M2 MacBook Air Speakers

There are some reviews out there that stated that the M1 MacBook Air speakers sounds a little "louder, better and wider" than the M2 MacBook Air speaker which are "less loud, more muffled at high volumes".

Those reviews are: Sure there are many other reviews that stated that the MacBook Air M2 speakers are better than the M1 as well.
Those who have got the M2 MacBook Air and also an old MacBook Air from 2018 - 2021 (including the M1 version), how do the speakers compare according to your testings?

They sound better than the previous Air to me. Though not as good, especially the lower frequency response of the Pro 14.

happyslayer said:

They sound better than the previous Air to me. Though not as good, especially the lower frequency response of the Pro 14.

That is great! And I understand that the Pros will sound a lot better than the Air!

Gelam said:

That is great! And I understand that the Pros will sound a lot better than the Air!

I was quite impressed with the M2 air speakers, sounded more balanced than the M1 air.

So here's my take since I have tried both MBA versions:

• Both speakers sound good for quality, loudness and clarity
• 2018-2021 models are a bit louder with more treble/bass
• BUT the M2 is much clearer, crispy in audio quality for vocals and balanced overall

One thing I did notice that reviews don't mention is that I don't feel any vibrations besides the keyboard with the older model which bothered me. Great placement of the speakers to bound off the screen.

I appreciate the M2 cleaner design without the speaker holes and having smooth sides.

Like @hellojohnny said, having these larger speaker outlets reflecting on the display instead of the tiny holes apparently attributes to a clearer sound.
Quite innovative in my eyes (not ears, don‘t own one).
all image credits to ifixit

The MBA M2 speakers sounds about the same as the M1 in term of quality but the M1 sounds louder. The M2 seems more balance in the low, mids and high frequencies.

The MBP 14 sounds way way better and only topped by the MBP 16.

M2 Air speakers are not good. I have been watching lectures and when the lecturer gets loud, something in the M2 Air rattles and buzzes. Fortunately I usually use headphones. My iPad Pro speakers are much better.

I wish Apple came out with a subwoofer for these laptops. They don't have much bass because it's physically impossible to do in such an enclosure.

I definately hear different sounds between the M1 and M2 devices. Not an audio person so all I can say is that I think they both sound fine, just different. It appears to be more about the change in speaker location than actual quality. But that is just my view.

Yr Blues said:

I wish Apple came out with a subwoofer for these laptops. They don't have much bass because it's physically impossible to do in such an enclosure.

a separate sub? seems a: like a great idea, and b: very 'un-apple'. maybe a better idea would be for them to conquer physics, and create a subwoofer for the next air...

fisherking said:

a separate sub? seems a: like a great idea, and b: very 'un-apple'. maybe a better idea would be for them to conquer physics, and create a subwoofer for the next air...

They used to make a sub along with Pro stereo speakers, unlike the mono HomePods.

Yr Blues said:

They used to make a sub along with Pro stereo speakers, unlike the mono HomePods.

a sub designed for the macbook pros/airs would be nice (altho maybe not needed for the 14"/16"). but the logistics would have to be worked out. it needs to be well-matched to the internal speakers. and logically, a bluetooth connection (as apple is not going to add a 'sub out' jack on any macbook).

i don't expect to see this, but would be interesting if a 3rd-party developer got this going...

My Intel 16" MBP has way more bass than this MBA. That one I was pretty shocked with how good it sounded. The MBA is kinda.. well it's likely competent for its size, but no "wow"-feeling.

Also the keys shake at high volume making things sound slightly distorted at times. The Swedish keyboard layout with the big return key isn't helping things here, I think.

Do a lot of people really use the speakers for the type of sound that matters??
For me, if I'm wanting sound for things that matter like music, movies, etc. I am wearing my AirPods or headphones of some type.
My speakers are more for basic things like podcasts, YouTube or things that don't need a lot of depth.

Am I in the minority?

Scott-n-Houston said:

Do a lot of people really use the speakers for the type of sound that matters??
For me, if I'm wanting sound for things that matter like music, movies, etc. I am wearing my AirPods or headphones of some type.
My speakers are more for basic things like podcasts, YouTube or things that don't need a lot of depth.

Am I in the minority?

Not in the minority. On MR, the extremist user is one that seems like the majority but, that really isn't the case. In fact, MR is the minority of real Mac society.

My step sons M1 air sounds a tad louder versus my M2 air. Now air M2 sounds more clear and less noisy. Im a sounds guy. The B&W system in my XC90 T8 sounds really good. That’s why I paid extra for that.

Good speakers are not measured by how loud they get, at least not to me. It's straight up sound quality. I often cringe when I see decibel meters being used with YouTube reviews to see which MacBook have 'better' speakers.

The speakers in the M2 Air are fine, even good for the size of the MacBook, especially when you account for their placement, but to my ears, I prefer the speakers in the M1 Air.

The mids are a bit too pronounced with the M2 Air speakers which creates a bit of a tinny and flat sound with some audio.

While the speakers in the M1 Air aren't amazing, there is a bit more separation in sound giving a more layered listening experience (to my ears, of course).

However, I downloaded Boom 2 and created my own EQ setting and it made a huge difference on my M2 Air. It takes a bit of tinkering and tuning, but when you get there, it's worth it.

Everyone's ears are different, but I tend to lean towards the 'Electronic' EQ settings where the bass and treble are a bit more pronounced, and the mid section is tucked down a bit.

Having owned both, I agree with all above. A slight nod to the M2 for clarity… but in any case I would never use a laptop speakers as a decision point. When I need speakers, I bring speakers.

G5isAlive said:

Having owned both, I agree with all above. A slight nod to the M2 for clarity… but in any case I would never use a laptop speakers as a decision point. When I need speakers, I bring speakers.

I treat laptop speakers like Auratones. I can mix the upper mids with them in a pinch.

Yr Blues said:

I treat laptop speakers like Auratones. I can mix the upper mids with them in a pinch.

i woundn't mix anything on the air speakers... unless it's a ukelele and a soft vocal 🤔

i could see someone checking their mix on the speakers, but just to, literally, 'see how the mix sounds on a macbook air'.


fyi, ALL trap songs (and solo bass albums) are mixed on MBA speakers 🤣

fisherking said:

i woundn't mix anything on the air speakers... unless it's a ukelele and a soft vocal 🤔

i could see someone checking their mix on the speakers, but just to, literally, 'see how the mix sounds on a macbook air'.


fyi, ALL trap songs (and solo bass albums) are mixed on MBA speakers 🤣

If you hate MacBook speakers, you should listen to a pair of NS10s, the industry standard for crappy monitors.

Yr Blues said:

If you hate MacBook speakers, you should listen to a pair of NS10s, the industry standard for crappy monitors.

i don't hate them at all, i accept them for what they are. NS10s, flaws and all, would still blow away the tiny speakers in the air.

Hmm upon reading all the comments, interesting that the M2 Air Speakers is polarizing the opinions on some aspects. It feels like the M2 Air speaker is a side grade instead of the full on upgrade that every new macbook air/pro generation receives.

Due to the thinning of the chassis and speaker location change to make room for the battery. Very interesting.

Has anyone compared the M2 Air speakers with the 12" Macbook speakers? In terms of sound quality and loudness, which ones are better?

I find the M2 speakers worse than the old air and worse than my okd 12" macbook. The loss of the upwards facing speakers is a real shame.