MacBook Pro 2018 - Speakers Crackling

[UBS28]

I got my ways to replicate it with no problem. If you are doing simple stuff, then you won’t notice it because also on my old MBP it would not have issues.

But we shall see tomorrow when I put this new machine under a few stress tests. On my previous machine I could easily produce the problem.

I hope Apple testing is more than just trying to web browse a bit and listen to some mp3’s quickly, because stuff like this should have been easily spotted during testing.

 

[UBS28]

Well, I must say that this new machine is performing much much better than the old one. But I still managed to make it crackle under a stress test.

So it looks like a hardware + software combination issue to me.

 

[mdnz]

Well, I must say that this new machine is performing much much better than the old one. But I still managed to make it crackle under a stress test.

So it looks like a hardware + software combination issue to me.

What do you do to stress test it? It might be helpful for other forum members here.

 

[UBS28]

AppleCare already knows a few of my stress tests so they are aware of it.

To me it is now pointing towards also a hardware issue given that I see a big difference on how my previous and my current machine performs.

Tomorrow I will do a few other tests.

 

[mdnz]

AppleCare already knows a few of my stress tests so they are aware of it.

To me it is now pointing towards also a hardware issue given that I see a big difference on how my previous and my current machine performs.

Tomorrow I will do a few other tests.

Thanks, I'll have my third one on the mail next week. I hope that my problems will be fixed at that point.

 

[UBS28]

Thanks, I'll have my third one on the mail next week. I hope that my problems will be fixed at that point.

I don’t think it will be 100% fixed as I think there is also a firmware issue with the T2 chip as I did manage to make it run into troubles. ( but it is performing much better than my old machine though)

 

[CreeptoLoser]

I don’t think it will be 100% fixed as I think there is also a firmware issue with the T2 chip as I did manage to make it run into troubles. ( but it is performing much better than my old machine though)

You mean hardware. Firmware is embedded upgradable software.

A hardware issue like that is pretty difficult these days. Chip designers have known how to build sound hardware for decades. Firmware and software is another story. On any PC they have many driver and BIOS updates every year to fix issues.

 

[UBS28]

Well, Apple managed to do it. I’m now pretty sure that my previous Macbook Pro was faulty as both machine perform night and day different while both machines were fully up to date.

And no, I do not mean hardware because this Macbook Pro with the good hardware still has glitches on the audio side (but far less than my previous machine). So there is probably something wrong on the firmware side of the T2 chip also.

 

[CreeptoLoser]

Well, Apple managed to do it. I’m now 99.99% sure that my previous Macbook Pro was faulty.

And no, I do not mean hardware because this Macbook Pro with the good hardware still has glitches on the audio side (but far less than my previous machine). So there is probably something wrong on the firmware side of the T2 chip.

That’s a non issue then. It’s a new machine and the OS hasn’t been fully updated for it, just a slight build number update.

A hardware issue would mean you can replicate crackling and errors using the same method every time. Apple would stop the production line and recall machines quickly otherwise replacing machines later would be very expensive.

We will very likely get a completely new firmware when Mojave is released. Happens almost every year.

 

[UBS28]

I can replicate it using the same method everytime, but that necessary doesn’t mean it is a hardware issue. It can also be a firmware issue.

My previous MBP was running the exact same firmware and software as this new machine. So if everything else is exactly the same, then there must be something weird between the hardware of my previous machine and this new one.

But like I said, this new MBP still isn’t 100% perfect on the audio side so I’m positive there is also a firmware issue (and I’m going to wait for that rather than playing the MBP lottery exchanging it 9000 times).

 

[automan98]

I just wanted to say that I have a 2018 Macbook Pro 13 and I'm having issues with speakers crackling and sound that seems to loop and skip twice within a 1/2 second of time. I have not yet talked with Applecare. I can't reproduce the problem on my own.

 

[CreeptoLoser]

I can replicate it using the same method everytime, .

Can you show how? I'm finding it very hard to replicate due to the randomness and rarity of it. The main place I get it is in the volume controls with audio feedback enabled.

 

[AdamA9]

I just wanted to say that I have a 2018 Macbook Pro 13 and I'm having issues with speakers crackling and sound that seems to loop and skip twice within a 1/2 second of time. I have not yet talked with Applecare. I can't reproduce the problem on my own.

Do you have any games? I find playing a game with YouTube running videos kicks this off. Get the machine hot and the fans spinning. After some time the issue will occur.

Apple called again this morning. My case handler said she thinks this is hardware, but cannot confirm yet. Would explain why not everyone has this problem, is some of them perhaps have a manufacturing defect causing unexpected results under heat. I know nothing though, except this is going back next weekend and they're going to keep me updated with progress of the case anyway after reviewing the diagnostic report I sent them.

 

[CreeptoLoser]

ould explain why not everyone has this problem, is some of them perhaps have a manufacturing defect causing unexpected results under heat.

Under heavy load from Logic Pro with fans going I have no sound issues. Mostly and rarely in volume controls under normal temperatures.

The T2's design is the same as the iMac Pro. It's the same chip shipping in both machines. Both machines get hot under load. The difference is the new machine needs proper updates to support the configuration.

If it is a hardware issue, it could be electrical interference between components. But even that can be controlled by firmware changes.

Those Apple call support are not in charge of hardware or software design. They will just give the safe answer to replace the machine because it isn't in their remit or knowledge database to give any other answer at this moment.

The speculation in this thread is going a bit wild and swinging all over the place.

 

[Lesser Evets]

Got my new MacBook Pro 13" on Wednesday. Loaded it up with a Time Machine of my first MacBook Pro.

Rode it.

Saturday night it happened: major glitch followed by farting speakers and skipping.

What happened when it happened: playing music through MegaSeg 6 (been doing that constantly since Weds), loaded in Logic Pro X.

BOOM! Audio went out!! The audio was dead until I quit MegaSeg, then audio popped back on. That was weird, because nothing would reactivate audio; I was about to restart. Logic Pro X seemed to trigger the event as it went from downloading additional content into starting the actual program.

T2 chip might be involved--I tried playing YouTube to check audio (perhaps it was just specific programs and Safari had sound) and audio was still dead. VIDEO on YT played through at 128x (exaggeration, assumption). No matter what I played, the video just zipped to the end and blurred through all video data in 1 second.

At that point I was disgusted and went to bed.

Woke up and thought that video affectation was similar to swiping through video on the touch bar: swiping the entire video at super-fast speed. You see a few choice frames and it's done.

I'll test again today. My amateur opinion says it is hardware/firmware based around the Touch Bar hardware. I really doubt it is software, but if it is it is core OSX programming doing something odd that overloads hardware parameters.

 

[eli_]

I've written my share of audio code over the years and the crackling is definitely a buffer underrun issue, some audio driver is falling behind playback. The severity varies, when its slightly behind the buffer, you get crackling, if it gets really serious it starts sounding like an echo or "broken record". I've found that when the issue crops up, I can kill the CoreAudio daemon, and it automatically restarts and the issue goes away. So it's probably a software issue, but I can't reproduce it reliably.

 

[motomotomoto]

I've written my share of audio code over the years and the crackling is definitely a buffer underrun issue, some audio driver is falling behind playback. The severity varies, when its slightly behind the buffer, you get crackling, if it gets really serious it starts sounding like an echo or "broken record". I've found that when the issue crops up, I can kill the CoreAudio daemon, and it automatically restarts and the issue goes away. So it's probably a software issue, but I can't reproduce it reliably.

If it’s software then why doesn’t it effect all units?

 

[CreeptoLoser]

If it’s software then why doesn’t it effect all units?

If it was hardware it would affect all units including iMac Pro and would be consistently simple to replicate.

 

[MD7200]

Boot camp drivers are released once a year. You won’t see anything until Mojave is released.

But when I look in Windows for the driver, it says that they are about 1 month old.

 

[warburg]

All this speculation–whether it's a hardware, firmware, or software issue or a combination of these–is beyond my technical understanding. If you'll excuse the naivety, is it safe to say that this is an issue with both the 13" and 15" 2018 MacBook Pro, and that this was not an issue with the 2017 MacBook Pro?

 

[Mikedewet]

Anyone else noticed their speakers randomly crackling on the new MacBook Pro 2018? It happens every so often for me. Only saw one other report so far here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8466796

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Edit by Weaselboy

Moderator Note:

Also see the discussion in the news thread:

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ners-experiencing-crackling-speakers.2131577/

I have been having the same issue and its been crazy. I have been to the apple shop and they have even given me a new laptop and even after that it started happening again.
I contacted apple support and they tried telling me that my Time machine back up was corrupt. I then reset the SMC settings thought that it was resolved but then happened again a day later. I was super convinced that my time machine back up was the issue but now that i have read these forums and seen this happening to other people i must admit im somewhat relieved that im not going insane. Question is, Where to from here ? do i go back to apple and complain and tell them its not just me ?

 

[Tusskan]

All this speculation–whether it's a hardware, firmware, or software issue or a combination of these–is beyond my technical understanding. If you'll excuse the naivety, is it safe to say that this is an issue with both the 13" and 15" 2018 MacBook Pro, and that this was not an issue with the 2017 MacBook Pro?

Some owners of the Mid-2017 version had the same issues even 2016, It seems that it is a widespread issue and apple working on it, on hackintosh I have issues with external DAC as well when watching youtube and trying to play another video the sound goes out completely and video still playing, I assume it's a software issue, it is been happening since El Capitan on hackintosh. Owner of 15" Mid-2017 here and I didn't have it though, But I'm telling you from the previous pages and reading the discussion of that issue on these fourms and on reddit. Well I think I'm not going to be able to buy the 15" 2018 version since the reseller applied new shipping policies. which sucks.

 

[blacksurf]

So, I have experienced this three times now. At first I thought there was no issue with the MBP (I have a 2018 13" MBP) and it was the usual paranoia. That said..

Playing Rise of the Tomb Raider (Great game btw) even using an eGPU once my machine gets the fans going - after about 45-60 mins of play time the audio begins to crackle, pop, fart as others have experienced. Plugging in external headphones and the issue goes away.

Exiting the game and then loading up iTunes there is no issue with the speakers crackling.

So in my mind at least it appears to be to do with high CPU load (the game) and/or heat or possibly a combination of both.​

This is quite repeatable every time I play.

Just my two pennies - hope it gets sorted.

 

[CreeptoLoser]

I have been having the same issue and its been crazy. I have been to the apple shop and they have even given me a new laptop and even after that it started happening again.
I contacted apple support and they tried telling me that my Time machine back up was corrupt. I then reset the SMC settings thought that it was resolved but then happened again a day later.

Strictly speaking there is no more separate SMC in new Macs (see System Info app). It has been integrated inside the T2 with the other controllers.

Apple shows how to reset the "SMC" in T2 Macs. It's not the same method as older systems. So in case you are using the old method, try the new one.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295

But I say this will have limited effect until new firmware and drivers are done.

 

[Lesser Evets]

So in my mind at least it appears to be to do with high CPU load (the game) and/or heat or possibly a combination of both.​

Just my two pennies - hope it gets sorted.

My second time around.

I now believe it IS (almost definitely 99%) hardware.

Reason: the MBP works flawless for 3-7 days and then “breaks” from heat and use. The problem begins and gets worse no matter what you do. Kill coreaudiod will only fix it for 30-45 minutes and it starts anew. IT NEVER GOES AWAY FOR 3-7 DAYS AGAIN.

Thus it is almost certainly something in hardware. Probably an intolerant resistor or chip with inadequate tolerances. Might be solder. But it starts and then never stops. Never.

Returning mine tomorrow for a third, and I’ll ride these untilI get a working laptop, or Apple just gives me a new laptop every week for LIFE. Yippee!