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2016 TB MBP owners: Have you noticed how unbelievable the speakers sound?

enzo thecat

enzo thecat

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 7, 2010
311
151
Midwest USA
Ok, I admit I'm coming from a 2010 MBP and haven't spent much time with other generations of MBps. But my new 2016 MBp's speakers are incredible. Is it just me or do others think so too? Don't get me wrong, its not a home theater...but for a laptop, they are beyond my expectations. This machine keeps surprising me.
 
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I'm really shocked by them. I'd probably rank that as the most amazing thing about the laptop but I just use the screen a bit more I guess. But man those speakers are really amazing. I really do use them all the time at home it's just so convenient and they are a great volume for enjoying music but not overwhelming. Definitely one of my favorite things about the laptop.

Another really cool thing is how if you are playing music you get the icon in the touch bar (bar graph) that has all your audio controls no matter which app you are in. So you can pause skip adjust volume and all that. Really enjoy that.
 
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thadoggfather said:
13 or 15?
Click to expand...

15"
[doublepost=1481246854][/doublepost]
Karnicopia said:
Another really cool thing is how if you are playing music you get the icon in the touch bar (bar graph) that has all your audio controls no matter which app you are in. So you can pause skip adjust volume and all that. Really enjoy that.
Click to expand...


The more I use the computer the more features I see that the touch-bar is capable of., If you listened to MacRumors, you'd think the only think it does is volume control and emojis.
 
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They are wonderful, especially when I'm working in a chair with the laptop on my lap. I think the sound projects from the base of the machine.
 
thesaint024 said:
Word. I knew the specs were bumped up and granted there is a really low bar with laptop speakers but these sound niiice. I would describe them as "full" sounding.
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Yes...deep and rich and full. Im using this like crazy. My iPhone 7+ is going to be jealous. Thats ok though...iOs sucks lately.
 
kdm0505 said:
are you just seeing things and say you love them?
Click to expand...
i-love-lamp-do-you-really-love-the-lamp-or-are-you-just-saying-it-because-you-saw-it.jpg

http://troll.me/images/brick-tamlan...are-you-just-saying-it-because-you-saw-it.jpg

In case there was any confusion. Good reference.
 
Karnicopia said:
I'm really shocked by them. I'd probably rank that as the most amazing thing about the laptop but I just use the screen a bit more I guess. But man those speakers are really amazing. I really do use them all the time at home it's just so convenient and they are a great volume for enjoying music but not overwhelming. Definitely one of my favorite things about the laptop.

Another really cool thing is how if you are playing music you get the icon in the touch bar (bar graph) that has all your audio controls no matter which app you are in. So you can pause skip adjust volume and all that. Really enjoy that.
Click to expand...

The first time I powered my comp on, the speakers were the one thing that made my jaw drop. I already knew what to expect with everything else, so when I heard the speakers I had a WHOA moment.
 
I think the 'improvements' that have been made to notebook/tablet speakers and the widespread availability of cheap Bluetooth speakers have made people forget what good audio is supposed to sound like. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure I'll appreciate these new speakers when watching a short video here and there, but for any real music, tv show or movie watching, it's 2.1 or 5.1 all the way. My living room audio setup is one of my favorite things I've purchased in a long time.
 
vipergts2207 said:
I think the 'improvements' that have been made to notebook/tablet speakers and the widespread availability of cheap Bluetooth speakers have made people forget what good audio is supposed to sound like. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure I'll appreciate these new speakers when watching a short video here and there, but for any real music, tv show or movie watching, it's 2.1 or 5.1 all the way. My living room audio setup is one of my favorite things I've purchased in a long time.
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I was sitting in the middle of my Sonos 5.1 system and four myself enjoying the laptop speakers instead. You kind of anticipate the quality of the Sonos. But the laptop sound quality is so unexpected its....fun!
 
I don't understand how the speaker grills can be cosmetic, are the speakers buried in the chassis and thats where noise leaks out?

I don't see any grills on the bottom of my nTB 13" and I swear its projecting the sound out of the grills when I put my ear to it, but I dunno...
 
thadoggfather said:
I don't understand how the speaker grills can be cosmetic, are the speakers buried in the chassis and thats where noise leaks out?

I don't see any grills on the bottom of my nTB 13" and I swear its projecting the sound out of the grills when I put my ear to it, but I dunno...
Click to expand...

I wasnt gonna say it but thats what I thought too. (15"). It sure seems like the bass is coming out of the bottom and the higher frequencies are coming out of the speaker grills
 
thadoggfather said:
I don't understand how the speaker grills can be cosmetic, are the speakers buried in the chassis and thats where noise leaks out?

I don't see any grills on the bottom of my nTB 13" and I swear its projecting the sound out of the grills when I put my ear to it, but I dunno...
Click to expand...
It's a bit of a myth that they are cosmetic.

On the nTB 13" they are definitely not cosmetic and have clear cutouts for the sound to pass through. Picture:

OswuB5GD6WvLQQfB.huge




On the TB models the bulk of the sound comes through the air vent grills on the sides, but there are still some holes on the bottom of the grille that sound goes through. It sounds noticeably worse if you cover them. Picture:

HudEmGLtcnLQMHT4.huge


(Images courtesy iFixit.)
 
Brookzy said:
It's a bit of a myth that they are cosmetic.

On the nTB 13" they are definitely not cosmetic and have clear cutouts for the sound to pass through. Picture:

OswuB5GD6WvLQQfB.huge




On the TB models the bulk of the sound comes through the air vent grills on the sides, but there are still some holes on the bottom of the grille that sound goes through. It sounds noticeably worse if you cover them. Picture:

HudEmGLtcnLQMHT4.huge


(Images courtesy iFixit.)
Click to expand...

interesting!

I misread/misinterpreted that ALL 2016's were cosmetic, wow another win for team nTB!
 
I wonder if the sound on nTB and TB are identical?

even without the TB sound port blocked?? Odd,

its probably still really similar and nearly identical, but maybe some nifty audio engineer/aficionado will perform science on it,
 
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