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SR MBP Static Issue: The Problem, Some Facts, and a $14 Fix

Fyi

Just a FYI. I have a MBP SR 2.6Ghz. I just got my Shure E530's today and plugged them into my mac. I was a little sad to hear a hiss with them and stumbled upon this thread.

So, just so you know, this problem still exists in the new MBP's.
 
i just got my Shure SCL2 (e2c), and this is the first time since i got my MBP (in october), that i've used the headphones jack. the hiss is really bad... it sometimes seems to appear randomly, and go away sometimes (though not usually when listening to music). there is also that high pitched tone... its just a straight sine tone. so weird.

these earphones have an impedance of 16 ohms... very low.


is it possible for there to be some sort of software fix for this, or no?
 
finally got my $15 fix, and it works like a charm. absolutely no hiss. man, everything sounds so much better... it's like i got new earphones.
 
I'm planning on using the Sennheiser 595 on my MPB, I think they've got 50 ohms. Does that mean that I most likely won't have the problems you've described or em I on the edge?
 
omg i noticed this hiss when i was using my skullcandy earphones...

i mean i haven't really used earphones a lot with my mbp so it guess it's not that big of a deal yet but it kinda sucks knowing it's a problem that really shouldn't have been there in the beginning.
 
I've had this as well with a pair of earbuds....Initially I just thought it was apart of the design, until I read this months back. Another solution beyond this would be to use a USB headset or sound card to get around this. That could cost more than just using what was mentioned in the initial post.

P.S: I also have this problem...
 
Can anybody who has a new MBP (penryn) check to see if this is still a problem?
 
That first post is rubbish, it does not happen on ALL Santa Rosa MBP's.

I have one, with some Bose companion 3's and turned up fully with nothing playing you can hear no static at all.
 
Caris said:
That first post is rubbish, it does not happen on ALL Santa Rosa MBP's.

I have one, with some Bose companion 3's and turned up fully with nothing playing you can hear no static at all.
Click to expand...

Aren't Bose Companion 3's desktop speakers? You know how high the impedence on speakers are?:rolleyes:
 
The funny part is that the hissing is also really bad with the apple in-ear headphones ... I already got my whole motherboard and mbp replaced twice and nothing helped. Any suggestions what in-ear headphones to buy?
 
Keiichi said:
The funny part is that the hissing is also really bad with the apple in-ear headphones ... I already got my whole motherboard and mbp replaced twice and nothing helped. Any suggestions what in-ear headphones to buy?
Click to expand...

I don't know what your budget is, but anything from Shure is pretty good. I think the Bose ones are rubbish. The best of the E500/SE530. If you have the money, the UE Pro 9, 10, 11 are nice, but they are reference headphones and lack a bit bass boost.
 
alphaod said:
I don't know what your budget is, but anything from Shure is pretty good. I think the Bose ones are rubbish. The best of the E500/SE530. If you have the money, the UE Pro 9, 10, 11 are nice, but they are reference headphones and lack a bit bass boost.
Click to expand...

The impedance on these is rated at 36 ohms at 1 kHz. In general, how high should the impedance be so I won't hear the hissing and high pitching noises produces by my mbp? Just want to be sure before I buy new earphones. I don't want to use my impedance-boosting workaround again ...
 
Keiichi said:
The funny part is that the hissing is also really bad with the apple in-ear headphones ... I already got my whole motherboard and mbp replaced twice and nothing helped. Any suggestions what in-ear headphones to buy?
Click to expand...

the Shure SCL2 are very good. they are the basic model in the professional category. i got them online for about $50. a lot of my friends in the professional audio business use them. they have by far produced the best sound i've ever heard, with rich and full bass and a very clear sound. there is better earphones, but i don't think they are necessary.
 
I have noticed that it happens on my new MBP, I have Bose on-ear headphones so I can hear them quite well. However, I don't really want something hang off my laptop like that $14 fix. Oh well...
 
I know this isn't a really good fix (more of a work around) but I had the same problem when I'd watch movies from my MBP w/ the sound running through a Technics Tuner to KEF Q series speakers.

I would get awful - just awful - static to the point where I couldn't stand to listen to music or watch videos with my favorite audio setup.

One day I noticed that if the computer had lots of processes open it wouldn't hiss.

So I downloaded 'Folding@Home' and run it whenever I want to listen to music/watch a movie (it doesn't remove the hiss right away.. give it a couple minutes) and I've never had a hiss since..

Just my solution.. it works for me.. but I wish I didn't have the problem in the first place
 
You are the kind of person that makes the internet so durned useful!

The Fix
The fix is actually surprisingly easy: all you need to do is increase the impedance of your headphones! To do this, you'll need to either buy or make an adapter. I chose to buy one, the Shure Level Attenuator Volume Control EA650. Cheapest I could find it was from some guy on eBay. Shure makes good quality products, and at $14 shipped it's not that expensive. It connects between your computer and your headphones, and only a quarter turn on the volume knob eliminated the hiss and static for me.
Click to expand...

:D:D:D

You are a genius! I realized I had the EA-650 sitting unused in a box, plugged it in, and TADAA, problem fixed!!! Thanks so much for taking all the time to write that detailed post!
 
would a simple belkin headphone splitter make the fix too or do i need that volume control thing? thank!
or this thin cable by Griffin SmartShare Headphone Splitter with Individual Volume Control?
 
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