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Apple Releases Firmware Update for AirPort Express With AirPlay 2 Support
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Yes, this is another design inconsistency w/ the new ecosystem. Although you can *sort of* control HomePod playback from the iOS Music app (you can pause/play, view Up Next), you can't use the full functionality of the Music app to choose music for HomePod to play (unless you stream the music from the iPhone/iPad, which is not ideal).
Ideally the Music app would be a consistent interface used to control playback of music on *any* device. I'm hoping they get there.
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I've noticed that if you tell an Apple TV (via the Music app or Siri) to play on that Apple TV *and* some other AirPlay device, then the volume control *is* available for both. But if you only play music on the Apple TV, no volume control is available.....
Without trying it out myself it seems like that could work. Hardwire the Extreme to a mesh node and create a Wi-Fi network of its own but let the mesh manage DHCP and have the Expresses “extend” the Extreme network.
I am running about 7 Airport Expresses at the moment, 3 of them are the 2012 A1392 second gen model.
The rest are the older A1264 wall plug in style models (I do not expect these to get the update).
My issue:
None of my devices show that a firmware update is available.
Even my A1392 models say they are running the latest but are only on 7.6.9.
I have checked in both the iOS and OSX Airport utility with the same result.
Has anyone else run into this?
I have been using the Airport Express since 2007 and have never run into any issues updating them.
The rest are the older A1264 wall plug in style models (I do not expect these to get the update).
My issue:
None of my devices show that a firmware update is available.
Even my A1392 models say they are running the latest but are only on 7.6.9.
I have checked in both the iOS and OSX Airport utility with the same result.
Has anyone else run into this?
I have been using the Airport Express since 2007 and have never run into any issues updating them.
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What I would really like to see wrt Airport devices is to support the USB audio out profile on all basestations that have a USB port. Thus making it trivial to get digital music off your home network into an audio component that has a USB input, which is becoming increasingly common. I think this would be a pretty easy update and make lots of folks happy.
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What steps are you doing to rest? Are you doing it in the airport utility app or by holdin the hard rest button
I have the same result either way.
Is there any way I can get ahold of the raw firmware files for 7.8?
If I had that file I could use the Option / Click method to manually update the devices.
Surely anyone who has updated to this new firmware on a Mac has a copy of the files I need.
EDIT:
I found the firmware base binary and was able to download it.
http://apsu.apple.com/data/120/031-01138.20140418.BbHph/7.8.basebinary
Unfortunately it threw a certificate error when i tried to run it.
Apple support could not resolve my issue they have now escalated my case to their engineering team. Apple support was not even able to find a copy of the base binary file linked above.
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I'm having the same issue. My device is "AirPort Express 802.11n (2nd Generation)" so I think it should be eligible? I have rebooted it, power cycled it, and reset it to factory settings, but neither the MacOS or iOS versions of AirPort Utility show an update available.
I also got the cert error when trying to manually apply the download.
Ok, I finally got this resolved!
I reset one the of Airports and connected it via ethernet then set it up to create a new network.
I then joined that network and Airport utility on my mac found all my other Airports.
They all now displayed the update an updated normally.
I am not sure why this worked but its the last thing I could think to try.
Maybe it has something to do with my particular setup, all of my Airports witlessly join my network.
My main router is a Google Fiber box.
Hopefully this can help someone.
Actually there is a way to do this:
1) Open Music app on your iOS device.
2) Click the 'Now Playing' bar at the bottom.
3) Click the AirPlay icon.
4) Scroll down and select your HomePod device.
5) Swipe down to minimize the playback screen.
You've now switched your context to the HomePod (rather than your iPhone/iPad). Any selections you make in the Music app (choose a playlist, song, etc.) will begin playback on the HomePod. This obviously works for Apple TVs as well.
This helped me. I reset the AirPort Express and connected via Ethernet to my main router, when connected this way the update appeared.
[doublepost=1535911560][/doublepost]With the update applied, I can check both the Airport Express and my Apple TV as outputs on the iOS playback widget, and they both appear checked and have independent volume controls, but I can only actually here audio out of one or the other at a time. Disappointing.
After getting everything updated to 7.8 I now have distortion in the audio being outputted by the Airports.
The sound quality is just not there. I downgraded the firmware back to 7.6.9 and the output is again perfect.
Hopefully this can be resolved in a future update.
I really can't get over the night and day sound quality difference between the two firmware versions.
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I am not having this issue with 7.8, did you try to reboot both devices?
The sound quality is just not there. I downgraded the firmware back to 7.6.9 and the output is again perfect.
Hopefully this can be resolved in a future update.
I really can't get over the night and day sound quality difference between the two firmware versions.
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I am not having this issue with 7.8, did you try to reboot both devices?
I restarted the Airport Express and the AppleTV but continued to have issues until I restarted the iPhone I was streaming from as well. It does seem more stable now.
I connected both of my Airport Express 802.11n networks via Ethernet and created their own networks and NOTHING. I don't think pre-2012 units get the firmware update no matter what you do, even though they're essentially the exact same hardware (802.11n). Apple gives its older loyal customers the shaft again. Quelle surprise.
Ever since I updated my Airport Express to 7.8 I get a very slight popping or crackling noise through my speakers (analogue connection). It's absent when connecting the speakers directly to my amp. It also happens when I attach my headphones directly to the AirPort Express. Does anyone else have the same problem? I don't recall hearing it before updating. I also factory-reset the AP, without result.
EDIT: I see now that more people have similar distortion problems, the question I should have asked: Does anyone have a solution for the problem?
EDIT: I see now that more people have similar distortion problems, the question I should have asked: Does anyone have a solution for the problem?
This is the same issue I am having, its very noticeable on my Hi-Fi system.
It happens with optical or analog out, nothing I have tried resolved the issue except for a firmware downgrade.
I really hope Apple can fix this so we can actually use Airplay 2 someday.
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That is correct, only the 2012 models (A1392) receive the update.
I sure wish they would include specific model numbers in the release notes.
I'm actually having trouble getting my Airport Express units to function again period as audio receivers since changing the config in hopes the update would appear. I select Join network and plug them in and it can't find them at all anymore. No luck so far in getting them to operate again as normal. Same settings, no connection.
Not easy. An analog out signal can be synchronized, even running through an amplifier, timing isn't going to be measurably effected.
USB has to authenticate mass storage, send data, have the other device decode and run through it's DAC... delay that can't be accounted for for synchronizing multiple audio devices.
Some help, if anyone can please?!
Just got back from holiday & updated the Airport connected to my beloved B&O A8, added it to the Living Room in the Home App - if I ask Siri on my iPhone/iPad to “Play music in the Living Room”, music plays from the Living Room HomePod and the Living Room A8. All well & good!
However, if I ask Siri on either of my HomePods to “Play in the Living Room”, music just plays through the Living Room HomePod. If I ask the HomePod to “Play through all the Living Room speakers”, Siri tells me he “cannot find any [other] speakers in the living room”, or “now also playing in the Living Room”, but nothing comes out of the A8.
Have I got the setup wrong somehow?!
Just got back from holiday & updated the Airport connected to my beloved B&O A8, added it to the Living Room in the Home App - if I ask Siri on my iPhone/iPad to “Play music in the Living Room”, music plays from the Living Room HomePod and the Living Room A8. All well & good!
However, if I ask Siri on either of my HomePods to “Play in the Living Room”, music just plays through the Living Room HomePod. If I ask the HomePod to “Play through all the Living Room speakers”, Siri tells me he “cannot find any [other] speakers in the living room”, or “now also playing in the Living Room”, but nothing comes out of the A8.
Have I got the setup wrong somehow?!
Indeed, I reset the firmware to 7.6.9 and the sound quality is great again. Did something change with respect to the sampling frequency or bit depth of the audio? I'd guess it's still 44.1/16 on AirPlay 2. Anyway, let's wait for an updated 7.8.x version of the firmware.
I agree, all we can do as far as I can tell. My fear is that people will not notice the issue.
Hopefully I am incorrect.
44.1 shouldn't cause sound problems. The express can operate at either frequency (unlike the typical iOS device). I do recall a bug in the original Airplay that Apple fixed, but a lot of manufacturers that licensed it did not (e.g. a family member's Yamaha receiver from a few years back had the issue) and it created unpleasant ticks in the sound output. It was better to use the AppleTV instead as they never did fix it.