MacBook speakers crackling or no sound? What to check
9 November 2026 · Mac guides
Your MacBook's speakers have started crackling, sound tinny or distorted, or have gone silent altogether. Sometimes that is a setting or a stuck piece of software; sometimes it is the speakers themselves or the audio circuit on the logic board. The checks below will help you tell which, without opening anything up.
First, describe the problem exactly
It helps to be precise, because each symptom points somewhere different:
- No sound at all, from any app, with the volume up.
- Crackling or buzzing that gets worse as you turn the volume up, especially with music or voices that have a lot of bass.
- Sound from one side only, or one side much quieter than the other.
- Sound that cuts in and out, or only works after a restart.
Note which one matches, and whether it started suddenly, after an update, or after a knock or a spill.
Safe checks you can do at home
1. Check where the sound is going
Open System Settings, then Sound, and look at the Output tab. Make sure MacBook Pro Speakers or MacBook Air Speakers is selected. It is very common for sound to be quietly going to a pair of Bluetooth headphones in a bag, a speaker in another room, a TV over AirPlay or a monitor connected by USB-C or HDMI. While you are there, check the output volume, that Mute is not ticked, and that the balance slider is in the middle. A balance slider pushed to one side is a classic cause of "only one speaker works".
2. Try more than one app
Play something in Music, then a video in Safari, then a system sound. If only one app is silent or distorted, the fault is in that app or its own settings, not the Mac.
3. Restart the Mac's sound system
A simple restart clears most temporary audio glitches. If you would rather not restart, you can open Terminal and type sudo killall coreaudiod, then press Return and enter your password. This restarts the part of macOS that handles sound, and it starts again by itself a moment later.
4. Use the headphone test
Plug in wired headphones, or connect Bluetooth ones, and play the same track. This is the most useful test of all:
- If headphones sound perfect but the speakers crackle at any volume, the speakers themselves are the likely problem.
- If headphones also have no sound or are distorted, the problem is more likely software or the audio circuit.
- If the built-in speakers do not appear in the Output list at all, that points towards a hardware fault rather than a setting.
5. Rule out software
Start your Mac in safe mode and test again; safe mode stops many third-party add-ons loading. Audio software for recording, video calls or volume boosting can install its own drivers that cause trouble. If sound works in safe mode, one of those is the likely cause. Keeping macOS up to date also helps, as Apple fixes audio bugs in updates.
What usually causes speaker faults
Worn or damaged speakers
Speakers in a thin laptop are tiny, and playing them at full volume for long periods can damage them. The usual sign is crackling or rattling that is worse on bass and better at lower volume. Dust and debris in the grilles can also muffle the sound, but do not push anything into the holes or blow compressed air hard into them.
Liquid
Spills often find their way to the speakers, which sit near the keyboard. Sound that goes muffled, crackly or one-sided after a drink was spilled is a warning sign that liquid has reached inside, and corrosion can carry on spreading. If that matches your MacBook, stop using it and read about our liquid damage repair rather than waiting to see if it gets worse.
Logic board audio faults
If there is no sound from the speakers or headphones, and the built-in speakers have disappeared from the Output list, the audio circuitry on the logic board may be at fault. This needs proper testing. We carry out chip-level logic board repair, so a board-level audio fault does not automatically mean a new board.
Repair, or live with headphones?
If your MacBook otherwise works well, getting the speakers sorted is usually worthwhile: speakers matter for video calls, and a crackle often gets worse over time. How the repair is done depends on the model, because on some MacBooks the speakers are separate parts and on others they are fixed into the top case.
Living with headphones can be reasonable on an older MacBook that is near the end of its life, but only if you are sure it is not liquid damage, which is best checked early. If you are not sure which fault you have, our full diagnostics will find out, and we repair both the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.
Keep your files safe
A speaker fault on its own does not put your files at risk. But if the sound problem started after a spill or a drop, back up your Mac now while it still works, in case other parts of the board are affected.
Get a quote
Call 020 7394 2525, or bring your MacBook to 80 Willow Walk, London SE1 5SY. We are open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday, with bike collection in London and courier collection across the UK.