Sound issues after reinstalling macOS

Question

Level 1

4 points

Sound issues after reinstalling macOS

On my iMac 21.5" (2013), the sound disappeared after reinstalling macOS. After that, I tried reinstalling it again, but there was no result. macOS does not detect the audio chip, only "Digital Out," and the volume control is inactive. However, the startup chime is present when turning on the iMac, so I assume this is not a hardware issue, right? Also, when I plug in headphones, sound comes from only one side.

I have already tried various solutions: resetting NVRAM/PRAM, checking audio drivers, restarting the audio system, booting into Safe Mode, but nothing worked. What else can I try?

Posted on Feb 25, 2025 6:51 AM

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Answer 1

Old Toad

Level 10

212,387 points

Feb 25, 2025 10:31 AM in response to vitaliy236

Give this a try: boot into Safe Mode according to How to use safe mode on your Mac and test to see if the problem persists. Reboot normally and test again.

NOTE 1: Safe Mode boot can take up to 3 - 5 minutes as it's doing the following;

• Verifies your startup disk and attempts to repair directory issues, if needed

• Loads only required kernel extensions (prevents 3rd party kernel/extensions from loading)

• Prevents Startup Items and Login Items from opening automatically

• Disables user-installed fonts

• Deletes font caches, kernel cache, and other system cache files

NOTE 2: if you have a wireless keyboard with rechargeable batteries connect it with its charging cable before booting into Safe Mode. This makes it act as a wired keyboard as will insure a successful boot into Safe Mode.

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Answer 2

Feb 25, 2025 7:12 AM in response to vitaliy236

since you've already tried the recommended trouble shooting, i'm thinking you should download and run the free version of EtreCheck so we can see if you have some software installed that is causing your issue. make sure you give "full disk access" to etrecheck. Learn how to use it by reading Using EtreCheck. if you need help interpreting the report, you can see how to post the report here by reading How to use the Add Text Feature When Posting Large Amounts of Text, i.e. an Etrecheck Report. and it automatically obscures sensitive things (like serial numbers) so you don't have to worry about sharing the report here.

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Answer 3

vitaliy236 Author

Level 1

4 points

Feb 25, 2025 10:23 AM in response to jeffreythefrog

EtreCheckPro version: 6.8.8 (68072)

Report generated: 2025-02-25 11:57:00

Download EtreCheckPro from https://etrecheck.com Runtime: 2:45

Performance: Excellent

Problem: Other problem Description:

Sound issues

Major Issues:

Anything that appears on this list needs immediate attention.

Obsolete hardware - This computer may be considered obsolete.

Minor Issues:

These issues do not need immediate attention but they may indicate future problems or opportunities for improvem ent.

No Time Machine backup - Time Machine backup not found.

Unsigned files - There are unsigned software files installed. These files could be old, incompatible, and cause prob lems. They should be reviewed.

Limited permissions - More information may be available with Full Disk Access. Kernel boot arguments - This computer has custom kernel boot arguments.

Hardware Information:

iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013) Status: Obsolete

iMac Model: iMac14,1

2.7 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 (i5-4570R) CPU: 4-core

8 GB RAM - Upgradeable by an Apple Authorized Service Provider

BANK 0/DIMM0 - 4 GB DDR3 1600 BANK 1/DIMM0 - 4 GB DDR3 1600

Video Information:

Intel Iris Pro - VRAM: 1536 MB iMac 1920 x 1080

Drives:

disk0 - APPLE SSD SM0128G 121.33 GB (Solid State - TRIM: Yes) Internal PCI 5.0 GT/s x2 Serial ATA

disk0s1 - EFI (MS-DOS FAT32) [EFI] 210 MB disk0s2 [APFS Fusion Drive] 121.12 GB

disk2 [APFS Virtual drive] 1.12 TB (Shared by 5 volumes)

disk2s1 - Macintosh HD - Data (APFS) [APFS Virtual drive] (3.84 GB used) disk2s2 - Preboot (APFS) [APFS Preboot] (82 MB used)

disk2s3 - Recovery (APFS) [Recovery] (529 MB used)

disk2s4 - VM (APFS) [APFS VM] (3.22 GB used)

disk2s5 - Macintosh HD (APFS) (11.07 GB used)

disk1 - APPLE HDD HTS541010A9E662 1.00 TB (Mechanical - 5400 RPM) Internal SATA 3 Gigabit Serial ATA

disk1s1 - EFI (MS-DOS FAT32) [EFI] 210 MB disk1s2 [APFS Fusion Drive] 1000.00 GB

disk2 [APFS Virtual drive] 1.12 TB (Shared by 5 volumes)

disk2s1 - Macintosh HD - Data (APFS) [APFS Virtual drive] (3.84 GB used) disk2s2 - Preboot (APFS) [APFS Preboot] (82 MB used)

disk2s3 - Recovery (APFS) [Recovery] (529 MB used) disk2s4 - VM (APFS) [APFS VM] (3.22 GB used) disk2s5 - Macintosh HD (APFS) (11.07 GB used)

Mounted Volumes:

disk2s1 - Macintosh HD - Data [APFS Virtual drive] Filesystem: APFS

Mount point: /System/Volumes/Data

Fusion drive

Used: 3.84 GB Shared values

Size: 1.12 TB Free: 1.09 TB

disk2s4 - VM [APFS VM] Filesystem: APFS

Mount point: /private/var/vm Fusion drive

Used: 3.22 GB Shared values

Size: 1.12 TB Free: 1.09 TB

disk2s5 - Macintosh HD Filesystem: APFS Mount point: /

Fusion drive Read-only: Yes

Used: 11.07 GB Shared values

Size: 1.12 TB Free: 1.09 TB

USB:

USB 3.0 bus

Apple Inc. - BRCM20702 Hub

Apple Inc. - Bluetooth USB Host Controller Apple Inc. - FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in) Apple, Inc. - Keyboard Hub

Primax Electronics - Apple Optical USB Mouse Apple, Inc - Apple Keyboard

Network:

Interface en0: Ethernet Interface en1: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac

Interface en4: Bluetooth PAN Interface bridge0: Thunderbolt Bridge

System Software:

macOS Catalina 10.15.7 (19H15)

Time since boot: Less than an hour

Boot args: keepsyms=1 debug=0x100 ipc_control_port_options=0 -nokcmismatchpanic

Notifications:

EtreCheckPro.app one notification

EtreCheckPro report

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Answer 4

den.thed

Level 10

85,282 points

Feb 25, 2025 2:14 PM in response to vitaliy236

vitaliy236 wrote:

On my iMac 21.5" (2013), the sound disappeared after reinstalling macOS. After that, I tried reinstalling it again, but there was no result. macOS does not detect the audio chip, only "Digital Out," and the volume control is inactive. However, the startup chime is present when turning on the iMac, so I assume this is not a hardware issue, right? Also, when I plug in headphones, sound comes from only one side.

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/3392e32a-f5fd-4781-ade8-0ccacc62ebc0

I have already tried various solutions: resetting NVRAM/PRAM, checking audio drivers, restarting the audio system, booting into Safe Mode, but nothing worked. What else can I try?

There is a micro switch built into the iMac's 3.5" audio output port. That micro switch tells the Audio DIMI setup where to send the audio to. Those options are Internal, Headphones and Digital output.

If that switch gets stuck or is in a certain position, then the internal and headphone options will not show up or switch the audio back to the internal speakers.

Sometimes you can free up a stuck micro switch by plugging and unplugging a set of wired headphones or buds in and out of the 3.5" audio output port.

Likewise, the same thing will happen if a 3.5" jack gets broken off inside the of the audio output port.

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Answer 5

vitaliy236 Author

Level 1

4 points

Feb 26, 2025 10:38 AM in response to den.thed

Thank you, you suggested a good direction for finding a possible issue. I see that there is probably a problem with the audio jack since only one side works when I plug in the headphones. In the evening, I will try to install the necessary software and force the audio output mode switch via the terminal.