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Audio dropouts on a Macbook Pro 2021

I am trying to resolve audio dropouts on my mac, I have seen a few people posting similar questions with no answers. It does seem to be related to memory pressure - when in Yellow. (In my case stronger when running Windows 11 in Parallels, which seems to have been brought up before). I have a 32gb MbP so there is no reason there should be memory pressure, even with parallels running.


I have tested with multiple DACs and multiple USBC cables the same thing happens, the volume drops out every minute or two.


If routing the audio out via Airport instead I get no dropouts.

MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 12.4

Posted on Jul 17, 2022 8:15 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 17, 2022 8:26 PM

colin_c Said:

"Audio dropouts on a Macbook Pro 2021: I am trying to resolve audio dropouts on my mac, I have seen a few people posting similar questions with no answers. It does seem to be related to memory pressure - when in Yellow. [...]If routing the audio out via Airport instead I get no dropouts."

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Troubleshoot the Mac Audio:


What to Try:

  • Unmute the App:

If an app has its own audio input and output settings, then perform the on the app itself.


  • Remove External Devices:

Verify what your output item is.


  • Disable Bluetooth:

If there are any microphones nearby, then they may be getting in the way via bluetooth.


See if an app is permitted to use your microphone.


Sometimes when changes are made to the system(i.e. updates), system configurations (i.e. for Sound) become manipulated, technically. So, reset the SMC and NVRAM.  (Applies to Anted-Based Macs Only)


  • Boot into Safe Mode:

When you boot into Safe Mode, items load by default, with certain settings and caches set aside. So, hold down the shift key upon boot. See what happens then.


  • Create a New Administrator:

See if creating and logging in as a new administrator does the trick. There may be something misconfigured in your current user - something that is getting in the way. Go to: System Preferences > Users & Groups > Unlock > Click: "+" > Create the new administrator

Similar questions

1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 17, 2022 8:26 PM in response to colin_c

colin_c Said:

"Audio dropouts on a Macbook Pro 2021: I am trying to resolve audio dropouts on my mac, I have seen a few people posting similar questions with no answers. It does seem to be related to memory pressure - when in Yellow. [...]If routing the audio out via Airport instead I get no dropouts."

-------


Troubleshoot the Mac Audio:


What to Try:

  • Unmute the App:

If an app has its own audio input and output settings, then perform the on the app itself.


  • Remove External Devices:

Verify what your output item is.


  • Disable Bluetooth:

If there are any microphones nearby, then they may be getting in the way via bluetooth.


See if an app is permitted to use your microphone.


Sometimes when changes are made to the system(i.e. updates), system configurations (i.e. for Sound) become manipulated, technically. So, reset the SMC and NVRAM.  (Applies to Anted-Based Macs Only)


  • Boot into Safe Mode:

When you boot into Safe Mode, items load by default, with certain settings and caches set aside. So, hold down the shift key upon boot. See what happens then.


  • Create a New Administrator:

See if creating and logging in as a new administrator does the trick. There may be something misconfigured in your current user - something that is getting in the way. Go to: System Preferences > Users & Groups > Unlock > Click: "+" > Create the new administrator

Audio dropouts on a Macbook Pro 2021

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