If I have some spare time I’ll order, test, and refund within the two week window. My hopes are about 10ft underground, however.
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MacBook Pro 2018 - Speakers Crackling
- Thread starter jaack
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^ ya, test a 2019 model for us. If this is a t2 issue, then it should persist in 2019 models. If not, and no issues, then they must have done something to address it. But I really doubt they've done anything given how many other glaring issues it's got from previous gens.
Probably been posted already, but I had the crackling issues described on my 2018 MBP (even after the updates purporting to fix the matter some months ago).
I installed Boom, which is an audio loudness / equalizer extension that I've used on my older MBP for years and the problem has gone away permanently since. I was able to replicate the crackling almost on demand by playing some specific audio files before installing and it went away after installing. Confirms it's some weird software kink to me rather than a hardware issue; interestingly, the problem remains gone even after disabling the equalizer component and turning off the audio loudness functionality.
I installed Boom, which is an audio loudness / equalizer extension that I've used on my older MBP for years and the problem has gone away permanently since. I was able to replicate the crackling almost on demand by playing some specific audio files before installing and it went away after installing. Confirms it's some weird software kink to me rather than a hardware issue; interestingly, the problem remains gone even after disabling the equalizer component and turning off the audio loudness functionality.
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Both speakers. Sometimes it felt like it was left speaker more, but that’s probably just location of my ear when listening. I’m pretty confident both the speakers have the same pops and crackles and hisses.
I also didn’t notice any difference when using headphones between L/R.
I also didn’t notice any difference when using headphones between L/R.
Damn, really? I ordered a 2019 to test yesterday. My plan was to unbox and test while recording video of whole thing.
Guess I’m gonna force Apple to waste more money. It was wishful thinking anyway.
[doublepost=1559870552][/doublepost]
Can’t assume. The only reason we know that T2 controls audio on 2018/19 MBP is because of leaked internal schematics. No public information confirms this.
Not true. There's been publicly available documentation about what exactly the T2 chip handles since last year. Granted it's literally as vague as it possibly could be, with one opening mention about the audio controller and little if any info about how to translate that info to how audio is handled on other ports... But its been known since last year that the T2 at least manages the built in audio, and I'm guessing probably plays a shared role with non-built-in audio hardware.
https://www.apple.com/mac/docs/Apple_T2_Security_Chip_Overview.pdf
https://appleinsider.com/articles/1...-about-apples-t2-chip-in-the-2018-macbook-pro
Either way I stick to my original story that there are too many striking shared audio issues between the current MBP, the 2016 Touchbar, and suspiciously similar issues seen on all other T-chip machines.
For whatever reason though, these issues have been hanging around on the MacBook way more so than other T-chip machines. Maybe its form factor and heat, maybe it's related to the specific i9 chip in the new machine; I don't know and give absolutely Zero f***s at this point; Apple has totally f****d anyone still hanging out here with issues related to this thread...
If someone asked my opinion about either model my opinion's the same, stay far away from either model if you work with sound in any way. And keep away unless Apple shows enough common sense to make a public statement copping to the issue, and acknowledging its been addressed.
I'll bounce out of here with one last piece of (opinion-based) bias against the T2 chip... If wasn't until the T chips made an appearance on the MacBook that Apple broke auto-switching when unplgging/plugging in headphones. This was always just the way the MBP worked... Only with the new machines is this broken... There are just too many overall audio issues for me to see this as not related. (If not directly related.)
Even weirder is that the auto-switching behavior isn't broken in apps where it wouldn't matter; iTunes, Safari, Quicktime, Chrome, iMovie etc all auto-switch totally fine. It's only when you have to specify an output device in a program like a DAW when the feature breaks; indicating there's either something broken with core audio drivers on this machine, or there are unsolved bugs related to how the chip handles audio througout the machine that Apple hasn't bothered looking at...
Point is that there are a lot of indications that Apple broke something and hasn't made a single solitary effort to look into it...
End of July/Beginning of August marks ONE YEAR when this issues started showing up on these machines. Anyone considering one of them should give a long, hard think about that... IMO it's Buyer beware, simple as that...
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Difference is that the internal speakers and headphone out are now actual seperate outputs, whereas before it was one logical output switching between different output hardware. The software that works correctly handles the macos notification that default sound device has changed. Anything that specifies an exact output device, rather than default, will not auto switch by design.
Right but the OS behaves the "old way" by default right out of the box. As I mentioned iTunes, Safari, iMovie, etc all behave this way by default. It's only when you have to specify a device that it doesn't work, and if you create an aggregate device the behavior is inconsistent from DAW to DAW. Some DAWs behave fine with an aggregate others don't. Some keep the reference to the "unplugged" speakers or headphones, some detect the current system setting others don't... Because of the way aggregate devices behave differently in different DAWs it looks to me more like a broken driver.
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My order was delayed, so hopefully I get it tomorrow.
It’s probably gonna be broken and I am still unsure what to buy if it is. I need macOS for video work since I bought into FCPX. Laptop would be ideal but not necessary. iMac seems crazy to buy at same price essentially.
It’s probably gonna be broken and I am still unsure what to buy if it is. I need macOS for video work since I bought into FCPX. Laptop would be ideal but not necessary. iMac seems crazy to buy at same price essentially.
Build a Hac 
This issue finally forced me to bail on paying Apple's ridiculous prices... It'd be one thing if they could get their hardware to work, but as this thread's proven for the last year, Apple's left everyone in this thread abandoned with no life raft.
It's really not difficult at all, and all of the claims people make about updating being a challenge aren't true... You just keep a spare drive in the machine... One with a stable OS and one with the current OS, then move to the next one after the community's worked out all of the bugs and posted fixes... Everything works as it should, not a single feature that sin't working. The water's a lot nicer over here...
Laptops are harder but if you also use a desktop at least look into building a desktop Hac...
This issue finally forced me to bail on paying Apple's ridiculous prices... It'd be one thing if they could get their hardware to work, but as this thread's proven for the last year, Apple's left everyone in this thread abandoned with no life raft.It's really not difficult at all, and all of the claims people make about updating being a challenge aren't true... You just keep a spare drive in the machine... One with a stable OS and one with the current OS, then move to the next one after the community's worked out all of the bugs and posted fixes... Everything works as it should, not a single feature that sin't working. The water's a lot nicer over here...
Laptops are harder but if you also use a desktop at least look into building a desktop Hac...
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Build a Hac
It's really not difficult at all, and all of the claims people make about updating being a challenge aren't true... You just keep a spare drive in the machine... One with a stable OS and one with the current OS, then move to the next one after the community's worked out all of the bugs and posted fixes... The water's a lot nicer over here...
Laptops are harder but if you also use a desktop at least look into building a desktop Hac...
It’s pretty dire. I use a USB sound device regularly and it does make me skeptical about upgrading. But I don’t understand why there isn’t more activity in this thread? Has the problem been resolved for some but not others? I can’t believe that everyone has abandoned MacOS for audio quite so dramatically. Didn’t 10.14.4 claim it fixes some audio issues?
I still have clicks and pops watching video and aggregate devices are kind of sketchy. Although the stuttering's gone I still don't trust the machine. Worse I still don't trust Apple's updates. (For its own hardware nonetheless... How ironic is it that the Hac has been more stable?!!)
Apple should just get on with it and sell the OS for non-branded hardware with no guarantee of support... macOS Desktop Edition... It'll never happen though, (even though it'd have very little impact on their profit margin since it's a fraction of a percent...)
Apple should just get on with it and sell the OS for non-branded hardware with no guarantee of support... macOS Desktop Edition... It'll never happen though, (even though it'd have very little impact on their profit margin since it's a fraction of a percent...)
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Unboxed the 2019 that just arrived with a GoPro on my head.
I get speaker hiss and crackles and I am only on step 2 of the instal wizard.
[doublepost=1560744808][/doublepost]I have a year of Adobe LR (need decent screen) and have bought into FCPX and add ons for my video work - which I need a Mac for.
Honestly stumped where to move now.
[doublepost=1560747106][/doublepost]100% of 2018-2019 MBP's have these audio issues. There is no doubt in my mind.
I'm on fifth one.
I get speaker hiss and crackles and I am only on step 2 of the instal wizard.
[doublepost=1560744808][/doublepost]I have a year of Adobe LR (need decent screen) and have bought into FCPX and add ons for my video work - which I need a Mac for.
Honestly stumped where to move now.
[doublepost=1560747106][/doublepost]100% of 2018-2019 MBP's have these audio issues. There is no doubt in my mind.
I'm on fifth one.
Ouch! Sorry to hear man. Can you at least return it?
5 machines in a row is easily the highest number I've seen yet... As someone passed this on to me earlier this year, I'd contact Craig Federighi. 5 Machines in a row should qualify as an issue worth his time: federighi@apple.com
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