Very strange iMac audio issue

[vintagetobes]

Hi, i've got a problem with the audio on my c2d iMac when using external speakers. The speakers are powered monitors.
Basically, when i first play a song or cause some sound to come out of the computer, there is a slight pop before it starts playing. This is fine, but 20 seconds or so after i stop playing a song, there is a really loud pop noise from the speakers. Once this has happened, there is a quiet of squeel from the monitors, the same sound that is heard when the monitors are on and connected but the computer is off. This has only started happening since i re-installed tiger and updated to 10.4.10. There is a big discussion about it on the apple forums from last year but no-one worked out the problem. Apple support were useless as ever, basically just reading all the stuff i have access to anyway.
I hope someone is able to help!
Cheers

Edit: i forgot to say, have done a hardware test and a pram reset.

 

[EHUnlucky7x9@ao]

Some Mac users who were at 10.4.8 and updated to 10.4.9 experienced the "pop" noise from their speakers. It went on for months for those certain users. However, there were people that DIDN'T get the popping noise. Apple went and fixed the popping noise for those who experienced it in 10.4.9.... but in doing so, those who didn't got the popping noise with an upgrade from 10.4.9 to 10.4.10.

I am one of the users who had no problem prior to the update. However, 10.4.10 helped the Mac gain faster USB speeds, which i have noticed. I'm keeping 10.4.10 for the sake of speed as opposed to noise. If you are willing to put up with it, you can keep the 10.4.10 or you can reinstall and try to find the 10.4.9 update. For me, I'll wait for 10.4.11 at the end of summer. It's only a few months of popping....so long as the computer's not locking.

 

[romero]

This popping noise is driving me nuts!

In some other thread someone said, that an imic could solve the issue.
Did anyone succeed in making the noise disappear, please... anyone?

 

[eyebeaz]

Why should we have to spend money to fix one of Apple's mistakes? I hope they fix this problem soon it is quite annoying.

 

[Fleetwood Mac]

We're having the same problem: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/318556/