external sound output on Macbook Air stopped working

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external sound output on Macbook Air stopped working

Two months ago, my Macbook Air went silent.

I tried every trick I was suggested, including upgrading to Mountain Lion OSx , after which sound came back for a few day then disappeared again.

Their is no external speakers listed under <system preferences / sound / output>

Internet is full of this complains, I mean it is not regional and limited to a particular version of hardware/software... complains are coming from everywhere across the world since 2008.

Unfortunately tech support at Apple appears to have no clue as neither hardware change nor software update / upgrade doesn't seem to solve the issue permanently. But they still replace parts and software for some reason, just to drive people crazy later.

I am confident that this issue has already been told to design team , the problem was known for years after all.

What is this? Does Apple expects people to trash their computers when this happens? and get a new one? Is this because Apple asks new customers if they want to recycle their old computers with them?

You probably think I am an Apple hater , I am not. I like their products but I hate their tech support, I am sick and tired of listening to so-called geniuses , bunch of untrained high school kids with a lot of BS.

Only hope I have left is, somehow, there maybe someone out there who already solved this problem... Are you there?

MacBook Air specs :

Processor 2.13 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

Memory 2 GB 1067 MHz DDR3

Graphics NVIDIA GeForce 9400M 256 MB

Software OS X 10.8

Other Apple products I use together with this Mac :

Magic mouse

Apple TV latest

iPad latest

iPod touch 4th gen.

MacBook Air, OS X Mountain Lion

Posted on Aug 15, 2012 6:11 PM

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Answer 1

brooklynboe Author

Level 1

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Aug 17, 2012 11:48 AM in response to brooklynboe

I finally found the solution,

the solution itself actually explains why Apple was so silent about this issue

because every macbook that was sold over the last 5 years was defective ,

it will probably cost Apple $100s of millions to recall them

It is the Audio Board Flex Cable, Part #: 922-8380

this cable goes bad quickly,

it is defective because this is strickly a design issue

I opened the macbook and replaced it myself,

all looks fine now

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Answer 2

airira

Level 1

5 points

Jan 17, 2013 12:47 AM in response to brooklynboe

This is a weird problem but I've seen it a few times when I was working IT site support at a school district. There should be a headphone jack on one side of the laptop. Look into it. Do you see a red light? Sometimes the optical plug solenoid gets stuck because of dirt or grease or users pulling out the jack too quickly or at a slight angle, placing slight pressure on the side of the plug. Use a toothpick and rub vigorously on the side of the plug where the solenoid is (as I recall on the rear side of the hole.)

That sometimes fixes this. I know it's completely oddball but then this is the kind of thing that shouldn't happen either.

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