12" MacBook max volume sound distortion?

[vincenz]

I've noticed if you turn the volume to the highest setting on the 12" MacBook, then test the OS X "error" sound effect, it comes out distorted. It starts sounding distorted after about 2/3 to 3/4 to highest volume settings. Once it's at highest, it no longer even sounds like it.

The speakers have a slight "pop" sound to them when playing the sound effect is distorted. Is this normal on other people's machines?

You can test this sound effect by going to System Preferences > Sound > Sound Effects > Funk or just causing it to play somewhere within OS X using the keyboard and entering a bad input.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

As long as music and video sound good across the sound range who would give a crap???

 

[vincenz]

As long as music and video sound good across the sound range who would give a crap???

People who care about sound quality? I understand the limitations of the implementation here, and the speakers are amazing for the size, but it doesn't seem to do well under certain frequencies and volumes, as evidenced here.

I'm sure the engineers at Apple have already optimized it and found this configuration to be the most balanced and overall best for the specification, but the distortion is still there. Not complaining-- just saying.

 

[Queen6]

When I travel I always take a good quality BT speaker with me, the rMB`s internal speaker`s are excellent for it`s diminutive size, equally no match for a decent BT speaker over aptX, current weapon of choice for travel is a B&O A2, or if I can my Beloit 15, thinking of MiniRig`s with Sub next, equally most hotel`s are not happy with the volume output of the A2, let alone the Beloit 15 or Mini Rig set up. Maybe two A2`s as you can now pair for true stereo. Absolutely quality counts...

Q-6

 

[tbirdparis]

People who care about sound quality? I understand the limitations of the implementation here, and the speakers are amazing for the size, but it doesn't seem to do well under certain frequencies and volumes, as evidenced here.

I'm sure the engineers at Apple have already optimized it and found this configuration to be the most balanced and overall best for the specification, but the distortion is still there. Not complaining-- just saying.

I just tested mine with exactly the alert sound you mentioned at the suggested volume. It distorts here as well, I doubt there's anything physically wrong with your machine. It seems to be just an unfortunate coincidence of resonant frequencies in that particular alert sound, it doesn't render well because the bass is punched a bit too hard in the speakers along with the chassis itself probably resonating a little. I've seen worse on other models where an even wider range of sounds or music would cause unpleasant saturation. Now that I come to think of it, this is probably the reason why for years one of the first things I do when setting up a new macbook is to change the alert sound to one of the quieter ones, with the alert volume set around halfway. It feels unnecessarily stressful to have a distorted, angry sounding alert sound whenever you hit the wrong key... It's probably time they changed some of those alert sounds by now anyway.