M1 air crackling sound

Welcome Baffoebalex,

Thanks for joining Apple Support Communities. Based on your post, your new M1 MacBook Air has crackling noise when you play audio. We'll do our best to assist with this.

You mentioned this happened after some use on your older Macs in the past. If that's the case and it's happening again on the new Mac, that brings up a question. Did you restore any data from your previous Macs to this new Mac? If so, it could have transferred the software issue over to the new Mac. Here is what we'd do to troubleshoot:

1. Check the sound settings by reviewing the following: Change the sound output settings on Mac
2. Reset the PRAM/NVRAM for sound settings: Reset NVRAM or PRAM on your Mac
3. Test if this happens in another user or create a temporary Administrator account to see if it persists once logged in there: Set up users, guests and groups on Mac

If the issue occurs in the other user, then you can try to simply reinstall the macOS: How to reinstall macOS

Note: Before you reinstall, it's always good to create a backup of the data: Back up your Mac

Lastly, should it persist after reinstalling then, you may need to erase and reinstall the macOS without any data to test it out: Revive or restore a Mac with Apple silicon with Apple Configurator 2 If it continues after factory restore, then you'd want to seek an inspection: Find Locations and Get your Mac ready for service

Make sure you've got a backup already before you do this step. Also, let us know if the issue did not persist in the other user and we'll help further.

Wishing you the best, take care!

Try to check folder /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL/ for any third-party drivers.

For example you can see there ACE - Audio Capture Enginefrom Rogue Amoeba (Airfoil, Loopback etc. apps) or anything else. After removing them run sudo launchctl kickstart -k system/com.apple.audio.coreaudiod &>/dev/null

I am not sure, but hope this will help.

I just bought the 13 inch macbook air m1. I am having crackling audio through my razer kraken 7.1headset. I tested for a bit through the speakers and I didn't hear the same crackling. Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with this headset. I use it on my previous pro, on my windows machine, without problem. This is my work machine, I like to have a working headset.

I faced with the same problem on a brand new MacBook Air M1 2020. I did a migration from my previous MacBook Pro and there was installed eqMac app, some kind of Audio plugin. After proper removing it, the problem has gone.

Here the copy of FAQ from eqMac websit:

How do I uninstall eqMac?

The proper way to uninstall eqMac is to click the "Uninstall" button in eqMac Settings section. 

That will run a script to uninstall the app and the driver properly. 

If for whatever reason you cannot run eqMac, to uninstall the driver you can run this command in Terminal: 

sudo rm -rf /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL/eqMac.driver/ && sudo launchctl kickstart -k system/com.apple.audio.coreaudiod &>/dev/null

Red more on https://eqmac.app

I have a MacBook Air M1 Jan 2021 with the same problem. Usually, it is on battery mode while using my headphones. It happens from watching YouTube to editing video and audio. Obviously, the last one is a big deal for me. I was not expecting this from a brand new Mac that I use only for work. Truly disappointed.

i have the same problem, ive had my M1 air for 4 months and recently i have been noticing this issue. It really bogs me down, otherwise the speakers are good apart from this. It only happens with some music/videos.

I just purchased a MacBook Air. I had the static sound in the left speaker right out of the box. I called Apple Support. After running some diagnostics, they said it was a hardware issue and that I could either take it to an official Apple repair store and send it off to be repaired or return it and exchange it for a new one. Due to it being a hardware issue, they did not have a fix for it.

I have not had that problem with mine.

The first thing I would look at is the connection to make sure it is secure.

Then try and determine if you are picking up some sort of interference.

As an example of how interference can cause such an effect, my living room stereo sometimes picks up a intermittent buzzing in the sub-woofer. It is from nearby cellphones.

Try moving you M1 to another room and use different cables to connect to audio device.

Hope that helps...good luck!!!

Interesting thread.

Have played quite a bit with my Macbok Air M1 this morning and can not duplicate that problem.

As I said above, it might be your setup/cables or interference.

Am sure something is going on in your system, just not happening on mine.

I experienced the same. My Macbook Pro M1 is brandnew, just bought it 2 days ago. While I was playing Fortnite on a clamshell mode with 1 USB-C for the hdmi & 1 for the charger, it suddenly made a rattling/crackling sound when someone was calling me on FB Messenger. I was so scared that my new Macbook Pro is already damaged. I immediately unplugged the 2 cables on the USB-C Hub and the rattling/crakling sound from the call is the same. I was so scared & disappointed!

After a couple of hours of resting my Mac, I tried to test my sound & watched a movie. Still that rattling sound mostly coming from the left speaker didn’t go away. I don’t know if my laptop’s speaker is already damaged or what. Should I return my Mac to the retail shop where I bought it?

is this considered a damage item? Or is there a way to fix this?

thanks much!

Exactly same for me at hight frequencies when listening beautiful piano music (bought the Macbook Air M1 few weeks ago), it really annoys and make me mad (especially I am hobby musician/play keyboards and most of any sound like clean piano sound which I can not really enjoy with this machine). I am new MacBook user btw and not expected issues like that on this pricey machine.

To add, the AUX iphone headphones work perfectly. So this may be an issue with a more advanced headset? I think the razer kraken headset has surround sound?

I have a macbook pro m1 - bought in dec 2020

it does this cracking during audio playback, video calls, youtube streaming etc

its pretty annoying

no such thing on my mac - so this isn't the issue - but the issue is very much alive and well