Sudden muffled sound on imac

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Sudden muffled sound on imac

My computer is an iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015) and I've got a problem of sudden muffled sound from the built in speakers.
Sound through headphones is fine. I did a clean install of OS X to an external USB drive to see if the issue was software related, but it's exactly the same when running out of the box software with nothing else installed.

To describe the sound, I would liken it to having no mid and high range frequencies.

Given that the sound via headphones is ok, I would think the actual audio chip is ok, and the speakers themselves have failed. Th only other suggestion would be the disconnect that occurs when unplugging the headphone socket, although I would think this is probably ok as I can't see why I would be getting low frequencies, but not mids and highs.

Anyone got any suggestions?

iMac, macOS Mojave (10.14), iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015

Posted on Oct 14, 2018 6:24 AM

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Answer 1

dialabrain

Level 10

135,641 points

Oct 14, 2018 6:29 AM in response to Crunchy3001

You could try resetting the SMC. How to reset the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac - Apple Support

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Answer 2

Crunchy3001 Author

Level 1

25 points

Oct 15, 2018 5:44 AM in response to dialabrain

Apologies.
Well I've come to the conclusion that it's yet another example of the poor quality equipment now sold by Apple.
18 month old iMAC with failed speakers, a noisy cooling fan, and a HDD on my fusion drive that is reported as "failing".
What a heap of junk!

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Answer 3

Crunchy3001 Author

Level 1

25 points

Oct 15, 2018 5:56 AM in response to dialabrain

I can't afford to be without the machine for even a day as I am a freelance web developer with deadlines to meet. I'm now running from an external SSD via thunderbolt instead of the internal drive. When the machine dies completely it'll go in the skip. Given the state of Apples current lineup, I won't be buying from them again. Non removable storage on Macbook, poor heat management solution on iMac doesn't sound much like innovation to me.

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Answer 4

Crunchy3001 Author

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25 points

Oct 14, 2018 6:44 AM in response to dialabrain

Already tried that, several times. It made no difference.

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Answer 5

dialabrain

Level 10

135,641 points

Oct 14, 2018 9:34 AM in response to Crunchy3001

It's helpful to mention what you've already tried so that others don't repeat the same suggestions.

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Answer 6

dialabrain

Level 10

135,641 points

Oct 15, 2018 5:49 AM in response to Crunchy3001

Sorry you're having issues. Among the six Macs I own is a Late-2015 5K iMac without any issues. I would suggest having yours looked at by Apple or an AASP.

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Answer 7

dialabrain

Level 10

135,641 points

Oct 15, 2018 5:59 AM in response to Crunchy3001

It doesn't actually matter to me what you purchase. I'm just another user, not an Apple employee. But, good luck with whatever you purchase.

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Sudden muffled sound on imac

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