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Feedback on Noise from Returners

jasnw

jasnw

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Nov 15, 2013
1,029
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Seattle Area (NOT! Microsoft)
As has been discussed ad nauseam in various threads in this forum, the fan noise issue is a complicated interaction between differences in people’s hearing, differences in people’s level of annoyance from what they’re hearing, and possible differences in fan noises from the Mac Studio. The only way we’re going to get this issue sorted is if we get feedback from people who have returned a Mac Studio because it was making noise they could not live with (whooshing or whining) and gotten a replacement Mac Studio.

If there are any such people on this forum, could you please let us know if the second Mac Studio had the same noises, different noises, or no noises? TIA.
 
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m1maverick

macrumors 65816
Nov 22, 2020
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We're never going to get this "issue" sorted out for the various reasons given in your post (essentially too subjective). I recall a similar discussion with the 2018 Mac Mini upon its release. I bet if I were to check out that forum today we'd see little, if any, recent discussion about it.
 
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jasnw

jasnw

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Nov 15, 2013
1,029
1,130
Seattle Area (NOT! Microsoft)
m1maverick said:
We're never going to get this "issue" sorted out for the various reasons given in your post (essentially too subjective). I recall a similar discussion with the 2018 Mac Mini upon its release. I bet if I were to check out that forum today we'd see little, if any, recent discussion about it.
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True, but by asking for feedback from people who exchanged a Mac Studio because of noise issues we're holding at least one thing (the observer) as a constant. If the replacement system wasn't deemed "noisy" by someone known to be sensitive to that particular noise, there's hope. If in every case the replacement system is deemed unacceptably noisy, I'm waiting for a while before putting down my benjamins.
 
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PianoPro

macrumors 6502a
Sep 4, 2018
503
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jasnw said:
True, but by asking for feedback from people who exchanged a Mac Studio because of noise issues we're holding at least one thing (the observer) as a constant. If the replacement system wasn't deemed "noisy" by someone known to be sensitive to that particular noise, there's hope. If in every case the replacement system is deemed unacceptably noisy, I'm waiting for a while before putting down my benjamin
Click to expand...

Some units have the whine problem and some don't. I've put up spectrum analysis graphs that clearly show this. What is it about that which isn't clear?

Whether the fan noise or the whine (if it's present in a particular Studio) bothers you versus someone else is purely subjective. Whether the whine is there or not is a simple fact.
 
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BrianBaughn

BrianBaughn

macrumors G3
Feb 13, 2011
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Baltimore, Maryland
I haven't seen a decent visual presentation of the sound showing exactly what frequencies are in it. 24dB of 200Hz sounds different that 24dB of 5000Hz, for example.

It seems to me the overall noise could be worse depending upon what the Mac Studio is placed. Some desks are going to resonate with some frequencies. Perhaps placing it on small platform with a properly calculated amount of Sorbothane pads under it would help in some instances.
 
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aurora_sect

aurora_sect

macrumors 6502
Mar 10, 2022
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BrianBaughn said:
I haven't seen a decent visual presentation of the sound showing exactly what frequencies are in it. 24dB of 200Hz sounds different that 24dB of 5000Hz, for example.
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I think I've seen some that peg the offending sound at around 2.2 kHz. But good luck finding that post in the thirty threads about fan noise.
 
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heden

macrumors newbie
Mar 19, 2022
18
6
In my experience the high freguency noise comes and goes and also it very much depends as to where I am sitting in relation to the mac studio. Its a non-dealbreaker for me honestly.
 
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Fenderborn

macrumors regular
Apr 28, 2022
100
88
jasnw said:
As has been discussed ad nauseam in various threads in this forum, the fan noise issue is a complicated interaction between differences in people’s hearing, differences in people’s level of annoyance from what they’re hearing, and possible differences in fan noises from the Mac Studio. The only way we’re going to get this issue sorted is if we get feedback from people who have returned a Mac Studio because it was making noise they could not live with (whooshing or whining) and gotten a replacement Mac Studio.

If there are any such people on this forum, could you please let us know if the second Mac Studio had the same noises, different noises, or no noises? TIA.
Click to expand...
jasnw said:
True, but by asking for feedback from people who exchanged a Mac Studio because of noise issues we're holding at least one thing (the observer) as a constant. If the replacement system wasn't deemed "noisy" by someone known to be sensitive to that particular noise, there's hope. If in every case the replacement system is deemed unacceptably noisy, I'm waiting for a while before putting down my benjamins.
Click to expand...
I am on my second unit. First unit, the reseller agreed on replacing it because the left fan was defect and made „noises“. Now, my second unit, to ne honest, sound in my opinion very similar. But, they will not take it back because they said its normal behavior.
 
Sir Ruben

Sir Ruben

macrumors 68000
Jul 3, 2010
1,892
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I would imagine, if they can, that Apple will tweak the fan behaviour in a future update. It seems like they are working harder than they need to overall. Maybe Apple decided to have them higher at first to test the performance of the Mac Studio.
 
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Fenderborn

macrumors regular
Apr 28, 2022
100
88
StudioMacs said:
I have heard recordings of Mac Studios that have a high-pitched whine audible, but my Mac Studio doesn’t have any whine. I have gotten close to my Studio to see if I can hear the whine, and even the fans are quieter than I expected.
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Could you make a recording? Just quick and dirty ? It would really to hear one of those fortune enogh to have silent one
 
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S

southerndude39

macrumors member
Mar 17, 2012
63
54
Fenderborn said:
Could you make a recording? Just quick and dirty ? It would really to hear one of those fortune enogh to have silent one
Click to expand...
I couldn't even get it to register on the mic as that is how silent my Max is. Now if I ramped the fans from 1300 rpm up to the max then you can hear the fans but it's not annoying in the slightest. My air purifier in the living room I can hear over the Max in my office and that is several rooms away. My Mac mini was louder than my Studio Max. I've had several friends listen as well just to make sure it wasn't my hearing as I have great hearing but it's always good to get another opinion.

I assume this "Fan Noise" is going to be an on going thread maker. lol. I hate that some are experiencing this but I can say mine is absolutely silent.
 
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jb-from-fl

macrumors newbie
Apr 5, 2022
19
17
I bought one on launch day. Had the whine out of the box. Got a replacement without a whine.... well for 10 days. Then it appeared. Knew it as soon as I walked in the room. I would not hear it if music was on in room at lowest level, that would raise the noise floor just enough. Some people may not hear it and all units do not have it. But if you have decent hearing and are in a quiet environment and are trying to concentrate or record it will be a deal killer.
 
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