So planning to get a sound system for my mac mini and don't want to take too much room.
Anyone have any experience in setting up a mac that permanently uses a Homepod to play sounds, music, video calls, etc.
I know you can airplay to a Homepod on the same wifi network but can it be tje dedicate speaker to a Macbook/iMac/Mini Mac computer?
HomePods don't have batteries.
I didn't know that.
I've always seen it pictured sitting on a coffee table/side-table without any cables around. I thought it was like the Amazon Alexa speakers lol.
They don't have batteries either.
I hoping the homepods will drop in price when version 2 comes out later in the year. Trying to reduce to real estate of speakers on the table so it be a portable device that can directly plug into a power point.
I’m just worried about the lag and unsure if the HomePod will disconnect over periods of time when there isn’t active audio playing from the computer.
I know we can stream audio over homepods but permanently having it as the output for the Mac mini is my aim
I'm not sure what you're asking.
You can play audio on a HomePod independent of a device by using Siri control. Currently this only really works with Apple Music but will support other services in the next update.
As for playing from a Mac mini. You just open the Mac OS sound control panel and select the homepod as the output device. All Mac sound is then played on the HomePod. No idea if this survives across reboots, or if you need to select it again.
I have an iMac that I often stream the sound (music, radio, movies and Skype calls) to a Sonos Beam over AirPlay. And doing that by changing the sound in System Preferences.
In my experience it’s not the HomePod you need to worry about but the Mac. It keeps the sound output to the speaker until it goes to sleep. When it wakes up it reverts back to the internal speaker.
I think you could use Automator in OSX to switch the sound on wake if you needed to, although I’ve never had a need.
And then you just need to worry about someone else on the wifi choosing to stream to that speaker without your consent …
Not the full answer you were looking for, but hope it helps.
Yeah that’s what I’m worried about. Most dats I lock my computer which eventually goes into sleep mode. Might give it a try with the automation you suggested. Thanks.
Isn't that going to drain the battery quickly?
Or are you thinking of having the speaker plugged into power all the time?
I think it can act as your permanent speaker for your computer. One simple way to avoid crossing signals is to put the HomePod on one Wifi channel of your router (ie My ASUS has 4), and your Mac connected to that same one. And all other devices get connected to the other channel(s). However, I don't know if it might get frustrating the delay between the devices waking up and connecting and not having any issues. It's not as ubiquitous as a cable plugged in. And then there's the point about the sound quality and volume/loudness.
It might be "okay" for your sound needs… but that $300 price is kinda bitter.
I remember seeing a deal (didn't post) for the JBL Flip 4, where it was $120 for two… and they would arguably be higher quality/louder together than the Apple HomePod, because they pair together to form a true surround sound experience. And it's significantly cheaper. Otherwise there's the UE MegaBoom 3 if you just want one large wireless speaker that goes around for $200.
Or you could use a Home-Theatre "Soundbar" instead, such as this discounted one.
Perhaps think about re-purposing some Computer Speakers like these ones, on the cheap.