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Apple Studio Display (2026) - Owners Thread

L

lambsauce

macrumors newbie
Original poster
For better readability, this is the new thread for the Apple Studio Display (2026).

Has anyone bought the new version and can provide some feedback? Is it worth upgrading from the first generation to the second generation?
 
Set up the new (2026) Studio Display this week and it’s emitting a high pitched sound (fan noise?) whenever my MacBook Pro (M4 16”) is connected and in use. The noise is consistent and just loud enough to be very annoying.

Is anyone else having this issue?
 
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I bought one and have been using it for the past two days. For context, this is my first Apple display and I'm coming from low-end Dell monitors that I use at the office, so for me the difference has been night and day. It's a stunner on my bamboo desk. The camera's very important as I do a lot of video calls and it didn't work for me until I did a software update. After the update it's been great, pleased with the quality, seems on par with my laptop.

I really like the speakers so far. To me they sound great while I'm at my desk, but of course they're not really strong enough if I start moving about the room or into another room. I generally like Apple's speakers and soundscape. I have a HomePod nearby as well and I really like the Apple Music feature of having both the Apple Display and HomePod play my music. Works really well. For context, I do most of my music listening with vinyl records and Edifier speakers, the display's speakers obviously don't beat standalones, but for my digital music they're very good IMO. I use Sony XM-3s when I want quality digital music. I'm not sure I'm an audiophile, but I appreciate different qualities for different scenarios. For the purposes of playing music as background while I work, I love them, and I love the simplicity of my desk without extra speakers and wires.

I'm not experiencing high-pitched fan noise and I can't test the Mac Mini issue since I have a MacBook Air plugged in. So far I'm very pleased. As soon as I turned it on I had the itch to do video and music editing, which I got out of a long time ago.
 
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chantra said:
Set up the new (2026) Studio Display this week and it’s emitting a high pitched sound (fan noise?) whenever my MacBook Pro (M4 16”) is connected and in use. The noise is consistent and just loud enough to be very annoying.

Is anyone else having this issue?
Click to expand...

Ordered mine today, will let you know end of the week. I'm using an M4 13inch MBA.
 
chantra said:
Set up the new (2026) Studio Display this week and it’s emitting a high pitched sound (fan noise?) whenever my MacBook Pro (M4 16”) is connected and in use. The noise is consistent and just loud enough to be very annoying.

Is anyone else having this issue?
Click to expand...

electrical interferance

use a different socket/ lighten the load on ur socket
 
I've been using the 2026 ASD between two ASDs I purchased a while ago. The new ASD replaced a 34" 5k/2k LG Ultrawide. No regrets. For context, I'm not a spring chicken and my eyesight is suspect, to say the least. The LG was a great display, but doesn't compare (not even close) to the ASD (old or new versions).

My take on the new ASD:
  • The panel is the same, so there's nothing to talk about there.
  • The speakers are noticeably better, in my opinion.
  • The webcam is better than the older model, but to be honest, I found the old one to be pretty good to begin with.
  • The Thunderbolt 5 ports are only useful if you have a Mac model that has the matching TB5 port, AND you actually have the hardware and workflow that takes advantage of the increased bandwidth.

The bottom line:
  • If you already have the previous model ASD, there's no reason to "upgrade" to the new one—meaning: don't REPLACE a two year old ASD with the new one... you get no value out of it.
  • If you want to add a second (or third) ASD to your existing ASD, then obviously get the 2026 ASD. The internals have been updated to support god-knows-what in the future, so at the very least you're future-proofing yourself a little. And you really don't save much on a refurb. Plus you get the upgraded speakers and camera.
  • If this is your first high-end display, you will NOT be disappointed.
  • If you're somebody who puts the price tag high on the list of considerations, you WILL be disappointed. You buy the ASD because it's about the very best consumer display on the market, not because it's competitively priced.
 
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My dual old ASDs also replaced my LG 5k2k 34” ultra-wide on a Windows machine. The LG developed really bad image retention a while after I got it, but the ASD never developed that issue.
 
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taphil said:
My dual old ASDs also replaced my LG 5k2k 34” ultra-wide on a Windows machine. The LG developed really bad image retention a while after I got it, but the ASD never developed that issue.
Click to expand...
I also had image retention on the same display... but it was only after about 2 years of heavy use, and of course, only on dark backgrounds. Sleeping the computer for a while generally got rid of it, but it was annoying. As is the case with you, I've never had retention issues with the ASD.
 
Update on the Studio Display noise situation. I returned the first one and got another unit. This one has the same problem, but it’s intermittent. Unfortunately it’s distracting enough that it will need to also go back.
 
lambsauce said:
For better readability, this is the new thread for the Apple Studio Display (2026).

Has anyone bought the new version and can provide some feedback? Is it worth upgrading from the first generation to the second generation?
Click to expand...
First time Apple Studio owner here. So far so good but had a question regarding resolutions in display settings. I have to make text larger to make UI usable. In display settings it shows 1920x1080 resolution. So am I gaining the benefits of using a 5k display?? Hope so.
Also tested speakers and to me they have too much bass. Is there a way to adjust the bass and/or treble settings?
Thanks for any help/comments.
 
1920x1080 is not a native resolution, so you’re not getting optimal image quality, and you’re sacrificing screen real estate with all onscreen elements being bigger.
 
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Back on March 9th, two days before launch, Amazon had $300 off the new ASD with both height-adjustable stand AND nano texture. Seemed too good to be true, so I grabbed it. A few hours later that deal was gone.

Original shipping window was 17th-22nd. It still says arriving tomorrow despite not having shipped. I get the feeling this price was an error and they are just going to cancel my order.
 
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Vincent Hanna said:
1920x1080 is not a native resolution, so you’re not getting optimal image quality, and you’re sacrificing screen real estate with all onscreen elements being bigger.
Click to expand...
Thanks but I was told that it's still 5k just gets scaled down to make text readable. How on earth can people use it at native resolution?? Everything is microscopic !!!
 
oklaonion said:
I bought one and have been using it for the past two days. For context, this is my first Apple display and I'm coming from low-end Dell monitors that I use at the office, so for me the difference has been night and day. It's a stunner on my bamboo desk. The camera's very important as I do a lot of video calls and it didn't work for me until I did a software update. After the update it's been great, pleased with the quality, seems on par with my laptop.

I really like the speakers so far. To me they sound great while I'm at my desk, but of course they're not really strong enough if I start moving about the room or into another room. I generally like Apple's speakers and soundscape. I have a HomePod nearby as well and I really like the Apple Music feature of having both the Apple Display and HomePod play my music. Works really well. For context, I do most of my music listening with vinyl records and Edifier speakers, the display's speakers obviously don't beat standalones, but for my digital music they're very good IMO. I use Sony XM-3s when I want quality digital music. I'm not sure I'm an audiophile, but I appreciate different qualities for different scenarios. For the purposes of playing music as background while I work, I love them, and I love the simplicity of my desk without extra speakers and wires.

I'm not experiencing high-pitched fan noise and I can't test the Mac Mini issue since I have a MacBook Air plugged in. So far I'm very pleased. As soon as I turned it on I had the itch to do video and music editing, which I got out of a long time ago.
Click to expand...
By chance can you tell me what resolution you are using ?? Thanks.
 
Vincent Hanna said:
Back on March 9th, two days before launch, Amazon had $300 off the new ASD with both height-adjustable stand AND nano texture. Seemed too good to be true, so I grabbed it. A few hours later that deal was gone.

Original shipping window was 17th-22nd. It still says arriving tomorrow despite not having shipped. I get the feeling this price was an error and they are just going to cancel my order.
Click to expand...
That was a great deal. I went to grab one too and were already gone. Hope you get yours and hoping they have some good deals on the Studio Display next week during Prime week.
 
GDF said:
That was a great deal. I went to grab one too and were already gone. Hope you get yours and hoping they have some good deals on the Studio Display next week during Prime week.
Click to expand...
Shipping window now April 4th-17th. Still feels like it’s going to get canceled before shipping.
 
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