MacBook Pro M1 16" 2021 Sound distortion, Crackling

I was trying to solve that problem for many months and it looks like it can be fixed (at least I wasn't able to reproduce it again). The problem is somehow related to the recent update that corrupts Audio settings. So the fix is simple, go to. Open up a terminal:

cd /Library/Preferences/Audio

sudo rm com.apple.audio.*

Restart your MBP. Hope that helps!

sbson wrote:

I was trying to solve that problem for many months and it looks like it can be fixed (at least I wasn't able to reproduce it again). The problem is somehow related to the recent update that corrupts Audio settings. So the fix is simple, go to. Open up a terminal:

cd /Library/Preferences/Audio

sudo rm com.apple.audio.*

Restart your MBP. Hope that helps!

I did what you mentioned and so far it's working great!

The only thing I did differently, to prevent any problems, is to rename the files instead of directly deleting them. I even noticed that the quality of the speakers improved.

For now I'm only going for 48 hours of testing, hopefully this is the final solution.

Thanks!!

I have noticed that when I use my MBP on the Test User Account, as suggested by an Apple Genius, I have not heard the crackling sound. He told me that if it comes up, then it is a hardware issue.

I was using my normal User mode while playing with Apple Music, and the crackling sound was popping here and there.

I switched to the Test User Account, and the noise has disappeared, which makes me believe that this is a software issue.

Fingers Crossed that Apple fix this in the next update.

eucciferri wrote:

sbson wrote:

I was trying to solve that problem for many months and it looks like it can be fixed (at least I wasn't able to reproduce it again). The problem is somehow related to the recent update that corrupts Audio settings. So the fix is simple, go to. Open up a terminal:

cd /Library/Preferences/Audio

sudo rm com.apple.audio.*

Restart your MBP. Hope that helps!

I did what you mentioned and so far it's working great!

The only thing I did differently, to prevent any problems, is to rename the files instead of directly deleting them. I even noticed that the quality of the speakers improved.

For now I'm only going for 48 hours of testing, hopefully this is the final solution.

Thanks!!

Well, after trying several days, the problem is still there. Maybe less often than before, but it still does.

I followed your link over here from the other thread. I have same or similar issue with my m1pro 16 inch 1 TB; buzzing/crackling from the left speaker mostly in bass frequencies. It’s across all applications and definitely hardware. It was constant. Sent it in to Apple for repair 2 days ago got it back yesterday, turned it on and first audio came out of it it was buzzing like before. The note in box said they replaced top case with battery (i don’t know what that is.)

Now it’s still there as before june less often for now. Super frustrated at sending it in again.

The fact that the problem is not occurring with the test account does not prove that it is a software problem. Likewise, it can be caused by, for example, a hardware problem with higher CPU or graphics chip usage. Apple has known about the glitch for quite a long time, and it doesn't seem like they've had a software problem for so many months.

The fact that the problem is better after a reboot is more indicative of a HW problem that Apple is trying to solve with software. After all, acknowledging a bug in the processor (if there is one) is a pretty expensive decision for shareholders. I hope it's a SW problem but I don't think so.

I recognize a new problem since 12.3.1 with logic and hdmi output.

i can not set/change it to 44.1Khz and this gives sync errors.

The only way to work with logic is change the sample rate to 48Khz in the project but i need to work in 44.1

In the audio-midi settings 44.1 are greyed out. I'm 100% shure that it works in 12.2.1 and now not anymore.

It also works on my old intel machines.

Perhaps this has a contex with this problem here. (samplerate)

I made a new separately post here:

Audio output not working through HDMI wit… - Apple Community

I'm also having this problem (Apple please help - sucks having an advanced computer that sounds like a terrible 10K watt amp blew out some terrible speakers and is still trying to play music), and just wanted to add a note and ask a question. The note: The sound through bluetooth connected headphones is fantastic - even at very high sample rates. I believe this implies that the error with the speaker output must come after digital audio processing, which outputs to the bluetooth radio properly, and somewhere nearer the DAC or amp that wires to the speakers (which can produce quality output at times and aren't defective). So SBSON's fix above regarding corrupt audio settings makes sense to me if this process happens in the DAC.

And now my question, what does this terminal fix actually do when you flat out delete audio settings? Does this force the operating system to notice the missing configuration and, effectively, factory reset them to a pre-corrupted version? I can also imagining this working, but I'm hesitant to delete stuff from the operating system without first understanding what it's practical effect might entail. Any @apple specialist able to comment on this? Really hoping we are all fixed soon!

BTW - I feel like the problem may have begun after first using Spotify or Tidal - anyone else perhaps able to confirm that they are also using these apps AND having the issue? Maybe VOX? Anyone not having the issue and also hasn't used any of these other apps (which can include their own audio settings like: volume normalizing?)

I use Airpods Max and when it crackles in the speakers, putting on headphones doesn't help. On the Airpods Max I don't hear popping but the sound stutters. So it's not related to the DAC because only digital data goes into the headphones. My theory is that it's a HW issue that causes a lag in the whole system. It's just easy to tell on the speakers. But the headphones are doing it to me as well. When playing through the iphone the headphones have no problem.

Since there are rumors that the 7GPU versions of the Macbook have 7 cores because the 8th one is off, due to a manufacturing error, I wouldn't be surprised to see a problem in the M1. There are 50 billion transistors in there.

Because apple knows about it but nothing happens. So for me, it's solid s***t.

For apple. If you run the console to log during the crackling, you get the following message

 HALS_OverloadMessage: Overload due to HAL client proc exceeding io cycle budget

I am sometimes facing the similar issue with my Mac, however when lowering down the volume and graduallly increasing it doesn't show any issue. Hope it will be fixed soon.

I have exactly this same issue with my M1 MBP 16" 2021 (16GB 1TB). It comes up intermittently when using audio apps like Apple Music, Browsers, etc. It is very annoying, especially after spending so much to get it. It disappears for a while after a re-start and returns as aggressive as it left. I have done a check with Apple Genius who confirmed it is not hardware-related. I also do not have the luxury of 10days to send this for extra testing. Awesome MBP but with a speaker like this........Ugh 2! Anyone with this same experience and solution.

I still think it's not a hardware error here for issue 1 and 2 sometimes the crackles/distrortion is more sometimes less.

And also by system sound like empty the trash.

After a reboot also also in save mode is better for a while but it comes back.

Perhaps it is a caching problem.

Current System 12.3.1