IMac Audio-Out Noise

If I plug headphones into my iMac's audio-out jack, a high pitched electric buzzing noise can be heard.
It starts to give me a headache after a while, so I've been avoiding using headphones.
I don't have AppleCare anymore, so taking it to Apple would cost $$.
I'd like to do anything I can to fix it before having to take it to Apple - any ideas?

Hi Colin
Here are a few things to try:
1. If you open and then close GarageBand it will reset your iMac's Audio MIDI setup to default.
2. Test that set headphones with another device like an iPod or portable radio/CD player.
3. Push a little harder to make sure that the headphone jack is fully seated.
4. Try a different set of headphones.
Dennis

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IMac Audio Out Has Background Noise

I have an iMac 3.06gHz Intel Core 2 Duo with all updates. If I use the headphone output or an external DAC there is the same noticeable digtial noise in the audio out. Scrolling the windows is audible and the noise changes with the scroll bar and other activities. The noise is mostly low-pitched. Sounds like an interal DAC that is passing clock signals or just under-engineered.

Try running a
SMC RESET
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
Shut down the computer.
Unplug the computer's power cord and ALL peripherals.
Wait 15 seconds.
Attach the computers power cable.
Wait another 5 seconds and press the power button to turn on the computer.
It is the 5 second timing that initiates the reset.

Ultrabase for x201 / x200 audio out noise - lenovo dont want to fix - please check yours

Hi,
I own x201 with ultrabase for a year. From the beginning I tried get Lenovo to fix audio output on ultrabase. When connected on AC the sound from audio out is full of noise (even when music is muted), what makes it unusable. When the AC is unplugged, the noise is smaller, but still there. So I need to use audio out from the x201 even when docked.
As I had many other problems with x201 I have been in service 3times already. Anyway, regarding this issue they final verdict is that ultrabase is not a HI-FI and it works as planned. Maybe is not a issue if you plug just small PC speakers, but anything else (including headphones) its useless.
Whats the point of audio out in docking station which is useless?
Can somebody from Lenovo confirm that its normal that ultrabase audio output is noisy ?
Can other owners check if they ultrabase output is noisy with some headphones/hi-fi ?
Thanks in advance
Tomas

do you use a grounded power plug? audio noise usually means that the ultrabase has a bad connection to the laptop's dock connector. Or that the ultrabase audio connector/lines are receiving electrical noises from other surrounding devices.
With my Ultrabase X200 the noise will go away when all the usb ports on the ultrabase is unplugged.
Regards,
Jin Li
May this year, be the year of 'DO'!
I am a volunteer, and not a paid staff of Lenovo or Microsoft

Imac audio out to hi-fi amp

hi,
i just got my second iMac a couple of days ago & decided to connect it to my stereo amp . for my previous iMac i made a stereo 3.5mm ''headphone'' jack to two rca plug cable which worked fine even though the 3.5mm mini jack didn't fully seat in the headphone out at the back.
on my new iMac it doesn't even go in deep enough to stay in place : it's like it gets ''sprung back out'' & obviously i didn't try to force it in . has anyone had this sort of problem & successfully solved it ? is there a better way to connect the iMac to the hi-fi in terms of sound quality ? my hi-fi is of quite good quality even if a little old & has no optical ins at the amp, what do you suggest ? thanks in advance & a good week-end to all
Nuno

hi den.thed
& sorry to be so rude & not acknowledge your answer immediately !!...shame on me !
it turns out you were right , i got myself a better quality stereo mini jack - bought a Neutrik... - & problem solved !! now i can ''see'' the sound flow very happily to my amp & everything sounds fine & dandy !
thanks & my apologies once again
Nuno

Audio out type

Hello,
I am connecting a Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 audio system to my iMac. Since the system has its own internal amplifier, the manual instructs to hook up the audio system into the line out connector of the soundcard. The manual states that "connection to the speaker level output jack might result in the poor sound quality."
I would like to make sure that the iMac audio out is indeed a line out type. Based on the Technical Spec page, I believe that it is a line out, but I am not sure. I would appreciate it if someone could confirm it.
Also, I would be interested in comments on whether the vendor is not overstating the potential problem of plugging the audio system into a speaker level audio output, if this is the case for the iMac.
Thanks in advance

Hi Dennis,
Thanks for your prompt reply. I plugged the system in, and it works great.
I don't know about the Creative Inspire, but this one is definitely better than two small unpowered speakers that I have used for years. Now, the iMac replaced the old PC, and clearly the old speakers had to go.
I appreciate the tips on volume and boot sequence. The only other item that I wish I could resolve is how to switch between external and internal speakers without unplugging the system from the audio jack. I am not sure that I want to keep the audio system on all the time. However, browsing the forum, I came across the explanation that the jack has a hard-wired sensor, so it seems that software would not be able to override it. Please let me know if I misunderstood the post, and such functionality does exist.
Thanks again.

How do i disable audio out timeout on a macbook pro causing noise on external amplifier, without having a silent .wav playing in infinite loop?

After updating to Mavericks I have this problem. From what I guess, my audio out (either the signal, or the entire soundcard) cuts power after being idle for about 30 seconds. This results in a static noise when connected to my external amplifier. From various forums, dating back to 2007/8 I can see this is not a new problem. The only workaround is playing an empty .wav sound on infinite loop (either by using a terminal command, or by a third-pary app which does this for you), preventing the audio out from timing out and cutting power. This seems to me to be an undisirable proceeding. Even if minimal, it uses extra power and memory. Is there any way to prevent the sound card from timing out like this?

Ok. I tried disconnecting the charger from my macbook and that actually helped. The noise is now so low it is hardly audible, so I guess it has to do with a ground loop. But still, even when hardly audible it still only happens after 30 seconds of idle time. Is that because my theory about a timeout is correct, or is there some other reason for this? This used to just happen when my macbook went on standby (sleep), but now it happens allready after 30 seconds, so even though it may be a loop, it wasn't like this before. I'd love to understand what is different now.

Audio Out from iMac

Hi there....on my iMac, suddenly I'm only getting audio out from the headphone jack at the back (which goes into my JBL Creature II's) on the RIGHT hand side. it does seem that suddenly the output jack socket has become defective....anyone else had this kind of thing?

Try it with something else, such as iPod earbuds, to make sure the problem is not on the speaker side.
Also, check System Preferences Sound pane Output tab to make sure the Balance setting did not get set all the way to the right side somehow.
If it's still broken, try resetting the PRAM
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379
Speaker volume parameters are stored in PRAM.

Connecting to iMac optical audio out/ overall audio quality?

Just curious if anyone has done this yet? The iMac says it has optical audio out through the headphone jack but without an adapter I can't see how that's possible. My speakrs accept optical audio in and I really want to connect them to my future iMac. If not, how's the optical from the headphone jack? Is it possible to get 5.1 surround from that port?

firefighterpilot1 wrote:
The iMac says it has optical audio out through the headphone jack but without an adapter
I can't see how that's possible.
There are two "standard" optical-digital-audio connectors -- the original "square" one is
still used in most larger audio/video components. The newer/smaller one, used mainly in
portable gear, is exactly the same size as a mini headphone plug. The iMac's audio jacks
support either analog or digital-optical connections -- depending on which type of plug
is inserted.
Radio Shack carries adapters/converters/cables of both types (usually at outrageously
high prices). For online vendors, try http://monoprice.com -- great prices and a good
reputation for quality/service among the HDTV-fanatics on avsforum.com.
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?cid=104&cp_id=10423&cs_id=1042301&pid=2671&seq=1&format=2
Is it possible to get 5.1 surround from that port?
http://www.thismuchiknow.co.uk/?p=24
Looby

Pop Noise from Audio Out While Using iTunes 9.0.1

I have a black MacBook with Leopard 10.5.8 and iTunes 9.0.1. I have a a pair of computer speakers plugged to the MacBook's audio out minijack. Every time I run iTunes to play my music everything goes fine until I stop the music (you know with the space bar or the stop button). 30 seconds after I stop the music a loud pop noise comes up and stops, as if some electrical device was receiving a charge of electricity. When I play music back again on iTunes, the same noise comes up again with the music and goes away immediately while the music continues all right.
This is what I have done so far:
Change my energy saving parameter to several different configurations (perhaps the hard drive stopping when unused was the cause) but none fix it.
Turned off Airport...did not fix it
I timed the pop noise and it happens exactly 30 seconds after I stop my music on iTunes and then again 30 seconds after music has been stopped unless I start playing the music back again and the pop noise sounds again.
Any help would be appreciated as I use my MacBook to play music sequences for my band (I am the drummer) so the darn noises come through our PA system (and I also tried my small computer speakers and it does the same thing).
Thanks,

I spent a good amount of time reading several discussions. Apple is aware of this issue but no solution as of yet. The popping noise is "normal" behavior and happens because of how the sound system is programmed in the computer.
The solution (sorry for the bad news) is to not use the audio out minijack at all. Instead, get an audio interface that connects to your USB port and then route the output signal from your audio interface to your speakers, headphones or PA system. The popping noise will not sound. I tested it several times.
If the only cable you have is a minijack male type then go to Radio Shack and get adapters. I had to get me an adapter that takes two RCA males and converts them to a female minijack type.
Good luck.

HT2844 iMac 27"(late 2009), Audio in/Optical digital audio out port, stopped recognizing my new Bose speaker system, previously working...

Hello,
My iMac 27"(late 2009), Audio in/Optical digital audio out port, stopped recognizing my new Bose speaker system, previously working through that port. I tested the speaker system through my iPhone, and it works fine. I hooked it up to the Headphone out/Optical digital audio in port, and it works through that port also. I did a computer restart, I also checked all wiring and did a system repair on the computer. I also restarted the computer in mode where I could use the system utility, and the computer still did not correct the matter, and it reported everything as being "ok". I wented into "sound", through system preferences, and the computer does not recognize anything I plug into the Audio in/Optical digital audio out port. When I plug the speaker sysytem into the headphone out/optical digital audio out port, it does recognize the Bose speaker system as being "headphones".
Reading through a lot of forums, I hear everything from compatibility, to the port being stuck, and on and on. Since the port was working before, and just quit working one day, I wonder if there is a capacitor or fuse or some type of similar thing is blown, and causing the port to be unfunctionable. Maybe the port went bad, but before this time, I had never used it, and the computer does not move around, and I never plug in and pull wiring out unless needing to, and that being rare.
Here is a link to Costco, where I bought the system, and the exact system I have, if this is any help: http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku= A4092931&ST=pla&dgc=ST&cid=262075&lid=4742361&acd=1230980794501410
By the way, I am running OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5). I upgraded to Mavericks about a month ago, and expeirienced a number of issues, and had to take my iMac into Apple. Talking with the tech, I decided to wait for a while more before I upgraded to Mavericks. I try and keep the computer maintained.
If any of you have any ideas regadrding wear and tear, and fix I can do, etc., besides having to take my computer into Apple? Thank you, and potentially all of you, for your time and effort in helping me with this issue. Thank you kindly.
davE

Okay, davE, first, you have posted in the "Mac Pro" forum (not Macbook Pro), so we can't be super helpful
but we help you. First, hold down the Option key while clicking on the speaker icon at the top of your screen. This should show you all the inputs and outputs you have. you could check in "About this Mac" then "More info" to see whatever's recognized. Then, maybe, fire up Audio MIDI. your speaker system should show up there. something might have gotten set incorrectly. You can test it there. I guess you are using the good ol' analog cable for connection, and it works on your iPhone, so the cable isn't bad. You could try this. it 's an adapter which might solve your problem
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004HBWYQ6/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00
depending on which model of Bose speaker you have, you might try doing a product reset
turn off speakers...unplug power cord from outlet...wait 1 minute..plug cord into outlet..turn on speakers..
\\turning off automatic standby||
press and hold top of control pod for 6 seconds until you hear 2 tones that go from high to low
other than that ,I don't know
John B

IMac Internal Speakers WITH Audio Out

I have a stereo hooked up to my iMac and everything sounds great. What I'm wondering is this. Is there a way to have sound come out of BOTH the internal speakers and the headphone/audio out jack? I haven't found a simple soultion obviosuly, but is there any kind of work around? I know can buy a pair of external speakers and all would be fine. But I'd like to not take away from the output of the headphone jack. So then I was wondering if I cannot have the internal speakers work in conjunction with the headphone jack, if I get a pair of firewire or USB speakers so as to not take away from the headphone jack, will they even work since I have something plugged into the headphone jack? I'm guessing they would still work since they are independent from the jack, but I'm not sure. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Reset PRAM. http://support.apple.com/kb/PH18761
Reset SMC. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
Choose the appropriate method.
Best.

Work-around for a broken headphones / audio-out jack on an iMac?

My late 2012 iMac suddenly refuses to show "Headphones Out" in the sound panel when I insert a 3.5mm stereo plug into the audio out jack on the back of the machine. Instead, the sound panel will show only 'Internal Speakers." I'm beginning to accept the necessity ofr a hardware repair, but in the meantime I'm wondering if there's a workaround that would permit me to mute the internal speakers and direct the sound, once again, to my Onkyo receiver with its attached external speakers.
Any suggestions much appreciated.

I have tested your utiity, but it does not work with my booklet. Do you have a gudline how to include ?
Thx

Interference/background noise from audio-out port

I've connected my audio-out using a Monster cable from the headphone jack into the audio ports of a flat-screen TV. There's some kind of interference or background static noise. It almost seems to correspond to activity on the computer: if I'm loading a web page or the hard drive spins, the frequency of the static increases. It's rather annoying since I've connected it to watch Netflix and DVDs on the TV.
Any thoughts on what causes it or if there's anything I can do to stop it?
Thanks!

This sounds very much like the problem people have when using separate displays and audio amplifiers. I would try the Radio Shack audio isolator transformer. If that works, this setup also has the ground loop problem discussed in other threads.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062214

Question about Audio line-in/optical in/Audio out/optical out

I have a late 2009 27" iMac (v3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo). I note that on Apple's description of the rear ports, what I thought were simply headphone (Audio Out) and microphone (Audio In) jacks are described as:
1. Headphone/optical digital [S/PDIF] audio out:
"Line/Headphone output
"The headphone output is automatically selected for audio output if no external S/PDIF optical digital output device is detected. The headphone output supports a stereo data stream at bit depths of 16, 20, or 24 bits per sample and at sample rates of 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, or 96 kHz. The headphone output volume can be adjusted from 0.0 dB to -64 dB..."
"The headphone output is automatically selected for audio output if no external S/PDIF optical digital output device is detected. The headphone output supports a stereo data stream at bit depths of 16, 20, or 24 bits per sample and at sample rates of 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, or 96 kHz. The headphone output volume can be adjusted from 0.0 dB to -64 dB."
and
2. Audio line-in/optical in:
"Line input
"The analog line input operates independently from all other audio input ports and is always available. The line input supports recording at bit depths of 16, 20, or 24 bits per sample and at sample rates of 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, or 96 kHz. Audio recorded from the line input is presented as a stereo data stream. You can adjust the line input gain from -16 dB to +30 dB..."
"The digital audio input has the following electrical characteristics (nominal specifications), based on input of a 1 kHz sine wave at 0 dBFS input level, 24-bit sample depth, and 44.1 kHz sample rate (unless otherwise specified below):
FSI – input sample rates: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, or 96 kHz
Bits per sample: 16, 20, or 24
Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR): >130 dB
Total harmonic distortion + noise (THD+N): <-130 dB (0.0003%)
Sound output/digital audio output port"
While, as an Olde School audiophile guy (62, and I still have vinyl!), I generally understand the gist of all this, I'm not at all hip to what S/PDIF optical digital output and/or digital audio input can do for me. So my questions are:
1. Can somebody please wise me up to the usage(s) of these optical inputs and outputs on the iMac?
2. The Apple description says,under "Line/Headphone output":
"PCM: 16, 20, or 24 bits per sample at sample rates of 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, or 96 kHz
AC-3: 16 bits per sample at sample rates of 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, or 192 kHz"
and under "Line input
"The analog line input operates independently from all other audio input ports and is always available. The line input supports recording at bit depths of 16, 20, or 24 bits per sample and at sample rates of 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, or 96 kHz. Audio recorded from the line input is presented as a stereo data stream. You can adjust the line input gain from -16 dB to +30 dB."
How -- where -- do I adjust these bit depth and sample rates?
Thanks for your help!
Bart

Thanks for the info. Turns out there's an even easier way to do it than using the "Audio Midi Setup": through the prefs in the latest (and probably some previous) version of VLC, which is currently Version 1.0.2 Goldeneye (Intel 64bit).
Now if we could only get full native resolution (or at least 1080p) HDMI input into the Mini-DPs of our 2560 x 1440-capable 27" iMacs and actually have it display something WAY better than 720p (half the resolution of which the 27" iMac is capable) to which Apple limited it, without having to buy a third-party $270.00 HDMI-to Mini-DPP converter and scaler. Call me crazy, but it seems kinda silly to have to pay another $300 to buy a device that will scale the 27" iMac's resolution back up to a measly 1080p, let alone its native 2560 x 1440. But, as the
As a side note, can anyone tell me -- perhaps the elusive and chimerical, but omniscient and omnipotent "communityhosts" of Apple.com -- why, in my original post in this thread, the phrase "1. Headphone/optical digital S/PDIF audio out" had the acronym "S/PDIF" stricken through, like it was a particularly egregious Anglo-Saxonism? Wikipedia defines the acronym thus: "S/PDIF is a data link layer protocol and a set of physical layer specifications for carrying digital audio signals between devices and components over either optical or electrical cable. The name stands for Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format."
If I have inadvertently broken another arcane, abstruse, and/or inscrutable canon of the rules (http://discussions.apple.com/help.jspa) governing what may or not be asked or said on these avowedly "user-driven" discussions, allow me to beg for forgiveness beforehand, pleading ignorance, and ask that Apple's "community hosts" or administrators would expand upon and make very clear, in their "Apple Discussions Terms of Use," a comprehensive list of terms, subjects, lines of discussion, references to certain items, products, people, policies, etc. that are simply disallowed in the forum.
It is extremely depressing and frustrating to spend however long it takes -- and it takes ME a long time, as I have a 60-year-ingrained tendency towards verbosity -- to ask and post a question or message, only to have the message never even posted to the forum, but, without any sort of consultation with me so that I may learn from, and correct, my errors, uncaringly consigned to the illimitable void by hands to whom there is no appeal or orison.
It seems unfair.

Left / Right audio out of sync on some files

I'm working on an indie film project and audio was captured on a ZoomH1 and Rode Shotgun mic. We ingested the audio onto a 27" 2011 iMac workstation (Mavericks, 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7, 32 GB 1333 MHz DDR3, and AMD Radeon HD 6970M 1024 MB) and found that left and right were apparently out of sync somehow. That was strange as I have never had a problem like this before, even with the recording equipment we were using, but stranger than that, I handed the files off to an audio engineer who said there wasn't anything wrong with them. They sounded fine. So we sent them around some other places, and they all said the audio was fine.
So I kept testing and I find if I select "Play stereo audio as mono" under accessibility options, I get a ghost track that doesn't seem to actually exist in the file. Like there was another microphone recording in the next room so we can hear lots of room noise and some very, very faint dialogue and a subtle kind of rhythmic beat. Like the dryer was on somewhere. Whatever the case, I can't find any evidence of this audio track in the actual file.
So, the engineer did some mastering of some kind, running it through pro tools, and sent it back to me. And low and behold, they're still sounds out of sync. Like there's a bad echo. A little more tinkering, I find it only happens with these few files, and only when plugged into the audio out. Still no problem on any other Mac or PC. Just this one.
I can't tell if this is a software problem or a hardware problem. I don't even know where to begin. Google searching this topic is a nightmare. Any suggestions?

I'd be more concerned about the frame rate discrepancy.
I'd suspect a hardware problem. If the audio goes to a mixer and the video to a switcher there will almost always be a loss of sync unless a delay is put into the audio path. There's usually a two frame delay going through the buffer in a video switcher.

IMac Audio-Out Noise

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