Q: MacBook Air no audio output device found ???????? *please 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.

It is my turn at the Genius Bar tomorrow night. I'll post approach, outcome and price for the benefit of others.

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.

I'd be reluctant to assume that there has been a policy change. Instead, I think I may have been the beneficiary of local kindness because it had taken a while for a small job and it was Christmas.

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?

I have the same issue No sound + flash video (like youtube) stops every 10 seconds
Next week will take it to apple store Lets see what they say