Speakers on my Macbook are very quiet!

Question

Level 1

1 points

Speakers on my Macbook are very quiet!

I don't know if this is a problem with just my new macbook, but the speakers on this thing are awfully quiet. I've maxed the volume thru iTunes, System Preferences, and the volume buttons on the keyboard and its seriously hard to hear anything going on. If I put my ear up to the speaker itself, I can only hear the little click noise when i change the volume after the on screen graphic shows it half way to max.

When external speakers are plugged in, the noise made is comparable to my old Powerbook 12", so I'm thinking my speakers or the connection to them is messed up.

Anyone else experiencing this problem?

Macbook 2.0 ghz Superdrive Mac OS X (10.4.6) 2 GB RAM

Posted on May 17, 2006 6:08 PM

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Answer 1

Rhyd

Level 3

806 points

May 17, 2006 6:20 PM in response to McCanical

Someone on another forum mentioned yet another audio app to change to make the speakers louder.

In your utilities folder in your applications folder, there is an app called "Audio MIDI Setup" Check the setting in the app.

There are input and output volume settings that you can alter in this app that may change your internal speakers volumes. It worked for me. Now my right speaker can be heard.

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Answer 2

Kalel

Level 2

274 points

May 17, 2006 7:02 PM in response to McCanical

Hi, I think you should contact Apple on this issue. The speakers on my Macbook, though not ear piercing loud are certainly easy to hear. If you play itunes or a movie can you ear it quite clearly from several feet away? If not then call them.

Kalel

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Answer 3

McCanical Author

Level 1

1 points

May 17, 2006 7:07 PM in response to McCanical

Thanks for both of your replies. I went to that Audio Midi program and it seemed to help a bit but its still much quieter than my old powerbook 12". I figure it can't hut to take it to the apple store this weekend.

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Answer 4

May 17, 2006 7:40 PM in response to Kalel

are they louder than the outgoing ibooks?

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Answer 5

Rod Hagen

Level 7

32,000 points

May 17, 2006 7:55 PM in response to McCanical

I suspect it lacks the "mid range" third speaker that the PB12 has, McCanical, which would probably make the sound a little "thinner".

Don't seem to be any details on the audio stage output levels of the MacBook's amplifier on the specs provided so far.

Cheers

Rod

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Answer 6

kjk

Level 4

1,323 points

May 17, 2006 9:09 PM in response to McCanical

the speakers do seem quiet to me as well, even at max. volume settings of all, including the midi utilities thing,esp. in contrast to the volume thru the headphones, which is quite sharp and loud.

please let us know what you find out at the apple store-if this is a normal thing or not. it could be a consequence of having the speakers at the rear instead of the front. thanks!

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Answer 7

May 18, 2006 6:41 PM in response to kjk

i hate the darn speakers in the rear. what a royal pain in the @$$. Anyways... I do wish apple could boost the sound level a bit on the macbook... and i have many other suggested inprovements like toshiba has... the spill-proof keyboard.. SInce you cant take these off, why not seal them all the way through... and there are other ideas, but they'll never read my post..

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Answer 8

May 19, 2006 12:18 PM in response to kjk

I agree that the Macbook speaker system isn't as load as it should be. It certainly isn't anywhere near the volume leve of my Powerbook G4, the system it replaced.

I've discovered a quick fix that, at least for iTunes, works quite nicely. Bring up iTunes and open the equalizer. Adust the 'gain' a little higher until the volume level is sufficient.

This worked well for me, but doesn't solve the volume problem in applications other than iTunes.

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Answer 9

Syrcle

Level 3

770 points

May 22, 2006 12:26 AM in response to McCanical

I too have noticed a difference in sound quality between my Powerbook G4 12" and my new MacBook. I expected it though. For me it's not a big deal, as when I am home I hook it up to some JBL Creature II speakers. When I'm out and about, I usually hook up some nice headphones. So speaker volume, isn't to much of a concern considering how inexpensive speakers and headphones are these days, to improve the sound experience just a little:).

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Answer 10

Ronniebel

Level 1

121 points

Jun 2, 2006 10:14 PM in response to Syrcle

I'm having the same problem. My wife's iBook is much louder as was my 12 inch PB. With this new Macbook, on half volume in iTunes I can hardly hear anything.

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Answer 11

Jun 9, 2006 10:31 AM in response to McCanical

I've noticed the same low volume issue. I've maxed-out the midi audio output and cranked up the equalizer pre-amp volume in iTunes as well. The midi adjustment helps just a little and the iTunes fix works, but only for iTunes.

Now that I think about it, I've only noticed the problem recently. Someone mentioned the recent QuickTime update - I'm wondering.

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Answer 12

Jun 14, 2006 12:26 PM in response to McCanical

I also have the same, quiet, speakers. I have almost no problems with the MacBook, but this is probably the biggest of those that I do have. I see it like this: if they include a remote for using Front Row, I should at least be able to hear a film that I'm watching from three feet away! I hope this gets fixed up.

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Answer 13

Jun 14, 2006 12:45 PM in response to Michael Johnston4

Ah, thank you. That did the trick for iTunes, but we really do need a fix for everything else. This iTunes trick only proves that the speakers can go louder, and is a software restriction in OS X because with BootCamp, the speakers in XP are SO much louder.

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Answer 14

kjk

Level 4

1,323 points

Jun 14, 2006 12:48 PM in response to nebulight

nebulight,

the speakers are louder in BootCamp?? That's bizarre. I'll try the volume in Parallels/XP when I get home, see if thats different too!

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Answer 15

Jun 14, 2006 12:58 PM in response to kjk

Parellels won't be any louder, because it is running in OS X and is limited to the same restrictions that OS X has.

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