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Does your right speaker rattle on your unibody macbook pro?

Does your right speaker rattle/buzz?

  • Yes

    Votes: 45 45.5%

  • No

    Votes: 54 54.5%
  • Total voters
    99
OverSpun

OverSpun

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 12, 2006
1,121
82
California
I went to the apple store last week to have my iphone replaced and decided to test out all the computers on display. I've noticed my personal computer will vibrate/buzz when the 'hero' tone is played, and only through the right speaker.

Every computer on display at this particular apple store had the same issue. I also asked the Genius at this store, and he made a note of it and said if they all do it, apple will likely make a fix for it to correct the issue.

Test yours and post results... What I did was go to the System Prefs, under 'Sound" and turn the alert volume all the way up, and the computer volume all the way up as well and play the 'hero' tone.

I noticed that some of the computers were worse than others with mine being on the lower end of the scale... however, I'd expect a computer that costed as much as this to not have issues like this. I'm not going to return it, or complain until something comes of it, I'm more or less convinced that its 'normal' at this point.

Post your results!

(yes, I'm aware that there are other threads on the topic, but nothing really for people posting results from a uniform test on it.
 
Yes, there was a rattling sound on the right side when playing that specific sound at full volume. But it's not something I've noticed during normal music listening.
 
OverSpun said:
What about at full volume?

I dont notice the rattle at all during some songs, but under a certain frequency it rattles a ton much like the 'hero' tone.
Click to expand...

No perceivable rattle in mine at full volume either. I tried out all the sound effects, especially the hero one. Pretty clean. The unibody does vibrate at full volume though! I've been quite impressed with the audio quality on this notebook. Being that it's my first one, I don't have that much to compare it to, but it certainly blows away my girlfriend's Macbook and a few Dells and Sonys that I have heard in terms of clarity and volume. Fairly impressive considering its thinness.

--mAc
 
11800506 said:
Nope. No rattle on mine. It does vibrate a bit, but no rattle at full volume.
Click to expand...

The vibration you speak of... is it audible so that the tone sounds different at full volume? The sound is a rattle/buzz sound coming from the right speaker only.
 
Mine will rattle under most playback ~half volume or more. I don't use the internal speakers very often because it's hooked up to speakers most of the time.

I'd like to think this is not a problem, but it would kill me if I was trying to watch a movie, give a presentation or listen to some music when I'm out.
 
I had same problem with my unibody MBP. First was exchanged to new one becouse of also motherboard problem. Apple send me back new one last week. Today !@#$ I check sound and I have problem again with my new one.
 
Yes, it rattles

My first UMBP had a very bad rattle in the right speaker. It would rattles with most sounds/music at any volume level, and the keys along the right of the keyboard vibrated in an extreme way. I brought it to the Genius Bar and they replaced it for this issue.

Unfortunately, the replacement rattles, as well, albeit to much lesser degree. Mostly with isolated piano sounds or spoken word (podcasts, tv shows, movies). It does get better if you lower the volume, but I still wish it wasn't there. I brought it to the Genius Bar at a NYC store, and the genius told me it was "normal for this model"
 
I dont know about the 15's but the 17" unibodies have a third speaker on the right side that I think is a teeny tiny subwoofer. That may be the rattle.

Who knows, maybe someday Apple with ship my laptop and I can see for myself!
 
claygreenberg said:
My first UMBP had a very bad rattle in the right speaker. It would rattles with most sounds/music at any volume level, and the keys along the right of the keyboard vibrated in an extreme way. I brought it to the Genius Bar and they replaced it for this issue.

Unfortunately, the replacement rattles, as well, albeit to much lesser degree. Mostly with isolated piano sounds or spoken word (podcasts, tv shows, movies). It does get better if you lower the volume, but I still wish it wasn't there. I brought it to the Genius Bar at a NYC store, and the genius told me it was "normal for this model"
Click to expand...

Normal for this model?
hahahhahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahahhahah wow
 
I have a new August 2010 Macbook Pro 15" and my right side keys rattle as well. IT IS SO ANNOYING! We need apple to know about this and they will come up with a fix! I am going to take mine in to best buy and exchange it although this hasnt worked for some people. I want to upgrade to the 500gb 2.5 GHz model anyways :)
 
Mine also rattled when playing the "hero" tone at almost full volume. Some other sounds such as submarine and purr also caused the same kind of rattle to a lesser degree.
 
Just noticed my own MBP 15" (purchased August 2010) also has a rattle in the right speaker. I noticed it listening to a spoken word podcast. Oh well... From the looks of the poll, I may or may not be successful in getting it swapped out for one without the problem. It isn't horrible...
 
MBP right speaker vibration

Have the same problem. MBP purchased Aug 2010, right speak vibrates with tone when booting and other various tones and speech. Very annoying.
 
Just a quick update since I made this thread-

My right speaker STILL rattles after 2 years owning my MBP. :/
 
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