I have returned two now. I really want one, but am starting to think MBP
Did you have the same speaker problem ?
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after exchanging 6 macbook airs I'm still having problems
- Thread starter Aras87
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Did you have the same speaker problem ?
Laptop speakers generally suck. I wouldnt expect quality out of them, especially at full blast. Keep the laptop. Also, do yourself a favour; ditch the internal speakers and hookup ANY stereo to the macbook, you'll get way better sound.
I hate to point out the obvious
To OP, if I were you I wouldn't bother buying another MBA. I can't imagine trying a product 6 times only to be disappointed with the quality. What if on your seventh try you got one that appears to be good. How do you know if there isn't a hidden flaw to be discovered only after the return period expires. You can never be too cautious after 6 fails.
Of course I am being sarcastic, but that's because it didn't happen to me. I got a 13" MBA and love it.
But seriously, I am trying to imagine myself in your situation. I may give a product 2 chances, but 6 ? I can't imagine. It's not a puppy or a kitten. It's just a computer which has no soul (I suspect).
More seriously, I never noticed any problem with my speakers, but I don't use them for any critical listening as I don't expect much from something that small. I either use my headphones or AirPlay set up which is loud enough to upset my neighbors if I want to.
To OP, if I were you I wouldn't bother buying another MBA. I can't imagine trying a product 6 times only to be disappointed with the quality. What if on your seventh try you got one that appears to be good. How do you know if there isn't a hidden flaw to be discovered only after the return period expires. You can never be too cautious after 6 fails.
Of course I am being sarcastic, but that's because it didn't happen to me. I got a 13" MBA and love it.
But seriously, I am trying to imagine myself in your situation. I may give a product 2 chances, but 6 ? I can't imagine. It's not a puppy or a kitten. It's just a computer which has no soul (I suspect).
More seriously, I never noticed any problem with my speakers, but I don't use them for any critical listening as I don't expect much from something that small. I either use my headphones or AirPlay set up which is loud enough to upset my neighbors if I want to.
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I think ANYONE would have moved on to something else if they had 6 REAL issues. While he'd never admit it, I think the OP has tried 6 times (and possibly a 7th soon) because he knows he's being nit-picky and the "issues" are trivial at the very best, but probably leaning closer to frivolous. He's just wondering now if it's worth rolling the dice yet another time in hopes of achieving "perfection"
wow, did i got another lemon ?
Hey now, we don't need to call the 'other laptop' reps out.
*****, I quoted the OP, ment to quote the other guy. lol
Pretty obvious - the built in speakers are not meant to play Linkin Park at full blast volume. They are not a stereo system for your room. They are there for simple needs and uses only. To expect more really isn't very reasonable.
No Buzzing here in 4 different Macbook Airs that I own. Yours must be defective, exchange it AGAIN.
I am on my third. First were various build quality issues (body flex, squeaky keyboard, horrible gradient on the screen). The second one was great, except for two white lines visible on a black background.
I just got my third. So far so good. I never actually tested the speakers though, but I have no expectations for laptop speakers.
Oh - I don't know if this is universally true, but all the MBAs I've had have that flexing issue. I am assuming you're referring to the 'creak' when you pick up the MBA? I just figured it was a design flaw.
I just got my third. So far so good. I never actually tested the speakers though, but I have no expectations for laptop speakers.
Oh - I don't know if this is universally true, but all the MBAs I've had have that flexing issue. I am assuming you're referring to the 'creak' when you pick up the MBA? I just figured it was a design flaw.
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I think people have certain expectations when they drop over 1k for a laptop. When I had my alienware, I basically requested dell to take care of every minor issue - both cosmetic and functional.
Still, I have to agree with the OP that Apple QC is not what it was.
If you're really anal many MBA screens are *slightly" misaligned, but hey, you're talking not even mms.
Had to replace my MBA (2011, 13") display module two times, rubber bezel was fitted terribly.
Third display is how it should be.
Well they produce 100,000s of these machines, it's just normal that perfection is a lofty ideal with such an output.
And agreed, which other computer maker wouldn't make a fuss when you want what you paid for. That's right, that's what the Mac tax is all about.
And yes, the Youtube video refered to is of horrible audio quality.
Try this one, and lots of other tests out there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hhBUmH3Mk8
If you're really anal many MBA screens are *slightly" misaligned, but hey, you're talking not even mms.
Had to replace my MBA (2011, 13") display module two times, rubber bezel was fitted terribly.
Third display is how it should be.
Well they produce 100,000s of these machines, it's just normal that perfection is a lofty ideal with such an output.
And agreed, which other computer maker wouldn't make a fuss when you want what you paid for. That's right, that's what the Mac tax is all about.
And yes, the Youtube video refered to is of horrible audio quality.
Try this one, and lots of other tests out there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hhBUmH3Mk8
Thats alot. Either apple can't build anything anymore or your being way too picky. Some like the buy and return plan. I'm sure mine might have some flaws, but I'm not going to go looking for them. Besides when the next MBA comes out I'm sure I'll want to sell this one for the next model. So I would just enjoy what you have now.
thanks for your understanding!
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i will try the link you posted once I get back home from work. Just for comparison sake, so yours doesn't buzz with this vid of yours at all ?
Its reasonable for things to be working properly and not be damaged, but let's face it, its a piece of metal and electronics, its not going to be 100% perfect.
Its kind of like shopping for clothes and returning/exchanging a garment over and over because there is a single loose string, or one button "feels more loose" than another.
The fact is that most people will buy things that have imperfects and have a great time using them.
Apple OCD folks buy things it seems like the first thing they do is whip out a checklist of all the possible problems and then look for them on their newly bought devices.
When you put anything under such a microscope (with your brain exaggerating every little imperfection) you will never find a completely flawless machine because your brain will amplify any slight imperfection.
It's kind of the same thing as when you read about diseases or watch a 20/20 special on some sort of disease. You hear all the symptoms and how bad the disease is, then after the show you start feeling like you have those symptoms too.
Here's a dirty little secret: no one's machines are perfect. Even the guys who say they have a normal working machine, I bet they too have some imperfection that they aren't noticing because they aren't spending their time finding reasons not to be happy with their purchases.
And if you can't stand the smallest and most inconsequential of imperfects (I am sure one of the 6 reasons you exchanged probably fell into that category if not most of them), why buy a computer at all?
What's going to happen when after your return period you accidentally nick your case slightly? What if there's a piece of dust on your cleaning cloth and you accidentally put a slight "unnoticeable under normal circumstances but obvious when looking at some strange angle under a light" scratch into the display? Are you going to self implode?? Fall into a depression and become a recluse?
Because even if you get the mythical perfect machine, over the course of regular use I guarantee you that it will not stay perfect for long. So the search, the stress, and the hassle of constantly exchanging machines looking for that perfect one are going to be wasted pretty quickly.
You have a 1 year warranty so if any of the "problems" start impeding the functionality of the machine you can always take it in and get it serviced or replaced. If you want to keep your machine longer, get AppleCare before the year is over and you have 2 more years on top of that.
I'm sorry but issues I had were not little imperfections. Maybe I just got unlucky.
1st; body was creaking like hell. whenever I put my hand on the palmrest, it creaked like a cheap plastic laptop, let alone lifting it single handed
2nd= Screen was so misaligned that there would 3mm gap between the lid and the palmrest when the lid was closed
3rd= 1inch scratch on the lid, slightly below the apple logo. I opened this in front of the genius guys just to make sure it looked fine before I took it home. Genius guy said they were getting several mba returns because of scratches like that.
4th= too much backlight bleeding on the screen towards the bottom where it says macbook air
5th= everything was fine but black antenna cover was loose. I took it to apple store so that they could tighten it. They want back inside and after 10 minutes they came back with a new one.
6th= great screen, no physical blemishes, no creaking but I'm not sure about the speakers. I actually never tried speakers on the other ones at 100% volume so I'm not sure if my speakers are good or bad. But I'm definitely hearing quite a bit of buzzing with high frequency sounds.
Also, this may anger many of you but I thought it would be beneficial to share my opinion on different SSDs and LCDs. After going through 6 units I'm very confident that toshiba ssd boots and shuts down quite a bit faster than samsung ssd. It starts about 1.5-2secs faster and shuts down a sec faster. Also, although this is not very noticeable, apps seem to start faster with toshiba ssd. I did not try copying large items, maybe samsung is faster there.
As far as screen goes, I had 2 Samsungs and 4 LGs. The one that had bleeding issues was a LG but other LGs were just fine. However colors definitively pop out more on Samsung screen whereas all LG displays looked kind of washed out. i prefer Samsung lcd.
1st; body was creaking like hell. whenever I put my hand on the palmrest, it creaked like a cheap plastic laptop, let alone lifting it single handed
2nd= Screen was so misaligned that there would 3mm gap between the lid and the palmrest when the lid was closed
3rd= 1inch scratch on the lid, slightly below the apple logo. I opened this in front of the genius guys just to make sure it looked fine before I took it home. Genius guy said they were getting several mba returns because of scratches like that.
4th= too much backlight bleeding on the screen towards the bottom where it says macbook air
5th= everything was fine but black antenna cover was loose. I took it to apple store so that they could tighten it. They want back inside and after 10 minutes they came back with a new one.
6th= great screen, no physical blemishes, no creaking but I'm not sure about the speakers. I actually never tried speakers on the other ones at 100% volume so I'm not sure if my speakers are good or bad. But I'm definitely hearing quite a bit of buzzing with high frequency sounds.
Also, this may anger many of you but I thought it would be beneficial to share my opinion on different SSDs and LCDs. After going through 6 units I'm very confident that toshiba ssd boots and shuts down quite a bit faster than samsung ssd. It starts about 1.5-2secs faster and shuts down a sec faster. Also, although this is not very noticeable, apps seem to start faster with toshiba ssd. I did not try copying large items, maybe samsung is faster there.
As far as screen goes, I had 2 Samsungs and 4 LGs. The one that had bleeding issues was a LG but other LGs were just fine. However colors definitively pop out more on Samsung screen whereas all LG displays looked kind of washed out. i prefer Samsung lcd.
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I vote for OCD. Or, you're one in a million or two.
For the amount of Mac notebooks I buy for my company every year I find this hard to believe. in fact I don't think we've got a defect yet.
For the amount of Mac notebooks I buy for my company every year I find this hard to believe. in fact I don't think we've got a defect yet.
Troll post? Should we as consumers start accepting subpar products? I love how you went on a tangent about self-inflicted cosmetic damage - we have none of that in this thread. Can Apple sell you a refurbished machine for new price? Can Apple sell you a Scratch and Dent machine for new price? Because by your argument, consumers shouldn't give a damn about anything. Pay and be happy?
The issues here are REAL issues. Uneven backlighting and structural weakness are pretty big issues.
I can't believe they way you guys are treating the OP. The problems he had all appear to be with the buildl, not something subjective (like bars on the screen or colors not being right). And if you read these forums on a regular basis, you would know that the buzzing speaker issue is a common one on the MBA. OP, keep trying. I've purchased a MBA and a 27" iMac in the last 9 months and have not had a problem (however they were the previous builds).
What black antenna cover?
, but yeah i would've returned mine if it had any of those issues
Those are significant issues. My MBA doesn't creak, no scratches, lid aligns perfectly when closed, no backlight bleed, nothing is loose, and the speakers don't buzz even at 100% volumn on a variety of material (although I haven't tried the linkin park song).
I believe him. I've read various comments from people identifying each of those problems he's raised. I for one have experienced 2 of the issues.
Mine is a little creaky too. Maybe it's the way I hold it sometimes, or the build quality, but if I were an everyday PC buyer it would be a standard thing. My old Dell was really creaky! But this is a £1000 beautiful machine and I can see why people get Apple OCD.
Also, I've had 2 MBA's. The first one had a miss-alligned screen. The genius guy reckoned it was the first time he'd seen that, except when I'd posted it on here there was 2-3 other people with same issue.
Overall, I don't know what it is, but I just think this production of MBA's has been of less quality than most other previous Apple products. I do love mine, I ignore the OCD but it's easy to pick up on small things with Apple products.
Mine is a little creaky too. Maybe it's the way I hold it sometimes, or the build quality, but if I were an everyday PC buyer it would be a standard thing. My old Dell was really creaky! But this is a £1000 beautiful machine and I can see why people get Apple OCD.
Also, I've had 2 MBA's. The first one had a miss-alligned screen. The genius guy reckoned it was the first time he'd seen that, except when I'd posted it on here there was 2-3 other people with same issue.
Overall, I don't know what it is, but I just think this production of MBA's has been of less quality than most other previous Apple products. I do love mine, I ignore the OCD but it's easy to pick up on small things with Apple products.