I have a pair of wired/corded USB Type-C AKG headphones.
When I plug them into the MacBook Pro's USB type C ports, they are visible (in the Sound Output preferences) only after about 2 minutes (measured several times). In this time, audio is not working via the USB type C headphones.
I did not observe any headphone detection patterns:
- at exact interval after plugging in (varying around 2 minutes)
- at exact minute change
The controls on the headphones wire work 5-10 seconds (play/pause, volume up, volume down) after plugging in.
After the about 2-minute interval, the Sound Output preference page appends the USBC Headset (Type: USB). No other audio devices are connected to the MabBook. Only the Internal Speakers (Type: Built-in) are available by default.
Is this a known/expected behaviour for MacBook Pros and USB Type-C headphones?
The devices I use:
- headphones: wired/corded AKG (cannot find the model name).
- computer: MacBook 2017 (with Touch Bar and also with 3.5mm audio port)
Best Answer
I would start diagnosing the issue using the IORegistryExplorer available as part of the "Hardware IO Tools for Xcode", which you can get at Apple's. If it shows up there but not in the System Preferences, I would hazard a guess that it's a driver issue. If it doesn't show up there, then I would think it's a hardware issue. Maybe also check the system logs for
coreaudiod; the USB audio interface I use shows up within a second of being plugged in and prints all kind of info there.In general, I've never had issues with USB audio devices on macOS over the last 15 years, and this reddit thread indicates that there are others with a similar issue with AKG headphones. You may just have made a bad purchase - which shouldn't be too bad if AKG still pretends to cater to professionals.
Best of luck!