Connect HomePod Stereo Pair with MacMini Problem

Connect HomePod Stereo Pair with MacMini

Hi — I recently purchased a second HomePod to use alongside my original HomePod as computer speakers. I configured the two HomePods in stereo mode with ease — they sound fantastic.

However, I cannot seem to set the HomePod stereo pair as the sound output device on my Mac. Instead, System Preferences will only allow me to select a single HomePod. This is somewhat maddening since I can send audio from the Apple Music App to the HomePod stereo pair, and when I open the Home App on the Mac, the HomePods appear as a stereo pair. Yet, System Preferences only recognizes the individual HomePods and not the pair — a major inconsistency.

Can anyone help me to configure the HomePods in this way, or is this a lingering bug in macOS Catalina?