volume fluctuation on macbook air

the problem doesn't appear when you're listening music

it appears when you listen a conversation without background music/noise

the problem is because of dual-mic (noise-reduction) wrong algorithm, but,

of course, we don't know there is a hardware or software implementation of

the algorithm

@alexjames

If it was implimented in the hardware wouldn't you think that it would autocorrect all sound from the machine, not just certain programs?

For example right now i hear ESPN radio on the app Radium and i have random volume drops......

Mate this is propably hardware issue. Go get a replacement unit as i did.

yes, i've tested it in iTunes and QuickTime Player

in headphones i have no problem with volume

only with speakers

The problem may be the internal speakers close proximity to the internal mics and they try to adjust to the speakers (this would be why headphones are not affreted). Unfortunately I cannot return my mac because it is my only computer and I cannot afford to not have one for my online courses. I would have to have one shipped out which may take another week or more. I'll just have to hope it is a software issue and wait for a patch

Just weighing in to state that I too am having this problem, exact same as everyone else; only on speech, but from what some people are saying mine doesn't seem as bad as theirs.

Any word from Apple on this yet? It seems to be affecting a fair few people now. I just got this thing yesterday and aside from this I love it. I really don't want to have to return it due to the hassle I had to go through to get it, especially if people are having the exact same problem, so hopefully its a software issue.

I tried messing with all the sound options but none seem to have any effect. The entire thing is quite subtle, its more like a limiter is being applied to the sound rather than it being just turned turned down, does the system do this by default when its using the speakers? Is there an option for it anywhere or something?

Incredibly sorry for the double post, but I can't edit my post any more.

I discovered something possibly related to this; after I listen to ANY sound source at all; Youtube, Silverlight, iTunes etc, after I pause/stop the sound for about a minute, a barely audible "hiss" can be heard; or rather, it's not the hissing you can hear, but a "pop" that follows it as the hissing stops. The hiss itself can barely be heard and I only noticed it when using headphones, but it seems like the Mac is realising that no more sound is being played and is cutting/quietening the speakers to prevent any kind of mains hum from coming through.

Could this be related at all? Can anyone else confirm this popping sound also? Try using a good set of headphones, turn the sound up quite high, listen to something and then stop/pause it and wait a minute or two, and you can hear a slight pop and a hissing that was so quiet you couldn't tell it was there suddenly not be there any more. You only notice it once its gone, that's how quiet it is.

But it seems like there's some kind of noise limiter working in the background which cuts the speakers after a minute or so of no sound. Could it be not working correctly when using the laptop speakers? It definitely confirms to me that there's some kind of noise limiting going on which there doesn't seem to be an obvious option to control. I'm fine with this being the case, in fact I think its a great idea, I'd just like the ability to control it and see if it changes anything. This is my first Mac so if any one knows what I'm on about please inform me.

Sorry for the long post!

I've been suffering from this problem as well. I don't know whether it's just me but when I goto system preferences>sound>input and turn the microphone volume all the way down then turn off "Use ambient noise reduction" the problem stops.

Does this happen in Windows? If it doesn't, then it's a software problem which can easily be corrected by Apple.

I happened to upgrade my Adobe Flash to version 11.8 today. In testing Flash based video (youtube & Hulu), I am not hearing the fluctuations anymore. I haven't changed anything else... Can someone else test this theory?

Actually i did just that, updated Adobe Flash to v11.8....Did no change for me. Issues remain!

My apologies - it must have been a placebo effect 😉 I changed videos and noticed the fluctuations are still there... worth a shot, anyway...

Same issue here in France with a MBA 13" 256Gb 8Go RAM. Very annoying during VLC session for example....

Hope Maverick will fix that !!

Well, I sent my back at the request of Apple (they contacted me and asked for it back). Since then, it has been a nightmare dealing with them sending an incorrect replacement with the wrong keyboard and power adapter. I'm using this one until they resolve the problem. It is a CTO unit (meaning it was just built as it is custom) and it also has the same problem with volume fluctuation. I'm beginning to get the feeling that most if not all units have this problem and that most people do not notice.

I hope that this is a software problem to do with the new mic setup and not some hardware problem...