iPad Air M2 (2024) 13-inch – Speaker imbalance issue?

Question

J_SHAN Author

Level 1

12 points

iPad Air M2 (2024) 13-inch – Speaker imbalance issue?

Hi everyone,

I recently bought an iPad Air M2 (2024, 13-inch) (been 3 days only) and noticed something strange with the speakers:

The top left speaker (near the power button) is noticeably louder than the right side speaker.

On the right side (charging port side), the sound output feels lower in volume.

I also hear sound coming from both speaker grilles on the right side, but overall the balance still feels tilted to the left.

I’ve double-checked the settings:

Balance is centered in Accessibility > Audio/Visual.

I even tried enabling Mono Audio, but the left side is still dominant

This makes the audio sound uneven, almost like it’s “pulled” to the left.

> Does anyone know if this is normal behaviour for the iPad Air (since it only has 2 real speakers and 4 grilles), or could this be a hardware defect on my unit?

Any feedback from other 13-inch iPad Air (2024) users would really help.

iPad Air, iPadOS 18

Posted on Aug 18, 2025 04:15 AM

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Answer 1

Aug 18, 2025 10:45 AM in response to J_SHAN

Don’t be fooled by your iPad Air seemingly having four speaker grilles. Your iPad Air has only two speakers - not four as found in recent models of iPad Pro.

Recent models of iPad Air have one speaker at top and bottom - such that what viewed in Landscape orientation, you will have a left/right stereo pair.

You can verify and compare iPad specifications here:

https://www.apple.com/ipad/compare/?modelList=ipad-pro-13-m4,ipad-air-13-m2,ipad-air-5th-gen

As a point of interest, older models of iPad Air had two speakers on the bottom edge of the iPad - one placed either side of the Lightning port. For these models, with the iPad positioned in Landscape orientation, both speakers were to one side of the screen.

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Answer 2

Aug 18, 2025 03:08 PM in response to J_SHAN

If the audio level differs substantially, check the audio balance settings:

Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual > Balance

Should you suspect that you have a hardware issue, you would be best advised to visit the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store or Apple Authorised Service Provider (AASP) - where the technicians will be able to test and assess your iPad - and should a fault be confirmed, you can explore your available options:

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

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Answer 3

J_SHAN Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 18, 2025 12:08 PM in response to LotusPilot

That I realised, but what about the sound difference? The left side seems louder in every aspect of my inspection. Is it a normal stereo system or is there some fault in my iPad? I even tried playing mono audio, but it’s still the same.

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