HomePod How does the third HomePod sound when added to an existing stereo pair HomePod?

[marcusalwayswins]

I already have two first-generation HomePods paired in stereo. I’m curious about adding a third HomePod to my setup. I understand only two can be paired in stereo but I wanted to know if the third one would play in sync with the existing stereo pair. Would there be any lag or delay and would it sound louder?

I’m getting mixed feedback about this setup. Some suggest it’ll reduce the volume while others warn of a delay in the third speaker and potential sync issues with music playback. Does anyone else use a similar setup with HomePods in stereo and a couple of additional speakers? Have you noticed any problems with music or movie playback?

 

[subjonas]

I have a stereo pair with my ATV plus a couple more single HomePods in different rooms. Occasionally I'll send the ATV audio to all the HomePods in my home simultaneously. They're all in sync with each other and with the ATV, and I can control the volume of each speaker independently via the ATV or the volume buttons on the speakers. I haven't noticed any reduced volume, but if there is, assuming you're not already blasting max volume, you could always turn it up.

The only issue I run into while doing this is a pretty consistent bug where when I mute my ATV and then unmute, often times the volume of the stereo pair volume remains at 0 and only the other speakers are unmuted back to their previous volume, so then I have to manually turn up the volume of the stereo pair to where it was before. It's very annoying.

 

[marcusalwayswins]

I have a stereo pair with my ATV plus a couple more single HomePods in different rooms. Occasionally I'll send the ATV audio to all the HomePods in my home simultaneously. They're all in sync with each other and with the ATV, and I can control the volume of each speaker independently via the ATV or the volume buttons on the speakers. I haven't noticed any reduced volume, but if there is, assuming you're not already blasting max volume, you could always turn it up.

The only issue I run into while doing this is a pretty consistent bug where when I mute my ATV and then unmute, often times the volume of the stereo pair volume remains at 0 and only the other speakers are unmuted back to their previous volume, so then I have to manually turn up the volume of the stereo pair to where it was before. It's very annoying.

So, if I already have two OG HomePods paired in stereo with my Apple TV and add more HomePod mini or OG HomePods, will they all play together synchronised without any gaps or delays? I’ve also heard that adding more than two HomePods disables the stereo pair and they all work together but individually. Is that right and since you’re using multiple HomePods together do you agree they produce louder sound and bass?

 

[BobRey77]

There is no problem with your intended setup. I have the exact setup as you and there has never been any of the issues you've heard about. All of them play together with no synch or volume issues.

 

[marcusalwayswins]

There is no problem with your intended setup. I have the exact setup as you and there has never been any of the issues you've heard about. All of them play together with no synch or volume issues.

I’ve read and heard somewhere that adding a third HomePod to the setup stops the music from playing in Dolby Atmos and similarly for movies. So, let’s say I have two HomePods paired with my Apple TV to watch a movie. I know it’s not ideal and doesn’t make it a 5.1 speaker setup but let’s say I add two more HomePods to the Apple TV and place them somewhere besides or behind me. is the entire setup no longer a Dolby Atmos setup then?

 

[BobRey77]

I don't know if Dolby Atmos is affected by the addition of more speakers. The additional speakers in my setup are in other rooms so I don't use them when watching TV, only when listening to music and, again, there are no synchronization or delay issues and volume can be controlled for each speaker. As for Dolby Atmos, I assume it all works as advertised but I don't know if this is a supported feature. I've never thought about it. How would I tell if it was working or not?