My MacBook Pro 2018 version speakers are crackling.

However, it could be an under-engineered piece of hardware that begins developing feedback or arcing once a threshold has been crossed. The initial noise sounded like electrical arcing on AM band radio, then developed over a few hours to sound like rapid/mechanical electrical discharge.

yes it could be something like this. I keep wondering about this throttling issue and If it could be in someway related to that?

I'm surprised Apple hasn't addressed this issue in some way by now. Even to say where they are headed and a possible time frame for repair. At this moment they could take a year or two until they patch it.

I guess either enough people aren't reporting it, or they are lying about it because they don't want to have to do a recall? a year or two is totally unacceptable.

I spoke to a friend that has a good friend who’s a Mac engineer and he said this is most likely a hardware issue that affects all particular models.

I hope your guy is right but at the moment without them coming forth and saying exactly what it is I don’t trust that the software fix isn’t going to remove some of it functionality, maybe in ways we will never know but still paid for.

When various magazines have approached them about this issue they have declined to comment, which is indeed worrying.

Similar audio problem with my MacBook Pro 2018 (i9, 32GB, 2TB) from the UK. Have the laptop for 2/3 weeks, patched and updated. Started pretty early on.

No crackling as far as I can hear but after a while of watching videos on any software (QuickTime, VLC, Chrome, Safari) and any website (YouTube, Netflix), the sound will stop (the sound icon in the top bar next the to time will flick, like it got disabled for a second and come back), the video will keep on playing for two or three seconds then stop as well.

Now... On Safari, the playback (netflix, youtube) will resume after few seconds while VLC/Chrome/QuickTime will not resume. Even refresh the tab on Chrome doesn't work. I must close the tab, wait a few seconds, and restart the video.

I reset PRAM, SMC, and booted in Safe Mode to clear the boot cache. It's still happening. Hard to reproduce as sometimes it won't happen for a while and then happen while watching a random 20mn video.

I have the same issue. I bought a 2018 MacBook Pro 15" Core i9 with 1TB hard drive and 16GB of RAM and the speakers started doing that. I also had an issue...if I was listening to an audio book online, the audio would echo and it would talk over itself. I took a video of this and brought my MacBook Pro into the Apple store the very next day. They couldn't figure out what it was so they replaced it with a new MacBook Pro, same configuration only this one now has 32GB of RAM and the same thing is happening. I haven't tried restarting the NVRAM or anything like that but I just find it unacceptable that this would happen on a $4,000 machine!

It is such a joke. If you read the whole of this thread you will see there are so many people with this problem that have never touched bootcamp. There is a problem with these machines and Apple is refusing to admit it. I suggest recording the problem on film and tweeting it. It seems this is the only way to get their attention.

Hello everyone,

I have the same problem here. I bought a new MacBook Pro 15" with this sound issue and asked for a replacement.

I still have the problem with the second one.

I've called Apple Care every 2 days for 2 weeks now, still doesn't have any feedback on the problem although my problem as been reported to the engineer team according to one of my senior advisor in charge.

I won't change my MacBook for a 3rd buggy one, I have already lost too much time with that, feeling I've spent more time with Apple Care than my family this summer...

This situation is unacceptable and last too long, it's time for us to ask for an answer, excuses and compensation.

That's why I highly suggest you retweet or respond to the following tweet by tagging @apple and @applesupport:

on Twitter: "Would you ever communicate on this sound issue with the new @Apple MacBook Pro @AppleSupport ? I…

Let them hear us !

I doubt that it is a hardware issue since it’s on the internal speakers as well as on anything connected to the audio out. Bluetooth Audio is digital wile the before mentioned seam to be analoge? Is the internal speaker analoge? I think that maybe the digital anlog conversion driver or something could be buggy but I’m not an expert on this.

Changing the audio output to any other speaker, be it AirPlay, bluetooth, USB-attached etc. and back to the internal speakers “fixes” the problem for some time. No reboot is needed. Still annoying, I know.

Sorry, I thought Haunts referred to a prior update, but it seems Haunts referred to Supplemental Update 2 for MacBook Pro 2018 that was published 29th August 2018. I have to perform a long-term test after this update. Let’s hope it fixed the issue once and for all. Why does Apple not disclose if the issue was addressed in the update instead of having us test?

I have to say that unfortunately for Apple they have left a bad image on my family. My daughter, who uses Macs in school for tv production, received one of these as a very (very) special birthday gift two weeks ago from her grandmother. We took it back yesterday for a full refund over the ongoing sound issues. The Apple rep in Best Buy said they never heard of the issue. It was very disheartening over the sound issues and not a word from Apple corporate acknowledging the issues. For the premium paid for such a product the customer should at least be given such a courtesy. So we’re now waiting for something formal from Apple on this, and hopefully this will be read as we’ve now missed out on the sale and student discount that was part of our purchase. We decided to return it until the issue is fully documented to understand if any software ‘fix’ impacts performance on the premium laptop.

I have this issue on my MBP 2018 TouchBar 13".

This thread is quite similar. In short, there are two camps (quoting another user):

1. There is a spot inside the display assembly where there is metal on metal and it makes a popping sound when heat increases.

2. There is a popping sound coming from the speakers.

Re: Popping Sound, MBP 2016

To all people having 2018 MacBooks 13'' & 15'' and having those issues... do you experience those when the audio is coming through your earphone for example?

If that's the case, IMHO, these aren't hardware (speakers) issues and such as is more possible to be fixed in a future software upadte/patch.

I want to replace my old MacBook Pro (mid 2010) two years now, but with all these problems to previous models too I hesitate.

Apple is aware of this ! Just spoke to them !

Cancelled my order for Macbook pro since the Apple Authorized Reseller didn't have them !

This is really appalling that such issues are slipping through Apple's Quality Control Program!

From iPhone X with Speaker Crackling to this now and Sticky keys this has really got to STOP!

First of all I may be the first person since the update to reiterate this !

But you can see the original thread on MacRumors about this issue and a guy posted about his interaction with Apple Support just last week !

They stated that they are working on the issue.

That's why I contacted them to see for myself ! They then told me the same thing!

I agree with you about not being upfront and denying that this issue even exists !

But many years contrary to your statement are still plagued by this issue!

Hello Marios;

Apple keeps saying that it is isn't a hardware issue but from the way people have been experiencing this issue they have had their speakers blowing off or stop working all together.

Technically speaking if the issue is with the software (i.e. Sampling Rate of Audio drifting) then that will affect the speakers causing hardware issues to occur.

Now for weeks Apple says that they are collecting logs!

I am still searching for a statement from Apple on their Release Notes addressing this issue and I am still in touch with Apple regarding this matter.

I wanted to so buy this MacBook Pro but I cancelled my order because I was worried about this!

Apple should at least address this issue and put out some kind of notice; because it is keeping concerned Apple users in the dark.

I cannot give you any guarantee but I will post any more update I get.