MacBook Pro 13" with M1 - Volume is way too low

Just jumping in and adding that I also have this issue. Seems the volume has to be almost full blast just to get decent sound. It also seems the M1 MBA we also have is louder at the same level.

Thanks for the update. Please do share your experience with Apple. I for one am waiting for a solution. That 20% approx less volume is driving me nuts.

Stay Safe.

I have a similar issue and have updated the software version to 11.4. Cant see any improvement. Volume always has to be full and sometimes its still not sufficient.

I have the latest version 11.4 Big Sur and it’s still have low volume

Just wanted to chime in. Just like the other poster I'm a musician and I noticed the lack of high frequency in the audio immediately

A top of the line Apple laptop simply can't have this sound quality.

Come on guys, you've done way better in the past....

Let's get this fixed please.

Is it me or did the last update Big Sur 11.5.1 improve the volume a little bit?

Can anyone please comfirm ?

I don't know if this helps - but I've found in the previously relocated items folder (from Catalina, files that are incompatible with Big Sur, I think) an entire folder called 'Audio' and there are a few things in there.

You can find it by going to the following folders in finder:

Users > Shared > Previously relocated items > Configuration > Library > Preferences > Audio

Apologies, I meant if you had done a time machine restore from a macbook pro with Catalina to the m1 macbook running big sur.

No time machine backup from old mac = no previously located items.

Thanks for sharing because this shows that restoring a backup from Catalina isn't the reason why the speaker are rubbish on the M1 macbook pro

Same here. Just received my MBP M1 last week and noticed same thing. You can barely hear anything at 25%. Have to turn way up to get any usable volume out of speakers. Went to BB store and tried the MBP M1 display model and was same poor volume.

Coming from 2015 era MBP and those speakers are WAY louder.

How this slipped by the design team is beyond me. These are far from Pro quality in terms of sound volume output.

I submitted feedback to Apple along with opening a case with TS. TS has no idea but is checking with engineering team and supposed to get a call back tomorrow. Like others I hope its not hardware and a simple software fix.

I've just done the update - this could be a placebo effect buttttttttt - It sounds like they've boosted the treble quite a bit - talk to Siri and he'll speak with less bass.

Now, from my experience - when the treble is increased it makes the volume sound louder, however, this is just an effect because the pitch is higher. - the volume is actually still the same.

I honestly think that the speakers are the same volume, however, they do sound a bit better but not as good (or as loud) as my previous 2019 13 inch MacBook Pro.

I was thinking that maybe Apple put smaller (cheaper) speakers into the M1 to save costs (because of all the £££ they spent on R&D for the new chip) - they could easily make the M1 speakers the same volume as intel MacBooks (through a software update) but the speakers would get damaged due to the extra power (chemical power(battery)>electrical potential energy) driving them.

Let me know if I've got anything technical wrong here, GCSE science is as good as it gets 😅:).

So quick update. TS called me back and wanted me to collect system diagnose files so could be sent to engineering. Fast forward a few days and was called back saying the files were not complete when sent. The goal was to see if the speakers were defective. Told TS I wasn't going through the process of sending them back to Apple as I feel its a waste of time.

The speakers IMO are not defective i.e not working or static sound etc. Its that the volume has to be cranked up almost to max which doesn't seem right. Volume levels up to 50% are not usable in most scenarios . Told them either a software update will improve them or Apple decided to use sub Pro speakers. Either way if the hardware is subpar software can only do so much to improve them (as Lord Pump pointed out). Told them to keep my case open. Along with submitting your feedback to Apple I would encourage all of you to call TS and open a case. Feedback is good but its not something they are going to call you back on. A created case is and gives more visibility of the issue. BTW I did download the latest update and its very hard to tell if it did anything and yes as others mentioned the update didn't state anything about speaker improvements. Has anyone thought they should have waited for 2021 model?

I am having the same issue as well. Did not perform a backup restore so I am positive the issue has nothing to do with older audio software incompatibilities as it is strait out of the box. My new Macbook Pro M1 audio is much lower than my older 2015 Macbook. I am rather disappointed with its performance in that regard must say. Would be great if the Apple team could come up with a solution soon.

I just compared my new M1 base model Pro vs M1 Base model Air. i just say that it is true that AIR is lot louder and clearer than the M1 Pro. now i used alot with my Air than my Pro hehe. **** waste of money for a pro