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Volume Change-->Speaker Clicking

ITASOR

ITASOR

macrumors 601
Original poster
Mar 20, 2005
4,398
3
I've been wondering this ever since I got my iBook in August.

This happens very very randomly, and I know it's not a super abnormal thing, because it happened to me on the 14" iBook in CompUSA once.

Sometimes when I push my volume up key a few times repetitively (say 3 times). Instead of it just going up 3 bars, the speakers start clicking...hard to describe, they just go click click click click and while it clicks the volume thing comes up and the bars start filling in slowly until it gets to however many times I've pressed it.

Now I can't really afford to send my computer in, hence the reason I haven't. It doesn't do this if I press the volume up once, wait for it to come up, and then press it the number of times I need.

Hopefully not everyone thinks I'm crazy...

It's kind of annoying when I'm trying to show someone something, and press the volume up key like 5 times to increase it quick. The it clicks and goes really slow so I have to stand there and wait for it to go up/stop.

*Sigh*. :(

Any ideas?
 
Well if you increase or decrease your volume by clicking the buttons on your keyboard your Mac makes a little "blop" noise. You have to go slow and hit each bar one by one. If you hold it down it doesn't make any noise at all and just goes up or down. The noise goes REALLY slowly if you're using a lot of CPU. It can delay too.

This probably isn't what you're getting though.
 
Nope, thanks though. I am familiar with the boop noise which is the option in Sound prefs called "Play feedback when volume is changed". I have that turned on.

When it does do it's clicky thing, the boop noise doesn't play except for the last boop before the volume meter disappears from the screen.
 
ITASOR said:
I've been wondering this ever since I got my iBook in August.

This happens very very randomly, and I know it's not a super abnormal thing, because it happened to me on the 14" iBook in CompUSA once.

Sometimes when I push my volume up key a few times repetitively (say 3 times). Instead of it just going up 3 bars, the speakers start clicking...hard to describe, they just go click click click click and while it clicks the volume thing comes up and the bars start filling in slowly until it gets to however many times I've pressed it.

Now I can't really afford to send my computer in, hence the reason I haven't. It doesn't do this if I press the volume up once, wait for it to come up, and then press it the number of times I need.

Hopefully not everyone thinks I'm crazy...

It's kind of annoying when I'm trying to show someone something, and press the volume up key like 5 times to increase it quick. The it clicks and goes really slow so I have to stand there and wait for it to go up/stop.

*Sigh*. :(

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

OH!! glad to hear that someone else is having the same problem. I also bought my iBook in August, so maybe it is a problem with the current revisions?? I noticed this problem about 2 weeks after i got mine but i was just about to start college and could not take the time to send it in.

If i get a chance i will probably call apple and talk to them about this problem. It is kinda annoying but it is something that i can deal with...for now.

So does anyone else have this problem?? even people without the current generation iBook?
 
prostuff1 said:
OH!! glad to hear that someone else is having the same problem. I also bought my iBook in August, so maybe it is a problem with the current revisions?? I noticed this problem about 2 weeks after i got mine but i was just about to start college and could not take the time to send it in.

If i get a chance i will probably call apple and talk to them about this problem. It is kinda annoying but it is something that i can deal with...for now.

So does anyone else have this problem?? even people without the current generation iBook?
Click to expand...


Thanks so much for posting that man, it makes me feel better at least. I might bring it in to the store after Christmas is over.

It's not really a big deal so I probably won't have it looked at. I see no reason for them to open it up and potentially screw up everything else.

To tell you the truth, right now it's pissing me off. Right now, I can pretty much guarantee myself it's going to click if I hit it a few times fast. Darn now it's going to drive me crazy. :mad: :mad: :mad:

EDIT: Thinking about resetting the PMU and PRAM and seeing if that helps. Ideas on if that could help?
 
ITASOR said:
EDIT: Thinking about resetting the PMU and PRAM and seeing if that helps. Ideas on if that could help?
Click to expand...

I did all that but it did not seem to help for me. Wether it will for you i dont know. It is always worth a try though. If you do reset the PMU and PRAM and it works let me know, i might try it again.

If you do decide to take it into a store please post back and let me know what they say. If they decide they can fix it or whatever i might send it in.

I thought i was hearing things when it first happened and i thought it was onyl a problem with my iBook but i am glad to hear someone else is having the same problem.
 
It does this on my 12" Powerbook I bought over the summer, and my friends 12" ibook he bought over the summer. No way to fix it that we've found so far.
 
Fuchal said:
It does this on my 12" Powerbook I bought over the summer, and my friends 12" ibook he bought over the summer. No way to fix it that we've found so far.
Click to expand...

I called Apple and they have absolutely no clue what I'm talking about. I talked to 3 people and they were all like, "Oh, you'd better back up your HD is clicking!" I know 100% that this is not a HD error. It's coming from the speakers. Why would the freaking HD click when I change the volume, that doesn't even freaking make sense. Now I guess I have to go to an Apple Store and show them in person. With my luck, when I go there, it won't click for the life of me.
 
It's caused by something that's making the speaker amplifier (which normally turns off when not in use on battery power) turn on, play/dont play the volume changing clicking sound, then immediately turning back off again. The pop sound is the amplifier turning itself on. You can hear this under normal conditions - for example, not playing any sounds for a few minutes and then receiving a message from iChat - it will pop before playing the iChat sound - but then the amp remains on for another couple of minutes in the event that you will have more sounds.

It's an annoying problem - changing the volume with no sound should never turn the amp on to begin with - and changing the volume with sound should turn the amp on once and leave it on for the couple minute time-out period instead of turning back off immediately.

Basically - this problem only occurs under the following conditions:

1. You are running on battery power.
AND
2. You have not played any sound in the past few minutes (the amp has turned off).

You can replicate this the best if you restart your computer on battery power and immedately try to change the volume.

Let me know what the apple store says! :)
 
Fuchal said:
It's caused by something that's making the speaker amplifier (which normally turns off when not in use on battery power) turn on, play/dont play the volume changing clicking sound, then immediately turning back off again. The pop sound is the amplifier turning itself on. You can hear this under normal conditions - for example, not playing any sounds for a few minutes and then receiving a message from iChat - it will pop before playing the iChat sound - but then the amp remains on for another couple of minutes in the event that you will have more sounds.

It's an annoying problem - changing the volume with no sound should never turn the amp on to begin with - and changing the volume with sound should turn the amp on once and leave it on for the couple minute time-out period instead of turning back off immediately.

Basically - this problem only occurs under the following conditions:

1. You are running on battery power.
AND
2. You have not played any sound in the past few minutes (the amp has turned off).

You can replicate this the best if you restart your computer on battery power and immedately try to change the volume.

Let me know what the apple store says! :)
Click to expand...

I figured it was something like that. I don't usually run on battery at home, so that's why it must feel like it does it every time I'm showing someone something at their house.

Maybe I'll call Apple and tell them what you've posted since it sounds correct. Maybe I can speak to someone higher up.

Yes, I notice the POP when I get an iChat IM as well.

Let me know if you find a solution as well, but I highly doubt there is one. EDIT: Maybe an OS update could fix this.....if only we could get this into 10.4.4!

EDIT AGAIN: I've been on hold for over 45 minutes and I don't have time to wait longer right now so I'll call again later or another time.
 
Sorry to resurrect a thread almost a year old, but I was wondering if anyone here ever came up with a solution for this problem. I have a 12" 1.33 gHz iBook, and the issue happens to me all the time at school. Weird clicking sound, followed by a pop, and often the speaker balance will have changed in the sound prefs (very annoying!).
 
There is no solution. Part of saving power on the portables is that the computer doesn't provide power to the speakers unless needed to. You notice the popping noise because it's the speaker turning back on.
 
Warbrain said:
There is no solution. Part of saving power on the portables is that the computer doesn't provide power to the speakers unless needed to. You notice the popping noise because it's the speaker turning back on.
Click to expand...

The popping would be fine, except that the sound balance will usually (and noticeably) shift left or right after I experience the popping. It gets very annoying having to go into my sound preferences and fixing the balance every time this happens.
 
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