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Crackling/popping noises when playing music on iMac.

Over the last several months I have noticed crackling and popping noises from my iMac (2021) speakers when playing music from Apple Music and other streaming platforms. At first, it was only noticeable on a couple of songs and when set to a higher volume, but it is now happening regardless of song or volume, and appears to be happening more frequently. I also don't usually have my volume higher than 4 or 5 increments. I have not noticed the issue while watching videos. I also hear the crackling/popping noises when using an external speaker. There aren't any audio issues when listening through headphones.


My OS is up-to-date (Sonoma 14.3.1) and I've tried a couple of different fixes that I've seen online (removing dust from the speakers, restarting my device, etc.), however the threads I've seen have been for MacBook Pros rather than iMacs. I'm wondering if there's anything else I can try? Since it also happens with an external speaker, I am thinking it is software related.

iMac 24″

Posted on Mar 6, 2024 4:53 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jun 14, 2024 4:28 AM

@Community User


Sorry bro, but your reply is useless. Don't be silly.

There is no any "Configure Speakers..." button for MacBook Speakers. The only thing that Apple allows us is to play around output volume and balance.

Probably it's because you don't have such a problem or/and you didn't try your suggestion yourself. Better answer "I don't know" or "Sorry guys, we didn't have reproduce the issue yet", or even nothing rather then shiposting "turn off - turn on" solution with reference to settings that doesn't exist in the system.

The problem is located somewhere in the core, for sure - the Crackling/popping noises are happening even if I play the Alert Sound Effect from the same Setting page.


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28 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jun 14, 2024 4:28 AM in response to Community User

@Community User


Sorry bro, but your reply is useless. Don't be silly.

There is no any "Configure Speakers..." button for MacBook Speakers. The only thing that Apple allows us is to play around output volume and balance.

Probably it's because you don't have such a problem or/and you didn't try your suggestion yourself. Better answer "I don't know" or "Sorry guys, we didn't have reproduce the issue yet", or even nothing rather then shiposting "turn off - turn on" solution with reference to settings that doesn't exist in the system.

The problem is located somewhere in the core, for sure - the Crackling/popping noises are happening even if I play the Alert Sound Effect from the same Setting page.


Jun 7, 2024 6:41 AM in response to Promenade2160

I'm also having the same issue, particularly bad when streaming on Safari. I'm just using the internal speakers on the Macbook Air (2024). I'm an Audio Professional, if this was happening in Ableton or any other DAW I'd say it relates to processor overload or buffer issues with my playback device but I'm literally streaming a single low res stereo audio stream on Safari with almost nothing else going on in the computer, it's hard to see where the issue is coming from.

Aug 7, 2024 6:46 PM in response to Alex25likes

The Configure Speakers thing is not in the Sound section of System Settings in Sonoma. You have to open the Audio MIDI Setup app in your Utilities folder. All Configure Speakers does is allow you to reverse your speakers. Some people have had luck with eliminating the popping by changing the Format frequency in this app to 88,200 Hz instead of the two lower numbers. I have no clue why that would work, however.

Jun 25, 2024 5:07 PM in response to JustAnotherNeverlander

Purchased my 2023 MacBook Pro M3 right before the New Years and started noticing the crackling sound about 3 months in. At first I thought it was just a steaming platform issue but became more noticeable when watching videos online. Has anyone found a fix to this issue? Is it worth going in to the Apple Store for a diagnostic?

Mar 7, 2024 5:44 AM in response to JustAnotherNeverlander

Since the issue occurs both with the built-in speakers and an external speaker, it's less likely to be a hardware problem specific to the speakers themselves. Instead, it could be related to software or audio settings on your iMac.


One thing you can try is resetting the audio settings on your iMac. To do this, you can navigate to "System Preferences" > "Sound" and then select the "Output" tab. From there, you can choose your output device (either the built-in speakers or the external speaker) and then click the "Configure Speakers..." button. Follow the prompts to reset the audio settings to their default configuration.


Additionally, you can try adjusting the audio settings within the music streaming apps themselves. For example, in Apple Music, you can try adjusting the audio quality settings to see if that makes a difference in the crackling and popping noises.


If the issue persists after trying these steps, it may be worth contacting Official Apple Support or visiting an Apple Authorized Service Provider for further assistance. They can perform diagnostics on your iMac to identify any underlying software or hardware issues and provide appropriate solutions.



Jul 30, 2024 10:31 AM in response to Alex25likes

I believe this must be a software issue that has "popped up" recently. I have the problem whether I am playing music through the laptop speakers on my MacBook Pro or if I use bluetooth to different headphones. Played same songs on iPhone and on MacBook and crackling is only on the MacBook Pro whether speakers or headphones. If it was a speaker problem I shouldn't be able to reproduce it on different headphones, JLab and Beats and AirPods. What gives? Thanks for any updates or recommendations.

Crackling/popping noises when playing music on iMac.

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