I just wanted to say that demoing the macbook air's sound capabilities was ruined for me because the speaker is placed under the keyboard on the far right side of the notebook. Its placement is really stupid as when I'm listening to music it just sounds unbalanced and I watching movies I would be disappointed. I don't care about mono speakers, but at least like on thinkpads they have the speaker in the center. I think that people should realize this before buying. I do see the lines that people are talking about but they do not bother me NEARLY to the degree that the Sony Vaio Z does. It's like a combination of flicker + waves of diagonal lines on the Vaio Z. I was ready to roll on the air until I realize that the speaker placement is really dumb.
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MBA Inane Speaker placement
- Thread starter unagimiyagi
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Everyone has different needs and things that they notice so this isn't a "YOU'RE WRONG" post.
To turn down a computer based upon its built-in speakers seems strange to me. I've never heard any notebook with good built-in speakers. They always suck and are basically just there to provide system "boink" sounds and stuff. If you're not using real speakers or headphones with it, how can you care that much?
You can spend 20 bucks on totally crap speakers and it will sound better than the built in things in a laptop. Just food for thought?
To turn down a computer based upon its built-in speakers seems strange to me. I've never heard any notebook with good built-in speakers. They always suck and are basically just there to provide system "boink" sounds and stuff. If you're not using real speakers or headphones with it, how can you care that much?
You can spend 20 bucks on totally crap speakers and it will sound better than the built in things in a laptop. Just food for thought?
The speaker placement does kind of suck and is tinny, not terribly loud, etc. However, there isn't much room inside these little beasties for a speaker. I kind of love the way Sony had the little clip on speaker ears for the original PCG-505 series.
Generally, I am using my headphones with mine. I was a bit disappointed that Apple chose to not include the extra pickup for the volume up/down and pause features built-in to the newer headphones.
Generally, I am using my headphones with mine. I was a bit disappointed that Apple chose to not include the extra pickup for the volume up/down and pause features built-in to the newer headphones.
Name one ultraportable with speakers that an audiophile can't complain about. It's impossible. But my Dad's friends MBA doesn't sound that bad. It's okay when watching movies and stuff like that.
Well, this thread has become pretty silly, IMO. I too dislike the low output of the speaker and find myself using the headphones when I really need to hear it. Given the size and innovative features of the MBA, there has to be some features that are somewhat given up. As I always say "Everything comes at a cost" (in this case, the speaker size, output and placement suffered fromt he slim case). Nothing is perfect. As someone else said, if you don't like it, don't buy it. But, if you really need stereo or louder sound, just use a bluetooth speaker(s), plug-in speakers or headphones. If that is the biggest downfall of the MBA, then I guess Apple did a pretty good job with it. I like it overall.
In fact, the old 15in MBP has quite decent speakers. Really ok to watch movies in bed, for instance, and much better than what we had in the Vaio. The new 15in MBP, for some strange reason, sounds worse than its predecessor.
I also dislike the speaker placement in the MBA; I would much prefer to have stereo.
No way, my uMBP speakers sound way better than my friend's pre-uMBP's. Probably because his collected dust for a few years due to the speakers hole being bigger. Although I think Apple could of put stereo speakers into the MBA, I like them upgrading the processor from the previous models to a higher clocked one much more.
I was not lamenting the sound quality, just the placement. I actually think that the macbook pro speakers are excellent. I just wanted a mono speaker, place in the center of the laptop, like the x200 or x200s series. The placement to the right side sounds off-balance to me when watching video clips or hulu. I was wondering why they couldn't move the one lone speaker to the center under the keyboard. There shouldn't be a technical reason why. That decision is what I am calling inane.
It's not inane because it's obviously based on considerations of space that you seem inanely oblivious too. For crying out loud look how thin the air is. I too would love a lamp amp in the air, excellent sound quality but sadly this can't come to pass. We can't have everything. I love music and have thus kept my pbook 12" which has, may I say, the best speakers I have ever heard on a an ultra portable. Of course in other terms it's a compromise.
I don't see why though putting a mono speaker slightly to the right would have such a considerable effect on your listening or viewing experience. I would have understood it more if you complained about a better quality speaker, but placement. In any case if that's how you feel about it fair enough.