HomePod Do you suffer from audio popping and bad performance on your OG Homepods?. Keep reading

[B/D]

Hello everyone

For the first time ever (I have them since 2018), I experienced popping in both my stereo paired OG Homepods ( which are on Homepod OS 15).

The mini in the kitchen (also updated to 15.0), although far away from the router, was fine.

During playback, and also in idle, they would do a continuous small popping. No stops, no buffering. Just popping, like radio interferences. All the time. It scared the **** out of me.

On a hunch, I went to my Mac, ran the built in wireless diagnostic tool, and put into my router the recommended channels suggested by Mac OS for both the 2,4 and 5Ghz bands.

Then I restarted the router. And just like that, everything was solved. No need to even reboot the Homepods.

No more popping. Siri is extremely responsive and fast now. Airplay and Homekit work faster.

So it turns out that, after all, the Homepods ARE extremely sensitive and finicky to the state of your wifi network, much more so than any other device that I have seen in my entire life.

Your wifi must be rock solid for them to work without any issues and reliably, and that includes audio quality and sound issues.

 

[Melmanoh]

Thanks I was having this issue daily! I will give this a try and see what happens. Hoping this fixes the issue. Siri has been terrible on the OG HomePod with ios15.

 

[B/D]

Thanks I was having this issue daily! I will give this a try and see what happens. Hoping this fixes the issue. Siri has been terrible on the OG HomePod with ios15.

Volume wise or performance wise?

 

[Melmanoh]

Both and I just head the popping sound again. So it's still happening.

 

[B/D]

Both and I just head the popping sound again. So it's still happening.

Have you tried my suggested fix or not yet?

 

[Melmanoh]

yup I reset my router. I'll Keep an eye on it.

 

[Rockoo]

Interesting, from what I read in other fourms other people were saying it was the wiring or electricity causing it to pop. I have a stereo pair and only one of them is doing it. Why would the wifi channels affect this? It’s still worth trying just not confidence it will fix the issue.

 

[B/D]

Interesting, from what I read in other fourms other people were saying it was the wiring or electricity causing it to pop. I have a stereo pair and only one of them is doing it. Why would the wifi channels affect this? It’s still worth trying just not confidence it will fix the issue.

I have absolutely no idea. I am as baffled as you are that it worked.

 

[cynics]

Funny you mention this, I was listening to some really chill music and as I was walking by my OG HomePod it popped so friggin loud I thought the ceiling was coming down. I think I heard it do that before while I was in the other room, I came out and looked and didn't see anything.