M2 MacBook Air Speakers

[noteple]

Its blown all out of proportion
Subjectively Fair, Good, or Excellent.
Both the M1 & M2 are good. They are not the “Best”, end all audio experience, it’s just a laptop.
Probably makes a louse pizza tray too. but thats not what it was designed for.
It won’t break glass, or win a thumping contest against a 18” bass woofer.
For those running full volume with source material approaching the resonate frequency of the case what did you expect ?
Each machine m1 or m2 has true to life audio with little coloration in a remarkable size.
More than pleasing with a stereo presence larger then the size of the machine.
You couldn’t go wrong with either choice.

 

[Gelam]

Just my honest assessment. The speakers are pretty close but the M1 MBA sounds a bit better. Like I said in my post, the speaker quality isn’t very important to me. There are few chances to use them anyway. Certainly the speakers won’t make me return my M2 MBA. The M2 speakers aren’t bad, just not quite as good as the M1 it is replacing.

You mean you will keep both M1 and M2 Air? Or are you selling your M1 and keeping the M2?

I really don't think you need to worry. M2 speakers are amazing. And I have an M1 pro 14". If you don't already have an M1 you'll be so thrilled. If you have an M1 and you're truly needing best in class re sound quality you should instead be investing in an M1 Pro machine.

Don't sweat it. The M2 speakers are in my opinion truly amazing, despite the fact they are packaged in such a thin product. Apple's audio division are probably their best engineering department, they know what they're doing.

I am coming from a 12" MacBook and 15" 2015 MacBook Pro.

Last week I was at the office and one of my colleague was calling a person using his 14" M1 Pro. At first I thought he was talking to an actual person, I was shocked how true to life the speaker of the 14" makes of a speaking person. Also, I have received the M2 Air during the weekend.

I'm a mechanical engineer. I suppose shock, vibration and acoustics would be some areas of practical knowledge. I have done some sonar transducer design and do some HiFi loudspeaker design/build projects (example below).

The harmonic distortion here would be caused mainly by mechanical non-linearities and and wouldn't be fixed with equalization. Regardless, equalization can largely abate audible colouration.

Bear in mind the measurements were informal - the arrangement, alignment, physical objects, display angle, distances, etc. between the laptop and the listener will all affect the measured response. Output of the MacBook Air M2 speakers below about 100Hz is so low that distortion measurements in this range are meaningless. Both L & R channels were simultaneously driven so comb filter effects will be present in the amplitude response.

Physical limitations greatly restrict the performance envelope. I would say there are obviously some clever engineers at Apple doing a good job at making these MacBooks sound as good as they do within these limitations and at reasonable cost.

Whoa, truly an expert right here.

I see! Glad that colouration can be reduced with EQ. Do you think colouration is more present in this model because of the way the speaker is housed and due to the sound having to bounce off the display panel? So there are more factors that causes colouration than a straight to ear speakers in other MacBooks?

Also, what do people mean by the M2 Air sound more "balanced" than M1 Air? Is clarity essentially "balanced"? Or is it something else? What is balanced in audio term?

While the MacBook Air M2 speakers sound good for such a thin device, I noticed what I thought was a fair bit of colouration caused by uneven frequency response in the low-mid midrange.

Actual measurements suggest that this audible colouration stems mainly from a dip in amplitude response from about 800 to 1.9 kHz. A fair bit of harmonic distortion in the region of 150-350 Hz may also be a contributing factor. See the informal REW measurements below.

Measurements were taken for L+R speakers with a UMIK-1 with 90deg calibration file applied. The mic was located at the approximate ear position for an operator seated at a desk.

I have no measurements from any other MacBook variant for comparison.

These two videos have made measurements on some other MacBooks Pros. I know they might not have the same mic at the same location as your tests, but are they alright to be used as comparisons?

I consider the M2 speakers to be a "step back" though not terrible by any means. For me, they felt "acceptable" whereas M1 speakers are "enjoyable" - I decided to go with the M1 in the end, not because of the speakers but the savings I was able to get on my particular M1. The audio improvement was just an added perk for me.

Thank you for your clarification!

I am disappointed with M2 speakers after moving from M1 MBA and MBP13 Pro. Apple dropped the ball on this one TBH.

Oh my! Was it a very big disappointment?

Its blown all out of proportion
Subjectively Fair, Good, or Excellent.
Both the M1 & M2 are good. They are not the “Best”, end all audio experience, it’s just a laptop.
Probably makes a louse pizza tray too. but thats not what it was designed for.
It won’t break glass, or win a thumping contest against a 18” bass woofer.
For those running full volume with source material approaching the resonate frequency of the case what did you expect ?
Each machine m1 or m2 has true to life audio with little coloration in a remarkable size.
More than pleasing with a stereo presence larger then the size of the machine.
You couldn’t go wrong with either choice.

"Running full volume with source material approaching the resonate frequency", do you mean sound files that are poorly made so it causes distortion and clipping at high volume due to "resonant frequency"?

I agree that they are great speakers for the laptop size, back in 2014 the MacBook Air speakers were abysmal compared to now. However, I am a little concern about this tiny "step back" with the M2 Air from the M1 Air. This will help me decide if I can stomach getting an M1 Air instead of M2 Air.


----------------------------------------

I have received the M2 Air over the Weekend. Midnight color is amazing!
I have done testing with different music and TV shows with my "certified" ears against the 12" MacBook from 2016. My 15" 2015 MBP is not with me during the time.

From my subjective experience I like the 12" clarity more, however the M2 Air definitely have a better quality sound:

• The M2 Air sounds a little more muffled and it was harder to identify and distinguish the different instrument sound in each music.
• The M2 Air's sound quality feels better than the 12"
• However, the 12" sounded more "direct and straightforward" for the lack of a better description. It feels like the M2 Air sound was reflected instead of direct, hence a reduction in clarity.
• The M2 Air bass is better. The 12" singing voice and woodwind sounds more clear.

Now I do not have an M1 MacBook air to compare but I feel a little inclined to return the M2 Air and get the M1 instead if the sound quality if more direct and clear from people's comments here. But I could not find an 8 core GPU option anymore

It is unbelievable and interesting that as of right now in the poll, the M1 Air chassis is leading the M2 Air.

 

[StoneJack]

I definately hear different sounds between the M1 and M2 devices. Not an audio person so all I can say is that I think they both sound fine, just different. It appears to be more about the change in speaker location than actual quality. But that is just my view.

you are probably right. Speaker location does impact sound a lot.

 

[StoneJack]

Hmm upon reading all the comments, interesting that the M2 Air Speakers is polarizing the opinions on some aspects. It feels like the M2 Air speaker is a side grade instead of the full on upgrade that every new macbook air/pro generation receives.

Due to the thinning of the chassis and speaker location change to make room for the battery. Very interesting.

Has anyone compared the M2 Air speakers with the 12" Macbook speakers? In terms of sound quality and loudness, which ones are better?

Sorry I don't have M2 but I have M1 and MacBook 12 inch; MacBook has surprisingly good sound, to be honest, but M1 speakers are loud and crisp and probably outperform smaller notebook's speakers. Some day I will make a test for you, but this is my initial impression. As for M2, they changed the chassis and speaker location so it probably strongly impacts the sound. It is not worse or better, it is just probably sound different (presenting different mix of frequencies to the listener). Some like when the middle frequencies are represented more (clear voice, music), some prefer more bassy sound. Truth is that both 12 inch and MBA have relatively thin chassis, so I don't think you are going to have too much bass anyway.

 

[Gelam]

Sorry I don't have M2 but I have M1 and MacBook 12 inch; MacBook has surprisingly good sound, to be honest, but M1 speakers are loud and crisp and probably outperform smaller notebook's speakers. Some day I will make a test for you, but this is my initial impression. As for M2, they changed the chassis and speaker location so it probably strongly impacts the sound. It is not worse or better, it is just probably sound different (presenting different mix of frequencies to the listener). Some like when the middle frequencies are represented more (clear voice, music), some prefer more bassy sound. Truth is that both 12 inch and MBA have relatively thin chassis, so I don't think you are going to have too much bass anyway.

According to my non engineer background I think that this speaker location is more challenging to make things sound "correctly" than the traditional direct upward firing speaker.

And to me the 12" MacBook sounded more clear on the high frequency than the M2 Air. Do you know what the high mid and bass frequency represents? Like singing voice, instruments etc.

 

[Droid13]

I have never had laptop speakers that I actually like*. The are all acceptable at low volumes, with particular strength for speech, but once you push it beyond that I find headphones or a sound system work better.

*Not quite. My last Windows laptop 20-odd years ago had decent ones, but it was also two inches thick so I reckon they had no excuse.

 

[RCElectricFlyer]

I see! Glad that colouration can be reduced with EQ. Do you think colouration is more present in this model because of the way the speaker is housed and due to the sound having to bounce off the display panel? So there are more factors that causes colouration than a straight to ear speakers in other MacBooks?

It is hard to avoid unwanted acoustic loading the driver(s) if they are inside a slot or otherwise recessed. This could cause something like the bump at 142Hz or the suckout at 175Hz as examples.

The requirement to reflect off the screen causes frequency-dependent phase error, introduces direct/reflected interference and affects directionality. Some effects are minor but all are detrimental to fidelity.

Also, what do people mean by the M2 Air sound more "balanced" than M1 Air? Is clarity essentially "balanced"? Or is it something else? What is balanced in audio term?

Balanced is a non-specific term so you'll have to ask them. I'm guessing they are inferring that the proportion of low, mid and high frequencies sounds more or less natural.

These two videos have made measurements on some other MacBooks Pros. I know they might not have the same mic at the same location as your tests, but are they alright to be used as comparisons?

Yes, but distortion was not considered in these videos. I would add some other key points with regard to DSP processing and equalization:

• These laptops are using signal processing (DSP) to force their sub-optimal drivers and enclosures to produce a better frequency response profile.
• Forcing the drivers to extend low frequency response increases excursion and thus distortion. A lot of this will be unwanted non-musical odd-order (mostly 3rd order) distortion products at lower frequencies. This is clearly evident in the measurements for my M2 MacBook Air. Odd order distortion was also quite audible during frequency sweeps.
• DSP is also what is doing the limiting/compression at higher volume settings to address driver physical limitations in the reproduction of low frequencies.
• DSP is also doing the "putting lipstick on the pig" processing with regard to faking directionality (spatial audio)

 

[1rottenapple]

I have had all three. M1 air, 14, m2 air.
14 is the king. M2 is great, m1 is ok.

 

[MICHAELSD]

The M2 Air has a surprising amount of clarity, separation, and even a bass punch that sounds distinct from the tweeters.

 

[fisherking]

i JUST got my M2 air; gotta explore it some more, but setup a basic EQ in boom 3D (just EQ, no '3D' gimmick).

i make music for a living; a lot of production and engineering (that does not make my POV more important than anyone else's; just mentioning for context).

so far, the sound is clear, at least. there's NO real low end (but did not expect that in such small speakers), and the high end is a bit too bright. there seems to be a spacial audio effect on by default(?); the soundstage seems wider than the mac itself... and i don't like that, or want it.

am eq'ing a little less than i did on my M1 air (which, to be fair, i only had for 2 days); am not going to compare them, since i don't have them side-by-side.

i would not listen to music seriously on these speakers, but when necessary, that clarity, at least, has value. and it's definitely much better than my 12" macbook was. but i hate the widening effect...

 

[jdb8167]

i would not listen to music seriously on these speakers, but when necessary, that clarity, at least, has value. and it's definitely much better than my 12" macbook was. but i hate the widening effect...

Have to use the built-in DSP for something. They toned down the effect a bit from the M1 according to my ears.

 

[fisherking]

Have to use the built-in DSP for something. They toned down the effect a bit from the M1 according to my ears.

it seems wider than the M1, so for me, it seems more pronounced, not less. either way, we should be able to turn it off

 

[mslilyelise]

Everything old is new again. I've got a friend with an 2018 MBA Retina and have listened to some music on it, and now I have my M2 MBA, and it feels to me that the 2018 goes louder, but that the mids and highs and the overall clarity is better on the M2. I think the additional speakers help with this substantially, and I'd really love to see how the Air determines what sounds to route where, but that's probably closed source, closely guarded secrets.

The reason for the adage is, my previous machine was a 2015 MBP, and before that, a 2010 MacBook. These machines also had speaker systems that fired out of the same spot as the M2 MBA does. Compared to those machines? The M2 is preternaturally good. It loses a little low frequency response because of it's size, and so heavier metal and industrial electronica tend to get a bit muddy with all the low frequencies, but if I want Trent Reznor to put holes in my head I'll walk into the living room and fire up the Sansui 881.

 

[rachislenska]

its good to average..the sound quality is good. but the loudness is only "ok". I use my wireless headphones mostly, so I dont mind it that much

 

[erasr]

I didn’t like the M2 speakers at first. Maybe the only real weak point.

Now I think they can sound amazing. On some stuff you get a real sense of surround sound, clarity and punchlines.

I think at first I was just using Teams a lot and video calls sounded worse than my 2017 Pro.

 

[Donfor39]

I have 99% decided against mcb pro purchase, only for my basic needs.
Interested to understand M2 Air Sound Level whilst viewing Prime tv etc.
Whilst I can use Soundbar in living room, I sometimes enjoy box set episode's in bed.
Today I think i'm 99% towards M2 Air, hopefully Screen is good enough to enjoy photo's and edit some Videos.
I'll order Base model to keep costs minimum.

 

[PCIe Team]

The M2 MacBook Air sounds much louder and better than the M1 MacBook Air.
The M1 MacBook Air had a little bit more treble with most musics I tried in both of them at the same time, while the M2 MacBook Air had a more balanced sound.

Both are running macOS Ventura 13.0, and Safari 16.2.

 

[TSE]

I upgraded from an M1 MacBook Air and literally can't tell the difference.

 

[rijkio]

I am definitely no audiophile, but am experiencing terrible resonation on my M2 Air. I don't know what is resonating, but I think it's the body or something inside. It happens often during voice audio, like Zoom calls, which is very distracting and makes it hard to focus on what the person is saying. I've made a recording of it here. Is that normal??

 

[1rottenapple]

I had the m1 and m2 air. Speakers are an improvement for sure. Prior air it sounded hallow.

 

[1BadManVan]

definitely no complaints here with the m2 speakers. I dont have the m1 air to compare directly at home but they definitely sound more full and proper compared to the Blade 15 we have at home as well

 

[dodgywanker]

I used eqMac equalizer on an M2 Air and adjusted the bass +13.9dB. I don't normally have the volume louder than about a quarter volume. Is that EQ adjustment too high? Could I damage the speakers?

 

[jdb8167]

I used eqMac equalizer on an M2 Air and adjusted the bass +13.9dB. I don't normally have the volume louder than about a quarter volume. Is that EQ adjustment too high? Could I damage the speakers?

If you can then Apple engineers did a very poor job. I’d say it is unlikely.

 

[mslilyelise]

I used eqMac equalizer on an M2 Air and adjusted the bass +13.9dB. I don't normally have the volume louder than about a quarter volume. Is that EQ adjustment too high? Could I damage the speakers?

Yes, that is a huge EQ adjustment and can potentially damage the speakers if they’re turned up high enough. It varies a lot depending on the music you listen to of course, and at a low enough volume it shouldn’t harm anything, but for comparison’s sake, I master podcast and music audio and most adjustments I make are within 4db minus or plus, and I consider that a huge change (usually adjustments are in fractions of a decibel).

If you can then Apple engineers did a very poor job. I’d say it is unlikely.

I can promise you that Apple's engineers did not design tiny laptop speakers to withstand a 20x increase in the volume of bass frequencies. That's not poor engineering, it's a physical limitation. 13db+ above 0db (nominal) is roughly a 20x increase in volume. That's not a reasonable expectation of any audio system let alone laptop speakers.

 

[whitby]

I compared the older M1 based version to the new M2 based MBA and noticed the following:

1. The older M1 based version had better channel separation. The new M2 MBA sounded as if it was coming from two or more speakers located under the keyboard but with no channel separation so spatial effects were completely lost.
2. The M2 MBA sounded slightly muffled but a little cleaner.
3. The M1 MBA could reach a higher volume.
4. Overall assessment was that the M1 MBA sounded better than the M2 MBA as it produced a much better spatial image (and stereo) and did not have a significantly different frequency response.

I almost decided to keep the M1 MBA since I not only preferred the appearance of the M1 MBA (the M2 looks rather generic to me) but the performance improvements in the M2 were not readily apparent on the type of work I use on the MBA (I have a 16" MBPro M1 Max machine for the heavy lifting) and its sounded better (although neither is as good as the MBPros). I ended up keeping the M2 MBA since I wanted the 2 TB SSD.