Apple Investigating 16-Inch MacBook Pro Popping Sound Issue, Fix Planned in Future Software Updates

[Gradly]

I got this issue since the last update. This exact issue was before and fixed with a software update. Now its back

 

[dspdoc]

I got this issue since the last update. This exact issue was before and fixed with a software update. Now its back

Please be sure to report that to Apple.

 

[Konigi]

If anything, 10.15.3 made it worse. I still hear some popping/clicking noises once in a while (especially when there are two audio sources, for instance music playing on Spotify and then one sound coming from a browser), but now sometimes it stays longer. And once, I had to reboot the computer because the popping sound jammed in some way, it wouldn't stop, and it was loud.

On a brand new MBP 2019 13''.

 

[tehStickMan]

I just wanted to reiterate that this issue still very much exists even under 10.15.3. It has NOT been fixed, contrary to many people saying that it has. I honestly do not know where they are getting this from...? The "popping" and "clicking" noise even occurs when receiving alerts, like from texts and emails. There's a "tick" sound that occurs split seconds before the alert sound. It is beyond annoying! Basically this "popping" or "clicking" sound occurs system wide more or less any time the audio engine is engaged or disengaged. When in a very quiet room a person with half decent ears can hear it OFTEN! When the system is set to a sample rate of 48 the severity is lessened, but still there. When set to 44.1 it is REALLY LOUD. This has got to be totally resolved soon, as Apple's engineers are starting to look like monkeys chasing a football. It is pathetic for this caliber and price of a machine to do this. Apple didn't use to have these audio issues before the T2 chip. I have owned almost every model MBP since they have been out, and this did NOT used to be a thing AT ALL. C'mon Apple! Dedicate some engineers to this, please.

Have you seen this thread? https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...g.2128234/page-61?post=28220170#post-28220170

It's a T2 issue since 2018. Every T2 macbook (yes, even the Air) I've used as this issue. It's not being fixed.

Additionally, I've contacted at least 3 people from this site, including the catch-all email address. I've contacted a further 2-3 people on other sites.

No one cares about this issue. Get a T2-less machine or suck it up.

As someone who works expert technical support for one of the largest suites of applications in the world, I can comfortably say that you may be seeing the issue when others aren't.

..Yup? The issue exists and majority of people are unaware of it. It's on 100% of Macbook Pros.
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Your one example is insufficient to draw any conclusions about the state of the product.

Ok, his one example, lets add my examples:

1. Apple actually logged this as a T2 issue
2. I too, heard they are aware of 'T2 audio issue' via my support contact.
3. 2018 MBP15
4. Replacement 2018 MBP15
5. Replacement 2018 MBP15 this time with Vega
6. New 2019 MBP15 with Vega
7. New 2018 MBP13
8. New 2019 Macbook Air.

That's SIX out of SIX devices I've owned with T2 chip that have this issue. Add in the other 2-3 I've playing with in-store, and you're looking at a nice healthy 100% hit rate.

 

[AustinIllini]

..Yup? The issue exists and majority of people are unaware of it. It's on 100% of Macbook Pros.

That doesn't somehow invalidate people saying they don't experience it. Everyone uses their devices differently.

 

[Peperino]

Just stop with the 100% BS. It’s not 100% and it never has been. Apple sells 15+ million laptops a year, and if it was 100% we would know it. There would be more than a few dozen or hundred or thousand complaints.

But it doesn’t help your case to claim 100% of users are having a problem, because when so many users read that and say, that’s not happening to me, then they just roll their eyes and write you off as a complaining crackpot.

Everybody should be free to comment as they wish. I guess you also think the massive problems with the keyboards were also BS. If someone needs to stop with the BS is you, trying to minimize and excuse every problem other users are posting.
When many users read your constant excuses, they might think you are just an Apple troll employee.

 

[thevault]

Got to love the supporters of the T2 and security BS.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Everybody should be free to comment as they wish. I guess you also think the massive problems with the keyboards were also BS. If someone needs to stop with the BS is you, trying to minimize and excuse every problem other users are posting.
When many users read your constant excuses, they might think you are just an Apple troll employee.

If the problem were 100%, more people would be posting about it. This thread has been dead for two months before it was resurrected ?‍♂️

You obviously feel free to post a never ending stream of Apple hate (for reason$ unknown?) without being called an Apple-hater troll, why not let others post their opinion. I have as much right to post my opinion as anyone else. Deal with it.

Everybody should be free to comment as they wish.

 

[tehStickMan]

If the problem were 100%, more people would be posting about it.

The issue is so niche that on MacAdmins Slack no one heard (lol) of this issue before I came along.

Couple people used my instructions to replicate, and guess what, all of them had the issue.

Apple themselves told me between the lines that it affects all of them. They stopped device replacements, because they knew the replacement would have the exact same issue.

I personally held in my hands eight T2-equipped devices. All eight of them had the issue. Do you know what the chances are of me having 8 out of 8 devices with the exact same issue, if the issue doesn't affect 100% of devices?

**

And yet, at the same time, the issue is so prevalent that one just needs to get an email/SMS notification and one can immediately hear the problem.

Just like how people think DVD quality on their 4K TV is fine, doesn't mean there is no difference between DVD and 4K.
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Also, recap, so people are aware. I logged a support call with Apple:

1. The issue was logged by Apple as "speaker issues"
2. Shortly after, it was renamed to "T2 audio issue".
3. I was told that engineering department are fully aware of the issue. I was told this multiple times, across multiple days. They are looking into it. No more device swaps will be given for my case, or any other case, as it won't fix the issue. AKA 100% of devices are affected.
4. A lot of waiting here. Why? What reason would they have to be silent for 1-3 months on end?
5. At this point they stop talking about a known issue, it's mostly silence.
6. I get a new device, because they wanted an actual device capture this time, so engis can look at my box directly.
7. Their support system is trash and it auto-closes my cases. Or, that's their excuse. I fight hard to re-open it.
8. Suddenly, tone change. "Engineers found no problem"... ok, only previously, they acknowledged the problem from system logs, and from audio/video captures, and from replicating it in-house. Why the sudden change? Written emails are barebones, so I have nothing to pin them on. Verbally, no mention of known issues at all. Completely downplaying my issue.
9. tl;dr i fight to get full refund. I then buy 2019 refresh, and this has same problem, and I get refund. The 'T2 known issue' has never been talked about since.


Summary:

• Apple knew about the issue
• Apple knew it affects 100% of T2 macbooks
• Apple lied and covered up the problem

 

[PickUrPoison]

The issue is so niche that on MacAdmins Slack no one heard (lol) of this issue before I came along.

Couple people used my instructions to replicate, and guess what, all of them had the issue.

Apple themselves told me between the lines that it affects all of them. They stopped device replacements, because they knew the replacement would have the exact same issue.

I personally held in my hands eight T2-equipped devices. All eight of them had the issue. Do you know what the chances are of me having 8 out of 8 devices with the exact same issue, if the issue doesn't affect 100% of devices?

**

And yet, at the same time, the issue is so prevalent that one just needs to get an email/SMS notification and one can immediately hear the problem.

Just like how people think DVD quality on their 4K TV is fine, doesn't mean there is no difference between DVD and 4K.
[automerge]1581986677[/automerge]
Also, recap, so people are aware. I logged a support call with Apple:

1. The issue was logged by Apple as "speaker issues"
2. Shortly after, it was renamed to "T2 audio issue".
3. I was told that engineering department are fully aware of the issue. I was told this multiple times, across multiple days. They are looking into it. No more device swaps will be given for my case, or any other case, as it won't fix the issue. AKA 100% of devices are affected.
4. A lot of waiting here. Why? What reason would they have to be silent for 1-3 months on end?
5. At this point they stop talking about a known issue, it's mostly silence.
6. I get a new device, because they wanted an actual device capture this time, so engis can look at my box directly.
7. Their support system is trash and it auto-closes my cases. Or, that's their excuse. I fight hard to re-open it.
8. Suddenly, tone change. "Engineers found no problem"... ok, only previously, they acknowledged the problem from system logs, and from audio/video captures, and from replicating it in-house. Why the sudden change? Written emails are barebones, so I have nothing to pin them on. Verbally, no mention of known issues at all. Completely downplaying my issue.
9. tl;dr i fight to get full refund. I then buy 2019 refresh, and this has same problem, and I get refund. The 'T2 known issue' has never been talked about since.


Summary:

• Apple knew about the issue
• Apple knew it affects 100% of T2 macbooks
• Apple lied and covered up the problem

Another poster said 6 of 8 and that the problem has come and gone with different updates.

At this point Apples sold 10-20 million T2 machines, and there’s a handful of people complaining.

What does that tell you?

 

[cmaier]

Another poster said 6 of 8 and that the problem has come and gone with different updates.

At this point Apples sold 10-20 million T2 machines, and there’s a handful of people complaining.

What does that tell you?

That someone is silencing us, man. It’s a conspiracy, dude.

 

[tehStickMan]

That it's not a big enough issue, or detectable enough by most plebs. ?‍♂️

You do you man, I don't really care. Apple themselves admitted it to me.

 

[cmaier]

That it's not a big enough issue, or detectable enough by most plebs. ?‍♂️

You do you man, I don't really care. Apple themselves admitted it to me.

Apple admitted it to you? Like their official, authorized, spokesperson told you?

Or some hourly-wage earner who just wanted you out of his/her hair?

 

[PickUrPoison]

That it's not a big enough issue, or detectable enough by most plebs. ?‍♂️

You do you man, I don't really care. Apple themselves admitted it to me.

Plebs... that’s not condescending at all ?

Apple admitted what, that it’s not a big enough issue to get high priority handling?

No more device swaps can simply mean that it’s a known issue that isn’t hardware, so there’s no point to swapping it out because it won’t change a thing. Will likely be addressed in a future firmware or software update.

Hopefully the next time it goes away, it’s for good. If it does go away, the best time to hit them is if it comes back. Then you can nail them on a regression, which has high priority.

 

[tehStickMan]

Apple admitted what, that’s it not a big enough issue to prioritize?

Yes, precisely.

You don't know how product recalls etc work? Bean counters work out the cost of the recall, versus the chance of a lawsuit and costs of that. Recall is mostly business decision, not a moral decision.

Also, yes, there was someone else saying an Apple rep told them how the 'issues' process works, and that this issue is voted on only a handful of times, looked over in favour of the keyboard issue etc.

Hopefully the next time it goes away, it’s for good.

It never went away. The core issue persisted across 3 macOS's, and even more incremental updates and T2 firmware updates.

It's either T2 firmware issue, or T2 hardware. But it's not being fixed.
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Apple admitted it to you? Like their official, authorized, spokesperson told you?

Or some hourly-wage earner who just wanted you out of his/her hair?

There's a difference? ?

Anyway, if you're wanting me to show you an email from Apple management containing the phrase "we are aware that the T2 is faulty and causing issues with 100% of devices", then surely you're saying it in jest - that's never gonna happen. Unless they get sued to hell and back. Maybe then.

 

[Macbookprodude]

I just wanted to reiterate that this issue still very much exists even under 10.15.3. It has NOT been fixed, contrary to many people saying that it has. I honestly do not know where they are getting this from...? The "popping" and "clicking" noise even occurs when receiving alerts, like from texts and emails. There's a "tick" sound that occurs split seconds before the alert sound. It is beyond annoying! Basically this "popping" or "clicking" sound occurs system wide more or less any time the audio engine is engaged or disengaged. When in a very quiet room a person with half decent ears can hear it OFTEN! When the system is set to a sample rate of 48 the severity is lessened, but still there. When set to 44.1 it is REALLY LOUD. This has got to be totally resolved soon, as Apple's engineers are starting to look like monkeys chasing a football. It is pathetic for this caliber and price of a machine to do this. Apple didn't use to have these audio issues before the T2 chip. I have owned almost every model MBP since they have been out, and this did NOT used to be a thing AT ALL. C'mon Apple! Dedicate some engineers to this, please.

I feel for you.. Apple is all about greed and cutting corners, That is why I am stopping at 2015 MacBook Pro because anything after that is garbage and can't upgrade the SSD anymore. Not saying the 2019 16 inch is garbage, but it sounds like it is given your situation.

 

[cmaier]

Yes, precisely.

You don't know how product recalls etc work? Bean counters work out the cost of the recall, versus the chance of a lawsuit and costs of that. Recall is mostly business decision, not a moral decision.

Also, yes, there was someone else saying an Apple rep told them how the 'issues' process works, and that this issue is voted on only a handful of times, looked over in favour of the keyboard issue etc.


It never went away. The core issue persisted across 3 macOS's, and even more incremental updates and T2 firmware updates.

It's either T2 firmware issue, or T2 hardware. But it's not being fixed.
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There's a difference? ?

Anyway, if you're wanting me to show you an email from Apple management containing the phrase "we are aware that the T2 is faulty and causing issues with 100% of devices", then surely you're saying it in jest - that's never gonna happen. Unless they get sued to hell and back. Maybe then.

So “Apple” ”admitted” nothing to you.

 

[Macbookprodude]

Ok People, if you don't understand what the problem is, watch this. But don't be so positive about it saying "Oh its just a speaker software thing that Apple will quickly fix" because it is not.

This guy knows Apple's crap.

 

[AustinIllini]

I feel for you.. Apple is all about greed and cutting corners, That is why I am stopping at 2015 MacBook Pro because anything after that is garbage and can't upgrade the SSD anymore. Not saying the 2019 16 inch is garbage, but it sounds like it is given your situation.

Let's call it like it is: the issue being discussed in this thread is not serious enough to warrant this kind of response.

Apple still makes among the best devices in the business right now.

 

[jeyf]

And no other company also has such a cult following full of apologists that defends their every mistake.

no; the following is paid

 

[AustinIllini]

no; the following is paid

 

[Macbookprodude]

Let's call it like it is: the issue being discussed in this thread is not serious enough to warrant this kind of response.

Apple still makes among the best devices in the business right now.

True, but they have sacrificed qa and releasing products with issues. I agree with you, but I wouldn't spend 3000 plus on a laptop only to know I am stuck with what I pay for.

 

[AustinIllini]

True, but they have sacrificed qa and releasing products with issues. I agree with you, but I wouldn't spend 3000 plus on a laptop only to know I am stuck with what I pay for.

Again, there are serious issues and their are minor issues.

This one? In the middle somewhere but closer to minor.

 

[tehStickMan]

Again, there are serious issues and their are minor issues.

H'okay, I guess I'll just shove my $5000 laptop that I purchased based on Apple's marketing as the best for creatives including video editing, inside my rectum. Because I need audio to be working while I'm video editing. Which it's not working. On 100% of devices.

But that's cool it's not a big issue.

You're defending something you have no horse in. Ask yourself why.

 

[AustinIllini]

H'okay, I guess I'll just shove my $5000 laptop that I purchased based on Apple's marketing as the best for creatives including video editing, inside my rectum. Because I need audio to be working while I'm video editing. Which it's not working. On 100% of devices.

But that's cool it's not a big issue.

You're defending something you have no horse in. Ask yourself why.

Nature of the beast, I'm afraid. I hope Apple can fix it. If they can't, they'll lose customers like you, which would be really unfortunate.

Although, you might void the warranty if you shove the notebook up your rectum. I would read the fine print, first.