Crackling or distorted sound from my internal MacBook Pro M4 speaker but external work fine

I’m experiencing an issue with my new MacBook Pro M4. The internal speakers produce crackling or distorted audio when playing music, videos, or system sounds. However, when I switch to external speakers or headphones (Bluetooth or wired), the sound is perfectly clear.

Here’s what I’ve tried so far:

Restarted the MacBook
Checked for macOS updates (everything is up to date)
Confirmed the issue persists across different apps (Safari, YouTube, Music etc.)

I wanted to check if others are experiencing the same with the M4 models or if there’s a software fix I’m missing.

Has anyone encountered this and found a solution? Is this something Apple is aware of?

Thanks in advance!

MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 15.5

Posted on Jun 7, 2025 3:14 AM

Top-ranking reply

Luis Sequeira1

Level 9

72,768 points

Posted on Jun 7, 2025 4:16 AM

The symptoms clearly suggest a hardware issue with the speakers themselves, just as dialabrain said.

Since it is an M4, it is still within warranty, so have it looked at, and probably fixed for free.

I have seen this problem on more than one mac laptop, but usually after several years, never on one so new.

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36 replies

shuvopodder Author

Level 1

21 points

Sep 29, 2025 6:44 PM in response to leroydouglas

Yes, I did, but I didn’t notice any improvement.

shuvopodder Author

Level 1

21 points

Sep 29, 2025 6:53 PM in response to by_xtazy

In my case, the sound works fine with external devices like earbuds or wired/Bluetooth speakers. So if you’re also having issues with external devices, then it’s not just a speaker problem.

jayexdee

Level 1

8 points

Oct 26, 2025 5:44 PM in response to V_Vlad_

The command works in my MacBook Pro M4, thank you

stevy274

Level 1

8 points

Oct 31, 2025 6:20 AM in response to shuvopodder

I purchased my MacBook Pro 14" M4 about a month ago, and for the past week, I started to hear there are some vibrations and/or a crackling sound in my right speaker.

stevy274

Level 1

8 points

Oct 31, 2025 6:21 AM in response to jayexdee

Which command, may I ask?

Oct 31, 2025 8:21 PM in response to shuvopodder

My old MacBook Pro had the same issue. Now the speakers on my MacBook M3 Pro starts to have issues. The sound test weaker and weaker on built-in speakers, Air-pods, and header phones.

Crackling or distorted sound from my internal MacBook Pro M4 speaker but external work fine