[Sequoia/Sonoma] Random Popping/Click Noise During Video or Music Playback

Hi, I’m not sure if anyone else has experienced this. I haven’t seen much discussion about it, so I wanted to check here.

Since upgrading to macOS Sequoia, I’ve been hearing random short popping or click noises during audio playback. These are not continuous crackles, but single, pulse-like sounds that occur at irregular intervals — often when playing video in Safari or Netflix (especially during loud or high-frequency moments), or when fast-forwarding/rewinding. The issue happens on both the built-in speakers and my external Audioengine A2+ speakers.

I’ve tested different apps (Netflix, Safari, YouTube, Music), reset Audio MIDI settings, and even reinstalled the system, but the noises always remain on Sequoia. On macOS Sonoma, using the exact same setup, the problem does not occur at all.

This issue has been present since the very first release of Sequoia and still exists in the current version, which has left me no choice but to keep downgrading back to Sonoma for daily use.

I’m wondering if others are running into the same thing, or if it’s something unique to my setup. Any confirmation would be helpful.