Macbook Pro Speakers are built wrong

im having the same problem.....***......but i noticed when i plug in a speaker set the sound is way better and louder...than a reg PC

Just got a new 17" and noticed the problem right away. I don't think anyone is looking for great sound comming out of a laptop but the audio on the mbp is prety useless. (I used to have a Toshiba that had realy good sound) I would rather have bad sounding stereo than whatever you call this. I wonder if you can disconnect the sub?

I have a new Macbook Pro 15", and noticed a definite lack of balance in the internal speakers compared to using external or headphones. Sound seemed to come more from the right speaker, even when adjusting the balance slider to the left.

I took it into the Apple Store and was told it was "within tolerances". It was due, apparently, to the placement of the subwoofer on the right hand side. ("They all do that sir.") I tried out 3 of the demo 15" machines in the store and sure enough, every one of them had more sound coming from the right.

It's definitely a design fault. What's astonishing is that it would seem to be one that hasn't been fixed in 3 years.

Personally I think it doesn't bother me too much overall as I use a pair of studio monitors and a subwoofer for my studio work, however when out and about there is slightly more right bias but to me it sounds pretty good, for a set of laptop speakers the macbook pro 17 I have is certainly better than most other laptops, least it comes with a subwoofer , very little laptops if any have one meaning they sound tinny, the macbook sounds quite full with midrange / high / bass rather than tinny high end, design fault or not, I like the stock configuration.

Just remember how you sit with your laptop will obviously change your perception of sound as well as the angle of it from your ears, but to say the sound is crappy on the macbook pro 17 is just silly, go and demo a few other laptops with the exception of the HP Dr Dre Beats laptops built for good sound, the macbook is a far cry ahead...

Wear a pair of headphones / get a speaker system if you want optimum sound, but as it stands with all kinds of music I love my macbook, each to their own I guess.

-Shawn

see this...

I had the same hunt until this came out (because so many people called in I guess).

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3336

Okay, so the audio ***** and Apple hasn't fixed the issue on this high dollar laptop. It's shameful! Question now is "What can we as users do about it?" Are there any tools out on the web that can control the subwoofer sound so we can balance it?

I just bought my MBP 15" with Lion installed and immediately noticed the problem. And THIS IS A PROBLEM APPLE! All the talk about using headphones and external speakers is moot. The computer itself should be able to stand on its own without the aid of external devices. Moving the slider bar on the prefs doesn't work so is there software out on the web that can control the subwoofer?

Geez, this is really frustrating! And to think Apple's stock is up there with Exxon...

I'm really considering returning this laptop. Thing is, is there a laptop that Apple makes that doesn't have this problem? I mean, do all of them have this internal speaker configuration?

It seems to me that the sound is well balanced when the subwoofer isn't on...so the issue now becomes whether or not it should be considered a design flaw that Apple decided to add a subwoofer in the first place. We all bought our macs for quality. I consider it a benefit to quality that they could even fit the subwoofer in the unibody. Furthermore, in order for the subwoofer to serve its purpose (to better distinguish the bass in certain tracks), and to reduce vibration, it has to be placed in close proximity to a speaker. We have two speakers on the Macbook Pro, Apple chose the right speaker.

But, it would be nice if Apple gave us an added preference option to control if the subwoofer was turned on/off and volume of it..

I agree with you! I just bought a MacBook Pro to "upgrade" for managing all my classical music and opera on iTunes. Have to say that my old Toshiba had significantly better sound, in terms of both the fidelity and volume capacity. I would have thought that since Apple invented iTunes, that their laptop would play music well. Obviously the speakers were not designed for playing classical music. My Toshiba came with Harmon Kardon speakers. Unfortunately, I think I'm just going to return my MacBook and get a newer Toshiba, which is actually half the price.

Just noticed this issue have a newer 2011 15 2.2 quad i7, normally wear my Bose headphones which are beautifull but beside the point there is a SIGNIFICANT over-powering from the right speaker(s) as we all know now is due to the sub, but now that if noticed it i absolutely hate the sound of the speakers!!!! Come on Apple when im paying $2500+ out-the-door for a laptop i expect even sound to be the very least of my concern.

you are so wrong about everything almost everything you say. I am a professional composer and have owned and used macs for 20 years. You keep harping on and on about how you shouldn't be listening on these speakers. You obviously don't have a clue. When I am mixing a theme for a show, like ALL engineers and creators, I listen to the mix on many different reference speakers. Small, big, TV, computer. I have a 2006 MBP I check stuff on all the time. This 2010 MBP I just bought (used) IS SO ANNOYING - the out of balance speakers drive me nuts. There is no excuse for this kind of shoddy design. Mac keeps getting worse and worse. I am gonna sell this on ebay. Keep my 2006. Go look at the new ones and see if they fixed the problem. Your harping is almost as annoying as the speaker issue. It never occured to me that Apple would put out a computer with such a major flaw, so it wasn't on my radar to check it out. Now I will google everything. I need to know what other horrible misteps in the name of profit they have made.