HomePods are AirPlay speakers so I imagine it will work just how it does on Mac now. Mac only supports AirPlay 2 in the Music app. So you can have stereo there. MacOS can’t output AirPlay 2.
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HomePod mini and HomePod Can't Be Stereo Paired, But HomePod Home Theater Support Coming Soon for Apple TV 4K
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HomePods are AirPlay speakers so I imagine it will work just how it does on Mac now. Mac only supports AirPlay 2 in the Music app. So you can have stereo there. MacOS can’t output AirPlay 2.
What I want more than almost anything technical-wise, with this new HomePod Mini is the ability to use the Minis as surrounds (and as a center), augmenting my original HomePods as Mains. Presuming no latency can be achieved. I’d jump all over that, having no visible wiring for a 5-speaker system. Still VERY happy with my stereo pair of HomePods.
FWIW I also love the concept of Intercom. Just hope the execution is done well.
FWIW I also love the concept of Intercom. Just hope the execution is done well.
That's a terrible idea. The center is the most important speaker in a surround sound setup. Most audio in movies and TV shows comes from the center channel.
So yours saying MacOS won’t be able to output audio to 2 HomePod minis via AirPlay so that I can use the HomePod minis as my left and right speakers on my desk for my Mac setup? What about Bluetooth? Maybe via Bluetooth?
the Harman Kardon sound sticks 4 use Bluetooth so why cant 2 HomePod mini stereo pair can?
That’s exactly what I’m saying. And HomePods aren’t Bluetooth speakers. They use Bluetooth for connection purposes. But you can not connect to them via Bluetooth because they are AirPlay speakers and not Bluetooth speakers.
So MacOS will only be able to AirPlay to ONE HomePod Mini at a time? Not a Stereo HomePod mini setup?
Officially, no. Unofficially, since Catalina there is a workaround to get system wide stereo-paired audio. Open a video in the TV app, select your stereo-paired HomePod via the App's Airplay option. Pause video but do not disconnect the audio. Open the Audio MIDI Setup app in Applications>Utilites. Airplay icon appears in the left hand list of audio devices (only when activated via the TV app step earlier). Right click on the Airplay icon and select Use this device for sound output. Your Mac volume controls can be used to adjust volume as normal. Music app can be used instead of TV app but it does not seem to be as sticky - after a period of non-use the app disconnects from airplay and you also loose your system wide workaround connection. Have not experimented with the Podcast app to see how sticky it is or not.
I even use this to play my vinyl over my stereo-paired HomePods 😁 although that involves having an audio interface device to convert your analogue signal to digital and a paid app called Airfoil. You also need an additional step in Audio MIDI Setup where you click the "+" icon and add Aggregate device and tick Airplay. Then in the Airfoil app preferences you select play computer audio through Aggregate Device. Drop that needle and two seconds later hear it on the HomePods. Unfortunately HomePods are limited to 16bit (CD quality sound) so my full 24bit signal conversion doesn't make it that far. Not for the analogue purists perhaps but still a lot of fun.
Thats incredible. I saved that incase I ever want to try a 4 speaker set up, one set of genlecs and the others - HomePod. all routing through a UA sound card connected to MacOS. Digital and Vinyl playing when wanted. Hopefully HomePod2 has airplay 2 and works.
That's still not how it works. Sure it can do some processing to fake it, but it's still not going to be true 5.1 or whatever surround. The number of speakers in an individual home pod will not make a difference here, it's still acting as a single speaker/one channel, but with some processing to fake surround.
Ah, glad that 2nd part of my post was appreciated. Just now experimented a little with both wired (built-in speakers) and wireless speakers (stero-paired HomePods) combination - the one snag I run into is getting the vinyl to play through both. Airfoil lets you select only one in the preferences pane - Built-in speakers or Aggregate device. And even when I also tick built-in speakers as well as Airplay in the Aggregate devices in Audio MIDI setup it still doesn't come through. Let me know when you eventually have a go yourself if you can get it to work. However, if you also have your wired speakers going through the UA soundcard and that is your input device it may just work.
I wish that was a permanent solution if it only suck connected to via AirPlay but you said it disconnects after a while.
i don’t know why Harman Kardon can do a stereo setup with a sub with the SOUND STICKS 4 via Bluetooth but Apple can’t?
No, you misread. It only disconnects after a while if you use the Music app and that was just an additional "footnote" I put in. Use the TV app as in the initial step and it will remain sticky
Well, I would normally use the Music app to play music so what good would it be to have a stereo set up or the homepods if I can’t play music through the built in music app? I guess I could stream with Spotify in the web browser but that has Ads etcNo, you misread. It only disconnects after a while if you use the Music app and that was just an additional "footnote" I put in. Use the TV app as in the initial step and it will remain sticky
That's the great thing, once you have system-wide audio on stereo-paired HomePods just set the Music app to play music through Computer Audio (the default setting). It will then automatically play through the stereo-paired HomePods.
Its a financial decision. Obviously you have more money than me. I'm happy for you.
There is no system-wide audio on a stereo-paired HomePods (unless you want to keep an open connection through an open Apple TV video at all times).
I’m curious though as to why Apple doesn’t allow 2 home pod minis to be used as left and right stereo setup with a Mac? Like; what’s the reason? That seems like a no brainer, I think that would provide better sound quality than the Harman Kardon sound sticks 4 as it has a lot of advance such as on the fly calibration etc but without a proper support system to connect to a Mac then it’s not possible. The Harman Kardon sound sticks 4 connect to the Mac via Bluetooth and are fully compatible with MacOS
I have actually used an AirPod in one ear and a pro in the other using apples “share audio” feature.. there was a difference in audio quality of course but still very useable!
ErikGrim is spot on here (although should clarify the workaround does not involve having an Apple TV, just the use of the new TV app in Catalina). This is just a workaround to make it system-wide. How much you are open to running such a set-up really depends on how you interact with audio/visual content. If you are mostly into passive consumption including the already supported Music, TV or Podcast Apps but also web browser content such as YouTube, Netflix, Mubi, iPlayer (and other streaming equivalents) it's a bit of a no brainer to make use of the workaround. Even the popular third party video app VLC which does not support the 2 second airplay delay by default can be configured via its Track synchronisation menu option to compensate for it (setting audio to -2 secs). I note, however, that audio video content on the third party Firefox browser does support it by default.
If, however, you find yourself using active consumption apps such as Final Cut Pro X, Logic Pro X, Garage Band or do a lot of gaming on your Mac, or move regularly between passive/active consumption then you are not going to want such a system-wide workaround. Incidentally, in that set-up you are also not going to want to use single HomePods or any other type of airplay speaker set-up either.
The one thing that baffles me is that macOS does allow you to select individual HomePods system-wide with the same 2 second delay issues but won't let you pick the stereo-pair configuration (unless its app-specific built-in support). I don't see any real-world difference in those two scenarios other than preventing you from getting a wider range of passive consumption use out of your stereo-paired HomePods. Anyway, I am just happy that there is at least a workaround in the meantime to get stereo-paired HomePods working system-wide on your Mac.
edited for clarification of TV app vs Apple TV
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I'm hoping down the road 2x HomePods + 2x HomePod mini can be joined for surround sound.
Yes, would be cool if they did. Think there is definitely space for a setup which respects them being paired to their own type but still makes the most of that total soundscape without compromising the sound of the original HomePods.
Unfortunately, I don’t see Apple going down this route in the short to medium term as it seems like they will be going with a second push on the original HomePods via this new home theatre surround sound. But if the Minis take-off in popularity and enough people ask for it then maybe.
However they might just go with a iPhoto/Aperture GarageBand/Logic Pro X iMovie/Final Cut Pro X division i.e. if you want the enhanced features you upgrade to the more expensive kit.
I don’t have much experience with surround sound setups but could see merit in having one pair front left right (perhaps the original HomePods) and the other pairs back left right (perhaps the Minis). With the Minis maybe being a little closer to you. While it wouldn’t be a true surround sound setup I’m sure it would still sound pretty epic.
I don’t have an Apple TV but I suspect the reduced volume issue when playing through HomePods outwith their new home theatre surround sound may remain. In that case and the above 2x paired HomePods and 2x Minis I’d recommend removing the AppleTV from the equation (if you have one) and just HDMi direct to your TV and make use of the Mac systemwide workaround to get the full stereo-paired sound from your 2 Minis and 2 original HomePods.
On that workaround I posted about earlier, I finally got round to trying it with Catalina’s new Podcast app and it works a treat. You can select your HomePods without having to start a podcast (unlike in the TV app where you need to start and pause a video first) and it doesn’t disconnect after a period of non-use unlike the Music app. Just remember to select Airplay in Audio MIDI setup for device output.
Holy hell, you’re right. Just wasn’t thinking. I was actually wondering if a third discrete shape made just for center channel (which I like in current speaker design) could ever be made by Apple, (no) and I sidetracked my first train of thought. It would have to be a third standard HomePod for center channel, and maybe even all full sized. Especially in certain room sizes.
They have microphones and processor so they should be able to figure it out. Not a big deal since it would total screw the feng shui.
Can it be used with an iMac?I saw a video on an older modal and the guy said that it was lagging.
But from what has been said you can,t use two for stereo?
Does the new one have the lag problem when using it with an iMac?
And has anyone used it with an iMac?I am talking about the mini one, I can,t see it sounding better than the iMac
speakers.
But from what has been said you can,t use two for stereo?
Does the new one have the lag problem when using it with an iMac?
And has anyone used it with an iMac?I am talking about the mini one, I can,t see it sounding better than the iMac
speakers.