Any way to remove audio devices from menubar audio output?

[tuqqer]

When I click on the audio icon in my menubar (running M1 Mini, Monterrey), I see some devices that have audio but I'll never use them, like my two Acer monitors, a couple of Bluetooth devices on the other side of the house, and the speaker in my Mini.

Is there any way to remove them?

I've checked both Sound Prefs, and the Audio MIDI Setup (Utilities folder), but neither have that option to remove/turn off.

I've also checked the /Library/Audio/Plug-ins/HAL folder. I see the Acer monitor folder there, just not sure if it's safe to remove that. And then I have no idea where to find related files to the other devices.

Any ideas?

[deckeda]

I’m assuming nothing in that list can also do AirPlay.

For the monitor, see if there’s a way in its menu system to deactivate audio capability. Or connect with something other than HDMI.

For Bluetooth, if they were ever paired tell the Mac to unpair or “forget” them … but if you can directly make each one undiscoverable to new pairings that will work better.

[graylocks]

just for the heck of it try right clicking them. i had some things in Preferences that i wanted to remove and on a whim right clicked them. a delete option came up!

[mikebw]

tuqqer wrote:
I've also checked the /Library/Audio/Plug-ins/HAL folder. I see the Acer monitor folder there, just not sure if it's safe to remove that. And then I have no idea where to find related files to the other devices.

Any ideas?

Audio Plug-ins are normally things like effects and filters for music editing programs. Not sure why there is an Acer monitor folder there, but you can always just try removing it and then put it back if you don't see any change.

[MrNoBody]

M1 Mini, Monterrey
Same here; both monitors & Thunderbolt dock's USB Audio, along with
headphone port, Built-in speakers, and 2x LG TVs via AirPlay.

Nothing worked for removal in the way of modifier key combinations.
I'm not going to go tinkering with /Library/ files.

[tuqqer]

graylocks wrote:
just for the heck of it try right clicking them. i had some things in Preferences that i wanted to remove and on a whim right clicked them. a delete option came up!

Graylocks, to be clear, are you seeing a delete option that allowed you to delete audio devices? Was it in the menubar dropdown? Or the Sys Pref: Sound Pref? I do see a dropdown in the Audio MIDI Setup app, but it doesn't allow deletion of the device.

[graylocks]

tuqqer wrote:
[quote=graylocks]
just for the heck of it try right clicking them. i had some things in Preferences that i wanted to remove and on a whim right clicked them. a delete option came up!

Graylocks, to be clear, are you seeing a delete option that allowed you to delete audio devices? Was it in the menubar dropdown? Or the Sys Pref: Sound Pref? I do see a dropdown in the Audio MIDI Setup app, but it doesn't allow deletion of the device.
It was other items in System Prefs. I had a row of icons below the last row of Apple icons. Xmarks was one of them. I just tried right clicking something in Sound that I no longer need in there. Didn't work.