Apple Confirms HomePod's Supported Audio Sources in Tech Specs

[Polz]

Apple today updated its HomePod tech specs page with a new Audio Sources section that lists all of the ways in which the speaker can stream audio, setting the record straight on some conflicting information.

o Apple Music: HomePod users can ask Siri to play any of over 45 million songs available on Apple Music. A subscription is required.

o iTunes Music: HomePod users can ask Siri to play any songs, albums, or audiobooks purchased from the iTunes Store.

o iCloud Music Library: HomePod users can ask Siri to play any songs uploaded to a user's iCloud Music Library, including songs imported from other sources such as CDs, with an Apple Music or iTunes Match subscription.

o Beats 1: HomePod users can ask Siri to play Apple's official radio station.

o Podcasts: HomePod users can ask Siri to play any podcast episodes from the iTunes podcast directory.

o AirPlay: HomePod users can use AirPlay to play other audio from an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, and Mac. AirPlay 2, coming later this year, is only required to stream audio from these sources to multiple HomePods.
Earlier this week, iMore's Serenity Caldwell put together a useful breakdown with more detailed information about how the HomePod works with Apple Music, iTunes Match, iCloud Music Library, AirPlay, and more.

HomePod orders began last week ahead of the speaker's official launch on February 9 in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.

Article Link: Apple Confirms HomePod's Supported Audio Sources in Tech Specs

...and here is the big question. What will Apple do with the networking of Airplay 2 with hundreds of thousands of people who have used Airport Express to make this happen?

 

[gnipgnop]

Do you work for Apple? Every post is so raging positive about this product. Have you found/seen ONE weakness in this thing?

Raging positive? All I've done is point out the way the system is designed to work. It's not a mono speaker, it's fairly complex in terms of how the audio is projected/reflected/cancelled (the A8 isn't just in there for Siri), and the beam forming tweeters help provide a wider separation than is possible on standard forward-facing compact units.

 

[cycomiko]

Can a mod change the thread title to “my reason for not buying a HomePod and why I feel the need to tell everyone”.

Followed by the "my reason for buying a HomePod and why I feel the need to tell everyone" thread.

 

[BayouTiger]

Why would they list a bunch of file types as sources, even ALAC AND FLAC, yet be limited to all streamed AAC256 sources via the iTunes ecosystem, and Airplay which is a compressed stream? If you are doing Airplay, the file type support moves to the source and the HP should be agnostic.

So the HP will be the to audio what the AppleTV is to video, since they removed the AppleTv from being a great audio device when they took away the optical output.

 

[MistrSynistr]

I'm very disappointed that there seems to be no easy way to play traditional radio stations.

Deal-breaker level disappointed.

If you ask an Amazon Echo dot, "Alexa, play W-F-U-V," the radio station WFUV promptly begins streaming.

If I were to buy a $350 HomePod I'm not sure how I could explain to my wife that it can't do that (since the $30 Echo Dot in our kitchen pulls it off every day).

this is a no brainer.

 

[chicago19]

Make Siri talk to Spotify and I will buy this thing that day.

 

[Phonephreak]

quick question

If your not connected to wifi will the homepod still work?

 

[citysnaps]

I wonder if a single HomePod will best my klipsch reference setup powered by pioneer elite sc-82 and 2 SVS PC+ subs.
If not what a waste of money the HomePod will be

I hear ya, bro. Still carrying a torch for the company, I've got a pair of Plasmatronics speakers in every room of my house. I wouldn't know what to do with a HomePod.

 

[OllyW]

quick question

If your not connected to wifi will the homepod still work?

I don't see how it could, it needs wifi for it's audio sources and Siri.

 

[berrymetal]

I can't decide between grey and white...

 

[Phonephreak]

high

No, they can just play virtually every piece of music in existence without needing any phone at all.

I highly doubt nearly every piece of music is in apple library.. Esp since they keep pulling songs from my playlist
[doublepost=1517509543][/doublepost]

I don't see how it could, it needs wifi for it's audio sources and Siri.

So then it not a portable speaker at all. With out wifi it useless

 

[Jupeman]

I see this question fairly often, but it is missing the point a bit.

We have a number of Apple TV's around the house. Two of them are connected to pretty decent speaker systems. That is fine.

Another is in the kitchen (which has a table for dining etc). In that room we rely on the TV speakers. It is not an easy room to put a decent speaker system into for a number of reasons. It is also the room that we will be putting the HomePod I have ordered into, for just that reason.

The main use of the HomePod will be to play music, but I will certainly be looking at the option of Airplaying the Apple TV audio to it as well.

Most of these questions asking why people are thinking of using HomePod rather than buying or using a home music system are missing the point that people have different requirements in different rooms. It is possible to have all sorts of audio equipment but still have some rooms where a HomePod could be a great solution.

It reminds me of the person on this board who couldn't understand why anyone would need an Apple TV, because he just plugged his MacBook into the TV via HDMI. It just never occurred to him that other people had different uses for things than he did.

Precisely! I have a home theater/critical listening setup costing $xx,xxx. I still ordered a HomePod. It is not for my critical listening and it feels like an easy speaker to drop into a room without hassle that may sound passably good for background listening! In my current living space, I have an older AppleTV that is doing nothing but feeding audio to an amp in a closet that, in turn, is powering speakers in a remote room.

 

[macduke]

Revolutionary! Announcing product specs nearly a week after it goes on sale.

I'm sure this has totally nothing to do with the fact that it's still showing February 9th availability for both colors.

 

[OllyW]

So then it not a portable speaker at all. With out wifi it useless

It hasn't got a battery either.

 

[DNichter]

Looks good to me. I am considering buying two for my home theater if I can connect both to my Apple TV for simultaneous playback. Might take some time to figure out if that would work.

 

[gnipgnop]

It hasn't got a battery either.

Thus the use of 'Home' in the product name.

 

[mikethemartian]

Does it support analog in?

 

[gnasher729]

So that it remains anti-competitive and forces users to stay within the Apple ecosystem. (That way you can't use it with an Android device or something)

Airplay works on Windows and Android with a bit of software.

 

[DNichter]

Why would you connect an AppleTV to an HomePod? It'd be best to spend a bit more and get a decent Home Theatre system. Most likely, you'd get more use out of the HomeTheatre.

I have a good home theater set up already, but I am considering doing this to limit the amount of speakers I have, wires ran, homekit use, etc. I'd like to have a HomePod set up on each side and see how it sounds. I plan on using my existing receiver and speakers hooked up to a turntable in a music room. Your point is valid, but everyone has their own reasons.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Does it support analog in?

Best I know, there's no hardware audio input ports of any kind. It plays what's summarized in post #1, or anything else streamed to it via Airplay. If you can convert an analog source to digital and airplay it, that's the only way to get that audio inside this speaker (best I know). Maybe after they are in the wild, someone will hack one and find a way to create an analog-in port... like some guy hacked an iPhone without a headphone jack and put one back in.

In an earlier HP thread, somebody suggested that Entrepreneurs develop an Airplay box. Basically plug in any source and it can airplay it to airplay devices. If that ever comes to market, that might be a good option for analog sources.

 

[the future]

The one I linked to is very pro-Apple though. A few sites were not quite so biased though...

How do you know the (clear minority of) sites that posted critical remarks were not indeed the „biased“ ones? You shouldn‘t accuse the positive hands-on reports as being biased without any evidence and/or personal listening experience with a HomePod.

 

[Felix01]

Apple today updated its HomePod tech specs page with a new Audio Sources section that lists all of the ways in which the speaker can stream audio, setting the record straight on some conflicting information.

o Apple Music: HomePod users can ask Siri to play any of over 45 million songs available on Apple Music. A subscription is required.

o iTunes Music: HomePod users can ask Siri to play any songs, albums, or audiobooks purchased from the iTunes Store.

o iCloud Music Library: HomePod users can ask Siri to play any songs uploaded to a user's iCloud Music Library, including songs imported from other sources such as CDs, with an Apple Music or iTunes Match subscription.

o Beats 1: HomePod users can ask Siri to play Apple's official radio station.

o Podcasts: HomePod users can ask Siri to play any podcast episodes from the iTunes podcast directory.

o AirPlay: HomePod users can use AirPlay to play other audio from an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, and Mac. AirPlay 2, coming later this year, is only required to stream audio from these sources to multiple HomePods.
Earlier this week, iMore's Serenity Caldwell put together a useful breakdown with more detailed information about how the HomePod works with Apple Music, iTunes Match, iCloud Music Library, AirPlay, and more.

HomePod orders began last week ahead of the speaker's official launch on February 9 in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.

Article Link: Apple Confirms HomePod's Supported Audio Sources in Tech Specs

 

[fhall1]

And the obvious Bluetooth is left out. Why?

From "The Loop" "UPDATE: The question came up about Bluetooth being in the wireless section, but not listed as an audio source. I asked about it on Twitter, the response was, Bluetooth too compressed for the quality HomePod requires. So Bluetooth is used for pairing, but not music transfer."

 

[User 6502]

Really. So Apple's strategy is to not sell as many HomePods as possible?

Exactly. They've been doing this forever. Maybe you haven't noticed yet, but Apple has often purposely limited the features (and appeal) of many products to try to lock customer in its ecosystem. It's willing to sell less products to achieve this goal and ultimately make more money.

 

[gnipgnop]

Looks good to me. I am considering buying two for my home theater if I can connect both to my Apple TV for simultaneous playback. Might take some time to figure out if that would work.

It will be interesting to see how well it works for that type of scenario. Apple has put most of the emphasis on the music side of it, so there may be some shortcomings. Hard to know at this point.