HomePod Homepod Mini distortion on specific track (YouTube video)

[macrumorsuser10]

I just bought a new Homepod Mini. Generaly speaking, it sounds very good.

However, when I listen to specific song, I hear distortion and crackling. That song is "The Cosmic Game" by Thievery Corporation. I can hear the distortion with this YouTube video with audio sent over Airplay.

I can hear distortion at around 0:13 and 0:28. Can anyone else hear it?

When I listen through my Thunderbolt Display speakers or through my Airpods Max, I don't hear the distortion. Is there something about the frequency at those points in the song?

I also have the song in my iTunes library. When I play it directly from my iPhone or via Apple Music, the distortion is worse.

 

[waw74]

have you tried the homepod in another location?
it's possible it's just vibrating something the HomePod is sitting on or near. (think of trunk rattle on cars with loud sound systems) basically it's just hitting a frequency that causes that object to vibrate.

you can try to lessen it by sitting it on something soft to stop the vibrations making it to other objects. a cork coaster, or a piece of mousepad cut might work. If it works, you can cut the mousepad down to a little bigger than the base, so it doesn't look bad.

makes a bit of sense, as YouTube is probably more compressed, so whatever is causing the noise is stronger in the uncompressed.

 

[macrumorsuser10]

Can you please try out the first 30 seconds of that track and let me know if you experience the same thing?

 

[waw74]

I had listened to it
I don’t have a HomePod mini. Only a full size HomePod, and Sonos.

it sounds ok on both.

I suggested what I did because it sounds a lot like it will make other things rattle. It doesn’t even have to be touching that thing. It just has to be close enough and the volume loud enough


It’s much the same as shattering a wine glass with speakers. You hit the frequency that the wine glass naturally wants to vibrate at, and it will shake itself apart.

Resonance - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[macrumorsuser10]

Thank you. I put my HomePod Mini on (1) some soft napkins and also (2) a book, but in both cases I still get the distortion.

On your end, does the first 30 seconds of music sound the same through your computer speakers and your HomePod?


Maybe the problem is specific to the HomePod Mini.

 

[macrumorsuser10]

Any other help would be appreciated.

 

[satchmo]

Sounds normal on my end. No distortion or crackling. Not using HomePod mini.