Audio on Macbooks

[mudwoman22]

Alright, at the risk of sounding receptive...(I have read dozens and dozens of posts and pages of information about this on google and here but none of them answer my questions)...
Obviously, the audio on the mac speakers aren't the best.
I do not want external speakers.
So I have two questions..

should I buy audiohijack pro?

and: what about radioshift...does anyone have any experience with that?

Thanks 🙂

 

[sadcamper]

I don't understand how either of those programs could improve the sound on your macbook???

Get some speakers. 🙂 Audioengine2 get good reviews if you want powered & compact.

 

[mudwoman22]

for some reason I was under the impression that audio hijack would allow me to turn up my speaker volume louder...

I have VLC..but I don't know what to do when I run programs that won't open through VLC

the radioshift was just a random question :/

sorry, I'm stupid sometimes 🙂

I'll just give in and get some speakers...thank you!

 

[Siriosys]

Hi mudwoman22,

Is it the overall lack of volume of the speakers that's bothering you, or is it the sound quality?

If you answer yes to either of these, the only true fix is to either get some external speakers or use some headphones.

If it's cables you don't want, you could possibly use an Airport Express / AirTunes combo to connect some speakers so that you can affectively 'stream' your music to the speakers wirelessly.

 

[Xombie11]

Buy a USB DAC like this one: http://www.amazon.com/NuForce-Icon-uDAC-USB-headphone/dp/B002VNIRWM

It will give your external speakers a much cleaner (no buzz) and richer audio signal.

 

[mudwoman22]

Buy a USB DAC like this one: http://www.amazon.com/NuForce-Icon-uDAC-USB-headphone/dp/B002VNIRWM

It will give your external speakers a much cleaner (no buzz) and richer audio signal.

eh..that's a bit pricey for me at the moment...is this really worth it?

@siriosys: Thanks!...its the lack of volume...plus the quality when its up really high...how do you hook up speakers with airport express?

also...there really isn't any program that will let me override the speaker volumes??I know it is possible...because of VLC...to be louder...but I guess its futile

 

[fluffyx]

Audio Hijack Pro will do what you want.

They offer a lovely free trial! Try it and see how it works for you.

 

[scaredpoet]

VLC's audio "going past 11" is just artificial amplification of the source. Say you have a really low recording, or a stream with really poor audio. VLC lets you "jack up" the volume past full to amplify it.

However, this does nothing to physically change how your speakers work. VLC doesn't violate the laws of physics: tiny speakers = not the loudest sound. they're physically limited in how loud they can be. That's just the way it is.

You might want to invest in a pair of these. I use them on my MBP. They deliver good sound, and they're wireless so you have all the advantage of headphones without the cord. AND they work great on the iPhone as well, for playing music AND making calls.

 

[mudwoman22]

VLC's audio "going past 11" is just artificial amplification of the source. Say you have a really low recording, or a stream with really poor audio. VLC lets you "jack up" the volume past full to amplify it.

However, this does nothing to physically change how your speakers work. VLC doesn't violate the laws of physics: tiny speakers = not the loudest sound. they're physically limited in how loud they can be. That's just the way it is.

You might want to invest in a pair of these. I use them on my MBP. They deliver good sound, and they're wireless so you have all the advantage of headphones without the cord. AND they work great on the iPhone as well, for playing music AND making calls.

Great! Thanks 🙂

@fluffyx: That's what I thought 🙂 thank you! I'll totally try that out

 

[Mirabella]

Which MacBook Pro are you considering getting?

I find the volume and the sound quality on my 2010 17" MacBook Pro quite decent. Give the speakers a try, in the Apple Store, and see for yourself.

 

[mudwoman22]

Which MacBook Pro are you considering getting?

I find the volume and the sound quality on my 2010 17" MacBook Pro quite decent. Give the speakers a try, in the Apple Store, and see for yourself.

sorry..I need to clarify: I already have a mbp...its the new 15 inch 2.4 ghz i5 core...the sound is horrible...should I return it to get it fixed or something?

 

[Mirabella]

sorry..I need to clarify: I already have a mbp...its the new 15 inch 2.4 ghz i5 core...the sound is horrible...should I return it to get it fixed or something?

I have no idea what the sound on your 15" sounds like, nor what it should sound like. I don't have any recommendations about returning or fixing.

Cheers.

 

[Siriosys]

I'd suggest you testing it out to decide if the sound you're hearing is just the speakers, or the actual sound hardware (electronics).

Select a piece of audio recording you're very familiar with that is of a quality that you are happy with.

Using headphones directly connected to your MBP, listen to the audio to see if it's sounding good.

Next, you'll need to go to an Apple store, but take along your MBP with the Audio you're testing with and play it on one of their machines.

If the sound you're hearing is still crappy, then speakers or headphones are going to be the only way you're going to get a better sound.


FYI, the Airport Express has an optical audio-out connector on the bottom of it so you can hook up a pair of 'active' speakers, or better still connect it into your stereo system. You then use iTunes to stream your music to it.