12.9" iPad Pro sounds terrible compared to my 4 Retina and Air.

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Level 1

6 points

12.9" iPad Pro sounds terrible compared to my 4 Retina and Air.

I have been doing multi-track music production on the iPad 4 Retina and iPad Air for years. There are a ton of high quality synthesizer and recording apps out there and it's amazing how good they sound. I recently "upgraded" to the 12.9" iPad Pro. Now everything sounds downright awful, even through quality head phones. Previously recorded music that I made is now totally out of balance and often distorted. The Pro also sounds way off on many of the synthesizer apps, tonally, output levels, and distortion...not only rendering them useless, but destroying any previous multi-track recordings where recorded midi-notes play the synthesizers. About the only thing that sound relatively the same as before is GarageBand....(go figure!)

As for the built in speakers, they sound like crap...even when playing standard iTunes downloads, alot of music sounds just O.K. - I would not call it an improvement, but a downgrade. Having a "woofer" and a tweeter on each side is ridiculous on a speaker set this small. For the music that sounds just "O.K.", this results in subdued volumes, as the "woofers" attempt to produce the lower frequency range and the tweeters over react at the high range, leaving 'hole' in the mid range. On music with heavy cymbal hits and other like transients, the tweeters actually break-up, crackle and glitch, leaving one to reduce the volume even further to where the music can't be adequately heard more than a few feet away.....and tonally, out of balance, This can only be sometimes be partially corrected with the E.Q. Presets, which is not only annoying, but never had to be done on prior iPads.

EIther this iPad Pro is way out of calibration, or this thing is an overpriced hoax. As for the audio criticisms I have made here, ......I am a retired

electrical engineer with a great deal of audio design experience.

Posted on Apr 19, 2016 1:07 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 6, 2017 4:56 AM in response to Brenstone

Im a pro musician. Just started using a new iPad Pro 12.9 2nd gen. There is definitely a problem with the audio on these devices. I get intermittent distortion and static at both the 3.5mm audio jack and using the Lightening to Audio adapter. Ive turned off everything I can think of, put it in airplane mode, do not disturb mode, turned off cellular, backed up, restored, updated the OS, replaced my audio cables with new ones, check all my outboard gear. The problem is in the device itself rendering it useless for pro audio work especially in a live environment. Ive been embarrassed on 3 gigs because of the static and distortion that comes from this thing. Its going back to the store for a refund.

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Answer 2

Sep 6, 2017 5:03 AM in response to MichelPM

Glad yours is working OK but I agree that there is a problem with the iPad Pro 12.9 2gen. The various forums like Audio Bus is lit up with posts. Im beginning to see more here as well. Intermittent distortion and static at both the 3.5mm audio jack and the Lightening to Audio adapter is currently unaddressed. It appears that the problem is both software and hardware. Mine is going back for a refund today. I wont be purchasing another.

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Answer 3

D.Cohen

Level 6

8,618 points

Apr 19, 2016 1:22 AM in response to Brenstone

Hi! Have you tried comparing your iPad Pro to a different one? Maybe you simply have a faulty unit?

You can also let Apple know about the problems you have since it's only a user-to-user forum and you're not talking directly to Apple right now.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/

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Answer 4

Brenstone Author

Level 1

6 points

Apr 19, 2016 8:11 AM in response to D.Cohen

Thanks.

I was unaware that Apple did not monitor and respond in this user forum.

And I do plan on returning this iPad Pro and trying another one.

What steps do I need to take to clear personal info from this iPad for a return?

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Answer 5

MichelPM

Level 10

81,525 points

Apr 19, 2016 9:01 AM in response to Brenstone

I have both an iPad 2 and 3 and your iPad 4 is not too much different as the later iPad 4 models were the same as the 3 except for the new lightning connector.

Those models only have a single small speaker that is on the back and wraps around to one side of the iPad.

The fidelity of this speaker can vary with content and overall, since it is a single speaker, this equates to a monaural sound source with all frequencies output to a single point sound source much like cheap portable radio speaker.

So, the perceived sound is always going to be louder, but you have no separations for the various instrument placement in a monaural sound output as there is no stereo L/R or multichannel sound stage, other than stereo through the supplied headphone jack.

As a sound engineer, you should already know this.

A monaural sound source just sends all the sound frequencies it can to a single outputted speaker source.

So, the iPad Pro IS strictly a stereo setup and, as far as I am aware, the 4 speaker system is designed so that no matter which orientation the iPad is in, the high frequencies always go to the top most speakers and the lower speakers carry both the mid range and what bass it can handle.

IMHO, the iPad speaker systems were never that strong on the bottom bass end, ever.

You hear mostly mid-range and mid-bass tones. The iPad speakers are terrible at reproducing the bottom bass end.

No iPad is a substitute for any decent pair of stereo speakers. Standard or the Bluetooth Kind.

You are never going to get pro level sound from an iPad directly.

There just isn't a large enough cavity of internal space inside of an iPad or MacBook, for that matter, to let sound develop properly.

Come on!

If you are any type of sound engineer or you record music in any sound recording studio environment, you know all this!

iPad speakers are never going to sound like normal speakers.

They going to sound weak and thin in the high end, probably so, so or close to normal mid range sound, with little to no real deep bass frequencies.

I think your expectations of this audio system is too high. Built in Laptop speakers don't even sound that great and the iPad Pro sounds better than sound from a laptop or MacBook computer.

Mobile media devices do not have audiophile sound capabilities.

I think that the iPad Pro speakers/audio system is a BIG improvement compared to the single speaker systems of older iPad models, but they are never, EVER going to be a replacement for a decent, good or exceptional pair of stereo speakers.

If you feel that the speakers in your iPad Pro are not what you envisioned or you think they maybe faulty, bring your iPad Pro back to an Apple Store, test. the audio system of another iPad Pro to see if the sound is different and if you find that your unit is faulty ask for a new replacement.

If you still aren't happy with sound, if you have had your iPad Pro for less than 14 days, return it for a full refund.

Be realistic here, though.

Good Luck!

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Answer 6

Brenstone Author

Level 1

6 points

Apr 19, 2016 9:38 AM in response to MichelPM

There's no need to be so defensive....this is why i always asumed this site was monitored and responded to by apple....if i didnt know better now, I would assume you were an employee.

You totally missed the point here....I only use the external speakers for casually listening to music when I don't feel like plugging in a dock, turning on a stereo, etc. ...and for that purpose, the sound is unacceptable and a downgrade...my other ipads sound much better for that purpose and i dont expect anything near high fidelity.

The bigger problem is that through quality headphones or external amp/speaker sets, many of, even the best, synthesizers and music production apps sound either different in tonality and sometimes, even poorly, even though I am running the exact same apps with the axact samensttings, mixes, etc. If you knew anything about music production or even audio, this is unacceptable. It has not been a problem on any other ipad.

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Answer 7

MichelPM

Level 10

81,525 points

Apr 19, 2016 10:01 AM in response to Brenstone

I am a musician that has my own semi-pro studio setup.

I am not an idiot when it comes to audio work, sir.

I think you have a defective iPad Pro.

Bring it back and try another.

I use audio apps on my iPads, as well.

Mostly Korg sound modules controlled via USB Korg keyboard controller, in addition to using an iOS DAW app, now, on my iPad Pro.

I record acoustic instruments and vocals, as well, with my iPads and now with my iPad Pro.

I just tried my headphones just to see if I could hear a difference in my Korg sounds via speakers or headphones.

They sound as they should and they aound fine to smaller speakers I have connnected up to my iPad Pro when I am recording stuff to my iPad Pro.

Clearly, there is something wrong with your unit, then.

Bring it back to Apple.

Hopefully, the issues with your unit is an isolated case.

Good Luck!

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Answer 8

Brenstone Author

Level 1

6 points

Apr 19, 2016 6:11 PM in response to MichelPM

Thank you.... this is the kind of feedback I was looking for in the first place....from your first post, I was unaware that you even had an iPad Pro.

Untill now I have always been impressed with the sound quality and consistency when transporting audio work product from one iPad to another. Even when I transport iPad work product to my Mac, the tonality, equalization, levels, clarity etc. is extraordinarily consistent, with the Mac, of course, supplying an increase in fidelity. I also collaborate with other musicians sharing tracks and or patches whose work product was developed on yet other iPads, Mac Systems, and even Android and Windows based systems...I have never encountered any such problems. In the industry, this is known as transportability....and it should always be transparent when staying within the same manufacturers platforms. The manufacturers of the great analog studio consoles of yesteryear spent much time and dollars making sure this was the case. .....And, so far, I think Appl has done an excellent job in this regard.

This is why I am so disappointed with this iPad Pro. ...And I agree, that there may be something wrong with this one....I intend on returning it and trying another, but before I waste my time (and perhaps stay standard by simply purchasing an Air 2), I was wondering if anyone who was doing serious music production was having similar experiences on the iPad Pro. I would also like to know, if you don't mind, is your iPad Pro the 12.9" or the 9.7"? The 9.7" is a more recent release and may have some corrective improvements addressing these issues (if there ever were any in the first place) to which we are referring.

Thanks.....Your feedback is much appreciated.

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Answer 9

MichelPM

Level 10

81,525 points

Apr 19, 2016 6:46 PM in response to Brenstone

I have the large iPad Pro, 128 GB storage model.

Purchased when they were released last Nov.

No issues with the audio system, but had issues with the screen quality.

I look at 3-4 units after my first one until I found one that was good/better than what I had.

Good Luck at the store.

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Answer 10

Brenstone Author

Level 1

6 points

Apr 19, 2016 7:27 PM in response to MichelPM

Wow....Valuable info.....it reassures me that I probably do have a bad unit, as it appears that quality control issues are not uncommon, and a return/repurchase my solve my prpblem.

Thanks again for your feedback.

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