So I'm planning on purchasing one HomePod 2 in the near future than purchase a second one later on in the year. My question is since I don't have room on the sides of my TV stand for it would it still sound good if I put it on the center of my coffee table that's in front of my couch & about 2-3 feet away from in front of my TV? Or would it be waste to purchase it? My main use for it would be to watch movies with an Apple TV 4k & occasionally play music.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
HomePod Will a HomePod 2 still sound good for movies if it's not precisely by the TV?
- Thread starter JGNJ123
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
One HomePod would probably be fine on the coffee table since it would be a mono speaker. For a stereo pair, it'd be better to have them farther apart...don't put them both on the coffee table.
Do you have a plan on how to handle the power cord so it's not a tripping hazard? (Power cord is about six feet.)
Do you have a plan on how to handle the power cord so it's not a tripping hazard? (Power cord is about six feet.)
Last edited:
Oh okay. Would it still sound good with just 1 speaker until I decide to buy a second one? And my plan would be to unplug it after each use. The side the cord would be on is on the right side of the room where no one would be walking over so it would be fine anyway, but is it fine to unplug it after use each day or is it not recommended?
Do you have room behind the TV for the HomePods? My HomePods don’t fit on the sides of my TV either, so on a whim I tried putting them behind the TV and it sounds surprisingly good. The sound bounces off the wall behind the TV and you can clearly hear TV show dialogue and music without problem.
I do but I've heard others state that it wouldn't sound as good. With your TV stand does the bottom of the TV hit the stand itself or is there any room where you can see the wall at all from below the bottom of the TV when sitting down on the couch? My TV stand makes my TV go pretty low where there's maybe only like an inch or so from the bottom to where the top of the stand is so I'm not sure how much that would affect the HomePod sound.
There’s probably 2 inches between the bottom of the TV and the stand, so I’m sure some sound is coming through there. I have no doubt that it would sound better if I could put the HomePods to the side of the TV, but if the space isn’t there, it isn’t there. 😁. Just don’t discount the idea of putting them behind the TV. Give it a try and see how it works.
I possibly could but doesn't the HomePod work better when it's not right near the wall?
I was not going to reply but since I'm here
I have 2 OG HomePods and I luv em for the sound for music not the tv.
Should you get them for the tv?
One would cost 300+ and you can get a decent single soundbar for that cost(some with 2 rear speakers)
Two would cost 600+ and you can get a soundbar with two rear speakers(wireless).
Each would produce a better sound experience from the tv than 2 HomePods and less expensive.
Years ago, I tried using the HomePods instead of the $300 Sony soundbar with 2 rear speakers. In less than 30 minutes, the HomePods were gone as tv speakers and I couldn't move fast enough to hook back to the soundbar, lol.
I was not going to reply but since I'm here
I have 2 OG HomePods and I luv em for the sound for music not the tv.
Should you get them for the tv?
One would cost 300+ and you can get a decent single soundbar for that cost(some with 2 rear speakers)
Two would cost 600+ and you can get a soundbar with two rear speakers(wireless).
Each would produce a better sound experience from the tv than 2 HomePods and less expensive.
Years ago, I tried using the HomePods instead of the $300 Sony soundbar with 2 rear speakers. In less than 30 minutes, the HomePods were gone as tv speakers and I couldn't move fast enough to hook back to the soundbar, lol.
Thanks for the comment. I was also considering a soundbar as well but there's so many options that I'm not sure which would be best to get. I've seen some of the prices & I just wasn't really planning on spending a whole lot which is why I felt the HomePods would be best for me with having a bunch of other Apple products.
I have a pretty old Samsung that I bought in 2016. It's a JU6500. My current plan is to buy a new TV either late this year or sometime next year.
Since you have an idea of how your set up is going to be, you could also just buy the 1 HomePod & give it a test run while you're within the return window. Absolute worst case you can return it if you discover it isn't delivering they way you expected...
Try watching different content, possibly moving it around & pretty much put it through a decent test phase to see if it works. If it doesn't you can return it, and you haven't lost anything financially.
Try watching different content, possibly moving it around & pretty much put it through a decent test phase to see if it works. If it doesn't you can return it, and you haven't lost anything financially.
Your tv can enable 5.1 with a decent soundbar and only stereo with 2 HomePods. Your new tv will have Earc which will enable even a better sound. I'm in the soundbar camp
for tv.Yeah, that's my current plan. If it turns out I like how it sounds my plan would be to buy a 2nd HomePod in the Summer or Fall.
Your tv can enable 5.1 with a decent soundbar and only stereo with 2 HomePods. Your new tv will have Earc which will enable even a better sound. I'm in the soundbar camp
I would really like a soundbar but the prices are mainly way out of my range of what I'd want to spend & I'm in the Apple ecosystem so it just feels like it makes more sense for my personal situation to go with HomePods.
You might want to consider the Sonos Beam.
Give it a listen. I think that it sounds very good indeed - and in my experience anyway it really doesnt need a sub woofer as the bass is more than adequate.
Bonus being that in the apple ecosystem its airplay 2 so can be used for multi room music - and if you choose to add to it later and put rear speakers you can do so relatively cheaply using IKEA symfonisk speakers.
That depends on your listening preferences but as an example.
VIZIO M-Series 5.1.2 Immersive Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Bluetooth, Wireless Subwoofer, Voice Assistant Compatible, Includes Remote Control - M512a-H6
Experience a new dimension of sound that truly surrounds with the new M-Series 5.1.2 Home Theater Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos® and DTS:X® from VIZIO, America’s #1 Sound Bar Brand. Its 11 high-performance speakers with separate tweeters and woofers include two upfiring speakers that reflect cinema-...
www.amazon.com
Again, 600 for stereo or Dolby Atmos? Apple states they are Dolby Atmos but they can't give you Dolby Atmos. HomePods can only give you stereo/2 speakers.
I understand wanting to have another device in the ecosystem but what's the upside of the HomePod being in it? just curious. As I said before, I have 2 OG HomePods and I luv em dearly for music and ease of use.
If you plan on getting a new tv (with earc) then this might work better, it supports more audio formats.
VIZIO M-Series Elevate 5.1.2 Immersive Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Wireless Subwoofer Black M512e-K6 - Best Buy
Shop VIZIO M-Series Elevate 5.1.2 Immersive Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Wireless Subwoofer Black at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up. Price Match Guarantee.
both have wired rears. The first doesn't have up firing speakers but the second does have them.
Last edited:
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Thanks for the suggestion. I'm still weighing my options. I plan on getting something sometime this month.
I just figure it would be much more convenient to have a HomePod with the Apple 4K TV device. Why does Apple state they do Dolby Atmos when they can't?That depends on your listening preferences but as an example.
Way less expensive than 2 HomePods and a much better sound. If you have a blu-ray player and blu-ray/4k UHD discs😂 yep tears of joy.VIZIO M-Series 5.1.2 Immersive Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Bluetooth, Wireless Subwoofer, Voice Assistant Compatible, Includes Remote Control - M512a-H6
Experience a new dimension of sound that truly surrounds with the new M-Series 5.1.2 Home Theater Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos® and DTS:X® from VIZIO, America’s #1 Sound Bar Brand. Its 11 high-performance speakers with separate tweeters and woofers include two upfiring speakers that reflect cinema-...www.amazon.com
Again, 600 for stereo or Dolby Atmos? Apple states they are Dolby Atmos but they can't give you Dolby Atmos. HomePods can only give you stereo/2 speakers.
I understand wanting to have another device in the ecosystem but what's the upside of the HomePod being in it? just curious. As I said before, I have 2 OG HomePods and I luv em dearly for music and ease of use.
If you plan on getting a new tv (with earc) then this might work better, it supports more audio formats.
VIZIO M-Series Elevate 5.1.2 Immersive Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Wireless Subwoofer Black M512e-K6 - Best Buy
Shop VIZIO M-Series Elevate 5.1.2 Immersive Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Wireless Subwoofer Black at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up. Price Match Guarantee.www.bestbuy.com
both have wired rears. The first doesn't have up firing speakers but the second does have them.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
They are Dolby Atmos enabled (so are most if not all speakers) but to have Dolby Atmos, it's said that at least 5.1.2 speakers are needed. Dolby Atmos is more about placement of the speakers. There's a ton of info about Dolby Atmos soundbars. Apple is correct when they state homepods are Dolby Atmos but 2 speakers will just get you stereo regardless of the marketing.
Do you already own an Apple TV 4K? Otherwise you need to add this costs to your calculation. The other thing is you can only use a stereo pair as TV speakers not just one single Homepod.
I would also highly suggest getting a soundbar with a subwoofer. Easer to place and more fun while watching TV. Most of the newer soundbars support Airplay so you can use them for music even when the TV is off.
I would also highly suggest getting a soundbar with a subwoofer. Easer to place and more fun while watching TV. Most of the newer soundbars support Airplay so you can use them for music even when the TV is off.