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HomePod HomePod and turntable setup?

T

travel4fun

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 27, 2010
65
1
Hi,

I was vundering how a setup with a turntable and HomePods can be. There are no way to connect any external devices directly to the HomePods.

It it possible to use a AirPort Express to integrate the turntable with AirPlay 2? I take that its the same way you get sound from the Apple TV through til HomePods.

I know that HomePods are streaming speaker but I really love the analogue records ;-)
 
The Homepod can receive from any Airplay-compatible sending device, right? So the only thing you'd need is a way to make a turntable Airplay-compatible. Which is, of course, quite a thing to ask. I have been looking for a way to do it actually for a long time. Apart from some disappointing vaporware Airplay-turntable that never made it to market, there seems to be no way to do this.. Or is there? I am currently considering this: attach a record player with built in amplifier (just to prevent the need for a separate pre-amplifier, although you could also use this of course) and connect it to this device: Yamaha WXC 50. As I understand it, it should be possible to turn the sound from a turntable into an Airplay-compatible signal with this device - which should play fine through the Homepod (I think). I would love to hear if someone thinks it won't!

- just to be ahead of everyone asking WHY? someone would do that: I love playing records, but I also love minimalizing the tech in my home more and more. Playing records over bluetooth is a no-go for now, but I'm willing to give this possible solution a try. Although I'd still have to see if Homepods audio quality is good enough, of course.
 
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If you wouldn't mind using the computer as a AirPlay transmitter, you could always use a USB input device and AirFoil to send the input to any AirPlay speaker, including HomePod. A quick Google search led me to a cheaper way to do this with a RaspberryPi if you want to go that route. Here's what I found in my search, but I'm sure there's other stuff out there too.
 
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I know they make turntables with built in Bluetooth, however, then you're stuck with the range limitations of Bluetooth.

Sounds like there is an untapped market for an Airplay 2 compatible Turntable eh?
 
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Exactly, which is why a lot of people who love turntables have no interest in those at all
 
So none of you think that I can use an Airport Express to transmit the sound via AirPlay 2 to the speakers? Just like I imagine you will transmit the sound from the Apple TV when you want surround sound with the HomePods.

Personally I dont want to have a extra computer running only to play my records.

Thanks for all the replies ;-)
 
travel4fun said:
So none of you think that I can use an Airport Express to transmit the sound via AirPlay 2 to the speakers? Just like I imagine you will transmit the sound from the Apple TV when you want surround sound with the HomePods.

Personally I dont want to have a extra computer running only to play my records.

Thanks for all the replies ;-)
Click to expand...

No, simply because the AirPort express has no audio inputs, only outputs.

The solution I suggested doesn’t involve adding a whole computer in the mix. It does add about 400,- to the cost though.
 
Thanks for clarifying.

I'll stick to other audio setups as long I cant connect a turntable to the HomePods. And I truly believe that there is a market for AirPlay transmitters for external devices. Look at Kickstarter. A lot of turntables are being founded and 2017 was the year when more records than cd's were sold.

Nosoforos said:
No, simply because the AirPort express has no audio inputs, only outputs.

The solution I suggested doesn’t involve adding a whole computer in the mix. It does add about 400,- to the cost though.
Click to expand...
 
It would me much easier and cheaper to just buy a USB adaptor for your turntable and rip your vinyl into iTunes.

Or use a conventional music system and listen to the vinyl properly. :D
 
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Julien said:
Analog turntable/vinyl played through a digital system is somewhere between an oxymoron and a contradiction. :D:D
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Yes agreed. Beyond ridiculous.
This is not the point of a product like HomePod. Buy a regular hifi and speakers. Much cheaper too.
 
OllyW said:
It would me much easier and cheaper to just buy a USB adaptor for your turntable and rip your vinyl into iTunes.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't that defeat the allure and desire to use vinyl? Why not just use iTunes for the music at that point?
 
maflynn said:
Wouldn't that defeat the allure and desire to use vinyl? Why not just use iTunes for the music at that point?
Click to expand...
It would sound almost the same as you'll be converting it into digital audio before you can play it on the HomePod however you do it.

It a pretty pointless endeavour anyway, why not just use the correct tools for the job in the first place? The HomePod is not intended to be used with analogue audio gear and his record player will work best with a normal audio system. Anything else is an awkward and expensive work around.
 
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It may be a ‘contradiction’, but that is not really relevant imho. If (and this is an important ‘if’) the quality is good enough to preserve the specific quality of the turntable, removing the need for separate speakers and receivers (and don’t forget speaker cable and audiocables everywhere) makes it an interesting option for me. Just the fact that someone likes records doesn’t mean they like to have their house full of equipment. Added to that is the possibility to stream records to multiple wireless speakers in the house, which would just be fun.
 
Nosoforos said:
It may be a ‘contradiction’, but that is not really relevant imho. If (and this is an important ‘if’) the quality is good enough to preserve the specific quality of the turntable, removing the need for separate speakers and receivers (and don’t forget speaker cable and audiocables everywhere) makes it an interesting option for me. Just the fact that someone likes records doesn’t mean they like to have their house full of equipment. Added to that is the possibility to stream records to multiple wireless speakers in the house, which would just be fun.
Click to expand...
If the HomePod allows streaming over Bluetooth (which hasn't been confirmed yet) then this is could just the thing you need. :D
 
Nosoforos said:
It may be a ‘contradiction’, but that is not really relevant imho. If (and this is an important ‘if’) the quality is good enough to preserve the specific quality of the turntable, removing the need for separate speakers and receivers (and don’t forget speaker cable and audiocables everywhere) makes it an interesting option for me. Just the fact that someone likes records doesn’t mean they like to have their house full of equipment. Added to that is the possibility to stream records to multiple wireless speakers in the house, which would just be fun.
Click to expand...

I see your thoughts on that, and I agree, not everyone is an audiophile or a purist. So there probably is a small niche market for a product like an Airplay compatible turntable, if it can capture that warm sound of vinyl. Although I'm sure purists would argue that you just can't beat a tube amp/hi-fi setup. The less digital involved for someone like that, the better. But I do see both sides of that coin.
 
ThankYouRob said:
.....if it can capture that warm sound of vinyl....
Click to expand...
And there is the contradiction. First I don't subscribe to the analog sounds better than digital theory. However the WHOLE point of "warm sound" is to remain 100% in the analog domain. Once you convert to digital "the warm sound' of analog is GONE. In fact any audiophile would state (and I'm a LONG time audiophile) that this gives you the WORST of both domains.
 
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Julien said:
And there is the contradiction. First I don't subscribe to the analog sounds better than digital theory. However the WHOLE point of "warm sound" is to remain 100% in the analog domain. Once you convert to digital "the warm sound' of analog is GONE. In fact any audiophile would state (and I'm a LONG time audiophile) that this gives you the WORST of both domains.
Click to expand...

Then there you have it, this product would not be for the audiophiles of the world.
 
Julien said:
And there is the contradiction. First I don't subscribe to the analog sounds better than digital theory. However the WHOLE point of "warm sound" is to remain 100% in the analog domain. Once you convert to digital "the warm sound' of analog is GONE. In fact any audiophile would state (and I'm a LONG time audiophile) that this gives you the WORST of both domains.
Click to expand...

I do not agree that 'the point' is to remain analog all the way. 'The point' - at least in my book- is just a bit of added romanticism when playing records PLUS the fact that quite a lot of records sound a hell of a lot better than streaming them on Apple Music. Now, converting them to digital through some Airplay setup will not make them sound as bad as the version that's available for streaming (because way more variables are involved there that I don't want to get into now). This is the big "if" I mentioned - Airplay should have the technical possibility to stream the sound without losing (too much) of the original quality. Which would mean a (maybe even imperceivable) loss of detail might occur, but one would still have the benefit of not having to live between all that equipment anymore.
Look, I agree with all the people saying there's something controversial about streaming the output of a turntable over Airplay. I have a great setup and listen to records the old fashioned way. But still, I'd like to merge those two worlds and get rid of all the equipment. Will Homepod be able to help with that? Who knows, time will tell.
 
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I think vinyl aside, surely there's a market for a product that could take any aux/rca input and stream to Airplay.

FWIW, I did find a few solutions:

1) https://geekdad.com/2014/11/wireless-vinyl-got-record-player-connected-airplay-music-system/
2) https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4254372

#2 got me thinking maybe all we need here is an iPhone app to do the heavy lifting? Something less bulky than Garageband obvs. I wouldn't mind having an iPod Touch/iPad as an in-between, that's not as ideal as a dedicated device, but definitely more manageable than using a Mac. I've been doing some research to try to write this myself but haven't figured out how Garageband does it (or if maybe it's using private APIs—still wouldn't be a dealbreaker).
 
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