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Do you detect distortion issues when listening to the linked performance at maximum volume?


  • Total voters
    8

windows_to_mac

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 13, 2021
1
1
Hello, all,

I just purchased my first Mac last week and noticed immediately from day one that the speakers buzz when playing certain types of music at high volumes. I visited the Genius Bar last night, and the tech was surprised to hear about my issue. We tested the display models at the store, and they all had similar issues, including the MacBook Pros.

Needless to say, I was expecting much better from such an expensive machine. I've made a high-quality recording made with very fine small diaphragm condenser microphones illustrating my problem: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Jt70R5DW77x6KY2o2fjJXfqn6GtrIsKK/view?usp=sharing

In the recording, I was listening to Jean-Efflam Bavouzet's performance of "Claire de Lune": Suite bergamasque, L. 75: III. Clair de lune. The problem obviously occurs on other recordings, particularly piano.

Could any kindhearted MacBook Air users out there listen to the recording at high volume and tell me if they notice similar issues? I am still within my exchange/refund period.

Thank you so much.
 
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Apple_Robert

Contributor
Sep 21, 2012
35,625
52,385
In a van down by the river
I am listening to the music and I am not hearing any distortion. However, the piano sound is tinny (like the treble has been turned up way too much and is overcompensating) and you don't hear the notes as they should sound.
 

TOnMac

macrumors newbie
Aug 29, 2021
3
0
Yes, I experience the distortion too (Macbook Air M1). Eg. 0:48m onwards in the piano piece you linked to. It first grabbed my attention also on tracks with piano lead.

Actually, the distortion seems to originate not from the speaker units a such but rather from outer left / right keys on the keyboard. If i listen to the same snippets of audio with my hands laying on the outer most keys the distortion is mostly gone. Seems to be a general hardware design flaw in these machines.

I will try and see if any smart EQ settings can alleviate the issue to some degree ?
 

PaladinGuy

macrumors 68000
Sep 22, 2014
1,696
1,096
This is a design issue. I already had my speakers replaced because the Apple store thought they were defective. Still exhibits the same behavior. I’m almost positive it’s because the keys are looser on the Airs than they are on the Pros. I never had this issue with the M1 MBP that I started off with or my 2019 MBP.
 
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TOnMac

macrumors newbie
Aug 29, 2021
3
0
This is a design issue. I already had my speakers replaced because the Apple store thought they were defective. Still exhibits the same behavior. I’m almost positive it’s because the keys are looser on the Airs than they are on the Pros. I never had this issue with the M1 MBP that I started off with or my 2019 MBP.
Ah, that's interesting.
 

bringitbacbookair

macrumors newbie
Oct 11, 2021
1
0
I just noticed this today while playing some Youtube videos. At first I thought it was the video but then I checked out a couple more and was able to reproduce the distortion. Now I hear it in all kinds of videos, even speech only. Interestingly, the noise I get from your links is different and sounds more like actual audio distortion as opposed to the "vibrating keys" sound I noticed today (which seems to only occur on the right side). If I put something on the keyboard sometimes it seems to get better but it's not really reliable.

has anyone returned their macbook because of this?
 

KaliYoni

macrumors 68000
Feb 19, 2016
1,791
3,940
Terrible sound on built-in laptop/desktop/phone/tablet speakers, especially at high playback levels, doesn't bother me because I don't expect tiny speakers crammed into ultra thin metal enclosures to produce acceptable output for serious or focused listening.

That's what external speakers and/or headphones are for!
:)
 
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