Hearing your Mac speakers pop and crackle while you’re watching a movie or listening to a new song can be very annoying. Audio that skips around was a problem with Macs before OS X 10.9 Mavericks came out in late 2013. “Why are my speakers crackling?” is still a question that people ask on the Apple Community boards. People have reported that when they use certain apps on their MacBook, the sound crackles and the quality is bad. In this article we will show you how to Fix ‘MacBook Speaker Crackling’ issue.
Most of the time, these problems are easy to fix and won’t need professional help, but it’s important to find the right cause of the issue. Let’s look more closely at the kinds of problems that can make the speakers on your MacBook Pro crackle and the simple ways you can get great sound back on your Mac.
Why ‘MacBook Speaker Crackling’ issue
- Dust and other things: If dust builds up in the speaker grilles, it can block the sound and make it crackle. Clean the grilles gently with a soft brush or air that has been squished together. If you blow straight into the grilles, you could push more dirt and dust inside.
- Damage to the body: If you drop your MacBook or let water get on it, the speaker diaphragm can get damaged, which will cause crackling. In this case, it might need to be fixed by a professional.
- Electrical interference: Electronic gadgets or power cords close by can mess up the sound signal. Try getting your MacBook out of the way of them.
- Software conflicts: Using a lot of audio-heavy programmes at the same time can overload the system and make the sound crackle. Try closing apps that you don’t need.
- Outdated audio drivers: Drivers that are too old can cause problems with reliability and sound glitches. You can get the latest audio drivers by going to System Preferences > Software Update.
How to Fix ‘MacBook Speaker Crackling’ issue
Update your apps
- Identify the Issue: Determine if the crackling occurs with specific apps or with all apps.
- Test Different Apps: If unsure, try different apps to identify which ones the crackling occurs with.
- Adjust Volume Levels: Experiment with different volume levels as the crackling may vary with each.
- Check for Updates: If the issue is specific to certain apps, check for updates.
- For App Store apps, open the App Store app and navigate to the Updates section.
- For non-App Store apps, open the app, select its name in the menu bar, and choose Check for Updates.
Check background apps
- Restart your device.
- If the issue persists, it might be caused by an app running in the background.
- Determine if you have an app designed to limit CPU cycles for other apps.
- If such an app is installed, it could be the culprit.
- Some apps, while limiting CPU cycles for other apps, may inadvertently cause audio output issues.
- Try disabling the app designed to limit CPU cycles.
- Check if the issue is resolved after disabling the app.
- If successful, search for an update for the app.
- If no update is available, contact the developer for further assistance.
Adjust the sample rate
- To get to Audio Midi Setup, go to Applications > Utilities.
- On the left, click on the speakers on your MacBook.
- Format should be set to 44.1kHz.
- Set it to 44.1kHz by clicking the menu.
Check external speakers
- Check if the problem persists despite previous attempts.
- Determine if the issue lies with the MacBook speakers or the audio output in general.
- Connect a set of external speakers to the MacBook.
- Utilize a 3.5mm headphone socket if available.
- Attempt connecting powered speakers to assess crackling.
- Alternatively, test with headphones.
- Observe if crackling persists on the external speakers.
- Infer whether the issue is software-related if crackling is evident on external speakers.
FAQs
To fix these sounds, you should check the cords or input and output connectors that connect your converters to your speakers. Check these places, clean the connectors, switch the cables, and look inside your speakers, no matter what kind of data chain you have.
It sounds like either the right speaker is broken or something has gotten into the computer and is sitting on the speaker, making a noise. In either case, you’ll probably have to take it apart to check out the speaker.
To cut a long story short, popping and crackling are usually signs of a bad link. This should help you figure out what’s wrong with your sound system. Just check all of the connections and cords. One possibility is that a wire has come loose. This can happen if you have pets in the house.
