Fixing the "Crackling Audio" Nightmare on VMware macOS VMs: A Deep Dive into VMXAudioFix
Note: Always backup your VM before installing unsigned kexts.
⚠️ This fixes only the 3.5mm "Speaker" output. HDMI audio via the graphics card is not supported. VMXAudioFix
If you’ve ever tried running macOS as a guest inside VMware Workstation or Player (on a Windows or Linux host), you’ve likely experienced the two most infuriating audio issues: and severe audio lag (delayed by 2–5 seconds).
⚠️ This kext is for Intel-based VMware hosts only. Parallels or Fusion on Apple Silicon use a completely different audio architecture. Is it still maintained? The original developer (osy86) has moved on to other projects (like the famous "Dortania" OpenCore guides), but the kext remains stable. For newer macOS versions (Ventura/Sonoma), you may need to disable AMFI (Apple Mobile File Integrity) using the boot-arg amfi_get_out_of_my_way=1 . Final Verdict: Is it worth it? 100% yes — if you can tolerate disabling SIP. Fixing the "Crackling Audio" Nightmare on VMware macOS
If you use your macOS VM for anything involving voice calls, music production, or video editing, VMXAudioFix transforms the experience from "broken" to "usable." Without it, VMware's audio is arguably worse than running no sound at all.
⚠️ If you're running a bare-metal Hackintosh, this kext does nothing for you. It is only for VMware guests . If you’ve ever tried running macOS as a
If you cannot disable SIP, switch your VM to use "PipeWire" (Linux host) or simply mute the VM and use host-based audio forwarding. Questions? Drop them below. I've run this on macOS 12, 13, and 14 without major issues.