Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

My sad apple experience

R

rchip

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 26, 2011
204
17
Hey guys! I'm on my fourth macbook air now in a week, this is/was my first mac too and I was really looking forward to this computer, checking everyday for the refresh!

Basically i ordered the first air online, it had the speaker buzzing issue so I had to send it back. I got a refund on that and purchased a new one at the apple store and the speakers where fine! However after a week the grey line at the bottom of the screen started to bug me so i took it back and swapped for another one which had less of a grey line! yay! Or so I thought, it had the speaker issue the same as the first one. So I took that back and got another one, only a very small grey line and i tested the speakers in the store and they seemed fine, so I was happy! Get it home and the speaker metallic/distortion sound on vocals is there again.

I think I've decided now enough is enough and it's going back to the store and i'm just going to get a refund, I feel exhausted trying to get this sorted!

I do love the air, as a PC user prior to this I love Lion and i'll be buying a mac again very soon. It may be a just buy another air 1 month down the line and hope i get one that's okay, or maybe wait for a pro refresh. Oh well : (
 
Sorry to hear the problems you have had. On a better note I purchased my new MBA 13" and not had any problems so far with it.
 
I'm waiting for my second one. The trackpad was defective on the first unit and since it was a CTO, they had to build a new one and send from China. It's in Kazakhstan now...

By the way, mine has the speaker distortion as well. Sounds like it is the keyboard that's vibrating. Pehaps the backlit keyboard is more prone to this? Either way, I'm not too bothered by that. Can't stand the built-in speakers on high volume anyway. :p
 
Wow, that's too bad. I'm surprised that you had so many with issues. I did have two with logic board issues last year (13" MacBook Airs - one replaced 2 days out, and then another one repaired about three months out because of persistent kernel panics), so it happens, but by and large Apple products have been pretty good (my previous Macs were flawless).

Did you get them from the same store? Was it an Apple store or a reseller? Perhaps they had a bad production run. The internal speakers on the Air aren't the best in the world, but they shouldn't buzz, either. The same with the display.

Anyway, one option may be to wait for the refurbished units to appear online. If last year is any guide, we'll start seeing them around October. The refurbs are thoroughly inspected and in some respects are better than new, though you don't get the nice box. Alternatively, if you wait a month, as you suggest, it will be a different production run and perhaps Apple and Foxconn will have identified and sorted through any manufacturing issues.
 
The sound distortion is produced by this white piece under the return key. It seems that is surrounding the speaker hole. I think it may be solved just by changing it. I have an appointment tomorrow at the Apple Store...

return.png
 
Last edited:
idroid84 said:
Sorry to hear the problems you have had. On a better note I purchased my new MBA 13" and not had any problems so far with it.
Click to expand...

I'm a soon-to-be MBA owner hopefully and I'm stuck in a predicament over screen size. I thought 11" would be fine at first only I started having doubts. I'll be using the MBA as a work machine at university for almost exclusively word processing, researching and browsing. I am infatuated with the Air model only I don't want to buy the 11" and find that I can't bear to work with the screen. What made you go for the 13" over the 11" and what do you think about the 11" now?
 
Jaha527 said:
I'm a soon-to-be MBA owner hopefully and I'm stuck in a predicament over screen size. I thought 11" would be fine at first only I started having doubts. I'll be using the MBA as a work machine at university for almost exclusively word processing, researching and browsing. I am infatuated with the Air model only I don't want to buy the 11" and find that I can't bear to work with the screen. What made you go for the 13" over the 11" and what do you think about the 11" now?
Click to expand...

OS X Lion makes good use of the screen size of the 11in. air because of it's full screen apps. It depends on if you want a portable or mobile laptop. Once you can decide this, there's no question about it. Buy the 11in from the apple store and if you don't like the screen size then return it for the 13in.
 
that sucks mate. happened to me when I got my ip4 when it first came out. on the fourth ip4 a year later
 
don't expect a lot out of the speakers... mine have a problem with tinny distortion as well, however they're normal... it's only with certain sounds... if you test them out at the apple stores and you play the same sounds, you get the same distortion

manufacturing problem really

sound is fine with 99% of everything anyhow... and anything that I need any quality from on the go I bring headphones for
 
Less isnt more

Jaha527 said:
I'm a soon-to-be MBA owner hopefully and I'm stuck in a predicament over screen size. I thought 11" would be fine at first only I started having doubts. I'll be using the MBA as a work machine at university for almost exclusively word processing, researching and browsing. I am infatuated with the Air model only I don't want to buy the 11" and find that I can't bear to work with the screen. What made you go for the 13" over the 11" and what do you think about the 11" now?
Click to expand...

I dont know how serious you are about screen size,but one thing is for sure if you get the 13'' you want say dang i wish i would of had the 11''.Im purchasing a MBA before im back on campus so i played around with both models. 13'' by far is better just saying easier on the eyes!:eek:
 
NoisyCat said:
The sound distortion is produced by this white piece under the return key. It seems that is surrounding the speaker hole. I think it may be solved just by changing it. I have an appointment tomorrow at the Apple Store...

Image
Click to expand...

Hey! Did you go to the apple store to see what they said!?

I miss the mba and I want to buy another one, I'm thinking of going back this week to pick one up again, I just hope I get lucky and get one with an acceptable grey line and none buzzing speakers!
 
OP! I was a windows user like you and I decided to get the MBA as my first Mac. Don't give up and keep trying to get a flawless MBA...It's well worth it! This is the best purchase I've made in years!
 
Sorry that you are having problems and that would piss me off a ton.

I bet that you are going to have a hell of a lot less headaches in the long run compared to a PC
 
rchip said:
Hey! Did you go to the apple store to see what they said!?

I miss the mba and I want to buy another one, I'm thinking of going back this week to pick one up again, I just hope I get lucky and get one with an acceptable grey line and none buzzing speakers!
Click to expand...

At the Genius Bar they confirmed that there was a problem. As I bought it via the Online Apple Store they could not exchange it. So now I'm here waiting for the replacement to arrive. :S
 
rchip said:
Hey guys! I'm on my fourth macbook air now in a week, this is/was my first mac too and I was really looking forward to this computer, checking everyday for the refresh!

Basically i ordered the first air online, it had the speaker buzzing issue so I had to send it back. I got a refund on that and purchased a new one at the apple store and the speakers where fine! However after a week the grey line at the bottom of the screen started to bug me so i took it back and swapped for another one which had less of a grey line! yay! Or so I thought, it had the speaker issue the same as the first one. So I took that back and got another one, only a very small grey line and i tested the speakers in the store and they seemed fine, so I was happy! Get it home and the speaker metallic/distortion sound on vocals is there again.

I think I've decided now enough is enough and it's going back to the store and i'm just going to get a refund, I feel exhausted trying to get this sorted!

I do love the air, as a PC user prior to this I love Lion and i'll be buying a mac again very soon. It may be a just buy another air 1 month down the line and hope i get one that's okay, or maybe wait for a pro refresh. Oh well : (
Click to expand...

Well your not the only one with issues with the MBA you've purchased !!!

I've had four replacement 13" MBAs for a number of reasons now and luckily now have a properly working machine.
 
Hello guys, back again to say I did buy another macbook air and i'm happy with this machine. It has a minimal gradient at the bottom of the screen and the speakers are fine. I did put it full volume on both iTunes and the machine and in certain places did get some kind of weird metalic zinging in places on a song but seeing as I'm never going to use them at that volume I've decided to keep this one and just enjoy it! The guys at the apple store gave me a free incase sleeve as well for the trouble i've had which was a nice touch!
 
NoisyCat said:
At the Genius Bar they confirmed that there was a problem. As I bought it via the Online Apple Store they could not exchange it. So now I'm here waiting for the replacement to arrive. :S
Click to expand...

I thought that the Apple Store would replace a defective machine regardless of where you bought it (authorized resellers, of course). I'm waiting on an MBA from Amazon. This concerns me: if I have a defective machine, is my only recourse to return it to Amazon?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back