Fixing Cracking and Popping Sound on my Mac

Hi everyone, I think I solved my problem of cracking and popping sounds. I have a MacBook Pro 16 M1 - 16 Go RAM (sorry in advance for my english : I'm French :-D

  • 1— Everything was working fine with the sound when the MBpro M1 was running the factory version of MacOS. As soon as I made an update to Monterey, BOOM ! The cracking and popping sounds started. I think I try everything described on the internet and nothing solved it really.
  • 2— I try a last thing : starting the Mac without any extensions. The problems with the sound were suddenly gone. So I figured out the problem could be an app running on my Mac.
  • 3— So I started my Mac on normal mode to desactivate manually a few things running in the background. I found that the app "Magnet" (an non-Apple app I used to organize my windows) could be a troublemaker because the sound problem was not as intense as before suddenly.
  • 4— On that basis, I did an experiment with each software I have : I put music from YouTube in Safari, launch an app and I work with the app for a bit. My conclusion : with softwares that are coded for the Apple Chips (noted "Universal" or "Apple" in the Activity Monitor), there are no sound problem at all. If I open an app coded for Intel (eg : Guitar Pro), the crack/popping sound problem starts at the launch of the app and keep going worst and worst. I can reproduce the same thing with every app that are code for "Intel". So my guess is : the problem appears when an Intel app is going through Rosetta (which is the piece of MacOS that helps Intel app to work on Apple Chip Macs)
  • 5— About the Magnet app : the app is noted as "Universal". My guess is part of the app is largely based on the Intel code (don't laugh people, I'm not really an expert as you guys :-). So it's perhaps going through Rosetta to work on my M1 Mac. So the sound problem never stops when Magnet is opened (Magnet is an app that work permanently in the background).

Everything seems OK since a few days. I will give an update if something new. I hope it helps. Best from Paris

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  • Update : a few people tried this solutions with success. Intel Apps seems to be the cause of this cracks and pops.

  • What about Intel macs ? Macbook Pro 2016?

  • @lukenio111  No idea. I never the sound problem with my old Intel MacBook.

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What is the location of that app? I dont have it

  • this is 3rd party app and if you haven't installed it (or someone that used your mac) you should not bother

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I had the same issue and Apple replaces my Mac. Worked fine and now started again. the only app I use that uses Intel is the Epson printer drivers and apps. None of my other Macs (intel and M1) have this issue! only the 14" M1 Pro. The popping and cracking sound happens during online meeting (just talk) and any music app especially Apple Music. I guess Apple are moving their resources to the iPhone division -).

Solved!!! Using an app built to solve the problem: eqMac, on github or eqmac.app. Took me two years :)

  • Alexggg: Right on Bingo! So nice to have the cracking be gone. And a nifty audio gizmo play with. Painless solution!

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