MacBook Air no audio output device found ???????? *please help*

Dude, I understand you are upset, but I highly doubt that Apple is charging you $1,000. Are you talking about an Apple authorized service provider or about Apple care/ Apple store?
Apple's FLAT RATE to fix ANY MBA issue is $280 + tax that includes logic board issues. I should know, b/c I had the same problem and that's what I paid for the flat rate. That price includes a full system check and repair of any other issues they find (they fixed a couple of more things that I wasn't even aware of).
An Apple authorized service provider can charge up to $1,000 to change the logic board (found that out when I made a couple of calls in the past).
Besides that, the issue here is the infamous flex cable and not the logic board.

I suggest you call Apple Care (again) and talk to a different person if you don't live close to an Apple Store.

This is a little off topic, but at hearing the mention of Apple now = the new Sony I just had to comment. Almost 10 years ago I bought a Sony Clie pda in Japan, it was so rock solid, no system crash, no hardware crash for eight years; it was made in Japan. Then years later, I bought a Sony CD-changer, made somewhere else - two months later it needed repair. For Apple, I remember my first Macs, systems always froze or had conflicts, but hardware - NEVER had anything break.

NOW, I buy a top-end MBA, and it acts like a Radio Shack radio-control car, bits breaking off as I use it. I share mojotiger's disappointment. I'm just about as happy with my new $250 netbook as my MBA with it's broken hinge, frazzled flex cable, maxed out hard-drive and now glitchy Snow Leopard OS.

Well, mine is fixed
Went to the Apple store in Seattle and they replaced the cable and some board
I had some issues but have to say I am very happy with the Apple Genius.
The issue involves my living in Mexico and wanting to get it fixed at a US store
When I planned the trip to Seattle I got an appointment and called the store to try to get them to be sure they had the parts. They said they couldn't order parts without the laptop in their hand which I find a little odd? I knew what parts were needed after reading these posts but, no dice
Anyway I went and sure enough there was no part in the store. The Genius spent a lot of time. Called all the stores in the Seattle area and then branched out to San Francisco, Portland, Phoenix and even Atlanta. No one had the part in stock. Called the independent mac store and they didn't have it either.
I had 2 days before I left and had to have a fast resolution. I suggested they take the parts out of a new macbook air but, the newer model has a different cable (when I suggested that it was changed due to recognition of a serious problem, they, of course, denied that) My air is just one model younger then what is currently sold. Barely one year old.
Anyway, one fo the managers finally found a model like mine in the store, pirated the part and it was installed and working in 45 minutes.
Also interesting is that I suggested that sense they were breaking into the box, that they might as well replace the batter at my cost since I knew that would be next but, they didn't have that part in stock either. That does not seem reasonable to me. If we're going to have laptops with batteries we can't change, they need to maintain inventory. How many spare batteries do you think they have for the older models that can be changed out by us????
I love Apple and I'm usually very pleased with the service I get and this is no exception but
IF APPLE IS MONITORING THESE POSTS, I have a suggestion
When someone is flying 2500+ miles to make an appointment for repair, it wouldn't hurt to pay attention and order a part so that it's there on arrival. There is apparently no way to do that. I would gladly pay for the part in advance and if it turns out to be a warranty deal they can give me a credit. But, if these guys hadn't been creative and frankly relentless in finding a solution, I could easily have flown home without a fix. I know Apple is never (seldom) going to admit there is a problem but, the fact that the part was not in inventory in virtually the entire Western US, seems to me to indicate that someone has been using up all the inventory? And no MacBook Air batteries in stock? Are you kidding me?
Anyway, thanks to the Seattle University Mall store for their help.

Just happened to me. If I restart the audio comes back but then it randomly loses the audio hardware and the loudspeaker icon is greyed out. Will try taking it to Apple Store here in Liverpool see what they can do.

The 'genius' told me, "this is not a common problem but I've seen it before", pointing to problems with the sound card or the cable. Cost will be up to GBP60 (USD98) and will take up to four weeks (!!) because there is a local repair backlog.

I appreciate the reports in-the-field on repair from Javier and RHA in London. I'd have to get on a plane to get to a Apple service center and it seems pretty crazy, for sure they won't have parts, and a "backlog" on repairs. What a hoot.

I think the "answer" to this thread is that it's a MBA defect that's just waiting to explode on a huge percentage of us. By defect I mean a part-failure that can be expected within 2-3 years.

Those of us recently upgrading to Snow just by chance, "ran out of time," on this defect when we were upgrading. Pretty hity that Apple just doesn't do a recall and offer repairs and free mail/delivery.

Same for my broken MBA hinge.

I'm not buying another Apple product for a long time, it's gone the way of Sony. I'm sitting here posting this on a $200 netbook and watching an HD movie pulled off the net in real-time over wi-fi. I got a solid hinge, and stereo sound. Game changer.

Just to add one more to the count. Just had my cable replaced: $105 labor + parts. Still cheaper than Applecare at this point. It's the next repair that's the problem.

This is clearly a manufacturing defect at this point, but it's outside of warranty for everyone, so I don't see why Apple would ever do a recall or anything, it's not going to hurt you.

<Edited by Host>

{quote:title=Luke Dalessandro wrote:}
Just to add one more to the count. Just had my cable replaced: $105 labor + parts. Still cheaper than Applecare at this point. It's the next repair that's the problem.{quote}

Woops, $105 included parts.

I too lost my audio function back in October. Took my computer in to see a "genius" and was told that my internal speaker system went out and it would cost around $300 to get it fixed through Apple... not happening. After reading the long list of issues with this part in the MacBook Air, I wonder when they will replace it without charging??? This is clearly not an isolated, uncommon issue.

Had exactly the same problem, no sound and the airport was also not working all the time.
I read this thread and tried a number of things but no luck, so i took it in.
Have been told i need a new logic board ($979) plus labour so total $1117. The computer is JUST out of warranty. I am not happy, do i throw away $1100 and solve this problem or do i recognise that this is probably a substandard product (the "air") that will give me grief again - and "upgrade" to a macbook Pro?
I do not like rewarding apple for a dodgy product by buying another!!?!

Except for you airport issue, most others have been able to fix the audio problem with just the cable replacement. You might try another Apple store, maybe the one you went to was just giving an "Executive" repair estimate that is really just overkill.

Unexpectedly, I was called by the Apple Store this afternoon to collect my MBA from repair (around three weeks earlier than forecast). Very friendlily, they had replaced the flex cable (which seems to have fixed the problem) and charged me only for the part (around USD10), with good wishes for Christmas. I am very pleased with Apple today!

Thanks for sharing that information with us. I assume an AppleStore in the UK called you. I wonder, if Apple USA changed its policy, too. Has anyone already called Apple Care or as a Genius? I wonder, if those of us, who already paid fora full blown repair will get a reimbursement like a couple of years ago with the iBook logic board issue.

Happend to my Air a couple of days ago. Followed some of the advice on here - booted into safe mode then did the PRAM re-start and the sound came back. It's gone again today and no amount of re-starting is helping so it's off to the apple store this afternoon for me. Annoying thing is I was in the middle of watching an itunes rental and it's about to expire - what's my chances of getting my money back on that?! 🙂 dream on!!

I have had this problem occur 4 times now since I bought my macbook air about 6 months ago. I had a Rev A Macbook Air 1.6 Ghz 80 GB that I bought refurbished from the apple store. It first had a bad logic board that caused the mouse and keyboard to stop working. Apple repaired it. Then 3 times the audio output device disappeared. The first time, Apple replaced the flex audio cable. The second time they replaced the flex audio cable and the sound board. The third time the audio device disappeared they replaced it with a Rev C Macbook Air 1.86 Ghz 120 GB hard drive. I am happy to receive a better computer, but the audio device disappeared last week and I'm sending it in to have it serviced. Is this going to be a re-occurring problem for MacBook Air owners?