HomePod HomePods should have audio out connection!!!

[riverscott58]

Would love to play Apple Music on my nice stereo system over wifi. Currently, I can connect my iPhone or MacBook Pro via cables -- which works great, but plugging in cables when I want to play music is a pain. Why, for God's sake!, does Apple not add an audio out to the HomePod? -- or even to Apple TV. I have an AirPort Express, but that uses Airplay, which (1) dumbs down 24/48 audio to CD quality so you can't even get lossless (let alone Hi-Res) and (2) requires your music to be routed through your phone -- then back to the router -- then to AP Express -- which makes it less robust. If the HopePod (preferably the mini) had a digital audio output (optical would be fine), then one could do a handoff to the HomePod, and your phone or laptop could behave more like a remote than an audio processor and traffic intersection, and you could output music to my stereo in all the resolution I would want, and in a much more robust way. Further, I could use the voice capabilities to play music on my stereo. I realize there are other solutions besides the AP Express (Belkin has something), but I believe this does not work via a handoff, and of course can't exploit the voice capabilities of the mini. It seems like such a cheap, and obvious, capability for Apple to implement, that I wonder if they purposely don't want people using any speakers or stereo system if they feel it might detract from sales of the big HomePod. Frustrating.

 

[Itinj24]

Apple seems to be headed towards a wireless future.

 

[JCCL]

I would say that it needs Audio in more than an audio out, as they are speakers themselves. What you are described would be by an Apple TV or a similar device with an audio out connection (instead of limiting it exclusively to HDMI).

 

[riverscott58]

Apple TV requires a screen. Having a HomePod mini connected to the stereo seems the easiest option (if it had an audio out) By the way, Apple TV also has no audio out -- you have to get an audio extractor then hook it up to the cdmi. Another benefit of the HomePod is that it has a microphone so you could give directions for music to be played (though Siri needs a LOT of improvement in this direction)

 

[dotme]

I have an AirPort Express, but that uses Airplay, which (1) dumbs down 24/48 audio to CD quality so you can't even get lossless (let alone Hi-Res) and (2) requires your music to be routed through your phone -- then back to the router -- then to AP Express...

The last AirPort Express made supports AirPlay2 - I run a couple of them in addition to HomePods and they all work really well. Although there is audio loss, it's not a deal-breaker for me. Working within the contstraints of the system, a HP Mini could AirPlay directly to the AirPort Express, freeing your phone/mac etc. I believe.