How to Fix Cracking and Popping Sound ?

I have the same issue, tried

• safe mode,
• relaunch of coreaudio,
• setting audio rate to 48kHz,
• Switching off “Set date and time automatically” in System Preferences. ))

nothing helped me. Monterey, 12.2.1 MacBook pro 16, m1 max

Same problem. Brand new 2021 MBP M1 max, 12.2.1. Ran Premiere Pro in January and edited a 15 minute long 4K wedding video without issue. Just yesterday Logic Pro became unusable. Crackling started suddenly and seemed to get exponentially worse with every playback, even if just listening to a single recorded track at a time. Turned off “set date and time automatically” in System Preferences like someone a few posts up suggested and it seems to be resolved. For now. Unacceptable by Apple that we are a year into thread with no answer from them.

Yes. I have the same problem.

MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021) Monterey 12.2.1.

Until recently I've been using my Focusrite audio interface for everything but I noticed when I unplugged it that all Apple-created audio [so Apple TV, QuickTime videos etc] has terrible crackling and popping on when using the native audio engine.

If I play the same QuickTime videos through VLC they're fine – so it's not a hardware problem. As far as I can see I can't reinstall Quicktime without reinstalling the whole OS which I am absolutely not going to do.

I guess the only thing to do is wait until Apple release a new software update which will hopefully overwrite the broken component.

Assuming they notice it's broken of course. Has anyone at Apple ever responded to any of these threads?

…additional info: The problem disappears when I use headphones… but also disappears when I use VLC or YouTube etc. So what's that?

2021 MBP: Clicking/Popping only with Apple TV playing Music during Shows. Turning off "Set Date and Time Automatically" did not fix this issue.

APPLE WAKE UP!!! This is becoming embarrassing!

Here's what worked for me:

1. (Menu Bar): Go > Computer > Macintosh HD > Library > Preferences > Audio
2. Delete the com.apple.audio.DeviceSettings.plist and com.apple.audio.SystemSettings.plist files
3. Empty trash
4. Shut down the laptop and wait 30 seconds
5. Turn it back on

After having tried many solutions, this has worked!

For future reference, the issue I was experiencing was with the "Spoken Content" accessibility feature starting to glitch and pause the audio.

I could see multiple instances of the coreaudiod process outputting the following in Console.app:

coreaudiod	 Audio IO Overload thread: 5debaa inputs: '<private>' outputs: '<private>' cause: 'Unknown' prewarming: no recovering: no
default	09:13:49.765045+0100	coreaudiod	     CAReportingClient.mm:508   message {
    HostApplicationDisplayID = Unknown;
    cause = PageFaultsOffIOThread;
    deadline = 30204924;
    "input_device_source_list" = "";
    "input_device_transport_list" = "";
    "input_device_uid_list" = "";
    "io_buffer_size" = 512;
    "io_cycle" = 789;
    "io_page_faults" = 0;
    "is_prewarming" = 0;
    "is_recovering" = 0;
    "issue_type" = overload;
    lateness = 198;
    "other_page_faults" = 47;
    "output_device_source_list" = Unknown;
    "output_device_transport_list" = Bluetooth;
    "output_device_uid_list" = "C:output";
    "sample_rate" = 48000;
    "smallest_buffer_frame_size" = 512;
}: (
    1829656068372
)

Monterey 12.3 Update solved my Issue it seems. No more crackling at the start of youtube videos as well as in Apple TV Fullscreen.

🙏

First, there's a 12.3 update? That might have saved me time had I known!

So, I think I've just fixed it on my end too. I tried this (which didn't work immediately) and then added a step or two, thanks to Apple support. First, this...

1. (Menu Bar): Go > Computer > Macintosh HD > Library > Preferences > Audio
2. Delete the com.apple.audio.DeviceSettings.plist and com.apple.audio.SystemSettings.plist files

When I did that, I couldn't find either of those .plist files. In fact, I didn't have an Audio folder at all.

However, the Apple Support chat helper did suggest those same ones.

He also recommended deleting the com.Apple.soundprefs.plist from the main "Preferences" folder (not in "Audio" but one level above).

I then emptied the trash and tried playing Apple Music. Got pops and the support guy suggested rebooting into Safe Mode and trying again. Why Safe Mode? Because it not only turns off extensions temporarily, but rebuilds some caches that could be corrupted.

In Safe Mode, there were no pops. And, in fact, for the first time I heard the speakers on my 2021 Macbook acting as they should... and they're incredible. Very good.

I then rebooted again as normal and it seems to be working great.

Hope that helps anybody who was still seeking!

It just happened to me again on MacOS 12.3. The update did not fix it

12.3 fixed it for me so far

Hi everyone !

I was really happy because I thought that the last 12.3 update had fixed the speaker cracking problem .... but I still have the problem. At best I manage not to have the problem by killing the coreaudiod process with the sudo command which is easily found by searching for this speaker problem. sudo launchctl stop com.apple.audio.coreaudiod && sudo launchctl start com.apple.audio.coreaudiod (from https://appletoolbox.com/fix-macbook-pro-speakers-crackling-buzzing/)

I also tried to reset NVRAM and PRAM. At best I don't have the problem for 1 or 2 days. But it always comes back.

Last weekend I even reinstalled Monterey (over my macOS without wiping my disk). It worked until today and it's starting again. It looked better but the problem is still not solved permanently.

I just did the last procedure suggested here (delete the 2 files com.apple.audio.DeviceSettings.plist and com.apple.audio.SystemSettings.plist) from safe mode.

I was not able to find the other file you were talking about : com.apple.soundprefs.plist ! I don't know if it's normal anyway, I don't have it.

I just restarted macOS, no crackling on the first minutes but well, it's too early to claim victory.

On machines at these prices, and for a problem that is obviously known (considering all the things you can find about it on the internet over the last 3 years), it's an absolute shame for Apple, and a shame for the rest of us who buy their product to have perfect quality computers!

This is really frustrating. Sadly, none of the methods mentioned here (or elsewhere) worked long term... It just keeps coming back.

I think I will just reset my mac and set it up from scratch without restoring it from the time machine. I suspect that this bug has something to do with the migration process from Intel to m1.

Did anyone else try starting fresh?

I have a MacBook Pro 2021 M1 Pro running Monterey 12.2.1 and have been experiencing really annoying crackling. I quit FireFox as One_Mike_Up recommended and the crackling is 95% gone. Still a few crackles here and there but much better not running FF.

I made an appointment at the Genius Bar. With the hardware verification software there is no fault on my MacBook. The proposed solution is to do a big reset of the machine by going through the technical service of apple which would boot on a usb key to start again from a real scratch ... I did not accept because putting everything back in place afterwards will be very long for me.

Before leaving, the person at the Genius Bar told me to call the phone support, to specify the repair number (generated because I went to the Genius Bar) and to ask to speak with "the third party service". Those were really the words he used when he insisted I couldn't misunderstand (but note that I'm translating from french "tiers de".

I haven't found the time to call them yet. Have any of you started this kind of procedure by approaching Apple support ?

(here you go and for the rest ... the last 2 updates of Monterey didn't correct anything ... In best case if works 24hours. Other solution can be rebooting macos 3 times per day ... no way ! I'm starting to think I'm pretty stupid to believe it can be fixed by Apple. When we see that this problem has existed for more than 2 years (if not more). It's a real shame that Apple didn't identify and propose a patch to fix this problem (which is absolutely not hardware).

I feel a bit hateful when I want to work in music, and when we know the price we paid for these macbook m1 pro!