Current macbook Pro speaker sound quality?

[tadziak]

Hello,
For the last two weeks I have been using my new macbook pro. I'm a bit concerned about the sound quality that i get from the speakers. According to specs it has a subwoofer (I know you can't expect much from a tiny laptop) but I still can't really hear any base/low frequencies and it sounds like a tiny cheap transistor radio . The volume is pretty high, I can listen to youtube etc, but its really almost only trebble. I expected a bit more. Is it normal for those macs or is it just mine?

I had Sony Vaio before and then Dell XPS 1530. Sony had way better speakers and even Dell seems to sound a bit less can-like/tiny...

 

[skiltrip]

Hello,
For the last two weeks I have been using my new macbook pro. I'm a bit concerned about the sound quality that i get from the speakers. According to specs it has a subwoofer (I know you can't expect much from a tiny laptop) but I still can't really hear any base/low frequencies and it sounds like a tiny cheap transistor radio . The volume is pretty high, I can listen to youtube etc, but its really almost only trebble. I expected a bit more. Is it normal for those macs or is it just mine?

I had Sony Vaio before and then Dell XPS 1530. Sony had way better speakers and even Dell seems to sound a bit less can-like/tiny...

13"? 15"? or 17"?

I have a 13" and the speaker(s) is decent. I can do rough audio work on them with no problem. Keep in mind, I'm not mixing or EQing using these speakers, just using them to arrange drums and cleaning up audio. Definitely lacks bass, but nothing I wouldn't expect. I've never had "good" laptop speakers and any laptop I've had, be it PC or Mac.

 

[croooow]

I have a 15" and the speakers sound pretty good for a laptop. I have listened to a bit of music and watched several movies with it and have not had any issues (but also not overly impressed either, they are just fine)

 

[jetblk328i]

not too good on the 13", better with the 15" as it has designated speaker grilles.

 

[tadziak]

13"? 15"? or 17"?

Sorry, forgot to mention - I mean't 15 inch Macbook Pro (MC372). I also don't like that at max volume sometimes the case vibrates a bit, but thats quite normal for most laptops i think...

 

[jsilas]

Of the myriad laptops I've owned over the years, my 17" MBP has by far the best sound of all of them.

No, you're not going to get much bass, as creating bass requires moving significant amounts of air, and that's not realistic with the size of speakers required by such a small case.

If you need better sound, invest in some high-quality earphones or some external speakers.

I have some Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10 Pros, and some Super.Fi 5 Pros. Both are fantastic (yes, the 10s are far better) and sound excellent.

 

[Ferry888]

Since your MBP is new and you're not satisfied with the sound you should take it back to the shop where you bought it and have it checked.
The sound should in no way be distorted.
I personally think mac notebooks got decent sound.

 

[NickZac]

Yeah for laptops they do pretty well. Even my 13 has some of the best sound quality of any laptop ive owned (except one Dell but it weighed 12 pounds). It isn't the loudest but it is the clearest sounding. The 15 is supposed to have even better speakers too and should not be distorted.

Is there any app which can test the speakers? Macs have a lot of niche software and much of it is free.

 

[Blu101]

Open up iTunes and adjust the EQ (menu bar under Windows, if memory serves me right - opens up a separate window with the EQ). There are several presets to choose from, and you can also create your own. It vastly improved the sound in mine, but no matter what, a laptop subwoofer will never sound like an 8" sub

If you really want to crank it up, the only option is external speakers. A set of good headphones at night so you don't wake anyone else up.

 

[Timmo78]

Well.. I just received my new MBP 17" today.. and I can honestly say the sound quality is absolutely sub-par when compared to the Early 2008 (pre-unibody) macbook pro (also 17").

There really is a marked difference here. Until the day it died, my older MBP sounded amazing, and would quite happily provide the background music for many a late night.. But now.. I would be embarassed to use such a tinny sounding device in the presence of others, for fear of being shunned as sounding just like "any other laptop".

I wonder if I can retro-fit the older speakers into the unibody enclosure.

 

[eaf7s]

The speakers in my 2011 13" are a bit crap, even as laptop speakers go. Super quiet [comparatively] even when the volume is up, etc. But I would never do audio recording and editing without my Sennheisers or my external speakers 8)

 

[JackX]

I'm very disappointed at the quality of the speakers in my new MBP 15". They're the worst laptop speakers I've listened to, with a really tinny, bassless sound. In my previous PC laptops I often used the built-in speakers to listen to music, but you really cannot do it with this MBP.

 

[iLog.Genius]

I'm very disappointed at the quality of the speakers in my new MBP 15". They're the worst laptop speakers I've listened to, with a really tinny, bassless sound. In my previous PC laptops I often used the built-in speakers to listen to music, but you really cannot do it with this MBP.

Don't take this the wrong way but if you can't listen to music on your MacBook Pro, either there is something really wrong with your speakers or you're expecting WAY too much for laptop speakers. I'm not saying they are the best but they are above average. Sound is clear (no bass but that's expected) is it's not painful to listen to music. In terms of stock speakers, the MacBook Pro is pretty damn good vs. other laptop speakers that don't have special speakers or technology like HP and Beats.

 

[JackX]

iLog.Genius, like I said, I've happily listened to music in several other laptops, so this is not about me having unreasonable expectations from MBP's speakers. I just listened to the same song in my MBP and an old Fujitsu Siemens laptop, and there was a marked difference in favor of the latter: the sound was much clearer and the low frequencies somewhat stronger.

 

[DustinT]

Don't take this the wrong way but if you can't listen to music on your MacBook Pro, either there is something really wrong with your speakers or you're expecting WAY too much for laptop speakers. I'm not saying they are the best but they are above average. Sound is clear (no bass but that's expected) is it's not painful to listen to music. In terms of stock speakers, the MacBook Pro is pretty damn good vs. other laptop speakers that don't have special speakers or technology like HP and Beats.

I'm with you on this one, man. The speakers in my 15" are above average for a laptop. Now, I've got a pair of Etymotic's that I use for mobile monitoring when I need real quality but for everything else the built-in speakers are fine. I suppose if I really wanted quality sound from the laptop I could have bought an HP with the Beatz audio but I rather suspect I'd miss the Mac OS. Then, there's the Etymotics that really are amazing. Ya, I'm good where I'm out for now.

To the OP, just hook your MacBook to whatever external audio system you want to. I use a set of Klipsch Promedia's for gaming and music when I'm at my desk. I've also connected this system to my home theater using a mini-dp to HDMI connector and enjoyed 5.1 sound. Its all in how you handle it.

 

[Claywd]

Boom!

Hello,
For the last two weeks I have been using my new macbook pro. I'm a bit concerned about the sound quality that i get from the speakers. According to specs it has a subwoofer (I know you can't expect much from a tiny laptop) but I still can't really hear any base/low frequencies and it sounds like a tiny cheap transistor radio . The volume is pretty high, I can listen to youtube etc, but its really almost only trebble. I expected a bit more. Is it normal for those macs or is it just mine?

I had Sony Vaio before and then Dell XPS 1530. Sony had way better speakers and even Dell seems to sound a bit less can-like/tiny...

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/boom/id415312377?mt=12

That app will solve all your problems. Good presets, full EQ and lots of BOOM! i use it on all my macs for everything. It is great for vocals, music and movies. I freaking love this little app. It works with airplay too which is a big deal.

 

[jvpython]

For laptop speakers the 15" MacBook Pro speakers are pretty good. But you can't deny it has absolutely useless bass and I practically never use them as I have a Logitech 200 Watt speaker system.