27'" Apple Studio Display is blurry and fuzzy on MBP 16'' Intel i9

I came here to look for help and a solution as a last resort. Thus, any help and support would be highly appreciated.


The new Apple Studio Display (27-inch, with nano-texture) is connected as an external monitor (Main Display) to MacBook Pro 16-Intel (Late 2019). The issue is that text appearance and visibility across all apps and functions are blurry and fuzzy. I have an iMac Retina 5k side-by-side and can see a huge difference. I have used an iMac to check and compare. For the purpose of the testing, I never connected an iMac to ASD.


When purchasing, I hoped that a retina monitor for its price from Apple connected to MBP would be a perfect fit altogether, but that was not the case, at least in my situation.


So far, I have tried the following:


1) I have updated Firmware on Apple Studio Display to Version 16.4 (Build 20E246). This action brought no solution.

2) Tried reinstalling MacOS (Monterey + Venture) on MBP 16-Intel, three times, fresh install. Even updated the system after installation. This action brought no solution.

3) Swapped cables connecting ASD to MBP. The ASD monitor came with the original cable, and I purchased Apple's original Thunderbolt one and Belkin with no changes; the text is still blurry and fuzzy on all cables. This action brought no solution.

4) Rotated the ASD to 90' + 180' + 270'. This action brought no solution.

5) I tried installing apps called: EasyRes, QuickRes, and BetterDisplay. This action brought no resolution.

6) I tried different resolutions all the way from 1280x720 to 5120x2880. This action brought no solution.

7) I tried to use this setup as a mirror-display, and changed screen resolutions again. This action brought no solution.

8) I tried forcing the Color presets, but nothing seems to work except Apple Display (P3-600 nits)

9) I did reset the SMC and NVRAM. Nothing has changed.


The only thing, I was not able to test, is to connect ASD to M1 or M2 powered machines. I am trying to borrow one from friend and test it. But, as far as the tech requirements suggest, MBP 2019 should work with ASD 27''.


I have checked the system compatibility with this link: If your external display is dark or low resolution - Apple Support


My current hardware specs as follows:

MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)(Model Identifier: MacBookPro16,1, 2.3 GHz 8-Core Intel Core i9)


My apologies for the lengthy thread-intro, but my current frustration with Apple eco-system has been at all time high. Once again, any suggestions and support are appreciated. I am trying to get this thing working. I cannot refund and exchange it, as there is no physical Apple Store nearby.

Posted on Apr 28, 2023 06:25 PM

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Posted on Aug 26, 2023 07:45 AM

I have an issue with the Studio Display - Nano that sounds like the others described here. Mine is attached to a Mini Studio as the main monitor. Not nearly as crisp as expected. My 2012 Macbook Pro looks better. Any advice to improve would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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11 replies

Nov 6, 2023 04:29 PM in response to MrPerdu

This is caused by the nano texture itself. I don't know what they did with it but the anti-glare they used on the screen causes it become slightly blurry compared to the glossy version. There are monitors that do matte displays correctly and apparently the studio display is not one of them. Insane to think that since it costs $1600 and is supposed to be a premium product.


I would never use a glossy display because of the reflections but I'm not going to use a blurry display with a matte coating either. Apple needs to fix this.


Go to an apple store and compare the two monitors together you'll see.

Nov 24, 2023 03:42 PM in response to dgreen97

dgreen! Thank you for the clarification. Someone mentioned this issue in a YouTube review:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mFPgBjg5NU


I was not sure if it was just an speculation until I read this thread. So we are all in the same boat. I have a 13'' MBP 2018 conected through:


A Lenovo ThinkPad Thunderbolt 3 Dock Gen 2 135W (40AN0135) Dual UHD 4K Display Capability, 2 HDMI, 2 DP, USB-C, USB 3.1


to a BenQ EL2870U. Looks beautiful and CRISP.


I am a videographer - photographer, so color correction is one of the reasons why I bought the ADS 2 days ago. I connected it through my MBP thunderbolt to be used as a primary display next to my BenQ one. So the BenQ looks Crispy and he ADS looks fuzzy or blurry. I also though that fuzzyness was caused somehow by my thinkpad setup.


I am also waiting for a Mac Studio M2, so I though once I get it that problem would be solved, but I read in the comments that would be the same result, so I am not sure if I should go and get a glossy screen to have a main screen in the same Apple universe or go with the BenQ PD3220U Thunderbolt 3 Monitor for Macbook 32" 4K UHD | 100% Rec.709 & sRGB, 95% P3.


Your comments were very helpful to read, I would like to have some feedback on my specific case if any of you guys have one. Thank you !

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27'" Apple Studio Display is blurry and fuzzy on MBP 16'' Intel i9

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