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Macbook pro bad sound quality?

I get a terrible feedback type 'honking' noise when playing HD content with Quicktime and moving the MBP (even tiny amounts).
VLC doesn't do it, just Quicktime and it's only been with HD Content, almost like the system is having a moment of trouble crunching the video.
The noise really is terrible though, very loud and not good at all, I've just avoided HD + Quicktime for the moment in the hope I can see someone else with the same prob to see wtf.
 
I posted a similar thread a while back.

Plugged my MBP into my receiver- The sound quality was terrible.

Thought.. then tried a different set of inputs on my receiver with the same results.

Unplugged my CD player and used those inputs - exact same problem..

Plugged CD player back in and listened to a CD sounded great.

The I tried a second set of cables I had. Still the same result.


After all that I've come to believe it's a problem with the computer.
 
So does anyone have one that DOES sound as good as an iPod? No hiss, crackle, etc.?
 
Wolfpup said:
So does anyone have one that DOES sound as good as an iPod? No hiss, crackle, etc.?
Click to expand...

Mine sounds as good as my iPod, the internal speakers of course are utter crap, but connected to my earphones (will try a more expensive system later) the sound is as good as the iPod.
 
Kilamite said:
Me.
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Aea said:
Mine sounds as good as my iPod, the internal speakers of course are utter crap, but connected to my earphones (will try a more expensive system later) the sound is as good as the iPod.
Click to expand...

Excellent! Thanks! I get nervous every time I hear about problems, since I'm still trying to talk myself in to ordering a MBP :D I like the reassurance. I should probably almost stop reading these forums until I get one, or I'll be scared off :D

Dell's audio is absolute garbage, but I'd just order an X-Fi card with it (Dell's the only other brand I'm seriously considering right now).
 
My MBP has a very flat but crystal clear sound. My video ipod has more life to its sound. I personnaly believe that apple has the high end consumer in mind which likes to have a laser precise recreation of sound without any manipulation in any way.

People who use their MBP for music or movie creation with relatively professional equipment demand perfect sound recreation that is accurate and unaltered. The MBP does that.
 
Animalk said:
My MBP has a very flat but crystal clear sound. My video ipod has more life to its sound. I personnaly believe that apple has the high end consumer in mind which likes to have a laser precise recreation of sound without any manipulation in any way.

People who use their MBP for music or movie creation with relatively professional equipment demand perfect sound recreation that is accurate and unaltered. The MBP does that.
Click to expand...

Well that sounds good to me! I'm really just scared of obvious terrible sound flaws like constant background hiss and crackle. I've heard that in basically every Dell laptop I've tried, so I get scared when I heard Macbook Pro owners talk about similar problems :)
 
This thread is really funny... all those doubters of a MBP's sound do me a favor. Next time you go to a concert, take a gander to the sound board area (usually center stage back of the house area) and look around. I guarantee you will see multiple :apple: symbles glowing in the dark.
If your expecting your RCA jack on the MBP to make your room sound like Abbey Road Studios I suggest you do some serious research into sound engineering and buy some really nice digital equipment.
 
ophidean said:
This thread is really funny... all those doubters of a MBP's sound do me a favor. Next time you go to a concert, take a gander to the sound board area (usually center stage back of the house area) and look around. I guarantee you will see multiple :apple: symbles glowing in the dark.
If your expecting your RCA jack on the MBP to make your room sound like Abbey Road Studios I suggest you do some serious research into sound engineering and buy some really nice digital equipment.
Click to expand...

Yea it is, the people flaming the OP need a good kick upside the head for being ignorant fanboys. Then again I've come to accept that 5% of us will continue the snobby stereotype.
 
Wolfpup said:
So does anyone have one that DOES sound as good as an iPod? No hiss, crackle, etc.?
Click to expand...

Mine don't seem to have a problem, and its what I expect from any stereo output. If i wanted higher quality, I think I'd just get a fire wire adapter or something like it.
 
ophidean said:
This thread is really funny... all those doubters of a MBP's sound do me a favor. Next time you go to a concert, take a gander to the sound board area (usually center stage back of the house area) and look around. I guarantee you will see multiple :apple: symbles glowing in the dark.
If your expecting your RCA jack on the MBP to make your room sound like Abbey Road Studios I suggest you do some serious research into sound engineering and buy some really nice digital equipment.
Click to expand...

Ok .. well i see you know more about what's going on with my problem then i do.

No one said they were expecting anything amazing.. What i'm getting i can't stand to even listen to. I don't care about what's going on at some concert... I care about what's going on right here in this room and what's going on is terrible audio quality. I played a tape though an old sony walkman and it sounded better then the mbp through the exact same RCA cables.. hmmm ..
 
Maybe make sure that the speakers are powered and aren't being amplified by the laptop itself. That's why it may sound bad.
 
I talked with apple care today and we did some tests. He could even hear the difference of sound quality between my cd player and my macbook pro over the phone. there is defenately something wrong with my soundcard. It is not in the software he says. there are somethings in "soundpreferences that aren't there who should be. the macbook pro is not putting out the full frequency range it should be. He advised me to take it to an authorized apple reseller.
 
ophidean said:
This thread is really funny... all those doubters of a MBP's sound do me a favor. Next time you go to a concert, take a gander to the sound board area (usually center stage back of the house area) and look around. I guarantee you will see multiple :apple: symbles glowing in the dark.
Click to expand...

Yes, however they're not going to be using the on board sound chip, they'll be using outboard equipment. I can make my 3 year old cobbled together franken-Compaq sound just as good as my SR MBP (which should arrive this week or next :)) by hooking them up to the same audio interface. The only difference is how many tracks and effects the MBP can run VS the franken-Compaq.
 
Teej guy said:
Yes, however they're not going to be using the on board sound chip, they'll be using outboard equipment. I can make my 3 year old cobbled together franken-Compaq sound just as good as my SR MBP (which should arrive this week or next :)) by hooking them up to the same audio interface. The only difference is how many tracks and effects the faster one can run VS the older one.
Click to expand...
If you use your headphone jack to power a sound system, you should expect problems. USB interfaces for music are as cheap as $50, less than cheap headphones. Use the right tools for the job!! The only difference between the Macs that amateurs use and the ones professionals use is the operator!
 
megfilmworks said:
If you use your headphone jack to power a sound system, you should expect problems. USB interfaces for music are as cheap as $50, less than cheap headphones. Use the right tools for the job!!
Click to expand...

Exactly my point. I've got an M-Audio Firewire 410, and while not the most extravagant audio interface out there, it does what I need it to do, and sounds fantastic for the price.

megfilmworks said:
The only difference between the Macs that amateurs use and the ones professionals use is the operator!
Click to expand...

...and the stuff it's plugged into ;)
 
beestigbeestje said:
I've just purchased a new sr macbook pro 2.4 ghz. when i plug the macbook pro to external speakers, the quality is really bad, no bass, just high tones. I allready checked the equalizer in Itunes and I turned the bass all the way up, but the sound was still horrible...

When I connect my macbook pro to a tv (via dvi to video adaptor) The sound of the external speakers goes even worse. The adapter causes like a weird tone in the bass...

does anyone know how to fix this?
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no idea, but seriously I don't think it was ever made for what your trying to do. I mean it's a book dude, running on low power. big sound requires power. And a pre amp wont cut it. But that's just my opinion.
 
squeeks said:
its not that, all of the files are MP3s ripped at 224kbbs

my ipod sounds wonderful, but the output on this mbp is horrible

its using the same 1/8" to RCA cable as i use for my ipod so i know its not the cable or connection, it has to be the notebook
Click to expand...

I would run it to applecare. I don't think you should be having this issue at all. While most audio generally sounds pretty poor coming from the computer itself, I haven't noticed any (relatively none anyhow) degradation of sound quality coming from speakers. Surely not the weird sounds you are hearing.
 
Sorry to bump a 3 years old thread, but I thought it was much better than creating a new one. I had the same problem as the OP, ever since I bought my MBP a month ago, the sound of the speakers connected to the computer was horrible, whereas when they were connected to the iPod or even my old laptop, the sound was as good as it should be.

Turns out, by default in iTunes, the Equalizer was set to ON and the option selected was Flat :confused: I could never understand how that particular option was set, but I have never messed with the Equalizer ever since I bought the MBP. Anyway I turned it off now, and the sound is all good :D

Just thought of letting everybody know, maybe someone had the same problem as I did.
 
I thought 'flat' was just the same as turning it off? But evidently not? :confused:

Huh, I just checked, and the Windows version of iTunes defaults to it on too. I just unchecked it on the off chance it's using CPU time to alter it...back to where it started...or something :D
 
darkredbbb said:
Sorry to bump a 3 years old thread, but I thought it was much better than creating a new one. I had the same problem as the OP, ever since I bought my MBP a month ago, the sound of the speakers connected to the computer was horrible, whereas when they were connected to the iPod or even my old laptop, the sound was as good as it should be.

Turns out, by default in iTunes, the Equalizer was set to ON and the option selected was Flat :confused: I could never understand how that particular option was set, but I have never messed with the Equalizer ever since I bought the MBP. Anyway I turned it off now, and the sound is all good :D

Just thought of letting everybody know, maybe someone had the same problem as I did.
Click to expand...

ah thanks for this, just turned equalizer off and all is good
 
Big + for this poster :D i use the optical out on my macbook 5,1 and dont have any issue going into my sony amp...

i never use headphone on the mac - dont see the point :p




megfilmworks said:
I think posters on both sides are missing the big point. Computers have no sound quality, they are neutral. They only record, edit, manipulate and store these digital audio files. Sound quality is about converting digital to audio and playing it back.
As far as the Mac not having the ability to compete with a $20,000 sound system; I appreciate the posters loyalty, but the Mac actually keeps company in much higher cirlcles than that. Walk on any mix stage in the world, surrounded by millions of dollars in audio/visual equipment and the heart of all these systems? Racks of Macs!! Recording, editing and processing all the sound you hear every day. Wake up people. If your Mac is not living up to expectations there are only two reasonable possibilities. 1) It is broken or
2) you are never going to be a sound engineer.
Click to expand...
 
DarkVinda said:
Big + for this poster :D i use the optical out on my macbook 5,1 and dont have any issue going into my sony amp...

i never use headphone on the mac - dont see the point :p
Click to expand...

Ok where are those optical out? All I can find are the standard jacks....
 
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