb 1TB swapped for a M1 Max 32GB 1TB and the issue has returned for me...

 

[Joeinger]

Glad to hear but sorry to report I got my MBP 2021 M1 Pro 16gb 1TB swapped for a M1 Max 32GB 1TB and the issue has returned for me...

Maybe this is a different problem? I am able to reproduce the crackling with every intel 16". But no even with one m1. I configured several ones for my wifes company or my customers, not a single crackling device. This is what got me so mad. There is definitely a problem with the 2019 16"-series and Apple didn't want to fix it. In several support-calls the apple employees told me that this is "a known problem" but they are not allowed to say that and are not allowed to change the machines. Knowing that they can't fix it, I let them "repair" it. They sure were not able it. But with 2 or 3 unsucessful repairs the EU consumer law forces them to give me my money back or to swap the machine.🤷‍♂️
I don't like to be cheated, so I tried to get what I paid for, a flawless working machine.