The exact location of the speakers on a MacBook Air depends on which model you have. But the newest M2 MacBook Air has speakers located between the display and the keyboard. The M1 MacBook Air has speakers on the outside edges of the keyboard.
My name is Donovan, and I’m a musician, producer, and all-around audio enthusiast. I’m also a MacBook owner and have a lot of experience using Apple products. Through first-hand experience and research, I know where speakers are located on these devices.
This post will show you where the speakers are on a MacBook Air. I will tell you where these speakers are located on several different MacBook Air models and provide you with some other related information.
Let’s get started.
Contents
Key Takeaways
- The M2 MacBook Air has speakers between the display and keyboard.
- The M1 MacBook Air has speakers on either side of the keyboard.
- The speakers on a MacBook Air are not always that visible or apparent, but they are built into the components of the laptop.
- Older models of the MacBook Air have speakers in slightly different locations than the newer ones.
MacBook Air M2 Speakers
If you have a newer MacBook Air M2, the speakers are located between the display and the keyboard. This is a somewhat different layout than other models of the Air, but it’s also one of the best speaker systems yet for this laptop.
You can’t really see the speakers on most MacBook Air models, so it can be somewhat deceiving when you are trying to locate them. But they are built into the computer’s internal components and actually put out pretty decent sound.
The latest model MacBook Air gives you four speakers. They are small, but this includes two tweeters and two subwoofers for accurate sound representation and better volume than previous models. I think they sound pretty dang good.
These speakers have a spacial audio design that provides a solid listening experience, and they can even support Dolby Atoms for a cinematic-like experience. They don’t sound as good as stand-alone speakers but are still quality.
There isn’t a speaker grill on the M2 like on previous MacBook Air models. That might have you believe that there are not speakers, but this design tweak doesn’t affect the sound quality or overall volume at all.
MacBook Air M1 Speakers
If you have the MacBook Air M1, the speakers are located on the outside edges of the keyboard. You should see small speaker grilles if you look closely at the edges, and this indicates where the speakers are.
These two speakers give you an accurate stereo sound experience. They are decent for laptop speakers, although not as good as the options on the newer M2 MacBook Air. Still, you can listen to music, movies, and other entertainment at an enjoyable level.
The speakers also support Dolby Atmos, and when you combine this with the wide stereo field, it makes for a solid listening experience overall. You aren’t going to get a ton of volume from these, but they do the trick when you just need a bit of entertainment.
The M1 also comes with a 3.5mm headphone output jack, which I think is a great feature. This allows you to connect standard headphones and bypass the speaker system altogether. If you want a little more volume, this is the way to go.
Older MacBook Air Speakers
If you are still using a MacBook Air that is more than a few years old, the speakers are most likely down near the lower front end of the keyboard. This was the standard location for the speakers on models dating back before 2020.
The exact location of the speakers is in either the bottom corner of the keyboard, near the arrow keys on the right, and the function key on the left. Again, you can’t really see the speakers aside from the grille, but they are there.
I don’t think that older MacBook Air speakers sound that great, and since the purpose of the Air was to slim things down and keep the laptop light, Apple made some sacrifices when it comes to audio quality.
One cool thing about some of the older model MacBook Air laptops is that you can actually replace the speakers if you need to. I don’t recommend doing this unless you feel comfortable taking your laptop apart, but it’s nice to know that it’s possible.
There really isn’t much need to replace the speakers on your older MacBook Air. If you get to the point where the speakers aren’t working, it’s probably time to upgrade to a newer Air anyways.
FAQs
Here are a few quick answers to some of the most commonly asked questions related to where the speakers on a MacBook Air are.
How many speakers does a MacBook Air have?
The newer model MacBook Air has a four-speaker design. It might not look like there are four speakers when you view the computer, but they are in there. This design includes two tweeters and two woofers for pretty decent sound quality.
How do I clean the speakers on my MacBook Air?
You can try cleaning your MacBook Air’s speaker grill with a soft toothbrush, cleaning cloth, or compressed air. The newer models don’t have this grill, so there really isn’t a way to clean the speakers. But since they are internal, they shouldn’t need much cleaning.
Why do my MacBook Air speakers sound low?
You might have issues with the audio balance or volume if your MacBook Air speakers sound low. Go into the audio settings on your MacBook to check on the parameters and make any adjustments as needed to get the volume up.
How can I make my MacBook Air speakers louder?
You can turn up the volume on your MacBook Air speakers to make them louder. But if the volume is already up, there isn’t a way to make them any louder than that. MacBook Air speakers are not that loud, and you might want to connect external speakers.
Where are the speakers on a MacBook Air 2020?
The speakers on a MacBook Air 2020 are located directly beneath the keyboard. They are built into the internal section of the laptop, and you can’t really see them. This is the same design as most of the older MacBook Air models.
Where are the speakers on a MacBook Air 2015?
The speakers on a MacBook Air 2015 are found under the keyboard, towards the front. You can’t really see these speakers, but they are built-in and located near the bottom quarter of the keyboard.
Final Thoughts
The speakers on the newer M2 MacBook Air are found between the keyboard and display, while the speakers on the M1 are on either side of the keyboard. The speaker grille is no more on newer models, but the speakers are still there.
Even though the speakers on a newer MacBook Air sound pretty good, they still won’t deliver as good of sound quality as an external set. If you want better audio, it’s worth connecting your MacBook to a larger pair of speakers.
What do you think of your MacBook Air speakers? Are they loud enough? Let me know in the comments below.