Apple Studio Display Crackling Speakers

[OnePersona]

I bought the studio display a few weeks after it released. Around a month and a bit later I started having some issues with the speakers. I think the issue has gotten worse, or at least I did not notice it at first. It happens with both my Mac Studio and MacBook Pro 13". It seems to happen only when audio starts, or stops. I thought it was a software issue but I've updated my studio display to 15.5 and the issue is the same.

Here is a video (warning the video is quite loud but its hard to hear the crackling sound with the volume low in the recording, in real life its a lot more noticeable and its gotten quite annoying)

You can hear the sound at
0:05
0:19
0:35

I haven't been to apple with the display yet because its a pain to bring it in.
Does anyone else have this issue?

 

[sorgo †]

Cracklegate 😍

 

[OnePersona]

Cracklegate 😍

The best kind of gate

 

[forrestwhite]

This is also happening on my brand new M1 MacBook Pro 16". I've read on a few different forums that this is software-based, and not a hardware issue. Anyone have more information?

 

[Morseman]

All of a sudden, I'm having a similar problem with my 3-mo old Studio Display connected to a Studio. The audio from the Studio Display speakers suddenly cuts out completely. Halting and restarting, e.g., a video will sometimes restart the audio for a few seconds, then it cuts out again. Using air pods, the audio is fine.

Any further information?

 

[mciarlo]

Unplug the display and then plug it back in after 30 seconds. This is a known software issue.

 

[Morseman]

Thanks. That cured the problem - for now. It will probably return, right?

 

[mciarlo]

Thanks. That cured the problem - for now. It will probably return, right?

Yes but there’s now a firmware update to address this issue. https://www.macrumors.com/2022/08/04/apple-releases-studio-display-firmware-update/

 

[Morseman]

Wow! That was just released today.

 

[OnePersona]

The update didn't fix my issue, its happening on my M1 MacBook Pro 13"'s speakers too (not sure if it happens while unplugged, I'll have to test). I guess my house is haunted Lol

 

[xraydoc]

The update didn't fix my issue, its happening on my M1 MacBook Pro 13"'s speakers too (not sure if it happens while unplugged, I'll have to test). I guess my house is haunted Lol

Then you’re having a whole different issue if it’s also happening to your MacBook.

 

[OnePersona]

Then you’re having a whole different issue if it’s also happening to your MacBook.

Yeah I only noticed it happens to my MacBook also a while after posting. The issue is just the crackling sound, it’s not the same as what other users are having. It is annoying still though it sometimes happens every time I send an iMessage. I’m not sure what could be causing it though.

 

[forrestwhite]

Yeah I only noticed it happens to my MacBook also a while after posting. The issue is just the crackling sound, it’s not the same as what other users are having. It is annoying still though it sometimes happens every time I send an iMessage. I’m not sure what could be causing it though.

It happens with my new M1X 16" MBP too. I've been told this is also a software issue.

 

[OnePersona]

I have an update if anyone ends up with the same issue. I ended up taking my monitor to apple because of a dead pixel and I told them about the audio issue I was having too. They ended up changing the display panel and the logic board. The logic board change actually ended up fixing my issue which I'm very happy about. So for my monitor specifcially it seemed to have been a hardware issue.

 

[forrestwhite]

I have an update if anyone ends up with the same issue. I ended up taking my monitor to apple because of a dead pixel and I told them about the audio issue I was having too. They ended up changing the display panel and the logic board. The logic board change actually ended up fixing my issue which I'm very happy about. So for my monitor specifcially it seemed to have been a hardware issue.

That's interesting! My audio issues seemed to go away after the update to Monterey (12.6).