Apple’s latest iOS upgrade brings stereo pairs and multi-room audio to its HomePod wireless speaker. Using AirPlay 2, music can be played in any room, moved from one room to another or the same song can be played everywhere using any iOS device, HomePod, Apple TV or by asking Siri.
HomePod stereo pairs
With two HomePod speakers set up as a stereo pair each HomePod automatically adjusts the audio for optimum sound quality using a wireless peer-to-peer direct link to communicate with each other and play music completely in sync.
Setting up a stereo pair is simple. When a second HomePod is set up in the same room, the user is prompted to form a stereo pair. Even though these two speakers act as one, each HomePod communicates with each other so that only one speaker responds to Siri requests.
AirPlay 2 and Multi-Room Audio
A wireless multi-room audio system can be created using AirPlay 2 giving users an effortless way to stream music or podcasts anywhere in the home to different devices, all in-sync. All this can be controlled using Apple’s Control Center which can show what is playing in every room and has easy to use controls to adjust volume and select or unselect where music is playing. Siri can also be asked to play music in any room, a group of rooms, or everywhere in the home. Apple Music subscribers can also ask Siri to play different songs in different rooms or the same song everywhere, without ever leaving the room. For HomePod, AirPlay 2 features are automatically supported and music can be streamed around the house without the need to manually group speakers.
Just like iPhone and iPad, HomePod will be able to communicate with other AirPlay 2-enabled speakers when they become available, so Siri can control music playing on speakers from Bang & Olufsen, Bluesound, Bose, Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Libratone, Marantz, Marshall, Naim, Pioneer and Sonos.
HomePod availability
HomePod is available in the US, UK and Australia and will become available in Canada, France and Germany starting 18th June 2018.
