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M2 Air Trackpad Vs M1 Air Trackpad haptics

bronksy

bronksy

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 5, 2006
735
469
London
Weird one (perhaps) but if anyone has the M1 and M2 air - can you hear the difference in the 'click' of the trackpad. I dont know if it's meant to sound like it does - and perhaps I'm too used to the Magic Trackpad but the click of the M2 seems a lot softer and more high pitched than the M1 trackpad (and the Magic Trackpad)

I'm guessing it's normal but it just sounds strange to me (prob because I'm not used to it yet!)
 
I've found that trackPads will vary from one MacBook to another in terms of how they are seated and how they sound while clicking. I personally like a quiet thunky trackpad click sound, so I always set the 'Click' option to 'Light' in settings. I think this just sets the level of the haptic sound feedback. My M2 Air has a more satisfying muted thunk click sound versus my M1 Air (using the same setting).
 
Sowelu said:
I've found that trackPads will vary from one MacBook to another in terms of how they are seated and how they sound while clicking. I personally like a quiet thunky trackpad click sound, so I always set the 'Click' option to 'Light' in settings. I think this just sets the level of the haptic sound feedback. My M2 Air has a more satisfying muted thunk click sound versus my M1 Air (using the same setting).
Click to expand...
Seems like the total opposite in my M2 air. Sounds a bit ‘tinny’

Is it an actual speaker? I thought it was a little haptic device that taps the trackpad rather than it having a ‘volume’ control
 
bronksy said:
Seems like the total opposite in my M2 air. Sounds a bit ‘tinny’

Is it an actual speaker? I thought it was a little haptic device that taps the trackpad rather than it having a ‘volume’ control
Click to expand...
Try the 'Light' option under 'Click' in Trackpad Settings - I think this just adjusts the feedback level which will change the haptic sound.
 
Sowelu said:
Try the 'Light' option under 'Click' in Trackpad Settings - I think this just adjusts the feedback level which will change the haptic sound.
Click to expand...
I played around before. Doesn’t seem to make much difference whatever I set it to. It’s not a deal breaker but it just struck me as being a lot more lighter and not ‘thuddy’
 
I noticed this today also. The M2 sounds like its tiny, the M1 seems to have more of a depth sound which I prefer. I also like the M1 keyboard more, the M2 key travel seems shallow. Oh well, Its my wife's M2 lol
 
Apple_Robert said:
The M2 keyboard is more shallow than the M1. I noticed that straight away.
Click to expand...
I don’t mind the keyboard too much. The trackpad is just strange because I’m used to the other ones. It’s the haptic I guess. Just more metallic sounding than the deeper sound of the M1
 
Apple_Robert said:
The M2 keyboard is more shallow than the M1. I noticed that straight away.
Click to expand...
I found the opposite to be true. My M2 Air has a nice, springy, quiet keyboard with very satisfying feedback - way better than my M1 Air which feels more shallow and was a bit on the clackity side.

I think this just boils down to supplier variances. Keyboards, trackpads, displays and overall build can vary from one unit to the next in the same model line.
 
I noticed this also, and I am wondering if it is faulty, I have the M1 and the click feels more solid/snappy full

OP what did you end up doing, did you get a replacement unit or is this normal due to design change?

bronksy said:
Weird one (perhaps) but if anyone has the M1 and M2 air - can you hear the difference in the 'click' of the trackpad. I dont know if it's meant to sound like it does - and perhaps I'm too used to the Magic Trackpad but the click of the M2 seems a lot softer and more high pitched than the M1 trackpad (and the Magic Trackpad)

I'm guessing it's normal but it just sounds strange to me (prob because I'm not used to it yet!)
Click to expand...
 
It's odd, I've helped family and friends setup several M2 Airs and all of them had a nice satisfying, low tone, non-clickity, nice and thunky trackpad clicks on 'Light' click mode. There were variances, but none sounded cheap and were all superior to the clicks on my MacBook Pros.

As for the keyboard, there are variances there as well from one unit to the next in terms of key backlight temperature, bleed and overall keyboard feel. While all were good, I noticed that the keyboards that had cleanly lit backlit keys (little to no bleed when looking at it on angles) had a springier, quieter and more satisfying typing experience. Possibly two different keyboard suppliers.

I also noticed display variances. Again, while all good and very similar, some had more backlight bleed than others, some had a bit more contrast and better black levels than others as well. There were also tiny differences in brightness with the two I had side by side.

There are also variances to the M2 Air's bottom cover as I've mentioned in other posts. The bottom plate/cover should be seated perfectly even with the bottom chassis, but I've felt the seams on a few units and noticed that there were quite a few seams that were noticeable to the touch due to the cover sitting a bit too high or a bit too low. You shouldn't feel any seams with a properly fitted bottom cover.

As I've said many times, these variances are due different suppliers making the same components for Apple to a certain spec, in addition to variances from part to part from the same supplier. It sucks and I hate when I get a non-desirable part in a new MacBook, but it's a gamble if you care about these things. For me if the display is good, I will forgive most other things.

This is why you have to laugh when you hear reviewers talk about keyboard and trackpads like Snazzy's review linked above. If he had 2 more units in for review, he'd probably see and feel these variances as well - now that would have been a helpful segment of the review. So, his summary should have mentioned that these were the findings and differences he found in his particular unit, the one you get may vary in terms of display, keyboard, trackpad and so on.
 
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washburn said:
in the video he says "just listen to this comparison vs the old MacBook Air" and he compared the new M2 vs M1PRO ?
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Yes. And to my ears while listening to his video, the Pro is the one that sounded hollow. And much louder, to boot. Do people actually want to hear the trackpad when clicking it? I don't.
 
My 8/512 trackpad sounded tinny/more hollow when clicked but my 16/1TB is more thud sounding like my MBP 14 M1 - just the way I like it to sound. There’s clearly a lottery going on and probably something to do with how they are seated or using different suppliers for the same parts?
 
maka344 said:
My 8/512 trackpad sounded tinny/more hollow when clicked but my 16/1TB is more thud sounding like my MBP 14 M1 - just the way I like it to sound. There’s clearly a lottery going on and probably something to do with how they are seated or using different suppliers for the same parts?
Click to expand...
wow

and I thought the new click was a redesign but you noticed two different ones between machines, unbelievable

I wonder how you're suppose to figure out which is the faulty one

backlight issues now this, disappointing its going this way
 
washburn said:
wow

and I thought the new click was a redesign but you noticed two different ones between machines, unbelievable

I wonder how you're suppose to figure out which is the faulty one

backlight issues now this, disappointing its going this way
Click to expand...
The sturdier heavier click is the normal one, I've always had this with all my Macs. Even when I first got my MPB M1 14, it had a lighter tinny click but the replacement didn't - replaced for another defect.
 
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