Macbook Pro 13" 2020 audio feedback problem

Question

Macbook Pro 13" 2020 audio feedback problem

I have an issue with my new Macbook Pro 13" 2020, running Catalina 10.15.5.

Every few weeks I experience an audio problem system wide, it occurs in Chrome, watching Youtube videos, Mac mail alerts, Facebook notifications - sounds in any app. It sounds like a distorted audio feedback loop, and the issue will only stop when the computer is restarted. The audio will be distorted and it feedbacks into itself.

Here is a video showing the problem - https://www.dropbox.com/s/a8o39ouxdc7dlk4/Video%2014-7-20%2C%202%2012%2017%20pm.mov?dl=0

Is this a known software issue, or should I take the Macbook to the genius bar?

MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

Posted on Jul 14, 2020 12:08 AM

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Answer 1

Jul 20, 2020 10:36 AM in response to sterling r

Hey thanks for the reply. I can not try to replicate the issue in safe mode or another user, as it is an issue which only occurs every 2 or 3 weeks and disappears on restart.

I just found where the issue is occurring - when I open Activity Monitor and force quit "coreaudiod" the issue goes away without even needing a restart. Does this indicate what is causing the issue or how to fix it? Does this confirm it is a software issue?

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Answer 2

sterling r

Community Specialist

Jul 17, 2020 9:35 AM in response to okdokdokdokdokd

Hello okdokdokdokdokd,

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.

It appears that you are getting an intermittent audio issue when the audio becomes distorted. The first thing to try is to create a new user and test the issue there. You can also try testing in safe mode. The following support articles will guide you through these steps.

How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac - Apple Support

How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support

If the issue continues to occur on another user and in safe mode, you can then reinstall macOS to eliminate that as the issue and isolate to hardware. You will want to make sure you have a current backup of your data prior to the install, just in case.

How to reinstall macOS from macOS Recovery - Apple Support

How to back up your Mac

Best regards.

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Answer 3

brenden dv

Community Specialist

Jul 22, 2020 3:02 PM in response to okdokdokdokdokd

okdokdokdokdokd,

If you have any peripheral devices connected, you may want to disconnect them from your Mac, then test if the issue still occurs. You may also want to try to reset the NVRAM on your Mac:

Reset NVRAM or PRAM on your Mac

If your Mac was connected to an audio device specifically when this was occurring, be sure to also check with the manufactuer for any firmware or software updates that may be required in order to maintain compatibility with macOS 10.15.4. If you're still experiencing the issue after, I'd like to have you take a look to see if there are any third-party Audio Units plug-ins installed on your Mac:

Where are third-party Audio Units plug-ins installed on Mac? - Apple Support

If the issue continues and you are unable to isolate it further, you can contact Apple Support for more direct assistance.

Cheers.

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Macbook Pro 13" 2020 audio feedback problem

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