Apple Admits Studio Display Experiencing Speaker Issues, Offers Only Temporary Fix

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Apple has admitted that customers using the Studio Display may experience audio-related issues, including sound unexpectedly and abruptly cutting out, audio playing at a high speed, distorted audio quality, and choppy playback.

apple studio display blue
In a memo to authorized service providers, obtained by MacRumors, Apple acknowledges that customers may find themselves facing speaker issues with the company's $1599 display. Apple says that customers facing issues should unplug the Studio Display from power, unplug any accessories or devices connected to the display, wait ten seconds, then reconnect the Studio Display to power. Apple explicitly notes this is not a hardware problem and implies that a future iOS update may address the issues.

Apple has heavily boasted about the audio, mic, and camera built into the Studio Display. Apple says the speaker system is the "highest‑fidelity speaker system ever created for Mac" and has touted the controversial 12MP built-in camera with Center Stage and the six-speaker array system.

Customers have been reporting both microphone and speaker-related issues with their Studio Display over the last several months, but reports have become more frequent in recent weeks. Michael Tsai this week chronicled some testimonies from customers facing issues, with one customer writing:

The audio on my Studio Display fails intermittently. The only way I can get it to work again is to unplug the display overnight. That resets the display and resolves the problem temporarily. Until the next time. This is simply unacceptable for a $1600 monitor, and Apple should be ashamed of the poor quality control.

Based on the number of customer reports, audio-related issues with the Studio Display do appear to be relatively widespread. Hundreds of customers have taken to Twitter, the Apple Support (1,2,3,4,5) and MacRumors forums (1,2,3) looking for a permanent solution.








The Studio Display runs iOS and can receive software updates that address problems like this. Apple has attempted to address poor webcam quality with the Studio Display through a software update with mixed results. It seems the company will follow a similar route with audio-related issues. Today's memo offers no timeframe on when a permanent solution may arrive, but in the meantime customers are advised to ensure their display is updated to the latest firmware.

Related Roundups: Apple Pro Display XDR, Apple Studio Display
Related Forum: Mac Accessories

Top Rated Comments

akbarali.ch Avatar
akbarali.ch
17 months ago
I feel it's an unnecessarily over-engineered product. I really was waiting for the next version of the thunderbolt display, slimmer, lighter, brighter, cooler.
Score: 58 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SwiftArtery Avatar
SwiftArtery
17 months ago


Attachment Image
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BootsWalking Avatar
BootsWalking
17 months ago
Next up: iToaster - It runs a full iOS installation and requires you to unplug it for 10 seconds before it can make toast.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
contacos Avatar
contacos
17 months ago

I feel it's an unnecessarily over-engineered product. I really was waiting for the next version of the thunderbolt display, slimmer, lighter, brighter, cooler.
Right? What happened to "plug and play" and all you need to worry about was having the correct cable
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MajorFubar Avatar
MajorFubar
17 months ago
Can't avoid sounding like someone's dad but the rot set in when monitors suddenly were no longer just a CRT or flat panel dumbly displaying an image sent to them over an analog cable from the computer's graphics card, and instead became little computers running firmware.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Loismustdie1 Avatar
Loismustdie1
17 months ago

Ah feck! I've just ordered one of these. Do I cancel? Are they really that problematic?
I have two nanotexture Studio Displays. I have zero regrets, and debating on buying a third as they're pretty much the only 5K monitor worth getting. That being said I would be nothing but a fanboy if I said these monitors were perfect. The camera situation in my opinion was *slightly* overblown, though for the price you are paying for them it should have been better than what it is. It's decent, but not $1599 decent. The audio issues are very annoying however. I have issues about once a week where sound will stop coming out of my main studio monitor. The solution has been to either restart my Studio Display, restart my Studio, or in some cases both. I'm glad this is a software issue, but I agree with another comment above that this could have been avoided if it weren't so over engineered.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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