HomePod: Combining the mini version and the classic version, stereo not possible

Last night, we watched Apple’s keynote speech, where the iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max were introduced. It’s a quartet of very interesting smartphones with a very powerful looking platform and a design somewhere between retrovintage and elegance. Not everyone is a fan, but some will appreciate the homage to the iPhone 4.

Apple didn’t just introduce iPhones yesterday. The firm has also lifted the curtain on a new connected speaker called the HomePod Mini. It’s the “simply” miniature version of the HomePod as we know it. Atypical product developed to compete with Echo Dot at Amazon or Nest Audio at Google. its price 99 euros (it’s pretty close to the dollar price for once). And Siri is seamlessly integrated into Apple’s ecosystem, with connections to Carplay, AirPods and of course iPhones.

Cannot create a stereo system with two different speakers

Among all the features the HomePod Mini has to offer, you’ll find connectivity with other connected speakers signed by Apple. Some examples. You can send voice messages, transfer information. You can play the same music with multiple HomePods or HomePod Minis. and possible Pair two HomePods to create a stereo system. An article on the Loop Insight blog explains that this functionality has been ported to the HomePod Mini: you can buy two to use as a stereo system.

But can you create a stereo system using a HomePod and a HomePod Mini? According to the same article, the answer is no. No heterogeneous system to create a two-channel environment. It must be said that the technical differences between the two products will certainly not offer the best possible experience. So this absence is not so important. On the other hand, this can be a bit important if you want to build a more complex system.

And when there are more than two speakers?

In the next few days, Apple will roll out a new feature called. Theatre. allows to create 5.1, 7.1 and Dolby Audio sound systems using connected speakers. These are driven by Apple TV 4K. It will be possible to create a complex sound system by pairing the HomePods with the Apple TV 4K. And very interesting. Other than that, building a 5.1 system with only HomePods would be very expensive.

A simple solution would be to replace some HomePods with HomePods Mini, which are three times cheaper. But this will be impossible, because HomePods and HomePods Mini cannot be used in heterogeneous sound systems. And this is where it gets unfortunate. Hopefully, Apple will allow the creation of heterogeneous sound systems by combining different HomePods.

Source : LoopInsight