Mac studio v1 fan noise - it's going to be one of the loudest Macs at idle.

[Killerbob]

Besides the whole whistle/whining thing, i.e. even without tonal components, the Mac Studio is not silent, you can hear the fan noise at 1m even in a noisy enough room. The title of the thread is correct, and the sound power specifications are correct: it is one of the loudest Macs at idle. Anyone that cannot hear the fans has some hearing damage, end of story. This is just science, there is no getting away from it.

No, no, and no. You are wrong! You can hear YOUR Mac Studio, and some people (very few) can hear theirs.

As I have repeatedly said, the majority CANNOT hear their Mac Studios. Mine is dead silent, even under some pressure. I have to really push the CPU/GPU, and only then do I start noticing the fan.

I have worked with Macs for many years, and the 2008 Mac Pro was the loudest, and the Mac Studio is even less noisy than the 2013 Mac Pro. Of course the MacBooks are more noisy, bar the MacBook Air.

Stop saying that all Mac Studios are noisy - THEY ARE NOT. My office is very quiet, and the only moving parts in there, when I turn off the NAS and the Sonnet Echo Exoress, is the Mac Studio fan, and I cannot hear it! My head is literally 75cm away, and even when I try, and even when I move my ear next to the Mac Studio, all I hear is a VERY faint fan hum.

So, accept that not all Mac Studio are built the same, and not all Mac Studio are noisy. Yours are, and I am irritated on your behalf.

 

[xav8tor]

Now whether it bothers you is a totally subjective matter...IMO it really isn't that annoying, but it is a little bit, especially if you have the room dead-quiet. And it is disappointing, particularly in comparison to the M1 Mac Mini. Also for any sound engineers, I agree with the Sound on Sound review, that it won't be an issue recording in the same room as it. "I wouldn’t be afraid to use it in a live room with a musician." https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/apple-mac-studio

That last quote is either a bad take from an apparently qualified writer, or he isn't aware of, or doesn't have, the "whine." Smack in the middle of vocals (obviously), numerous instruments, including bass harmonics, there is no way I would record with an affected Studio in a studio (or other audio discipline setting) - if there is any chance whatsoever that this particular noise is apparent, either audibly, or in a spectrogram,...ever. I certainly would not rearrange or adapt my setup to accommodate a clear defect that is entirely contrary to one of the device's (as marketed) primary intended purposes. That's worse than accepting mediocrity. It's just plain crazy.

 

[simacc]

Also for any users of 2017/2019 iMacs...the sound power/sound pressure level specifications are for the fusion drive models...if you have an SSD only model (as I do), it is significantly quieter at idle than the Mac Studio.

No, no, and no. You are wrong! You can hear YOUR Mac Studio, and some people (very few) can hear theirs.

As I have repeatedly said, the majority CANNOT hear their Mac Studios. Mine is dead silent, even under some pressure. I have to really push the CPU/GPU, and only then do I start noticing the fan.

I have worked with Macs for many years, and the 2008 Mac Pro was the loudest, and the Mac Studio is even less noisy than the 2013 Mac Pro. Of course the MacBooks are more noisy, bar the MacBook Air.

Stop saying that all Mac Studios are noisy - THEY ARE NOT. My office is very quiet, and the only moving parts in there, when I turn off the NAS and the Sonnet Echo Exoress, is the Mac Studio fan, and I cannot hear it! My head is literally 75cm away, and even when I try, and even when I move my ear next to the Mac Studio, all I hear is a VERY faint fan hum.

So, accept that not all Mac Studio are built the same, and not all Mac Studio are noisy. Yours are, and I am irritated on your behalf.

As I've shown in previous posts/measurements my Mac Studio is at manufacturer specifications. There's a small possibility I could be 1-2dB out, given class 1 equipment...highly unlikely as I used three different M30 class 1 microphones with cal files...and B&K class 1 calibrators don't drift more than 1dB...more likely I'm +/- 0.5dB. But even if it's 2dB louder, that's still nothing, a Mac Studio that's -2dBA less than mine is not "silent".

Sorry mate, if you can't hear 15dBA at 1m (or 16.5dBA at 750mm) then you have hearing damage (or your room is louder than you think). Or are you saying that Apple specified/measured their equipment incorrectly? That these numbers are wrong? I recommend everyone refer back to the first post, and check the accompanying support pages, which is where the thread starter got those numbers from.

I'm not saying it's going to bother everyone, it most certainly isn't.

 

[simacc]

FWIW, for anyone's that's thinking maybe his B&K calibrator is out, I just checked it against an iTestmic which stores the calibration in the mic itself. 94.3dB. My measurements are accurate. OK if we were going to court I'd have to send the calibrator back to the lab to get it calibrated, to be 100% sure, but really this is getting ridiculous...

 

[Killerbob]

Sorry mate, if you can't hear 15dBA at 1m (or 16.5dBA at 750mm) then you have hearing damage (or your room is louder than you think). Or are you saying that Apple specified/measured their equipment incorrectly? That these numbers are wrong? I recommend everyone refer back to the first post, and check the accompanying support pages, which is where the thread starter got those numbers from.

I'm not saying it's going to bother everyone, it most certainly isn't.

First of all, I work with sound as well, and my hearing is perfectly fine - as is my wife's and my daughter's (and my daughter is a musician). My office is very quiet once I turn off the beforementioned NAS and Sonnet Echo Express (and my Mac Pro is not running).

I have no doubt you can hear yours, but I am literally telling you, in no uncertain terms; my Mac Studio is dead quiet, and you cannot hear it from 75cm.

Read my signature, I have the 2019 Mac Pro as well, and that one I can hear when it is turned on. I cannot hear the Mac Studio when it is idle, and not even when just using it normally. Only when I exert the CPU/GPU do I start noticing the faint hum of the increased RPMs on the fan.

And remember that when Apple says it is 15dB, that is up-to 15dB. Not 15dB all the time.

 

[AlphaCentauri]

Also for any users of 2017/2019 iMacs...the sound power/sound pressure level specifications are for the fusion drive models...if you have an SSD only model (as I do), it is significantly quieter at idle than the Mac Studio.

As I've shown in previous posts/measurements my Mac Studio is at manufacturer specifications. There's a small possibility I could be 1-2dB out, given class 1 equipment...highly unlikely as I used three different M30 class 1 microphones with cal files...and B&K class 1 calibrators don't drift more than 1dB...more likely I'm +/- 0.5dB. But even if it's 2dB louder, that's still nothing, a Mac Studio that's -2dBA less than mine is not "silent".

Sorry mate, if you can't hear 15dBA at 1m (or 16.5dBA at 750mm) then you have hearing damage (or your room is louder than you think). Or are you saying that Apple specified/measured their equipment incorrectly? That these numbers are wrong? I recommend everyone refer back to the first post, and check the accompanying support pages, which is where the thread starter got those numbers from.

I'm not saying it's going to bother everyone, it most certainly isn't.

If ambient noise in the room is higher than 15dBA - they will not hear the Studio over this, plain and simple. Nobody is living in anechoic chamber 🤣

 

[simacc]

And remember that when Apple says it is 15dB, that is up-to 15dB. Not 15dB all the time.

Mac Studio (2022) - Technical Specifications – Apple Support (UK)

support.apple.com

 

[Killerbob]

Listen - and I am getting tired of repeating myself - that means it is up-to 15dB when Idle. Not that it is for sure 15dB at Idle. There will be some that are less than 15dB at Idle, and there will be a few that are above. If you are so unhappy about your Mac Studio, exchange it!

 

[AlphaCentauri]

Listen - and I am getting tired of repeating myself - that means it is up-to 15dB when Idle. Not that it is for sure 15dB at Idle. There will be some that are less than 15dB at Idle, and there will be a few that are above. If you are so unhappy about your Mac Studio, exchange it!

I don’t think he’s unhappy. I think he is rather thorough and precise with his findings 😉

 

[Killerbob]

I don’t think he’s unhappy. I think he is rather thorough and precise with his findings 😉

Fair enough...

 

[bobcomer]

and some people (very few) can hear theirs.

Conjecture.

As I have repeatedly said, the majority CANNOT hear their Mac Studios.

Prove that.

You might also want to think about just why there are so many refurbished Studios in the Mac store and they aren't even a year old.

 

[southerndude39]

Conjecture.


Prove that.

You might also want to think about just why there are so many refurbished Studios in the Mac store and they aren't even a year old.

Mine is dead silent so there is one proof. My friend has one and his is also dead silent. Also, the many reasons they are on the refurbished store has been hashed over and over again in this thread and others..... YouTubers, etc. The reviews on many sites are 5 stars so if this was as wide spread of an issue as "we" keep saying it is then the reviews would not be so stellar. Email Linus and ask him to do a test on various units and let's find the root cause of the noise so we can put it to rest.

I'm sure there are many that have the whine but we are going to keep on rehashing this trying to prove one is wrong or one is right. If you are unhappy with it, return it.... if there are enough returns Apple will do something about it or make a future revision.

 

[bobcomer]

Mine is dead silent so there is one proof.

Sorry, that's not proof, that's anecdotal evidence. Mine anecdotal evidence is the opposite of yours. Not only can I hear a whine all the time, I can also hear the fan pushing air from a meter away.

My friend has one and his is also dead silent.

That's nice. And that's two, not majority.

YouTubers, etc.

No proof of that either and I think it's actually quite funny to think that. No big group of any other machine I've seen like what the Studio is showing, but I don't have proof of that either. I suspect it's because of returns, but who knows. (only Apple may know)

Email Linus and ask him to do a test on various units and let's find the root cause of the noise so we can put it to rest.

I would really LOVE to find out why it makes the noises it does, but it's not an easy thing to find out.

I'm sure there are many that have the whine but we are going to keep on rehashing this trying to prove one is wrong or one is right.

My problem is YOU saying a majority are silent, stop saying that and I'll stop posting back to you. You don't know that, period.

It's extremely annoying and not what this thread is for. It's not to prove anything, just relating experiences and attempting to figure out where the noises are coming from and to figure out mitigations.

 

[Killerbob]

My problem is YOU saying a majority are silent, stop saying that and I'll stop posting back to you. You don't know that, period.

It's extremely annoying and not what this thread is for. It's not to prove anything, just relating experiences and attempting to figure out where the noises are coming from and to figure out mitigations.

And you don't know the opposite either! Stop saying that the problem is widespread when in reality you do not know. We may both be wrong and it's exactly 50/50. From the look of it, a small portion of Mac Studios has a noise issue - possibly because of different PSUs, i.e. different airflows internally.

The few people complaining in here is not proof that this is a common problem, it is merely proof that there are some with the problem, and they like to whine about it (pun intended).

But, I can't be bothered - as they say; do not argue with fools, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience...

 

[Apple2GS]

Page 69 and still going. I guess new ones still have the whine and/or the annoying fan noise. I understand people with the issue talking about it, because they expect a quiet device from Apple, but why are people without the issue on here arguing? We get it, you either have a silent device or you can't hear it, good for you. I've tried, and returned, two Mac Studios because of people saying it's dead silent, they are not.

 

[AlphaCentauri]

Page 69 and still going. I guess new ones still have the whine and/or the annoying fan noise. I understand people with the issue talking about it, because they expect a quiet device from Apple, but why are people without the issue on here arguing? We get it, you either have a silent device or you can't hear it, good for you. I've tried, and returned, two Mac Studios because of people saying it's dead silent, they are not.

They are not silent and were not supposed to be silent. Apple said “whisper quiet”. Some people are more sensitive to fan noise than others, some people have more noisy rooms than others - that’s why some people complain about fans and some other say the Studio is “silent”.

OK, I’ll try once again:

1. Switch off all noise sources in your room, except for the Studio itself. Measure your Studio’s noise from OPERATORS POSITION (not at the exhaust or 1-3cm from it). NIOSH app for iPhone will do.

2. If it’s within Apple specs quoted many times above - that’s how they designed it, whether one likes it or not. One can accept it as normal or return the Studio and find oneself quieter computer/workstation with comparable CPU power without throttling (good luck with this in both Mac and PC world).

3. If ON TOP of fan noise, your Studio also has a whine - return it, replace with another or buy something else.

As we say in UK - simples 😉

 

[Apple2GS]

OK, I’ll try once again:

1. Measure your Studio’s noise from OPERATORS POSITION (not at the exhaust or 1-3cm from it). NIOSH app for iPhone will do.

2. If it’s within Apple specs - that’s how they designed it, whether one likes it or not. One can accept it as normal or return the Studio and find oneself quieter computer/workstation with comparable CPU power without throttling (good luck with this in both Mac and PC world).

3. If ON TOP of fan noise, your Studio also has a whine - return it, replace with another or buy something else.

As we say in UK - simples 😉

Thanks for the attempt, but it's not even that complicated, no need to measure or get apps. If the product is annoying return it and don't listen to people that say it's dead silent. I'll check back here every few months to see if the issue remains. If people who have had the issue before say it's gone, then I'll buy it again.

 

[AlphaCentauri]

Thanks for the attempt, but it's not even that complicated, no need to measure or get apps. If the product is annoying return it and don't listen to people that say it's dead silent. I'll check back here every few months to see if the issue remains. If people who have had the issue before say it's gone, then I'll buy it again.

Of course, but please remember that fan noise is as loud as it is by design (if within Apple’s specs), so you might need to wait for M2 Studio or M2 Mini.

They will not make it quieter for this generation of Studio. They might do something about the whine, though.

 

[bobcomer]

And you don't know the opposite either!

But I'm not saying that they all make noise. That's the difference.

Stop saying that the problem is widespread when in reality you do not know.

I never said that, because, yeah, I don't know, neither do you.

From the look of it, a small portion of Mac Studios has a noise issue - possibly because of different PSUs, i.e. different airflows internally.

NOOOOOOOO, you don't know that! You THINK that. It is not a fact like you are stating it.

 

[pshufd]

I'm thinking of buying a refurb and, assuming that it has the whine, how easy is it to block? I will be putting it behind a monitor and I could put a piece of foam between the Studio and a monitor. Would that block the sound?

I've listened to a couple of these at The Apple Store (stuck my ear up close to the back) and didn't hear anything. So it certainly isn't all of them. There are not that many for sale on the refurb store, just the base model now.

 

[bobcomer]

I'm thinking of buying a refurb and, assuming that it has the whine, how easy is it to block? I will be putting it behind a monitor and I could put a piece of foam between the Studio and a monitor. Would that block the sound?

I've listened to a couple of these at The Apple Store (stuck my ear up close to the back) and didn't hear anything. So it certainly isn't all of them. There are not that many for sale on the refurb store, just the base model now.

I wouldn't assume it has the whine, especially a refurb. Nobody knows the percentage of Studios with the whine, but like you say, we know it's not all of them and a refurb has had a chance to be in on any mods that have come up since the start. Don't talk yourself into hearing something.

As for blocking the whine, I never really could, but it is quite enough that I did get used to it. It only bothers me occasionally now.

 

[pshufd]

I wouldn't assume it has the whine, especially a refurb. Nobody knows the percentage of Studios with the whine, but like you say, we know it's not all of them and a refurb has had a chance to be in on any mods that have come up since the start. Don't talk yourself into hearing something.

As for blocking the whine, I never really could, but it is quite enough that I did get used to it. It only bothers me occasionally now.

I could just buy another Mac mini and it would be my Ghetto Studio. But there are advantages to doing everything in one device - I wouldn't have to partition my monitor setup and I would use the hardware encoder/decoders. The main benefit is that I wouldn't have to sell my M1 mini. The Studio is overkill for my needs in many ways - but it's the only efficient way to get support for four monitors.

 

[southerndude39]

The Studio is overkill for my needs in many ways - but it's the only efficient way to get support for four monitors.

If I had listened to this thread I would not have bought the Mac Studio but I went ahead expecting the worst. When I first plugged in my Mac Studio I was anticipating a whine or fan noise and honestly the only thing that triggered it was on was the Monitor turning on. It was quiet. I'd read the reviews on sites like BHPhotoVideo and Best Buy.

 

[MajorFubar]

My conjecture is that they all have the whistle frequencies, and that it's a design flaw, I can't prove that of course....I think it's small enough that it would be signed off on, as my measurement at 1m shows...it's very easy to mask, and TBH I only hear it if I have the studio dead silent, and my hearing is very sensitive...or to put it more simply, I might not be returning it.

Conject all you like but mine does not whistle or squeal, and hasn't done since I bought it nearly four months ago. I'd welcome you to come and listen for yourself, but likely we're thousands of miles apart.

Why is it so hard for some people accept not all Mac Studios have a problem?

 

[Feek]

Definitely no whine coming from mine.

The Studio Ultra is about 60cm away from my head, I can hear the fans as just a dull whirr in the background, it's not completely silent. I didn't expect it to be silent.

It's probably exaggerated a bit by my desk layout, it's in an alcove under a shelf.

However, I then set up the free version of Macs Fan Control and configured it so the fan is at the slowest speed until the temperature hits 40°C. With that reduction in speed from 1315rpm down to 1100rpm, it's silent. I can't hear the fans and the noise app on my watch shows no difference whether it's on or off (I did this test in the early hours of the morning where it was utterly silent in the house and in my shack).

So it may or may not be 'one of the loudest Macs at idle' but I don't care.

I'm sorry if anyones Mac Studio has coil whine but I'm quite sure it's not universal, there are enough people posting in this thread to demonstrate that.