How to fix broken speakers on your MacBook Pro (2023)

It can be one of the most irritating things to listen to: the speakers popping and crackling inside your Mac while you're watching a movie or listening to that new album you've been waiting for.

Choppy audio is an issue that existed on Macs around the late 2013 release of OS X 10.9 Mavericks. Now, Apple's community forums are still full of questions, "Why are my speakers squeaking?" Users are sharing stories about their MacBook making a crackling noise and poor audio quality when using certain apps.

Most of the time, these problems are easy to fix and don't require the help of a professional, but properly identifying the cause of the problem is crucial.

Let's take a closer look at the types of issues that can cause your MacBook Pro speakers to crackle and how you can easily restore great sound to your Mac.

Why are my MacBook speakers squeaking?

Analyzing audio issues on your Mac and determining their source can be the most time-consuming part of the entire process. Now that the cause is known, it becomes clear how to fix the speakers hum and crackle.

All speaker related issues can be categorized as either coming from your Mac hardware or software.

1. hardware related problemsIt usually occurs due to a partial tear in the speaker cone, or what we call a "blown speaker". There are ways to temporarily fix this, but the only long-term solution would be to completely replace the faulty speaker, which can cost anywhere from $300 to $600.
2. Software related issuesThey are usually caused by firmware, macOS, or other app-specific bugs. The good news is that you should be able to fix these problems yourself! However, unlike hardware problems, which often revolve around a single problem, the causes of a software-related problem can be more difficult to discover.

A clear indication of a software-related issue is when you hear your MacBook Pro randomly cracking or when you use a specific application. If you've ever experienced this frustration, read on for some effective laptop speaker troubleshooting and repair methods.

Fix crackling and humming MacBook Pro speakers

Maybe the latest macOS update broke the audio service, maybe the wrong audio settings are to blame, or maybe the app you're using is just not compatible with your Mac's software?

There are some proven steps you can take right now to quickly resolve your MacBook Pro speaker crackling issues:

1. Restart your Mac.It's a simple method that solves many problems better than magic. Choose Restart from the Apple menu, wait for your Mac to restart again, and see if the audio issues are resolved.
2. Update macOS to the latest version.Apple is quick to fix most software-related issues, and the new version of macOS likely won't have the bugs you're experiencing. Go to the Apple menu and click System Preferences ➙ Software Update. Here you can see if updates are available for your Mac.
3. Avoid system overload.It's not uncommon to hear a MacBook creaking when you're running multiple processor-intensive tasks while playing audio. Open Activity Monitor to check if your Mac's CPU is getting overloaded. Choose Window ➙ CPU Usage and run the task that makes the MacBook speaker pop when the CPU widget is open.
4. Disable UI sound effects.Maybe you just need a simple solution like this. Open System Preferences and select Sound. There you can uncheck "Play UI Sound Effects" under the "Sound Effects" tab.
5. Change the sample rate of your audio device.This is another easy way to solve audio problems. Open the Audio & MIDI Settings app and choose MacBook Pro Speakers. From there you can change the format to 44kHz or 48kHz and check if the issues are resolved.

How to fix MacBook speakers cracking in a specific application

Not all sound issues are macOS related; Some issues are application specific. If you've noticed that your laptop speaker crackles are localized to an application or process, it may mean that a specific software is incompatible with your current version of macOS. The easiest solution here would be to try another app; Some even improve the sound quality on your Mac and solve audio problems.

If you thought you needed a lot of expensive equipment to create a surround sound experience in your home, then you probably haven't heard of it.3D eye🇧🇷 So far, that's it. Its Audio Boost feature amplifies the sound without sacrificing quality or adding distortion. Boom 3D gives you precise control over your listening experience with optional remote management and a wide range of audio presets. This app is a sound booster that every Mac would be lucky to have.

Another app that improves the media consumption experience isMultimedia-Player🇧🇷 It's a video genius that will help you tweak any video to your liking while allowing you to multitask with its picture-in-picture mode. Along with numerous customization options and the ability to support virtually any file format, this app gets our Best Feature award for its ability to open and play YouTube videos ad-free.

Music is an important aspect of our lives and guides us through personal ups and downs. Whether you're a professional DJ or just a music lover, organizing and managing your growing music collection is essential.Metadoes just that. Keep your tracks updated with Meta's Find & Replace feature. The app also offers comprehensive ways to tag, number, search, and edit songs easily and consistently.

Converting music to another format can also improve the sound on your Mac.Exchangeis a fast audio, image and video converter that processes all file formats and can convert them into one another with just a few clicks. Not to mention trivial file format conversions, Permute is an application capable of converting video to audio and vice versa.

For audio issues you may encounter during a video call, try thisSubwayas an alternative way to connect with Zoom, Hangouts or FaceTime. This app works a bit like your personal assistant, consolidating all your meeting links and information into one convenient agenda.EM+it does the same for all your social media messaging accounts and beyond, allowing you to easily switch between conversations and platforms.

Ways to fix MacBook crackling

If none of the above suggestions resolve the crackling noise on your MacBook Pro, you can dig a little deeper into your Mac system to try and resolve the audio issue.

Check the sound settings

No sound from your Mac? The first thing you should check is the sound settings in macOS.

If this is the problem, only four simple steps are required to fix it:

1. Go to System Preferences ➙ Sound
2. Check the volume slider below and uncheck the Mute box if needed
3. Click the Output tab to see where your audio is going
4. Select Internal Speakers if another device is selected

If you don't see any output devices, there may be a problem updating macOS. Try resetting the NVRAM to fix this problem.

Reset NVRAM to fix squeaky laptop speakers

NVRAM stands for Non-Volatile Access Memory, which Macs use to store certain settings like volume, screen resolution, boot drive selection, time zone, and more. Since NVRAM is responsible for maintaining sound settings, resetting the memory can help resolve sound issues.

For the most reliable way to reset NVRAM on your Mac:

1. turn off your Mac
2. Press the power button
3. Press and hold the ⌘, Option, P, and R keys simultaneously for 20 seconds

Your NVRAM needs to be reset. Now you may need to configure the date, time and some other macOS settings.

Remove Core Audio to restore sound to your Mac

The core function of the Core Audio service is to process and manage all audio data on your Mac, including recording, editing, playback, compression and decompression, signal processing and audio systems. Stopping this service can help fix MacBook Pro audio noise.

The best way to remove Core Audio is to run a terminal command. Please note that you need administrator rights for these steps to work.

1. Go to Applications ➙ Utilities
2. Startrampe
3. Enter the following:sudo killall coreaudio
4. Enter your user password to authorize the command

Killing the Coreaudiod process should automatically restart it and the sound should start working again.

If after running the above command there is no audio or audio coming out of your speakers, you may need to restart Core Audio manually. To do this, enter the following terminal command:

sudo launchctl stop com.apple.coreaudiod && sudo launchctl start com.apple.audio.coreaudiod

Note that running this command will stop any process that relies on audio, such as B. listening to music, recording voicemails or chatting on FaceTime or Skype.

Restart the Mac in Safe Mode

Unlike the usual simple master reset, Safe Mode allows your Mac to perform certain checks and prevents some non-essential programs from automatically loading or opening.

To restart an Apple M1 Mac in Safe Mode, follow these steps:

1. Shut down your Mac and restart the computer
2. Press and hold the power button until the boot options appear on the screen
3. Select your startup disk
4. Hold down the Shift key and click on the Continue in Safe Mode option
5. Log into your Mac and check if your speakers are still making that crackling noise
6. Reboot your Mac normally if the audio sounds good in Safe Mode

How to run Apple Diagnostics on any Mac

If you've tried to troubleshoot software-related sound issues but the speakers persist, you may find that your MacBook speaker cracking issue is hardware-related.

Apple Diagnostics, formerly known as Apple Hardware Test, can help determine which hardware components are causing the problem and identify system errors.

Before running the test, Apple recommends obtaining a copy of the support instructions, shutting down your Mac, and disconnecting all peripherals. Now you and your Mac can enter diagnostic mode.

How to Run Diagnostics on Apple M1 Mac

1. Turn on your Mac
2. Hold down the power button while the Mac turns on
3. Release the power button when the boot options window appears
4. Press ⌘ + D to start diagnostics
5. Wait for the diagnostic process to complete and provide a list of the problems found

How to Enter Diagnostic Mode on Mac Intel

1. Turn on your Mac
2. Hold the D button while powering on
3. Release the button when the progress bar appears or when prompted to select a language
4. Wait for the diagnostic process to complete and provide a list of the problems found

From here, follow the onscreen instructions or contact Apple Support and schedule a Genius Bar appointment to resolve the issue. Write down all reference codes. If you see code ADP000, congratulations, no problems were found on your Mac!

You have now become an expert in fixing all MacBook speaker cracking issues. It's a good time to improve your Mac's sound capabilities3D eyejMultimedia-Player, learn how to easily transform mediaMetajExchangeand start communicating comfortably throughSubwayjEM+.

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