Headphone noise / static / pops / digital squeaks

hello,

thank you very much for posting this it is very helpful!

regards,

polisciguy

An update to this: I am a technical journalist covering another issue with the latest MacBook Pros -- graphics corruption. My own MacBook Pro is affected by the problem, as well as the weird pops/squeeks/R2D2 noises from the audio port.

Like everyone else I have been waiting for a solution to the issue from Apple.

I now strongly suspect that the issue is hardware related, because after contacting Apple's media relations department I was asked to bring my MacBook Pro into the Apple Store Sydney for repair and lent a loan-pool MacBook Pro. The loan MacBook Pro does not have the problem at all... neither the scrolling graphics corruption nor the flickering/flashing animation/video problem, nor the audio output weirdness.

The notebook they've lent me is almost exactly the same config as the one I had problems with too -- a 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo with the 512MB NVIDIA 8600M GT graphics chip. The only difference with theirs is it only has 2GB of RAM, whereas I had mine upgraded to 4GB.

The fact that theirs doesn't have the graphics problems or the audio problems suggests to me that a hardware fix IS needed. When I get my own MacBook Pro back from Apple Sydney (hopefully they'll have replaced the logic board) I'll report back on whether the issue was resolved.

I appreciated reading the latest post on this issue. It is comforting to know there are growing numbers experiencing this problem.

Thanks for posting this. After 10 months of using my MBP I thought this state was normal, but obviously it is not. Also the volume range seems to high with my Earbuds on.

Got my MacBook Pro back from Apple Store Sydney today. They replaced the logic board and also the keyboard (to resolve another problem it had with the keyboard backlights flashing on and off constantly.)

With the new logic board, the audio output weirdness IS NOT PRESENT. The sound is as you would expect -- very slight background hiss when the audio chip is active, but nowhere near the loud hiss that was present on the original logic board. The digital squeeks/squeels and R2D2 noises are not present either.

I tested with low impedence headphones (iPhone headphones) to make sure the headphones weren't masking the output problems.

Now here's the weird part: Apple Store Sydney consulted with Apple Engineering in the US and were told that there was no software or hardware resolution for the problem I brought the notebook in for (on screen graphics corruption). However, they replaced the logic board as a courtesy as they could see the graphics corruption problem themselves onscreen and it appears to have resolved the problem. I haven't seen it yet.

I actually didn't report the audio problem to them because I'd forgotten about it and the graphics problem was much more significant to me, but I was interested that Apple Store Sydney was given the same line about the graphics (no resolution possible) and then a logic board swap fixed it (AND fixed the audio problems) I'm suspicious...

The receipt said if I'd had to pay for it, it would have cost $AUD1925 which is the bulk of the cost of a new MacBook Pro... so I'm not really surprised that Apple is hesitant to do logic board swapovers en-masse. I would guess that behind the scenes they are trying to get component suppliers to foot the bill.

Anyway, I'm happy that my MBP was repaired to the standard I would have expected to receive the machine in when I bought it. If they couldn't have fixed it, I would have returned it for a refund.

Message was edited by: Daniel Warne

Wow. This is weird.

Maybe Apple is saying that it's unfixable by replacing hardware because it would be too expensive for them...

Also still struggling with the same problem, a brand new macbook, about two weeks old.

I had this issue solved a few days ago at the applestore.. apparently all the drivers didn't install off the cd the first time i did it, so by just reinstalling the leopard cd the problem was fixed... until i dled the bootcamp update 2.1.0 and the problem is back and stubborn as ever

Gosh, it's getting as bad as Windows PCs. Oh for the days of the latest version of Mac OS including drivers for all the hardware Apple has shipped in the past...

I just got a new MBP and discovered this problem. R2D2 noises and static. I got the computer for professionsal audio and video work and I cant believe something like this would get through apple's testing. i guess they dont do any. Is there still no fix to this? what are our options? this is unacceptable for such an expensive machine.

I have this EXACT same problem... check my thread about "kind of a picky thing but"

I'm taking it to the Apple store tmrw- genius appointment.

I also have the same problem. It has that same static sound as when you turn the sound up on a Windows PC really high without anything playing. The output for me with my headphones is loud, though with my speakers seems quite quiet. The R2D2 sounds for me only occur when any of the volume buttons are pressed (I don't know if other users experience issues with other areas of the keyboard?). This would suggest to me that (along with our Australian friends experience) that it is hardware. I do hope Apple rectify the situation soon.

anyone know if this problem affects regular macbooks as well?