2018 Macbook Pro 15`Inch Crackling Speakers

Hey MikedeWet

I got my macbookpro 2018 also , same issues , mine had a massive surge static loud energy pop / speakers damage .

still get the double skipping , crackling and worse . i find it happens after the machine heats up .

I searched online - you can reset the p n r , then you can also try activity moniter and quit the coreaudio driver and reopen it , it temp fixes it , but eventually it kicks back in as soon as the cpu is hot or using many audio / heavy cpu use

eg , you tube , fb , logic pro , final cut etc . all at once it just cant handle it , i believe the audio driver / or hardware

sound card is a real problem or its a heating issue as the fans do not cool the computer down , apple i see have firmwares to update the general crackling driver problem , but i also think some are linked to heat and power issues

as well as firmware .. anyways i took my macbook in to technician and they area fully replacing mine so - hopefully on the new one it wont have this issue , but it may have the firm ware problem till it is realieasted i will keep u posted

take her in before u get the power surge and your speakers blow out .

It could also be something to do with radio interference due to a lack of shielding of the audio drivers, and the T2 chip. as the casing was removed on the new macbook pro's i believe it could also maybe be this - as interferance can cause radio signals to sound like that static and if its a loud frequence siginal it can suddenly destroy the speakers , needing to be replaces or repaired , in my case my computers custom built so apple is replacing it .

Hello Techprince,

Now that you have noticed this it is great ! Please let Apple know about this Feedback - MacBook Pro - Apple

As they only check what you type there and not necessarily on these forums!

Hi there. I just bought 4 days ago, my MacBook Pro 2018 Touch Bar 15 inch, i7, 8th gen. First time with Apple. I'm in London.

Learning my way with the system and all related, I haven't yet installed any software.

I DO Have a crackling sound as well in the speakers. I recorded it for evidence with my phone.

I have to mention that I followed just the standard setup, and even done all the updates available in my AppStore.

First time, yesterday (3rd day having the laptop) just finding my way and playing around in Garage Band, it started the crackling sound. I thought, what a ... might be something I did with the sound while messing around with the instruments in the track. Ok; left it like that and closed down GarageBand not paying to much attention, as after that I went on music and Youtube to check if really is a speakers issue or not. For the moment not hearing an issue noise anymore, I carried on with my learning around.

Next day (today), I played some music from my external hard drive via iTunes and I am not sure how long after the first song, must have been at least 1 hour for sure, I had the crackling sounds, regular at every about 10 seconds or so, had recorded them on my phone.

Turned off the music, had a lunch break while I was thinking of what will I intend to do next: went on the forums, and for my surprise to find out many, many other users and many forums that complain with the same issue. A small relief, that is not my machine only.

I truly believe that is a software issue, or some incompatibility of settings between the components. Just my first opinion.

While I was looking on the net for this, I played some more songs, with no further issues. Indeed was not over 1 hour though, ....will keep on testing next day.

I will write or contact by phone Apple support as well.

I will try to look into how to change the audio sampling from 44 to 48Khz as others were suggesting (how do you do that??)

Further more, I will NOT update to Mojave until more of the users with the same issue, will confirm 100% that this solved their issue definitely.

I will not give it back for exchange because that will not solve the issue, (I have experience from previous situation with some other big brand product) that you are giving back something, and get a second one with the same or an extra issue. ...more, I have learned that even the big brands, they are not giving you for exchange on warranty a brand new machine, but a revised, refurbished one that was returned, they "fixed it", cleaned, repacked and here you go..

...no thanks.

Not having any other issue, I will wait a bit patiently for Apple's solution....and if others will confirm that Mojave solved their speakers crackling issue, than I'll go for the Mojave.

Looking forward to hearing from you all.

It means erasing the entire operating system and then installing Mojave. It might be successful with just upgrading to Mojave but in my case, I erased it all and then installed Mojave. How it is all done? That’s something you have to google up and follow instructions. Didn’t have problems since

I'm still on High Sierra but can tell you what caused the issue for me... Either Security Update 2018-002, Security Update 2018-003, or a combination of both. (I installed them at the same time.)

Before I installed these I had no distortion for 3 months, machine used daily... 15 mins after installing the updates the problem showed up and wouldn''t go away.

I've since gotten around the issue by restoring a clone I made before installing the updates... While I had the issue I had crackling happening daily, since cloning back I haven't had the issue for over a week.

Anyway I suspect that these updates are either installed with Mojave, or installed when you restore using Recovery... If you have auto-update from the app store turned on then you almost certainly do have them installed...

If you really want to have an impact DON'T BUY APPLE Period... Buying an older machine is still giving their investors, board members, and brand name validation... That's the hard reality of this situation... At this point the only real solution is to bail on Apple all together.

In the short term the best you can do is file a complaint as it at least forces the Customer Relations department to register that something has gone seriously wrong at Apple, to the point where customers are willing to jump ship.

Buying second hand still benefits Apple because the moment you register the machine to your Apple ID it still notifies their database that you're still hooked in to Apple.

Today I found some german articles about that problem which say that the reason is the new T2 Safety Chip.

If you have a MBP 2016 you won't have these problems because only the MBP's 2017 and 2018 have this chip.

I Started a Youtube Channel Documenting Issues Related to this.

The Intention Is To:

• Create public awareness about audio issues related to T2 Macs.

• Create a record of T2-related audio glitches.

• Provide a video hub for people to take their issues to Social Media.

If you have a youtube link or want to upload video of your issue and have me add it to the playlist:

Reply to this post and paste a link, or paste a link in the MacRumors thread:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macbook-pro-2018-speakers-crackling.2128234

Doesn't matter what model as long as its a T2/T1-related audio issue:

• 2018 Macbook Pro

• 2018 Mac Mini

• 2018 Macbook Air

• 2016 Touchbar Macbook Pro

• Imac Pro

Channel Link:

Mac T2 Chip Audio Glitches

Main Playlist:

2018 Touchbar MacBook / T2-Related Audio Glitches


Feel free to blast the channel link or playlist to any relevant forums or social media channels.

The crackling speaker problem is unfortunately not the only sound problem the new Macbook Pro. Another big problem is that in the moment you use a USB-C docking station you will have sound dissonances on every audio output possible(headphones direct at the mbp and other audio outputs of the docking stations). I had this problem with a BenQ PD24710QC (with integrated dock - BenQ changed the monitor to a new one with same problem). Than I tried an ICY Box USB-C docking station IB-DK2102-C which works without sound problems for some hours but than the problems came back and besides it heats up to very hot temperature. I also found out that the ICY Box IB-DK2403-C has the same troubles with Apples new Macbook Pros (a user posted it on AMAZON). My question to other users: can anybody recommend another docking station without sound problems? (Sonnet Echo or Elgato Thunderbolt Dock or others)

Please report this issue to support before you return the machine. I spent 2 months chasing this issue down with Apple. The last customer relations person I spoke with explained that there's clearly a structural failure happening at Apple where the retail stores are replacing machines without documenting enough about the issue to link the returns being related to this issue.

Please see my reply in the thread link below where I go into great detail about what the Relations agent said. He was surprisingly transparent and said anyone experiencing the issue should log the issue with Apple support before returning or replacing the machine, and feared the issue will continue to slip through the cracks unless more people call and detail the issue before replacing it.

There's a pretty decent likelihood you'll discover the same issue on the new machine anyway if it's already happened once... Plus the Apple Store obviously isn't doing anything to connect the issue to replacements so you lose nothing by taking a day or two to document the issue with Apple Care before getting it replaced...

The short version is that anyone who would like to see the issue addressed should, at the bare minimum, do the following:

• Call support and log the issue in as much detail as possible. (A step missing from the replacement process at Apple stores.)
• Get a case number after logging the issue with support.
• Provide the case number when replacing the machine and make sure they link the replacement to the case number so the issue is correlated to replacements.
• Follow up with support after receiving the replacement to make sure the Apple Store linked or referenced your case number in the replacement.

Link detailing the discussion further:

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/showpost.php?p=13861620&postcount=293

I contacted Apple first by taking my 15" MacBook Pro to the store where I bought it. The people I talked to there said they had no knowledge of the speaker crackle issue.