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I'd return it as faulty. No software patch is going to fix this, other than something which turns off the fans until they are really needed. And even then, you don't want the fans squealing away like a car with bad brakes when they do have to come on.
I am not even hoping for software patch. I was rather thinking in direction of Service Program down the road for all Mac Studios. I love this machine, I waited for it very long time and besides noise issue it's destroying everything I throw at it.
 
I am not even hoping for software patch. I was rather thinking in direction of Service Program down the road for all Mac Studios. I love this machine, I waited for it very long time and besides noise issue it's destroying everything I throw at it.
If mine starts squealing I think I'll just send it back and exchange it for a 2TB Mini with a cash adjustment. What I really wanted was the non-existent 'Mac Mini Pro' but settled for a Studio Max on the sketchy easy-to-dismiss grounds that buying a machine over-specified for my current needs is a better long term investment because it will take longer to become obsolete.
 
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The problem for me is that I couldn't return it because I didn't have another machine to work on and it was long and hard to order another Mac at the moment. Impossible to stay without a machine! I need to work !
 
The problem for me is that I couldn't return it because I didn't have another machine to work on and it was long and hard to order another Mac at the moment. Impossible to stay without a machine! I need to work !
Same, I have 2018 MacBook Pro but compared to Mac Studio it's a heavy downgrade for my workloads.
 
I was hoping with the death of the 'thinner and lighter at all costs Apple' that this 'new' company would return to its roots of making hardware and software which fundamentally worked. So far I have been unaffected by Studio 'squeal-gate' but how inappropriate is it in 2022 that a premium-priced computer costing between 2K and 8K depending on config is being returned by users because the cooling-fans squeak. I could buy a £200 Lenovo IdeaPad and the fan wouldn't squeak. One of the things 'Apple tax' at least bought you at one time was the highest expectation of quality-control both with the firmware/OS and hardware.
 
Exactly same for me. Initially I was happy that this problem does not appear for me but it started after running it for a week 24/7 ( I experience sleeping bug mentioned in other thread so I decided to not sleep it at all for now). Honestly I am so frustrated about this small detail. If it would be dead silent as you expect from Apple product I would give it 10/10.

Problem is I don't really know yet what to do with it, should I return it? Should I wait for Apple to understand and address this issue?

Update: I called Apple, they are sending me replacement unit. This is not base model so I expect it will take them 10-12 weeks though.
 
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Update: I called Apple, they are sending me replacement unit. This is not base model so I expect it will take them 10-12 weeks though.
Are they making you return your current machine while you wait? If not, I guess at least you still have a computer, albeit a noisy one. Tip: while you wait, download a fan control and and set the fans to only come on when the temp gets 70+
 
This definitely seems to be affecting some users but not others.
Definitely, and it's not just a perception problem, some Studios are definitely louder for whatever reason. Part of what bothers me in this thread is others saying they're all the same loudness, what it's basically saying is that those of us saying it's louder than Apple's specs are liars. Not cool.

And whoever heard of a manufactured product having no variances.

There is IMO no question that Apple has insiders monitoring forums like this and threads like this: this could turn out to be 'butterfly-gate' / 'flex-gate' all over again, but I hope not.
I doubt if it ever gets that far, at least until there are fans that actually fail.
 
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And whoever heard of a manufactured product having no variances.
traditionally, Apple is well-known for having tighter manufacturing tolerances than most, leading to fewer variations from one unit to the next. Of course that doesn’t mean they are nonexistent. Also, the manufacturing of these computers is during a time of lockdowns and supply shortages, which could adversely affect production.

My Mac Studio is probably accurately described as whisper silent. I can hear a slight whisper, but I would need a person to speak up a bit if they were to actually whisper that quietly.

Aside from the obvious whine that has been documented by a few users (although not as frequently recently), I imagine there may be an issue causing the airflow to be louder on some units. Otherwise the complaints about the airflow would be overblown, to be honest.
 
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Definitely, and it's not just a perception problem, some Studios are definitely louder for whatever reason. Part of what bothers my in this thread is others saying they're all the same loudness, what it's basically saying is that those of us saying it's louder than Apple's specs are liars. Not cool.
Yeah when I said it's affecting some not others I of course meant some machines are louder than others, though evidently there is going to be some variation between what two people consider to be an acceptable noise. Is it the louder machines which go on to develop fan-squeal I wonder?

Again, partly reiterating my post from #1061, I sure miss the old Apple where the 'Apple-tax' at least bought you an industry-leading level of R&D and build-quality of both the hardware and the software. It's barely a month since the first machines shipped and 'squeal-gate' is already thing on (some) machines that have been turned on for a couple of hundred hours at the absolute most. So exactly how long did Apple smoke-test this thing before release in order for them to not notice the problem on at least one of their test units? Also their publicity-trailer would have you believe they lent these things to certain pro-users and software-devs ahead of launch, all of whom raved about how these machines had revolutionised their workflows [insinuating they had used the machines for some time...presumably a month or more]. Again, how come not one of them reported back to Apple, hey there seems to be a problem with fan noise/whine...
 
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My Mac Studio is probably accurately described as whisper silent. I can hear a slight whisper, but I would need a person to speak up a bit if they were to actually whisper that quietly.
And mine I can hear over 40+ decibels of background noise from 2 feet away, and I have upper range hearing loss. It's not roaring, but it's a higher pitch than my other computers fans, so it's easily noticed. Why, I don't know, but the fact that I can hear it all the time bothers me. At idle, I shouldn't, and with the minimum fan speed being so high without the machine being warm at all, it's just odd.
Aside from the obvious whine that has been documented by a few users (although not as frequently recently), I imagine there may be an issue causing the airflow to be louder on some units. Otherwise the complaints about the airflow would be overblown, to be honest.

Maybe the whine and the extra fan noise are related. Differences in airflow around small parts can make both types of noise...

We have a few of odd things about the design of the studio and they could both play a part. First, it has 2 fans side by side. They're always on when the machine is on, and with a fairly high minimum speed in comparison to most desktops I've seen. The venting holes, both in and out are small and numerous.

We could be seeing resonances caused by the fans being so close together. We could be hearing venturi effects from differences in the fan ducts or the venting holes. And we really could have a coil whine too. Who knows. I believe people that say theirs is quite, and I don't think it's a difference in hearing in most cases, I wish mine was.

I don't expect any comment from Apple about it. Hopefully they know about it and can fix things going forward.
 
Exactly same for me. Initially I was happy that this problem does not appear for me but it started after running it for a week 24/7 ( I experience sleeping bug mentioned in other thread so I decided to not sleep it at all for now). Honestly I am so frustrated about this small detail. If it would be dead silent as you expect from Apple product I would give it 10/10.
I'm not sure I'd give it a 10 out of 10 without the noise, maybe if it was easier to take apart I would, but I am *very* happy with the machine and it's performance.
 
Maybe my iMac was faulty from new but I never heard, nor felt, its fans when the machine was basically idling. Maybe they were running so slow they did not create any noticeable movement of air out of the exits. Put your hand within two inches of the Studio's exit grills and you constantly feel the flow of air.
What's also impressive is how you can feel the noticeable suction from the base.
 
And mine I can hear over 40+ decibels of background noise from 2 feet away, and I have upper range hearing loss. It's not roaring, but it's a higher pitch than my other computers fans, so it's easily noticed. Why, I don't know, but the fact that I can hear it all the time bothers me. At idle, I shouldn't, and with the minimum fan speed being so high without the machine being warm at all, it's just odd.
That one statement alone proves we're not all getting the same experience, and it's not just a difference of hearing/expectation. You definitely would not hear mine in that scenario.
 
That one statement alone proves we're not all getting the same experience, and it's not just a difference of hearing/expectation. You definitely would not hear mine in that scenario.
Yes, I think this is not because of how different people percept fan noise, I think some units are just faulty or shoddily put together at the factory.
 
Yes, I think this is not because of how different people percept fan noise, I think some units are just faulty or shoddily put together at the factory.
Man I’ve had 3 now and can honestly say both the perceived fan noise and the high pitched noise are extremely frustrating and annoying and I’ve owned over 30 Mac’s personally over the years and none of them were like this. There is no denying there is a problem and I guarantee it’s not designed this way. And I’ll add just ramping the fans up after sleep or from 1,000 RPM to 1,300 RPM I’m meet with squeaky fan bearings. You can actually hear them kick in. Just like my second unit none of this crept up until about the 7-10 day period of ownership.
 
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Exactly same for me. Initially I was happy that this problem does not appear for me but it started after running it for a week 24/7 ( I experience sleeping bug mentioned in other thread so I decided to not sleep it at all for now). Honestly I am so frustrated about this small detail. If it would be dead silent as you expect from Apple product I would give it 10/10.

Problem is I don't really know yet what to do with it, should I return it? Should I wait for Apple to understand and address this issue?
I received my BTO Ultra on 3/18 and it is still as quiet as it has been since the 1st day. I can feel a bit of air from the vents in the back, when I use RX9 and run my usual suite of modules on music files the fans speed up slightly, but still not audible with normal background noise. My MacBook Pro Max when I use RX9 and use by suite of modules the fans kick on big time. So far the Ultra has been everything I hoped it would be.
 
Man I’ve had 3 now and can honestly say both the perceived fan noise and the high pitched noise are extremely frustrating and annoying and I’ve owned over 30 Mac’s personally over the years and none of them were like this. There is no denying there is a problem and I guarantee it’s not designed this way. And I’ll add just ramping the fans up after sleep or from 1,000 RPM to 1,300 RPM I’m meet with squeaky fan bearings. You can actually hear them kick in. Just like my second unit none of this crept up until about the 7-10 day period of ownership.
Absolutely agree with you.
 
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