Important: Restart Your Studio Display

I had exactly the same problem--choppy audio when playing audio from my M1 Pro MBP to the Studio Display. The same audio sounded fine playing on the MBP's speakers, however.

Rebooting the MBP, swapping ports on the MBP didn't help. The source of the audio being played (YouTube via web, music from Apple Music, Apple Music downloaded to the MBP and played locally) didn't matter.

So I tried playing a YouTube video (from the YT app) on my 2018 iPad Pro to the Studio Display--still choppy sound, confirming the Studio Display as the root of the problem.

I wasn't sure how to reboot the Studio Display, so I found this support page. Rebooting the Studio Display by unplugging it from power for a minute or two solved the problem! Yippeee. Thanks.

Interesting read, thanks for sharing. 👍

FYI, Apple does not routinely monitor this forum for feedback.

However, they DO provide a formal mechanism for product feedback here:

Feedback - Displays - Apple

Very helpful!! I just got my new display a week ago, hooked it up to my 2020 13" MBP and noticed that the "default for display" resolution was 1920x1080, which seemed insane. I tried to do firmware update it but no update was detected despite running firmware version 15.3. When I switched it to "scaled" so that I could increase the resolution to the monitor's true native setting, I was given the warning "scaling display may result in reduced performance" (or something similar). Could not figure out what was going on, so I randomly hopped on here, and found this thread. Restarted via power cycle, and boom, my native resolution is now 2560x1440, AND it finally found the 15.4 firmware update.

I did contact Apple tech support.

I explained my problem with choppy audio.

They took down my info including how I fixed it .

I told them I thought it was a Studio Display firmware problem.

They called my back several time to collect more info.

Later they said that the latest firmware download (Version 15.5 (Build 19F77)) would fix it.

Since I downloaded the above firmware update, I have had no more choppy audio.

Be sure you download firmware update Version 15.5 (Build 19F77).

Hope this helps.

My microphone stopped working - making it impossible to connect with vendors and customers. After a lot of digging - trying to enable/re-enable inputs -rebooting the Mac Studio to no avail. Finally read your post and unplugged the Studio Display. Counted to 15 and VIOLA! all issues solved.

Had to make sure that the Studio was the correct connection.

Yes - Apple - please fix this issue.

AJP

I had the same and also other perhaps related issues:

• USB devices connected through the Studio Display would randomly disconnect multiple times a day. Unplugging/plugging the TB cables fixes it.
• Audio not working on video calls.
• Speakers not working on YouTube, but works fine on the MBP*.

*It was only after this incident that I started looking at Google and within 1 search "apple studio display speakers not working" I found this post. Thank you so much for posting the solution. Rebooting the monitor did the trick!!

Disconnecting from power for a short spell solved my peculiar Studio Display audio-cutting-out-problem too. (Audio was shutting off after about 1-2 seconds — from all audio sources, including Airplay. Switching to Mac Studio internal speakers worked fine; issue was limited to the display speakers.)

Many thanks to Holger’s post on this, above! Apple Care: please take note since this key troubleshooting step needs to be communicated to the front line troops. I just spared myself a whole macOS restore from startup disk wasted effort so thanks again, Holger! I’d thought my problem arrived with latest macOS update. Now I think my glitch might be associated with my having used my display for my Mac Studio to set up an M1 Mac Mini. I had switched the thunderbolt cables with the Macs powered down but never unplugged the display power cable. So that seems to have set up the glitch. Cheers!

They really need to fix this display. I have had to reboot it numerous times when the usbc ports stop working on it, the audio suddenly stops working or when the display just "freezes up". It's sad that for the price of this monitor that it doesn't work flawlessly. As much as a love the display quality and the look of the display, to have to even think about rebooting it is just plain silly... especially since there is not a power switch, reset switch or some other way to reboot it short of unplugging it. Ironically, Mine didn't start acting up until after my return period ended. I hope the 15.5 update will fix all of these problems.

I was trying a zoom call and my mic pooped out -- sounded like some kind of feedback issue. I fiddled with all the obvious settings to no avail, then asked Google to solve the problem. Unplugging and rebooting the display did the trick, all without needless hours spent thanks to your question and the advice given here. Hoping the same problem or others don't crop up, but if they do, I'll remember to "pull the plug". The answer to 90% of technical problems, I should have guessed it.

Same thing happened to me. Audio would cut out after a few seconds. Crawled under my desk and unplugged my Studio Display and audio works fine now. I am not looking forward to crawling under my desk every few weeks though.

Apple, please fix the audio problem

Thanks

Hubert

Well, based on my experience calling Apple Support they have no idea of how to diagnose the Studio Display. They waste time diagnosing the Mac.

If it's really an iPhone in there, there's gotta be something that can "reach it". If/when I get time, I was contemplating seeing if there's any developer docs for the Studio Display that might offer a clue.

In the meantime, if your experience is like this one, you might try a power cycle. In the video, I'm switching between the Mac Studio's internal speakers and the Mac Studio Display's speakers. I do this twice and a few seconds after switching to the Studio Display's speakers, audio stops each time.

https://youtu.be/80gGnyyHpOw

This problem tanked everything that uses the mic and speakers, including all meeting apps like Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Meet.

Nasty.

I did contact Apple tech support.

I explained my problem with choppy audio.

They took down my info including how I fixed it .

I told them I thought it was a Studio Display firmware problem.

They called my back several time to collect more info.

Later they said that the latest firmware download (Version 15.5 (Build 19F77)) would fix it.

Since I downloaded the above firmware update, I have had no more choppy audio.

Be sure you download firmware update Version 15.5 (Build 19F77).

Hope this helps.

After solving the problem in the wee hours of Tuesday, I called Apple support to communicate to them as to how I fixed my problem after reading Holger's blog and asked the lady on the phone to enter this resolution into my case and communicate it with the Tier 1 and Senior advisors who literally wasted my 2.5 hours. She did that but also told me that this is a known issue and she has a compony wide memo in her hand that was sent to every apple support advisor. Apparently some advisors are not reading their memos.

Well, you CAN control updates in either System Preferences or About this Mac --> Software Update on your Mac. In fact, as soon as I heard yesterday that there was a firmware update for the Studio Display, I went to Software Update and installed it. Haven't had it long enough to tell if the problem is resolved.

Since the Studio Display is running a Studio Display-specific version of iOS, the fact that it requires periodic reboots doesn't really bother me. They have not been needed that frequently in my experience. YMMV. However, what WOULD be nice would be a software method to reboot the Studio Display without having to physically unplug it.

That said, emboldened by an earlier post by Rabbit51, I put a smart plug between my Studio Display and the APC/surge protector it is plugged into and I'm assuming that will work just fine. ("Hey Siri, Turn OFF my Studio Display. Hey Siri, turn ON my Studio Display.") I haven't had occasion to try it yet, but will report back when I do.

The software update for the displays and this issue was released yesterday by Apple. Go to About this Mac, Software Update. I had no issues installing it on both monitors for my Mac Studio... time will tell :)