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MarckyG

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 15, 2014
84
44
Germany
Hello everyone...

A few days back I was a proud owner of the new iPad mini 4.
I love the size of it and never got used to its bigger brother. I totally loved my old mini 2, which I sold.
I loved the mini 4 the few days that I had it.

But then I recognised a strange behaviour compared to my old mini 2...
I have a pair of good in-ear earphones made by Bang&Olufsen.
My mini was always my main music source.
So when using my in-ears with the mini 4, every time the audio output was activated, i heard a strange stativ ticking... Zik zik zzik zikzik zzik...
It stopped after a few seconds when the audio output goes on standbye again. Although I had the feeling it was still there, just super quiet. As soon as I activated the keyboard, a popping sound indicated that the audio output is now active, and the chirrping sound started again... zik zik zik zzik zikzik zik
It was very quiet and I only heard it in the evening when I was in my quiet living or bed room. But that is the place I mainly use it.
I never heard something like that with the mini 2. And I checked with a friend's mini 2. His output was quiet, perfect, like I remembered it.

I went to the Apple Store I bought it at, and explained it to the employee. He said I should just give it back and take a brand new one. I did that.
At home I tested it, and it had the same behaviour. It is not induced by my in-ears. I tried it with an on-ear headphone and I heard it too... just more quiet. I suppose most people use Apple earpods with their iPads... So I tried these too. The earpods are much less accurate compared to my B&O ones. But after I already heard the sound, even the Apple earpods let me hear it... Using these most normal people will not recognise it though.
So I gave the iPad back... I expect all mini 4s to be like this.. probably thanks to the thinner construction... So I didn't get a third one...

As my B&O earphones and headphones are not the most accurate headphones for audiophiles, I am expecting people out there with much better earphones and headphones... so I hoped I was not the only one with that problem... But so far I didn't find any threads.

Am I the only one with ears able to hear it?
I am now torn between waiting and trying another mini 4 or getting a mini 2, as music playback is the most important use for me ...
 
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Hey, that's good for you that you don't have this issue / don't hear it.
What earphones did you use to check it?
 
Hey, that's good for you that you don't have this issue / don't hear it.
What earphones did you use to check it?

Why the stock Apple ones from my iPhone 3GS of course. The gold standard of audiophiles everywhere.

Not hearing it on my Sennheiser HD 598s or cheaper HD 439s. If I have to pay $1000+ to hear this noise, I guess I'll remain ignorant. ;)
 
Hey, that's good for you that you don't have this issue / don't hear it.
What earphones did you use to check it?

So far I've used standard Apple earbuds, some no-name over ear headphones, and and some in-ear noise cancelling SkullCandy earbuds.
 
@vlinkz Well expected Sennheisers would be good enough to make it audible but I guess I was wrong... maybe it's the around ear design. I might try another mini 4 at a later moment... try my luck. And 1000$ are not necessary mine cost little more than 100

@joeblow7777 and well Apple in ears and other similar head and earphones will not give you enough details to make it audible not even the skullcandys

But if there is anyone with good in ears out there, try it and give me feedback
 
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