Click sounds from headphone of early 2013 15" rMBP

[gancuimian]

Hi, I found my early 2013 15 rMBP sometimes makes click or pop sounds from headphone, which just sounds like the headphone is plugging in or out of the socket (power current suddenly on or off).

It usually happens some moments later (like couple minuets) after sound (of video, flash player or even system sounds) stops, but may not comes out every time.
If I remember correctly, this click sounds sometimes repeat itself even if no sound is made from the rMBP after an earlier click sound.

I have asked the apple genius, they must keep the computer and hear the sounds by themselves before they can do anything interesting. But I'm not sure this will always happen as I expected.

Does anyone else suffer from the same problem?

 

[Macman45]

This could be interference from your AC supply. One thing to try before you take it in is to try moving the power supply to a socket that's further away, or on a different loop in the house...all kinds of things can cause it....almost anything that is AC connected could be the culprit, but it's worth a shot prior to leaving it with Apple.

 

[gancuimian]

This could be interference from your AC supply. One thing to try before you take it in is to try moving the power supply to a socket that's further away, or on a different loop in the house...all kinds of things can cause it....almost anything that is AC connected could be the culprit, but it's worth a shot prior to leaving it with Apple.

Thanks. But It happens when the AC supply is removed and the computer runs only on battery.

BTW, to be clear, this noise is a one time click, not some continuous white noise like stuff. When it happens, it just sounds like the headphone is being plugged in to the jack, but after that no sounds ever come out until another click noise (more likely to be tens of minutes later, if any).

 

[Macman45]

Thanks. But It happens when the AC supply is removed and the computer runs only on battery.

BTW, to be clear, this noise is a one time click, not some continues white noise like stuff. When it happens, it just sounds like the headphone is being plug to the jack, but after no sounds come out until another click noise (more like to be tens of minutes after) if any.

Does it happen all over your place? Interference could still be a factor, although it does sound like more of a hardware related issue. I guess you've tried the obvious...SMC / PRAM etc. A little drastic, but you could perform a non destructive re-install of OSX. Apart from that, a trip to the genius bar looks on the cards.

 

[gancuimian]

I got to the genius bar twice.
At first, they can hear the click noise, and did a clean re-install of OS X, however, the problem continued.

Later I changed to a more sensitive headphone (Westone UM2), and can head the background noise (or static hiss) clearly. After any music or system sound stops for like 30-32 seconds, background noise disappears and it seems that the audio out is completely cutoff. And THE CLICK SOUND emits exactly when the audio out is cutoff. As I said it not happens every time, but maybe like 1 or 2 out of 10 tries.

For the second time, I got to the genius bar and they can confirm this with their own earpods.
But this time, they claimed that this is not a quality problem and is not covered by the warranty, as they said, "it is under acceptable variation, and any electronic equipment produces this click noise more or less when the power is on or off", "If this is a design defect, we can not repair and replace it for you, the only thing you can do is to fill a feedback form to Apple for future improvement".

At last, they reserved the rmbp in store to take some "chip-level checking" (maybe just on-chip sensors reading to ensure no overheating problem when it's overloaded as I heard from one of the genius, so it probably leads to nowhere), and maybe some engineers will help me found out if this is a design defect or just me by comparing with other units.

I also tried most cmbp, rmbp and mba in the store (15+), and found all of them come with the background noise, and about one or two of them have the click sound problem (but the sound volume maybe lower than mine). So it may be a design defect or manufacture errors that "within the acceptable variation". But I found it a bit annoy at night when I pause the sound and get terrified by the click noise half minute later (yes it is frightening when I am in a quiet place).

I also found this, and the clicking noise seems long exists.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1116647/

Just waiting the results from genius bar.

 

[gancuimian]

Get my rMBP back from apple store.
The logical board and audio board are replaced, but the problem still exists.
It seems that the pop sound is lower and softer than before, but still happens.
Note again: the pop sound is not a soft or light switch off sound, but a very sharp crack or burst (sometimes, other time it is just a soft switch off or even not audible), which is pretty annoying.
After a week's repair, I think this maybe a design flaw and perhaps most MacBooks have this problem long ago. And it will not be fixed by apple soon.
What a shame that a $3k rMBP has such unreasonable problem (as well as the background hiss).

 

[xnview]

I've experienced the same background noise on my rMBP but it is so low that I only can hear it at mornings (when the ears are used to silence). It is very common in many electronics actually, but often you have to have good earphones to hear it. I've heard it on quite some computers and even MP3 players and some smartphones (don't think I've heard it on any of my resent iPhones). Some have it more than others, and its probably when there is power turned on in the mini jack.

As for the clicking I've also heard it before, but as far as I remember only in computers with cheaper audio cards. It's probably the same, when the power to the mini jack is cut you probably get a little spark or something, making this noise. Think my last PC had the same issue but it stopped by time (without me noticing it), don't know if it stopped by software upgrades or just by time (think it might be because of a little tearing by taking the jack in and out severel times by time). You might be lucky and it just goes away by it self, but I wouldn't count on it for a certainty.

You shouldn't worry though it won't brake or take damage from it, but I do understand it's annoying

 

[mquinn01]

same here

i've found the same problem in my early 2013 rMBP, a single crack through the headphones after the audio has been stopped for ~1 minute.
i think xnview is right about it being related to the power being cut from the mini jack. does that means that its related to the hardware and therefore can't be fixed by an update?

not a massive problem but not something you'd expect from a top-of-the-line computer.

 

[Alekseyua]

Got the same issue on my new MacBook Air 2015 A1466. Everything is fine, but this small bug breaking down whole apple magic. Annoying, disappointed.