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Instead of using my 2019 15" MacBook Pro speakers, is it a good idea to use 2 HomePod minis instead?

Hieveryone

Hieveryone

macrumors 603
Original poster
Apr 11, 2014
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I've been using my 2019 15" MacBook Pro a lot lately without an external display- just as a laptop.

I'm loving it, especially the screen being so crisp and the keyboard (yes, I love this keyboard).

Right now I keep it attached to power via thunderbolt, and another USB-C port goes to my lightning cable to keep my iPhone charged.

The only thing I don't like about my 2019 15" MacBook Pro is the speakers. They are nice, but I do wish they sounded better given I listen to them all the time.

I know the 16" MacBook Pro has AMAZING speakers, but I don't have that one. So what I did was order 2 HomePod minis from Apple and they are coming tomorrow.

I watched a bunch of youtube reviews and did my research, and people seem to be overall positive about them.

My plan is to keep them plugged into my 2019 15" MacBook Pro via Thunderbolt so they stay charged, and just keep one on each side of my MacBook Pro maybe 8 inches behind.

Obviously all 4 of my ports will be used (power to charge my MacBook Pro, iPhone charging, and 2 homepod minis staying charged).

I was wondering if this was a good setup? I hope the sound is amazing.
 
Are you sure the MacBook will be able to provide enough power to the HomePod Minis? And I don’t think you meant to say keep them charged, they aren’t battery powered?

But I think for the size, the HomePod minis are great.
 
You will not be able to power them from your Macbook. They require an 18W or 20W USB-C charger and work wirelessly only. They don't get charged as they have no battery, just a power supply.
 
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I had no idea! Thanks for letting me know. That's a bit of a shame, but just a minor one. I'm sure they will still be awesome. They just arrived not too long ago and I'm ecstatic to set it up! As always, the packaging is immaculate.

@StumpyBloke @badsimian
 
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StumpyBloke said:
I’m absolutely sure you will love the sound of them. Even better if you set them up as a stereopair.
Click to expand...

Yes they are fantastic sounding!!!! Honestly the best speakers I've ever had. Just incredible. I play most of my music through youtube and it's working pretty good. Initially a few hiccups but nothing major. Could be bc it was updating the software.

As I said earlier, I wish I could power them via my thunderbolt ports on my 15" MacBook Pro 2019 model. But it's a small thing.

The other thing is I wish I could use them as stereo speakers though my MacBook. It seems to only work with iPhone. Again, for me personally, it is a small annoyance. Nothing major. Still worth it absolutely.

Right now I positioned them basically where my 15" MacBook Pro speakers are. Just a little further back maybe an inch, and they are on each side of the laptop right beside it.

It sounds phenomenal. It serves the purpose I wanted, which was to replace my laptop speakers.

If in the future Apple makes an update so that we can use stereo sound with our MacBook Pros, that literally be the perfect solution for me. But it's fine. I just want to do whatever work arounds I need to do to enjoy the speakers. The sound is just amazing.

All together I paid $99 each plus tax. I think it is a fair price for the quality. Also, there's Siri support. I haven't used that yet, but I'm sure I will as I learn more of the features.

Thank you Apple!!!!!
 
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Hieveryone said:
Yes they are fantastic sounding!!!! Honestly the best speakers I've ever had. Just incredible. I play most of my music through youtube and it's working pretty good. Initially a few hiccups but nothing major. Could be bc it was updating the software.

As I said earlier, I wish I could power them via my thunderbolt ports on my 15" MacBook Pro 2019 model. But it's a small thing.

The other thing is I wish I could use them as stereo speakers though my MacBook. It seems to only work with iPhone. Again, for me personally, it is a small annoyance. Nothing major. Still worth it absolutely.

Right now I positioned them basically where my 15" MacBook Pro speakers are. Just a little further back maybe an inch, and they are on each side of the laptop right beside it.

It sounds phenomenal. It serves the purpose I wanted, which was to replace my laptop speakers.

If in the future Apple makes an update so that we can use stereo sound with our MacBook Pros, that literally be the perfect solution for me. But it's fine. I just want to do whatever work arounds I need to do to enjoy the speakers. The sound is just amazing.

All together I paid $99 each plus tax. I think it is a fair price for the quality. Also, there's Siri support. I haven't used that yet, but I'm sure I will as I learn more of the features.

Thank you Apple!!!!!
Click to expand...
According to this article you can setup homepods for stereo use on a Mac starting with 11.3.

https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/use-stereo-paired-homepods-with-mac/
 
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