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HomePod HomePod mini Pair as Desktop Stereo Speakers

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harrypraneeth

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 26, 2015
165
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So, I have a 16 inch MacBook Pro and I’m thinking of getting a pair of HomePod minis to use as a stereo pair for great audio.
1. Is this possible with the MacBook? Any limitations?
2. Anyone tried this with the full-size HomePod pairs?
3. Can we use the HomePod microphone for calls and video conferencing?

I personally think HomePod is an amazing sounding design, don’t care much about the smartness of it!
 
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harrypraneeth said:
So, I have a 16 inch MacBook Pro and I’m thinking of getting a pair of HomePod minis to use as a stereo pair for great audio.
1. Is this possible with the MacBook? Any limitations?
2. Anyone tried this with the full-size HomePod pairs?
3. Can we use the HomePod microphone for calls and video conferencing?

I personally think HomePod is an amazing sounding design, don’t care much about the smartness of it!
Click to expand...

I also would like to know about this possibility. And I want to figure out what limitations it might have over plain, old desktop speakers. For instance, I use Tidal music service more than I use Apple Music these days. So will this HomePod play music/sound coming out of my 2015 12” Macbook? I’m guessing not.
 
ErikGrim said:
Same problem as with existing HomePod stereo pairs, no AP2 system support in Big Sur, no stereo out and can select individual HomePods only.
Click to expand...
How do you know that for certain?
So will getting a pair of these HomePod minis not work as a stereo setup for a Mac? I was planning on buying the Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4 which is 2.1 system and comes with a dedicated subwoofer (connects via Bluetooth to Mac) and use that as the stereo setup for my 2017 MacBook Pro but these HomePod minis look pretty sweet and might be better to buy instead of the Harman Kardon 2.1 setup, Apple said they can be paired as a stereo setup in their presentation yesterday so why won’t they be able to serve as a stereo setup for a Mac? If I was to select AirPlay on the MacBook Pro to AirPlay to a pair of the HomePod mini it should work just fine.. I had the original HomePod and I would occasionally AirPlay music from my iPhone to it and it worked beautifully, the MacBook Pro has AirPlay as well so why wouldn’t it work if I kept AirPlay from the MacBook Pro to the homepods at all times without turning AirPlay on the MacBook off?

Does HomePod Mini have Bluetooth? Because that would work even better than AirPlay to pair with a MacBook Pro.
 
I’m going to purchase a pair when they come out in November and looking forward to test it.
I will post here with the results, I want to be very optimistic about this as I love how the HomePod sounds and not having a standalone subwoofer is quite convenient as well!
 
harrypraneeth said:
I’m going to purchase a pair when they come out in November and looking forward to test it.
I will post here with the results, I want to be very optimistic about this as I love how the HomePod sounds and not having a standalone subwoofer is quite convenient as well!
Click to expand...

What I don’t understand is, Why WOULDNT it work? I no longer own my original HomePod but when I did, I could AirPlay anything song I wanted from my iPhone to the HomePod and the MacBooks are able to AirPlay as well, So why shouldn’t I be able to place the new 2 small HomePod Mini’s on my desktop and simply enable AirPlay from the Mac to be connected to the HomePod minis at all times? Bluetooth wouldn’t work from what I understand? But why would AirPlay not work?
 
Benz63amg said:
What I don’t understand is, Why WOULDNT it work? I no longer own my original HomePod but when I did, I could AirPlay anything song I wanted from my iPhone to the HomePod and the MacBooks are able to AirPlay as well, So why shouldn’t I be able to place the new 2 small HomePod Mini’s on my desktop and simply enable AirPlay from the Mac to be connected to the HomePod minis at all times? Bluetooth wouldn’t work from what I understand? But why would AirPlay not work?
Click to expand...
according to what I’m reading Apple TV and iPhone both have airplay 2 compatibility which can enables stereo pair, macOS bigsur doesn’t have this feature yet.
So technically if you use one HomePod it doesn’t matter but if you are stereo pairing macOS is currently limited.
I might be wrong but this is the information currently out there.
 
I have a stereo pair of HomePods in my bedroom. I just played some music through them from the Music app on my iMac using Catalina. It works fine so I'm a bit confused by the posts saying it won't work.
 
It is pretty crazy that Apple hasn't fixed this in Big Sur even. They would sell alot of HomePods for this use. But hey Sonos hasn't put an RCA port on their Ones either which also strikes more as short sighted as they would make excellent computer speakers.
 
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ErikGrim said:
Same problem as with existing HomePod stereo pairs, no AP2 system support in Big Sur, no stereo out and can select individual HomePods only.
Click to expand...
harrypraneeth said:
according to what I’m reading Apple TV and iPhone both have airplay 2 compatibility which can enables stereo pair, macOS bigsur doesn’t have this feature yet.
So technically if you use one HomePod it doesn’t matter but if you are stereo pairing macOS is currently limited.
I might be wrong but this is the information currently out there.
Click to expand...
ErikGrim said:
That is correct. Stereo pairing requires AP2, which Big Sur still does not support. Music does.
Click to expand...


Apparently, and I cannot test this myself, as I haven't got my second one yet, but I've seen posts elsewhere saying that going into the Speaker icon on the menu bar is AP1, but if you go in through the Control Panel on the Menu bar, that's AP2 and can select multiple that way.
 
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Ansath said:
Apparently, and I cannot test this myself, as I haven't got my second one yet, but I've seen posts elsewhere saying that going into the Speaker icon on the menu bar is AP1, but if you go in through the Control Panel on the Menu bar, that's AP2 and can select multiple that way.
Click to expand...
Nope.
1603066929525.png
 
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ErikGrim said:
Same problem as with existing HomePod stereo pairs, no AP2 system support in Big Sur, no stereo out and can select individual HomePods only.
Click to expand...
If you connect from Apple Music or Apple TV app you can connect to pair. Don't use the control panel to connect, you have to use the AirPlay button in those apps. If you have a stern pair connected in your Home app it will read that and give you the option in Big Sur under the AirPlay button in those apps ONLY. Also those apps use AirPlay 2 to connect when using the AirPlay button in those apps ONLY. So no lag on pause or anything. Those are iPad ported apps so go figure...
The HomePod was not meant to be a desktop speaker, it was meant to be an entertainment device and smart home device. I mean it's usable as a desktop speaker but with limitations and sometimes it won't work. On Catalina my HomePod would keep cutting out or stop working with audio on YouTube or Netflix. But that doesn't happen on Big Sur beta. But who is to say and update won't unfix whatever was fixed.
 
Apple TV and Music are derived from iTunes, so not iPad ported apps. iTunes have always supported AP2, the system has not - which is why is specified system support.
 
ErikGrim said:
Apple TV and Music are derived from iTunes, so not iPad ported apps. iTunes have always supported AP2, the system has not - which is why is specified system support.
Click to expand...
Apple TV & Apple Music along with Podcasts and some more are all Catalyst based apps. Apple even announced it 2 years ago. And this year they did even more catalyst based apps.
 
vbctv said:
Apple TV & Apple Music along with Podcasts and some more are all Catalyst based apps. Apple even announced it 2 years ago. And this year they did even more catalyst based apps.
Click to expand...
That's patently false. Podcast IS a Catalyst app, Music and Apple TV are lobotomised versions of iTunes stretching back to Cassady and Jam's SoundJam MP.
 
I wanted the same - to use a pair of HomePod minis as my MacBook Pro 16 speakers. And it doesn't work. It is so annoying that I'm thinking to return them. Can anyone recommend good alternatives? Also I use Spotify not Apple Music. In order to play stereo on HomePod minis I have to play it from iPhone as when played from MacBook I'm only getting one speaker.
 
medialook said:
I wanted the same - to use a pair of HomePod minis as my MacBook Pro 16 speakers. And it doesn't work. It is so annoying that I'm thinking to return them. Can anyone recommend good alternatives? Also I use Spotify not Apple Music. In order to play stereo on HomePod minis I have to play it from iPhone as when played from MacBook I'm only getting one speaker.
Click to expand...
KEF LSX
 
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