Fix MacBook Pro Speaker Noises (Crackling/Buzzing/Popping)

Why Do My MacBook Pro Speakers Sound Distorted?

MacBook Pro’s speakers can create a scratchy or distorted sound because of:

Table of Contents

Outdated sound drivers
Incorrect sound settings
Damaged wiring
Loose wiring
Faulty hardware

These issues can be easily resolved by ensuring that the device is up-to-date and by altering and managing the volume settings.

Check your sound card and driver. If both the sound car and driver are fine and your speakers are still creating a distorted sound, your MacBook may need to be repaired.

Why is my MacBook Pro speaker crackling?

Sound glitches, connectivity problems with external devices, sound not working at times, or internal issues that can cause strange noises are common problems with the MacBook, and you may encounter these quite often.

Causes:

Incorrect audio settings
Issues with the system
Connection problems
Bad wiring or damaged or loose wires
Outdated sound drivers
Interference in certain hardware

How to fix the MacBook pro speaker making a crackling noise

The crackling sound mainly occurs when there is some issue with the sound card. You wouldn’t necessarily have to reset the sound card. Normally, if the driver detects a problem, it will shut down and restart automatically.

However, if your system has an audio editing program, the sound card will no longer work. Fortunately, it isn’t a tough task to get the sound card to work again.

If you follow a few steps, you will see that it’s fairly easy. In some cases, a system update can resolve the problem.

Solution 1

The first noticeable thing you should do is to close all the audio programs and restart your applications. Usually, restarting is all it takes to solve the problem.

Solution 2

Shut down all the audio applications on your MacBook and restart your computer. This may solve the problem if the issue is with the MacBook’s generic sound system.

Solution 3

Click on ‘Go’ and then select the ‘Utilities’ option. Then open the ‘Disk Utility’ section, and from the list that follows on the left, select your hard disk. Select ‘Repair Disk Permission.’

Sometimes, it is the corrupted permissions that cause issues with the audio.

Solution 4

Select the ‘System Preferences’ from the dock and select the ‘Sound’ option from the ‘Hardware’ section. Click on the ‘Output’ tab. Ensure that the correct output device is selected.

For example: if your built-in speakers are in use, “Internal speaker” should be highlighted. Look for the ‘Mute Checkbox’ option in the lower right corner and make sure that it is unchecked.

Solution 5

Click ‘Go’ and open ‘Terminal.’ Then open ‘Utilities’ and click on the terminal icon. Enter this code: sudo kill -9 psax|grep ‘coreaudio[a-z]’ | awk ‘{print $1}’

This code will enable you to reset the audio.

Why is my MacBook pro speaker buzzing?

Strange buzzing sounds can come from your Macbook Pro speakers because of dust, incorrect audio settings, damaged speakers or issues with the PRAM.

Damaged speakers
Settling of dust
Problem with the audio settings
Issues with the SMC or PRAM

How to fix the MacBook pro speaker making a buzzing noise

To fix MacBook Pro speakers that are making a buzzing noise, you need to clean any dust on the fans and inside the air vents using compressed air.

Clean Your MacBook

With time, dust settles inside your MacBook near the fan blades. This disturbs the normal flow and causes buzzing noise as the fan spins. This can be resolved simply by cleaning the fan blades. Here is how:

The first step is to turn off your laptop completely. The fans should stop spinning.
You will require a compressed air can and a small Phillips-head screwdriver.
Use the screwdriver to open the bottom cover of the MacBook.
Gently clean the dust and dirt you see. Don’t apply too much force or pressure as that could damage the delicate parts.
You can use the compressed air to blow away any dust that stays. Ensure that the fans and vents are clean, and there are no blockages.

As long as you are careful and gentle, you won’t damage your MacBook pro.

Check the vents

Every Apple product has vents to keep the system cool and to regulate the internal temperature. Vents help the fans to expel the hot air and absorb the cool air.

Just like the fans, make sure that the vents are clean and there are no blockages.

Blockages are the main reason behind the buzzing sound. In different devices, vents are located in different locations. Here are a few details that will help you to locate the vents.

MacBook Pro: The vents are located on the sides and the backside of the device.
MacBook Pro (2013 edition): The vents are situated at the bottom of the laptop, and through this vent, cool air is absorbed. Then there is a vent on the top through which hot air is expelled.
MacBook Air: Vents are located along with the clutch.

For optimal performance, make sure that there are no blockages on the vents and around the fans. Clean vents and clean fans mean that the system will run more smoothly, causing no sound.

MacBook Pro making a popping noise

It is mentioned in the Apple Community Forums that many MacBook Pro owners have reported a strange popping noise coming from their device.

This popping sound can be described as a sound similar to when a plastic bottle is squeezed. It is also reported that the sound comes out randomly and follows no pattern. Some users also say that the noise becomes louder when heavy applications are running, or their speaker is in use.

There are various reasons behind this popping noise that are discussed in the Apple Forum.

Some speculate that heat is one of the reasons.
The heavier version of the MacBook Pro, like the 15-inch model, has a heavier screen, which can also be a reason behind this noise.
Others say that this sound was occurring when a dent on the bottom of their MacBook was hitting the fan. This usually requires physical repair, and this can fall under ‘user inflicted’ damage.

There is no confirmed reason behind the cause of the popping sound.

Solution:

Some have advised that reformatting the hard drive or reinstalling the operating system might help. But in most cases, it doesn’t.

There is an increasing number of cases where MacBook Pro owners are complaining about a popping sound, but fortunately, it doesn’t cause any harm to the computer itself.

Not even the Apple people know the exact reason behind the problem if it’s caused by thermal expansion or contraction or heat. This issue is covered under Apple’s warranty.

If you experience this problem with your 2016 MacBook Pro, take it to a Apple Store for repair.

MacBook Pro speakers making static noise

The static noise typically occurs because of a configuration change. The MacOS applies this change to the sound output when a certain kind of software is loaded on your MacBook.

Go to ‘System Preferences’ and then click on ‘Sound.’
Check the output option. You will find quite a few options on the list. If you see an option called ‘SoundFlower’ or any other unusual name, then MacOS is probably using the wrong output option.
Change your output option to ‘Internal Speakers’ or any other device.
Restart and try again.

In some cases, you may find this problem occurring after every time you restart your device. To stop that from happening, you can uninstall the SoundFlower extension.

If you have connected external speakers to your MacBook, and are hearing the static noise, try connecting them to another device.

If you hear the same noise when you connect it to any other device like your smartphone, the problem is with the wiring of your external speakers.

If not, then the problem is with your macOS, and this means it is time to visit your MacBook’s settings again.

Open the ‘System preferences’ page and select the ‘Sound’ option.
Under the ‘Sound Effects’ section, you will find several options.
Ensure that ‘Play Feedback When Volume is Changed’ option is not selected.
Toggle the on and off the option to see if it helps with the static.

If you have connected your MacBook to Bluetooth or any other device, check the connectivity. Poor connectivity can also cause a static noise.

You can resolve this issue by simply restarting your MacBook and the Bluetooth device to find improvement.

Try changing your external sound output source to check if the sound is better or not.

Check the selected sound output source and change it according to your preference.

How to fix MacBook Pro left speaker not working

If you find that your left speaker is not working, or you do not hear any sound coming out from one speaker, here are a few things that will help you resolve the problem.

Method 1

Unplug or disconnect the external speakers or headphones attached to your MacBook.
Try turning up the volume.
Open another application or program and check if the problem is general or caused by a specific program.
Check the sound settings and restart your MacBook and see if that solves the problem.

Method 2

Check your audio settings. Perhaps the problem is occurring due to wrong output settings. To check the audio settings of your MacBook Pro, follow these steps:

Select ‘System Preferences’ from the dock.
Select the ‘Sound’ option.
Check that the ‘Internal Speakers’ option is selected.
The ‘Mute’ option should be unchecked.
Move the volume slider back and forth to get balanced sound output.

This should fix the issue. Now check if the sound is coming out of both the speakers.

How to fix MacBook Pro right speaker not working

The first thing you can do to try to solve this problem is to update the computer software. Simple updating your MacBook can balance the sound coming out of the speaker.

Check the sound settings of your device

If updating doesn’t help, you should check the sound settings. You will probably find that the problem lies there.

The first step is to disconnect the external audio devices. You should also disconnect any USB or cable connected to your computer. Now follow these steps:

Click on ‘System Preferences’ from the menu.
Select the ‘Sound’ option.
Select the ‘Output’ and then choose the ‘Built-in speakers’ option.
Adjust the slider by moving it towards the right and then try again.
Uncheck the ‘mute’ box if it is selected.

If this doesn’t help, then you should contact the Apple support team.

How to Fix a MacBook Pro Right speaker that is Buzzing

As mentioned earlier, the most common reason for the buzzing sound is when there is a blockage in and around the vents and fans. Placing your laptop on a soft surface like your bed or your lap will make it difficult for the fans to move and expel the hot air.

Avoid keeping your laptop on such surfaces. Keep your laptop on a plain hard surface, and see if the fan works more smoothly.

Restarting your MacBook can adjust the temperature sensor. This can also stop the buzzing noise. If this doesn’t help either, you can reset the SMC with the help of Apple instructions.

MacBook Pro Right Speaker is Crackling

This problem can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.

This is how you can reset the NVRAM:

Shut down your MacBook Pro and switch it on.
Immediately press these keys together for 20 seconds:

Option + Command + P + R

Release the keys when you see your laptop restarting or when you hear the start-up sound.
For Mac computers equipped with the Apple T2 chip, release the keys when you see the Apple logo appear and disappear for the second time.

MacBook Pro Right Speaker is Louder than the Left