I think the point is that this is an unusual problem. My last notebook had no audio problems, and it was much cheaper. It's just not something you expect from a "Pro" line of computers. I'm considering trying some third party sound cards to get around it, but Apple should get some engineers working on this. The audio from the headphone jack should sound as good or better than the audio from an iPod. Whatever it takes.
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Does the Penryn Macbook Pro the hissing/popping audio issue like the SR MBP?
- Thread starter Jonguy
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I just purchased a 2.4GHz Penryn MBP a week ago. Yesterday I plugged in my iPhone headphones and I heard the high pitched noises and the static. I also tried the Apple in ear headphones and the same thing. When I plugged in my Harman Kardon Sound Sticks II... same thing! I usually use the Sound Sticks hooked up to and Airport Express with Airtunes, so that is not to big a deal. The weird thing is I plugged in my old iPod headphones that came with my old third generation iPod and the noises were gone! The noises don't come out of the built in speakers, they sound fine, except for the popping noise that occurs whenever they have not been used in a bit and a sound comes out. I DJ at a local club and was using my significant others Macbook. But now I am nervous to try out the MBP . I don't want to have these sounds coming through the club system! It would be embarrassing! I'm just a little pissed about spending so much money to have a faulty system. My old PowerBook was perfect, not one problem! Is it worth it to exchange it? Or will the new one have the same problem? My current MBP has a perfect screen and no other problems. I don't want to exchange it and end up with a worse one.
UPDATE: I brought my MBP into the Apple store today and spoke with a genius. We went around and listened to all the MBP's in the store with a few pairs of headphones and they were all making the weird mechanical/high pitched sound when changing volume or when any sound comes out. They seemed to have a varying level of static, but they ALL had the mechanical sound/high pitched noises. On a positive note the popping sound from the speakers whenever a sound is about to come out is being fixed. The genius said that it is probably a shielding problem and is replacing the shielding and both speakers. He said it is not worth it to exchange even though the computer is a week old. He did acknowledge that alot of the MBP's are having yellowing screen issues and that my screen was perfect and I should not exchange it due to the sound issues because they all have it. He said the popping sound was not common, so they are ordering the speakers and whatever they need for the shielding.
this is pretty lousy for 'pro' notebook. As far as constant noise level on the line-out, there are devices that will work OK with the macbook's audio out - for instance I use a pair of Audio Techinica ATH-M40fs studiophones that are REALLY sensitive and very flat frequency response headphones that I use for mixing (i love them BTW). But they sound fine in the MBP! Noise level is no louder than on my powerbook. It seems like they should be affected the most because they are sensitive and close-backed to block out other noise - but they aren't affected. So maybe it is some impedance problem or something?
But when I plug ipod earbuds or other cheap headphones into my macbook pro, or when i plug in my stereo system, white noise abounds. With ipod headphones i hear all sorts of (quiet but still annoying) electrical interference noises when the system starts or stops doing something or accessing the hard drive or whatever. But as I said before, with my nice headphones I don't hear anything. Weird, eh?
But when I plug ipod earbuds or other cheap headphones into my macbook pro, or when i plug in my stereo system, white noise abounds. With ipod headphones i hear all sorts of (quiet but still annoying) electrical interference noises when the system starts or stops doing something or accessing the hard drive or whatever. But as I said before, with my nice headphones I don't hear anything. Weird, eh?
They have quite a high impedance compared with a lot of 'phones - 60 Ohm.
It's low impedance headphones that display the trouble.
So the speaker and shielding were replaced in my MBP. The popping sound is still there. The weird thing is it does not happen in Windows Vista. Is there any third party sound drivers around that might fix this? It's really annoying! It has to be a software problem. Cause even the mechanical noises and static through the headphone port are not there when I go into Vista.
Get a small USB headphone amp and bypass the problem completely (doesn't have to be a big investment and some are really small and very portable). Fact is, the sound quality available from your MBP via the USB connection and a decent headphone amp is VASTLY better than anything you'll hear through that "standard" headphone socket in even the best of circumstances. Take advantage of the USB output and you'll soon be wondering why on earth you wasted time worrying about this issue.
Yes it should. But you have the facilty for headphone listening that is far better, via usb and a fairly inexpensive headphone amp, as I mentioned above. I wish people wouldn't settle for listening via that standard headphone socket there's a real ear-opener awaiting them if they went the other route.
Do you plan to go back and tell the genious that it doesn't happen in Vista?
Has anyone found these problems when using the Digital Out feature, instead of the 3.5mm?
Also, stop saying 'Pro' Its a brand name alright, it doesnt mean its the best laptop ever made, all laptops have faults, my Acer Ferrari Laptops WiFi burned out, My Asus Lamborghini Laptops sound is rubbish and the Trackpad is unresponsive, atleast everything that matters works, i dont perticulaly want to use headphones with a laptop, if i want music on the go i use my iTouch, if its at home i'll use My PS3, the only need for Sound on a laptop is for videos, and even then its only YouTube and the like.
Stop Saying 'Pro' line etc. it doesnt make you any better by owning a 'Pro' laptop, it doesnt make the laptop any better either, its just a name
chose, they could have called it MacBook Xtreme or MacBook Advanced or some crappy name, 'Pro' is just a word.
Also, stop saying 'Pro' Its a brand name alright, it doesnt mean its the best laptop ever made, all laptops have faults, my Acer Ferrari Laptops WiFi burned out, My Asus Lamborghini Laptops sound is rubbish and the Trackpad is unresponsive, atleast everything that matters works, i dont perticulaly want to use headphones with a laptop, if i want music on the go i use my iTouch, if its at home i'll use My PS3, the only need for Sound on a laptop is for videos, and even then its only YouTube and the like.
Stop Saying 'Pro' line etc. it doesnt make you any better by owning a 'Pro' laptop, it doesnt make the laptop any better either, its just a name
chose, they could have called it MacBook Xtreme or MacBook Advanced or some crappy name, 'Pro' is just a word.
For you maybe.
The main task I bought my laptop for was for audio. As it happens I care enough about this to use an firewire external interface but that doesn't mean the internal card shouldn't work as advertised.
Never mind the 'Pro' tag, the price says it all. This is the low-end MBP and cost 1200 quid.
If this doesn't show in Vista add this to the other glaring fault: outputting the display to certain projectors. It doesn't work on these machines too, is recognised by apple as an issue and allegedly works ok under XP.
Why?
Look, bottom line: this should work. If I want substandard Dell can deliver me that for 300 quid.
Yes, I am going to call them back and tell them about it. He told me to call the store and talk to him if the problem continued.
My built in speakers don't have the problem. But when I plug in some Harmon Kardon Sound Sticks II they have the exact same problem as the headphones do.
A simple solution to the hissing and popping problem is to simply upgrade your headphones. Get a pair with an impedance of 60 ohm or more, and the problem will go away.
P.S. When buying headphones with high impedance, remember that higher is not always best, as really high impedances might require an amplifier to be driven at high volumes.
P.S. When buying headphones with high impedance, remember that higher is not always best, as really high impedances might require an amplifier to be driven at high volumes.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Alesis-M1-Active-320USB-Studio-Monitor-Pair?sku=600589
I'm waiting for these $99 usb studio monitors w/ headphone jack to deliver (backordered till 4/30/08) for my mac mini.
I ordered a penryn 2.4 MBP the first day. It had a buzzing under the right speaker. I think it was the fan. It was too annoying. It also made my dell speakers buzz loudly. I sent the MBP back. I wasn't willing to try another at this time.
I'm waiting for these $99 usb studio monitors w/ headphone jack to deliver (backordered till 4/30/08) for my mac mini.
I ordered a penryn 2.4 MBP the first day. It had a buzzing under the right speaker. I think it was the fan. It was too annoying. It also made my dell speakers buzz loudly. I sent the MBP back. I wasn't willing to try another at this time.
I've been looking around, but can you recommend a website with good headphones with good impedance for me to go too? Do they come in an earbud form with high impedance?
don't listen to that guy. he doesn't know what he's talking about. The hissing is a software driver problem. No headphone is going to fix that.
I can't comment on how common this issue is... but it's definitely not universal.
I use a few different sets of headphones reglarly, ranging from the cheap ones that you get with an ipod to Shure E3's as well as running audio to a stereo when watching movies. I've never experiences anything thats being discussed here and I'm definitely the anal type who might notice a problem even if there wasn't one.
I'd be demanding a replacement asap.
15" SR MBP/ 2.4/ 4GB/ 160HD
I use a few different sets of headphones reglarly, ranging from the cheap ones that you get with an ipod to Shure E3's as well as running audio to a stereo when watching movies. I've never experiences anything thats being discussed here and I'm definitely the anal type who might notice a problem even if there wasn't one.
I'd be demanding a replacement asap.
15" SR MBP/ 2.4/ 4GB/ 160HD
How about the Koss UR40? Do you think they would eliminate the problem? I'll order from amazon since I don't see them on the best buy website.
Well, the only thing i can tell you is that i tried using both Apple headphones and Sennheiser CX300 headphones which both have an impedance of 16 ohm and experienced the hissing and popping noise while listening to music, or doing just about anything on my computer.
Then i tried using Sennheiser HD 515 headphones instead, and the hissing and noise dissapeared completely. Those headphones have an impedance of 120 ohm.
The above headphones, however, are open air so the sound radiates outward. To avoid that, i bought a pair of Sennheiser HD-280 headphones with an impedance of 64 ohms and there is still no hissing or noise when i play music.
Do you have a particular brand and model that you can recommend, that's compatible with the MBP?