HomePod, Apple’s smart speaker, has some great features when it comes to pairing multiple speakers. Thanks to AirPlay 2, users can play the same sound on different HomePods throughout the house or even use several stereos as standard Apple TV speakers. But I still miss one thing about HomePod, and that’s true surround.
HomePod as TV speakers
Even for the HomePod mini, users had the option to set two HomePods as a stereo pair, so the sound in the left and right channels should provide an immersive experience. And now with the sixth generation Apple TV, you can set several HomePods as the default speaker on your TV via an eARC connection.
I currently have two TVs at home and Apple TV is connected to each of them. Since the TV’s built-in speakers aren’t very good, I bought two pairs of HomePodas mini so I could use them not only for a better music experience but also for watching movies and movies with better sound quality.
And I actually enjoy using HomePody as a TV speaker. They are louder and have a lot of basses than I can only get with the sound on the TV. But even though they support Dolby Atmos, HomePod does not yet support the true environment. So far, you can only set a few HomePods as the default speaker for Apple TV. With AirPlay 2, you can choose other HomePods to play the same sound at once – but it will simply mimic the sound of two pairs instead of creating surround sound.
Not to mention that choosing multiple HomePods in the AirPlay menu is always a challenge. There must be an easier way to do this.
True surround mode for HomePod
Because the HomePod supports Dolby Atmos, a technology that can produce three-dimensional sound, true surround mode takes the experience of using HomePods as TV speakers to the next level. Imagine being able to place four HomePods in your living room, each of which serves as an independent audio channel. Or even if there is an option to set up a 5.1 room system with a larger HomePod as the subwoofer (with rumors of a new HomePod at work, this can be deadly).
Of course, there are many space system options available on the market, but I personally love using HomePods because of the combination of AirPlay, HomeKit, and all my Apple devices. If I like one feature on tvOS 16 and HomePod Software 16, it’s the true surround mode for HomePod.
What do you think about using HomePods as a TV speaker? Are you missing any parts? Let me know in the comments below.