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greg555

macrumors 6502a
Mar 24, 2005
644
8
Canada
Finally found a way to reproduce this pop sound.

Play any music using the music app.

Go to settings -> music -> equaliser

While the music is playing, change to any equaliser preset like night and it will make speakers pop after tapping.

So it is clearly software / sound driver issue. Sometimes the popping goes away for a week and then comes back.

Both my Air 2's do it. Shameful QC testing at Apple lately.

I think every iPad will be having pops or cracking. People just don't notice it. But it is super annoying none the less.

That worked for me but doesn't make as loud/sharp a pop as the real problem.
 

sanke1

macrumors 65816
Nov 9, 2010
1,067
436
That worked for me but doesn't make as loud/sharp a pop as the real problem.

I checked and it's the same sound which comes out of the speakers. Btw this pop does not happen if using earphones. This is definitely audio hardware not communicating correctly with iOS due to faulty audio driver.

I hope it can be fixed with a software update in future. Btw, iOS 8.2 beta 3 does not fix it.
 

Morac

macrumors 68020
Dec 30, 2009
2,172
611
Finally found a way to reproduce this pop sound.

Play any music using the music app.

Go to settings -> music -> equaliser

While the music is playing, change to any equaliser preset like night and it will make speakers pop after tapping.

So it is clearly software / sound driver issue. Sometimes the popping goes away for a week and then comes back.

Both my Air 2's do it. Shameful QC testing at Apple lately.

I think every iPad will be having pops or cracking. People just don't notice it. But it is super annoying none the less.

This does make a noise, but it doesn't sound like the same loud pop I hear on my Air 2. The pop I hear on my Air 2 happens randomly, but it's not reliably reproducible. It does only happen when tapping or unlocking the screen. It can happen several times a day or not at all. I also didn't notice it when I first got it. It seems to have developed it a few weeks later.

For what it's worth the above procedure also makes a noise on my iPhone 5s and that doesn't pop, so I don't believe it's related to the problem.
 

platinumrims

macrumors newbie
Dec 6, 2014
1
0
Same problem

I bought 1 ipad air 2 and heard it randomly, and very infrequently like what has been stated here. That weird sounds in combination with the really bad bookspine backlighting problem, I returned it for another one. The 2nd one i have now has the bookspine problem still but it's very faint, almost unnoticable to my eye most of the time but after 2 days of having it, it made that dang pop sound again while i was texting (with sounds off). It made the pop sound again 2 more times within a few minutes. I do think it's a weird software problem with the iPad shutting on and off the speaker before or after sounds or something...

I saw the comment where you can toggle between Late Night EQ and others while playing music. This does reproduce the sound for me but it's still hit or miss as to the magnitude of the pop sound. Some times it's quiet or not at all, and some times it's the exact same sound/pitch/volume that occurs randomly. Someone needs to submit a video or something to apple letting them no what's happening. I feel it the problem can be fixed, if they care...
 

sanke1

macrumors 65816
Nov 9, 2010
1,067
436
I can confirm that this is iOS 8 software problem.

Go to your iPad's settings -> Sound and drag the slider for ringer and alerts to zero or extreme left.

But do not disable sounds by tapping the soft mute switch button from the bottom swipe menu. Leave that as it is.

That's it. My iPad Air 2 hasn't popped in a month. Try it and see how this goes for you guys.

Only problem is on silent, the continuity/handoff calls and messages will not be heard.
 

The Doctor11

macrumors 603
Dec 15, 2013
5,974
1,406
New York
8.1.3 and it still pops. :mad:

Aw damn it. I just came into this thread to ask if anyone has had it happen on 8.1.3 yet. I haven't heard it on 8.1.3 but I haven't used the speaker on 8.1.3... I have been using headphones lately. I don't really want to get my iPad replaced either as I'm unsure if it's software or hardware.
 

MaulRx

Suspended
Aug 27, 2012
578
646
Got a new iPad air 2 and I hear random static/crackling noises as well often after using Siri.
 

musika

macrumors 65816
Sep 2, 2010
1,285
459
New York
I've heard it a few times too. I'm betting it is a software issue (or a hardware issue that can be worked around via software). It isn't to the point of being annoying so I'll wait a bit and see what happens.

I'm wondering how this went for you? I just bought an Air 2 and I feel the same way. I really don't feel like exchanging this over and over again. I'm sure if I exchange this ill just end up with some other annoying problem.
 

azentropy

macrumors 601
Jul 19, 2002
4,024
5,385
Surprise
I'm wondering how this went for you? I just bought an Air 2 and I feel the same way. I really don't feel like exchanging this over and over again. I'm sure if I exchange this ill just end up with some other annoying problem.

I've only heard it a couple times over that past couple of weeks, although I'm running 8.2b currently.
 

klynparis

macrumors newbie
Mar 5, 2015
1
0
8.1.3 and it still pops. :mad:

Yup, it still pops with 8.1.3.

It also still pops with the volume slider put all the way to the left under settings.

It pops with the volume rocker on the right side of the iPad turned down to just above mute.

The only thing I haven't tried is keeping it completely muted.

As a side note – the popping happens most often (always?) for me when using the voice dictation option for inputting text. It happens when I tap the mic button to begin dictation and it happens when I tap the done button to end dictation.

It just happened – just this second – as I was using voice dictation to compose this response. Aargh.

I am seriously considering returning my iPad Air2 for an iPad mini 3.

Edit to add – I purchased my Air2 on March 1. So unless Costco is selling very old stock, the newer manufacturing runs have the same issue. I mention this in case it turns out to be a hardware issue. I'm grateful for Costco's 90 day return policy.
 
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calvol

macrumors 6502a
Feb 3, 2011
995
4
Hey guys, I bought an iPad Air 2 on a Staples sale ($429) two weeks ago with a manuf date of 2014/Week-43, serial DLxxxx. It had the popping sound, occurred mostly when filling out a web form, and then hitting backspace, occurring on average every two days. So, I returned it to Staples last night, and bought another one at a local NorCal Apple store, and it has a manuf date of Week-46, serial DMxxxx, which is a different factory. I was hoping Apple store would have had more recent stock, so I may go back and ask them to look for 2015 manuf date before I open this box and try this unit. Has anyone seen a 2015 manuf date?
 
Last edited:

Morac

macrumors 68020
Dec 30, 2009
2,172
611
I happed to be talking with an Apple senior care specialist on the phone last night and asked about the pop sound and she said she had heard of it and thought there was a memo awhile back indicating it wasn't an issue (i.e. not a hardware problem), but she couldn't find any internal support documents about it.

She said if there was a known hardware issue, she would be able to find it internally. Since she couldn't find it, she said it isn't a known hardware problem.

In my case it comes in spurts. Some days it never does it. Some days it happens a few times. Some days, like yesterday, it happens a lot.

It can happen any time there is a sound (mail notification, push notification, etc) or when tapping the screen. It is really annoying, but doesn't seem to cause any usage problems with the iPad.

I've heard some people have success "fixing" it by swapping out for a "new" iPad. Others continue to have the problem after multiple swaps.
 

Morac

macrumors 68020
Dec 30, 2009
2,172
611
Still happening with iOS 8.2.

Based on what I've read, it looks like all iPad Air 2s have this problem to a degree as I've seen people report that their replacement devices also pop. Some originally said the replace Air 2 didn't pop, but came back later and said it did.
 

smorrissey

macrumors 68000
Mar 12, 2015
1,557
772
I happed to be talking with an Apple senior care specialist on the phone last night and asked about the pop sound and she said she had heard of it and thought there was a memo awhile back indicating it wasn't an issue (i.e. not a hardware problem), but she couldn't find any internal support documents about it.

Problem is they haven't fixed via sofwate yet so far, i find pretty much safe to assume is a hardware issue.

Yeah for Apple this is not an issue, pretty much learn to liveve with it. (That's what Apple engineers told me via an Apple supervisor). Sigh.

Still happening with iOS 8.2.

Based on what I've read, it looks like all iPad Air 2s have this problem to a degree as I've seen people report that their replacement devices also pop. Some originally said the replace Air 2 didn't pop, but came back later and said it did.

I have that impression too, all the ipads 2 are affected but don't you dare to say that on the official Apple forums cause there's gonna be people always stating the contrary almos immediately after you posting: mine is not.
 

Serban

Suspended
Jan 8, 2013
5,159
928
Since ios 8.2 installed 2 days ago, i never had this sound
At least 2 times a day i heard before 8.2
Now already 2 days and 0 sounds
 

Rodster

macrumors 68040
May 15, 2007
3,177
6
I would lean on this whole issue being software related. Since installing Yosemite on my Mac Mini. I now get intermittent pops and crackling noise while playing videos and iTunes Radio. I never had that issue before.
 

smorrissey

macrumors 68000
Mar 12, 2015
1,557
772
Since ios 8.2 installed 2 days ago, i never had this sound
At least 2 times a day i heard before 8.2
Now already 2 days and 0 sounds

ios 8.2 doesn't solve this issue, even with a clean installation.

I'ts going to pop...
 

JoEw

macrumors 68000
Nov 29, 2009
1,583
1,291
Does anyone know hardware well enough to understand why a popping sound would occur?

Is it related to the vibration in the chassis much like the speaker vibration?
 

Morac

macrumors 68020
Dec 30, 2009
2,172
611
Crackling noise

It sounds like the speaker "cone" popping into place like happens when they are powered off while charged. This can be heard with audio systems if the speaker is plugged in or unplugged without turning off the receiver. It's likely a problem with the speakers themselves as I've heard it on top of other sounds, which shouldn't really be possible.
 

medipad16

macrumors newbie
Jun 28, 2014
25
12
This is definitely a hardware issue used my week 42 cellular air 2 extensively for 2 months and it never popped once
 
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