iPad Pro M5 Speaker quality, not great

[Beanoir]

I can’t confirm the difference to the M4 as I skipped that gen. But I was intrigued reading this thread and thought i’d do a side by side myself of my 11” M5 and 11” M2 IPPs.

At 100% volume on each. I was quite surprised at the difference in sound, I wouldn’t say one was louder than the other but the M2 does on balance sound better, a wider sound stage and slightly better bass. I think the M5 has a nicer mid range and projects vocals better than the M2 though. Deal breaker? No, not really for me, but certainly noticeable at volume above 50%. I suspect it’s down to the chassis depth, the M2 having more room or enclosure for the speakers and therefore the additional bass is no surprise really. You can’t have it all I guess.

I never listen to my iPad that loud though, because it’s on my lap and 18” from my face! So it’s never really been particularly evident to me, and if i’m listening to music I use my HiFi, because any Apple product is crap at playing music compared to a decent source and speakers.

 

[Christopher Kim]

There was definitely a drop in the iPad Pro speaker starting with the design-change last year with the M4s, when it went slimmer profile / tandem OLED screen.

I have the 11" M4 iPP, which replaced a 2018 11" A12X iPP. I definitely noticed the speakers seemed quieter and less full. Not a big deal for me as I 100% use my iPad, when watching videos, with my AirPods Pros. But I remember definitely noticing the difference when I first got my M4 iPP. I would imagine the M5 is pretty similar overall, so if you're coming from something pre-M4 iPP, I think you'll come to the same realization many of us did last year with the M4s.

 

[Digitalguy]

There was definitely a drop in the iPad Pro speaker starting with the design-change last year with the M4s, when it went slimmer profile / tandem OLED screen.

I have the 11" M4 iPP, which replaced a 2018 11" A12X iPP. I definitely noticed the speakers seemed quieter and less full. Not a big deal for me as I 100% use my iPad, when watching videos, with my AirPods Pros. But I remember definitely noticing the difference when I first got my M4 iPP. I would imagine the M5 is pretty similar overall, so if you're coming from something pre-M4 iPP, I think you'll come to the same realization many of us did last year with the M4s.

No, things didn't go the same way depending on the size. The M4 11" speakers were apparently noticeably downgraded, while on the 13" M4 they are virtually as good as M1/2 (and much louder and fuller than the 2018 ones). M5 13" got slightly worse than M4" 13 while M5 11" apparently got better than M4 11".

 

[ManuCH]

Just picked up a base 11” iPad Pro M5 with cellular yesterday and I like everything about it but the speakers. Everything sounds muddled and like there is something blocking the treble. I am coming from a 2019 iPad Air 3 which sounds much clearer. Is there a setting somewhere where I can adjust the treble? It’s just so bad. That’s not to mention the device actually vibrates the chassis too which is not pleasant to hold, makes it feel cheap. I watch TV or YouTube all the time from my iPad so this is a big deal to me. Voices sound bad too on FaceTime, muddled and no brightness/treble. Any suggestions?

I have an 11" iPad Pro M4 and the speakers are horrible. I noticed the downgrade in quality coming from an 11" M1 and I could never get over it (to the point that I thought it was broken, so I compared it to other units - same result). As you say, it sounds like something is blocking the treble, and it sounds muffled.

Now I got myself a 13" iPad Pro M5 (and still deciding which one to keep, trying to figure out what size works best for me) and the sound is night and day. The 13" sounds absolutely stunning compared to the 11", and better than the 11" M1 as well.

Also no, there is no setting to fix this, sadly.

 

[Digitalguy]

I have an 11" iPad Pro M4 and the speakers are horrible. I noticed the downgrade in quality coming from an 11" M1 and I could never get over it (to the point that I thought it was broken, so I compared it to other units - same result). As you say, it sounds like something is blocking the treble, and it sounds muffled.

Now I got myself a 13" iPad Pro M5 (and still deciding which one to keep, trying to figure out what size works best for me) and the sound is night and day. The 13" sounds absolutely stunning compared to the 11", and better than the 11" M1 as well.

Also no, there is no setting to fix this, sadly.

Better is always somewhat subjective, for me the most objective thing is how loud and full they are at max volume. I don't listen to music on the iPad, I watch movies and other videos.
The M4 13 were great, even fuller than the M5, virtually on par with M1 and M2 and way louder than the 2018 12.9, and I actually returned the M5 and got a maxed out M4 for the same price as the base M5 (but the difference in speakers was not the only reason, as it's not a big difference).
I have heard that the 11" M5 were improved over the M4 however (but have not tested either of the 11"), but if I get a new 11" at some point, I'll skip the M4 and go with M5.

 

[ManuCH]

Better is always somewhat subjective, for me the most objective thing is how loud and full they are at max volume. I don't listen to music on the iPad, I watch movies and other videos.
The M4 13 were great, even fuller than the M5, virtually on par with M1 and M2 and way louder than the 2018 12.9, and I actually returned the M5 and got a maxed out M4 for the same price as the base M5 (but the difference in speakers was not the only reason, as it's not a big difference).
I have heard that the 11" M5 were improved over the M4 however (but have not tested either of the 11"), but if I get a new 11" at some point, I'll skip the M4 and go with M5.

Well yes, "better" is subjective, but I'm sure that if you measure the frequency response curves of the 11" (M4 or M5) it will be "worse" than the 13". For me it's not about loudness, it's about how full they sound and about what frequencies are obviously missing (for example, the missing trebles on the 11" make FaceTime sound less than ideal).

 

[Technerd108]

I know a lot of people here are saying there are speaker differences between iPad generations. I believe this might be true although I haven't seen any spec changes in the speakers themselves between m2,3,4 etc. iPads.

I have noticed differences in sound quality in the same generation of iPads. My 5th gen iPad I bought 4 identical models either blue or purple over a couple weeks. I returned 3 and kept the one I have now. The one I have now I bought direct from Apple and the others were from Amazon. 2 had similar low volumes at max volume. It was pretty disappointing. The 3rd one I didn't like the color but it also seemed low so I thought this was the standard.

Then I got the m1 5th gen iPad air from Apple and I swear the volume on my iPad is very good for 2 speakers. It is about 50%-100% louder? I don't know why? So I am wondering if it is possible the louder/softer speakers on some models may be related to quality control rather than different speakers between gens?

 

[Digitalguy]

I know a lot of people here are saying there are speaker differences between iPad generations. I believe this might be true although I haven't seen any spec changes in the speakers themselves between m2,3,4 etc. iPads.

I have noticed differences in sound quality in the same generation of iPads. My 5th gen iPad I bought 4 identical models either blue or purple over a couple weeks. I returned 3 and kept the one I have now. The one I have now I bought direct from Apple and the others were from Amazon. 2 had similar low volumes at max volume. It was pretty disappointing. The 3rd one I didn't like the color but it also seemed low so I thought this was the standard.

Then I got the m1 5th gen iPad air from Apple and I swear the volume on my iPad is very good for 2 speakers. It is about 50%-100% louder? I don't know why? So I am wondering if it is possible the louder/softer speakers on some models may be related to quality control rather than different speakers between gens?

I have had 2 2015, 2 2018, 2 M1s, 2 M2s, 2 M4 and 1 M5 all 12.9/13" and no difference between the same generation. But there are differences between generations. I posted a video comparing M1, M2, M4 and M5 (plus the original pro). The difference is not huge, but the difference with the pre-M series is pretty noticeable (gen 1 to 4 were also similar among them, with the 3 and 4 being slightly fuller).

 

[DeepSix]

I always suggest carrying a bluetooth boombox instead if you want better sound. Its well worth it.

 

[Technerd108]

I always suggest carrying a bluetooth boombox instead if you want better sound. Its well worth it.

I agree when it is practical. The point of a tablet is to have something portable that you can stream videos or listen to music and not need anything else. There are people who use their tablet as a computer replacement and they probably don't mind a separate Bluetooth speaker. However, a lot of people use tablets for light tasks and the onboard speaker quality can make a huge difference in overall satisfaction.

So I always appreciate when a tablet has good speakers so I don't need a separate speaker or device. When traveling my iPad becomes my all in one device temporarily and all the components matter otherwise I may as well bring a MBA.

 

[DeepSix]

I agree when it is practical. The point of a tablet is to have something portable that you can stream videos or listen to music and not need anything else. There are people who use their tablet as a computer replacement and they probably don't mind a separate Bluetooth speaker. However, a lot of people use tablets for light tasks and the onboard speaker quality can make a huge difference in overall satisfaction.

So I always appreciate when a tablet has good speakers so I don't need a separate speaker or device. When traveling my iPad becomes my all in one device temporarily and all the components matter otherwise I may as well bring a MBA.

I see the appeal. Honestly the speakers on my S9 Ultra are incredible (would have no issue using them for a movie) and the speakers on my S10 FE are quite good and gets quite loud for a small and cheap tablet. But neither device are as thin as the iPad pros.

When at home though and if I watch a movie on the S9 Ultra, I still connect a small bluetooth speaker to it because it sounds so much better, even more so with Dolby Atmos turned on. This must be due to iPads thinness.

 

[Digitalguy]

I see the appeal. Honestly the speakers on my S9 Ultra are incredible (would have no issue using them for a movie) and the speakers on my S10 FE are quite good and gets quite loud for a small and cheap tablet. But neither device are as thin as the iPad pros.

When at home though and if I watch a movie on the S9 Ultra, I still connect a small bluetooth speaker to it because it sounds so much better, even more so with Dolby Atmos turned on. This must be due to iPads thinness.

to me the point of the iPad is that I can watch a video while moving in different places and doing other stuff too, so the built-in speakers are more convenient, and before someone comes and say you should watch a video while doing nothing else and remaing in the same place... I say to each their own...

 

[DeepSix]

to me the point of the iPad is that I can watch a video while moving in different places and doing other stuff too, so the built-in speakers are more convenient, and before someone comes and say you should watch a video while doing nothing else and remaing in the same place... I say to each their own...

I see what you mean. But if say I watch a movie with a friend at their place, I still think it's worth carrying a portable speaker with you. Once you get used to the sound from portable speakers, it's difficult to go back to any internal speakers for a movie. If I was watching YouTube videos then the sound quality doesn't matter as much.

Ive never heard the sound from M4/M5 iPad pros but if it's anything like the M1 Pro, I think the sound quality from the M1 Pro was good but not great quality. I have low expectations from tablet speakers because there isn't much room to have good speakers inside. The law of physics.

 

[Digitalguy]

I see what you mean. But if say I watch a movie with a friend at their place, I still think it's worth carrying a portable speaker with you. Once you get used to the sound from portable speakers, it's difficult to go back to any internal speakers for a movie. If I was watching YouTube videos then the sound quality doesn't matter as much.

Ive never heard the sound from M4/M5 iPad pros but if it's anything like the M1 Pro, I think the sound quality from the M1 Pro was good but not great quality. I have low expectations from tablet speakers because there isn't much room to have good speakers inside. The law of physics.

Yes when I watch something with someone else, tipically my girlfriend, we watch in a room, whether we use a bluetooth speaker or not depends on the device. My 15 Macbook air speakers are good enough for instance.
Which M1 are you talking about? If you mean the 11" then non, those speakers are not loud and full enough to watch a movie even at max volume. If you mean the 12.9" then those can be good enough in my opinion. And the M4 13 is virtually as good, with the M5 13 slightly below, but still much better than the M1 11".
You have the S9 ultra, those are great speakers, even better than those on iPad, but not by much, at least not when you compare to the 12.9 M1 and later.

 

[Beanoir]

Yes when I watch something with someone else, tipically my girlfriend, we watch in a room, whether we use a bluetooth speaker or not depends on the device. My 15 Macbook air speakers are good enough for instance.
Which M1 are you talking about? If you mean the 11" then non, those speakers are not loud and full enough to watch a movie even at max volume. If you mean the 12.9" then those can be good enough in my opinion. And the M4 13 is virtually as good, with the M5 13 slightly below, but still much better than the M1 11".
You have the S9 ultra, those are great speakers, even better than those on iPad, but not by much, at least not when you compare to the 12.9 M1 and later.

Objectively, the speakers on all of the iPads are good enough to watch or listen to anything. Subjectively, some people have their own views on what is good enough, but the fact is they project sound well enough to hear a movie playing on your lap or a meter away on a coffee table. If you’re trying to watch a movie the other side of the room, then surely viewing the picture becomes the issue and not the sound.

 

[Digitalguy]

Objectively, the speakers on all of the iPads are good enough to watch or listen to anything. Subjectively, some people have their own views on what is good enough, but the fact is they project sound well enough to hear a movie playing on your lap or a meter away on a coffee table. If you’re trying to watch a movie the other side of the room, then surely viewing the picture becomes the issue and not the sound.

I think good enough is subjective. The sound of the pro is definitely more immersive. There there is also a matter of sheer volume when you are watching/listening while doing noisy things like cooking, shaving, washing the dishes, cleaning etc. And some videos just have lower volume than others. For me good enough is when in these situations I don't feel the need to have airpods on or an external speakers.

 

[DeepSix]

Yes when I watch something with someone else, tipically my girlfriend, we watch in a room, whether we use a bluetooth speaker or not depends on the device. My 15 Macbook air speakers are good enough for instance.
Which M1 are you talking about? If you mean the 11" then non, those speakers are not loud and full enough to watch a movie even at max volume. If you mean the 12.9" then those can be good enough in my opinion. And the M4 13 is virtually as good, with the M5 13 slightly below, but still much better than the M1 11".
You have the S9 ultra, those are great speakers, even better than those on iPad, but not by much, at least not when you compare to the 12.9 M1 and later.

I had the M1 iPad Pro and I found the speakers to be alright for sound quality. Not terrible but not great. The speakers on the S9 Ultra are incredible and can even fill a large room with sound if needed. The sound quality on it easily matches the sound from my M4 MacBook Pro. Im curious how the sound is from the M5 iPad Pro is in comparison. Im thinking it would be inferior just because of how thin the M5 iPad Pro is.

 

[Digitalguy]

I had the M1 iPad Pro and I found the speakers to be alright for sound quality. Not terrible but not great. The speakers on the S9 Ultra are incredible and can even fill a large room with sound if needed. The sound quality on it easily matches the sound from my M4 MacBook Pro. Im curious how the sound is from the M5 iPad Pro is in comparison. Im thinking it would be inferior just because of how thin the M5 iPad Pro is.

M1 iPad pro doesn't mean much if you don't specify the size... the 2 sizes have vastly different speakers...

 

[DeepSix]

M1 iPad pro doesn't mean much if you don't specify the size... the 2 sizes have vastly different speakers...

11". Now I have a 10.9" tablet and I'm liking it more than 11". It's noticeably more portable. But I prefer the aspect ratio on the iPad in this size but it's not a deal breaker. S9 Ultra can get away with this aspect ratio because of its size.

 

[Digitalguy]

11". Now I have a 10.9" tablet and I'm liking it more than 11". It's noticeably more portable. But I prefer the aspect ratio on the iPad in this size but it's not a deal breaker. S9 Ultra can get away with this aspect ratio because of its size.

Oh that explains everything. The 11" M1 is nowhere near the M1 12.9 (I have both). The 12.9 is pretty close to the S9 ultra in terms of speakers (although the ultra is a bit louder).
Concerning the aspect ratio that is one of the main reason I prefer iPads to Android tablets. I do have several Android tablet (10.5", 11", 12.4" and 14.6", plus other sizes from Lenovo and others), but I don't use them as much and I use them mainly as monitors for Windows...

 

[DeepSix]

Oh that explains everything. The 11" M1 is nowhere near the M1 12.9 (I have both). The 12.9 is pretty close to the S9 ultra in terms of speakers (although the ultra is a bit louder).
Concerning the aspect ratio that is one of the main reason I prefer iPads to Android tablets. I do have several Android tablet (10.5", 11", 12.4" and 14.6", plus other sizes from Lenovo and others), but I don't use them as much and I use them mainly as monitors for Windows...

I like iPads aspect ratio for everything aside from media consumption and multitasking. The ultra is a dream device for both use cases. But the Ultra can get away with a 16:10 aspect ratio because of the sheer size of the screen. The width of the Ultra when in portrait is the exact same height as the 13" iPad pro is when in landscape.

Once you go ultra, it's very difficult to go back to something like a 11" Pro. The ultra gives you an experience that no iPad can match. Maybe the 13" M5 Pro but I doubt it as I've done measurement comparisons to my Ultra and aside from the much lighter weight of the 13 M5 Pro, I can't see it offering a better experience. The only downsides to the Ultras is heavier weight once you put on a case (especially one like mine) and the notch.

If I was to get an iPad today I'd get the M5 Pro 13 and the main reason why is for that 4:3 aspect ratio. Having the extra width in portrait and extra height in landscape really appeals to me.

 

[Digitalguy]

I like iPads aspect ratio for everything aside from media consumption and multitasking. The ultra is a dream device for both use cases. But the Ultra can get away with a 16:10 aspect ratio because of the sheer size of the screen. The width of the Ultra when in portrait is the exact same height as the 13" iPad pro is when in landscape.

Once you go ultra, it's very difficult to go back to something like a 11" Pro. The ultra gives you an experience that no iPad can match. Maybe the 13" M5 Pro but I doubt it as I've done measurement comparisons to my Ultra and aside from the much lighter weight of the 13 M5 Pro, I can't see it offering a better experience. The only downsides to the Ultras is heavier weight once you put on a case (especially one like mine) and the notch.

If I was to get an iPad today I'd get the M5 Pro 13 and the main reason why is for that 4:3 aspect ratio. Having the extra width in portrait and extra height in landscape really appeals to me.

The ultra is great, but what I don't like about it is that its it very reflective (s8 and S9 ultra) fortunately Samsung improved things since the S10 ultra and now it's as good or better than the iPad pro (which was already better with M1/M2, but also improved the antiglare coating with M4 and M5).
The issue I have with the ultra is that it vis not comfortable to hold in your hand in landscape because of that aspect ratio (and weight). They have improved things with the S11 being lighter, but it's still a big boy and it's still the same aspect ratio. In terms of speakers the M5 is still very good but the M4 was slightly louder, and virtually as good as the M1 12.9 which is crazy given how thin it is (but then the S9 ultra is only 5.5mm vs 5.1 and the S11 is 5.1 just like the M4/M5 and the speakers are still great).

 

[DeepSix]

The ultra is great, but what I don't like about it is that its it very reflective (s8 and S9 ultra) fortunately Samsung improved things since the S10 ultra and now it's as good or better than the iPad pro (which was already better with M1/M2, but also improved the antiglare coating with M4 and M5).
The issue I have with the ultra is that it vis not comfortable to hold in your hand in landscape because of that aspect ratio (and weight). They have improved things with the S11 being lighter, but it's still a big boy and it's still the same aspect ratio. In terms of speakers the M5 is still very good but the M4 was slightly louder, and virtually as good as the M1 12.9 which is crazy given how thin it is (but then the S9 ultra is only 5.5mm vs 5.1 and the S11 is 5.1 just like the M4/M5 and the speakers are still great).

Yeah the Ultra's are pretty much desk/table and lap devices only. Way too big and heavy to be used in hand even if you use the lightest TPU case. Mine pretty much stays at home but if I take it with me, it's used on a table top with the kickstand. This is where the Ultra shines. But the 10.9" S10 FE is way more portable and I much prefer taking this with me because I use it in hand all the time. Both compliment each other perfectly.

Another use case where the Ultra really shines in is for notes with Samsung notes. It's a really good and free note app and writing on the Ultra in portrait is pretty much equal to writing on a 11x14 sheet. Ive never tried the iPad Pro 13 for notes because of the aspect ratio but when I did measurements it would be the same width but just less height. So I can't see it having as good of a writing experience. And I much prefer EMR pens to the Apple Pencil. Writing on the S10 FE is cramped IMO, plus way too narrow. Only use it if I have to. But the Ultra is amazing for note taking. I would probably buy an Ultra just for this alone. iPad Pro 11" felt small in comparison when writing on it when on a desk.

The S10 Ultra and S11 Ultra have anti reflective coatings and apparently they work quite well. I did see it in the store and it is nice. I would love to have it but im not buying a new device just for this. The glare does suck but you get used to it. I purposely don't use a glass protector on the Ultra anymore because of this. I put Liquid Glass protector on it. Much easier to apply too on such a large screen. Seems to be working so far.

Glass screen protectors make the glare 10 times worse. But I use a glass protector on the S10 FE because that glass must be different because it scratches up incredibly easy. I was quite disappointed how easily it scratches. Much less durable than the iPad Pro M1 glass. iPad pros screens resist scratches really well. The Samsung tabs scratch a lot easier and that's a big downfall compared to the iPads. The iPads must have a better laminated coating on them. Something worth paying extra for IMO.

 

[aypues]

I have an 11" iPad Pro M4 and the speakers are horrible. I noticed the downgrade in quality coming from an 11" M1 and I could never get over it (to the point that I thought it was broken, so I compared it to other units - same result). As you say, it sounds like something is blocking the treble, and it sounds muffled.

Now I got myself a 13" iPad Pro M5 (and still deciding which one to keep, trying to figure out what size works best for me) and the sound is night and day. The 13" sounds absolutely stunning compared to the 11", and better than the 11" M1 as well.

Also no, there is no setting to fix this, sadly.

Thank you for this report, very helpful feedback. I will see if a 13” model could work for my use case!

 

[Apple_Robert]

I just got the 13" M5 and haven't noticed any subpar quality with the speakers.