Loose Connection Headphone Jack MacBook

Hi, I got my unibody MacBook for christmas and it too is faulty. Such a pain in the *** when you're watching a movie at night, you just happen to breathe on the headphone jack and the audio comes BLARING in all it's tinny glory out of the built in speakers. Woke up my girlfriend more than once by doing that.

I can't think of a fix that wouldn't require a recall of the product, which is an annoyance to say the least as I am now using the MacBook as my main computer.

I'll try ringing support tomorrow and see what they say.

Hi everyone

I got problems with the loose headphone jack on the new unibody Macbook.
Apfelsosse, in several of your post you talked about the TOSLink 3.5mm, is that a fix for the time being? If it is can you recommend some products that I can get for my MacBook? I am not a big audio guy so I don't quite understand what you've posted. Is it an adapter? Thanks

Hi,

I'm having the same problem after one month of careful use of my macbook. When using standard audio jacks, like my ipod earphones, the problem occurs. But I've got one audio jack, it's in metal and quite old I think, that plugs in stronger. It must be slightly bigger than the standard, but I can still feel it sticks in awkward.

I will visit an apple reseller after my exams, hopefully they can help.

Has anyone had any recent contact with apple support about this problem?

i am experiencing all the problems above but in addition i am also experiencing something unusual with the audio jack. whenever i twist the audio jack the last song i was playing on itunes plays or pauses. this is really strange. i dont understand how can an audio jack control itunes. i can make youtube video if anyone wanted to see want i mean. has anyone had this same problem?

One thing I notice is that my iPhone 3g headset works fine. What I am thinking is that since the plug has integrated stereo l/r and mic, there are 3 plastic bands around the metal plug, thus creating 4 metal sections. Most jack tips only have 2 plastic bands... The fact that the headphone jack on the new MacBook is integrated mic as well, is what I feel the problem might be...

I'm having this problem too. I haven't contacted Apple. All of my earphones seem to work if I push in tight. But the slightest pull on the earphones will send sound back to the speakers.

Really upsetting. But it sounds like everyone has this problem, so why get it replaced. It just seems a like a really small, ridiculous but still infuriating flaw.

I'm having this issue as well. I own the late 2008 Macbook (unibody), 2.4GHz.
However, my headphones don't seem to have the issue nearly as bad as reported here. I can wiggle them some, twist the jack, and it doesn't cut out- only when I initially plug in the headphones do I have to wiggle them a bit to find the "sweet spot". After that, usually they behave.
My headphones are Behringer HPX4000's. 35$, so they're not the greatest quality headphone, but they seem to be working well in my Macbook's jack.

Hi Guys,

I've just contacted Apple support about this issue and made them aware of this topic on the forums. The support guy then said it was a known issue and that he would have to talk to his Level 2 Agent to see what to do about it.

He then said that I would have to take it to an Apple Store or repair center to see what to do about it. Unfortunately the nearest store to me is a good couple hours away so I guess I'll have to wait till next weekend to tell you guys what they're gonna do about it. If they say they want to replace it then I'll probably refuse - I don't want to be without a laptop for a while and then find out it's got exactly the same issue!

Same problem. Definitely seems like a design flaw. The slightest movement of any 3.5mm connection (including my Sennheiser HD 595s) will make the sound cut out and revert to the internal speakers. As others have stressed, it really is the slightest movement. Note: using an optical cable in the same jack works a bit better, but most headphones use 3.5mm 😟

I'm very disappointed. I use headphones constantly, but I'm not sure if it's worth the hassle of trying to get my money back. This will be the first thing I check if I ever intend to buy another Mac.

I took my AluBook with this problem up to my nearest Apple store at the weekend (a £9 return train fair) and after a little demonstration and persuasion for the genius, managed to get it sent to repair. The problem was that he tested it with iPhone headphones, which seem to work just fine. I had him try my headphones and he tried to convince me i needed new ones. One of the other geniuses suggested trying some of the Bose ones in store. He did so and proved my problem. He ran around the shop floor and found it in the three other MacBooks he tried.

But now I'm without my MacBook for 6 days and will have spent £18 on train fairs by the time I get it back to my house! All this trouble to have a manufacturing error fixed! I'm not happy.
Would a formal complaint have any impact?

I'll get back to you guys with news of the repair when I get it.

KillingMusic

I finally received my Apple "in ear headphones with mic". THey are really good headphones, AND THEY WORK WITH THE MACBOOK!!!!!!!!!!

The connection is secure!! The reason it is secure, I'm pretty sure, is because it has integrated mic, therefore having 3 white collar rings around the male end of the plug. Because the female input socket is designed for plugs with integrated mics, the locking mechanism is aligned for plugs with 3 rings, separated by the correct amount of spacing. If you look at generic headphone jacks (male end), you will see 2 plastic rings. They don't align with the female port on the computer, and therefore don't lock in place.

The iPhone headphones work as well, as they have the same 3-ring configuration...

Maybe Apple could send owners of the MacBook a free set of in ear headphones with mic to solve the problem..?? They sell for about $90.00 canadian.

I suppose this still doesn't solve the problem of using a MacBook with external speakers, but it does give us all a better idea as to why this is occurring...

Onward and upward!!

Same problem here: bought a new aluminum macbook a few days ago, came home and plugged in my Bose speakers and barely nudged the macbook and the audio switched to the internal speakers. Highly annoying, but it would appear there's nothing to be done except buy an adaptor?

I'm on my 2nd macbook. Same issue. First time I've ever bought a Mac. What a bloody stress. Is there an adaptor to fix this or do I return it yet again and spend yet another afternoon re-installing ??

Have any press picked up on this yet - it seems like it's quite a serious problem... If the headphone jack is knackered, I think it's part of the motherboard, so huge expense for Apple to do a recall and replace X thousand motherboards...

I've dealt with executive relations. They've passed the issue to the high level engineering department. Eng. told me it was within specifications, and that was that.

I actually emailed Steve Jobs, and he responded. He told me I was wrong, literally.

Good luck!