Is the HomePod 2 mono?

MrHoffman wrote:

As per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereophonic_sound and other resources as well as the Apple tech specs, two speakers are required for stereo. Or more speakers and more channels of course (e.g. 5.1), if the audio system hardware and the media encoding supports that playback.

Forgiving my insolence, I do have a couple of issues with this. Ok, make that 3 issues…

1. Apple's tech spec's don't actually state that 2 HomePods are required for stereo sound – rather "even more dynamic as a duo".
2. The HomePod isn't a single speaker. It's 6 speakers in one enclosure, with the ability to choose which direction to send the sound (for reflecting off walls).
3. My earlier point – if 2 speakers are needed for stereo, how many are needed for surround?

Everything suggests if a single HomePod can't do stereo, it can't do surround. And Apple's tech spec's say it does surround.

I'll be satisfied my HomePod is doing what it's claimed to when someone can explain how surround is possible without stereo.

(Note: I'm not getting surround either).

Sorry, I'd like to throw in one more question to everyone reading this…

Would anyone reading Apple's description of the HomePod (not a pair) expect it to simulate audio from multiple directions, given that the marketing uses phrases such as:

• fully immersive
• surrounds you in immersive audio
• Sound all around
• surround sound
• surrounded in music like never before
• Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos
• theatre experience

If everyone can read that and expect a mono experience, then I have a different understanding of English.

Thank you for your replies.

So you're saying that Apple's claims of "being surrounded in music like never before" and that it "surrounds you in immersive audio" are referring to a single audio channel echoing off the walls?

How does a mono audio source do Dolby Atmos which (AFAIK) relies upon phase and timing differences to simulate location when true speakers aren't present?

Reading Apple's blurb I was expecting the woofer to be non-directional, and the tweeters to send separate channels in different directions, using the walls to bounce the separate audio to the listener.

In any case, I'm really disappointed. Just tried it with a Dolby Atmos movie and all the action was coming from right in front. Looks like I'll be taking this speaker back and asking for a refund (also considering laying a complaint regarding misleading advertising).

Mac Jim ID wrote:

I think you are confusing the use of Surround Sound and Stereo Sound.

I don't believe so. However if I was confused, I wouldn't believe so until I wasn't confused. 🫤

Stereo sound is going to require 2 speakers as there is a Left channel of sound and a Right Channel of sound. There needs to be some distance between the Left speaker and the Right speaker in order to differentiate between these 2 channels.

Starting with things which should be self-evident. Stereo sound requires 2 channels coming from 2 directions. Surround requires at least 4 channels from 4 directions. Dolby requires more than this. Would I be correct so far?

If the HomePod (also soundbars, Dolby up firing speakers etc) can create these virtual directions by bouncing differentiated audio tracks off walls / ceilings, how is it it can't cope with 2 tracks?

Surround Sound and specifically the Dolby Atmos standard directs frequencies in different locations.

TBH (Unless I read the sentence incorrectly, which I may have as there is a little ambiguity) I think you know better than this and were taking a short-cut. Surround and Dolby definitely don't separate based on frequency. If that was the case, there would be no ability to make an object (whether bird tweeting, car driving past or helicopter flying overhead) move from one location to another.

In any case, my actual issue is I don't get any surround effects from my HomePod. Not stereo (it was just the easiest to test). Not Dolby. Nothing. All audio I detect comes from right where the speaker is located.

I'm trying to ascertain whether my speaker is faulty, or whether the claims (for a single HomePod) are false.

If someone can say "yes, I have a single HomePod and get surround sound" then I'll be confident it's a faulty unit and will ask for a replacement. If they don't, I'll be laying a complaint for false advertising. Unfortunately I don't know anyone else who has one to see if my situation is unique / expected.

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

Vancouver22 wrote:

I tested the Queen song on the paired gen 2 and it’s in stereo. I’m not going to unpair those HomePods to test only one but I tested on just one OG HomePod and it’s not stereo. You need more than one to have stereo sound.

If you could clarify one more thing for me…

Were you able to get any surround effects from the one HomePod? I'm trying to ascertain that as the advertisement explicitly says "Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos" (without mentioning a pair).

As mentioned, I queried stereo as that's easier to test, and if it can't do stereo it can't do surround (unless someone can explain how 7 channels are possible but 2 aren't).

It seems quite straightforward. If one HomePod can't create a surrounding sound, it's not what's claimed. If it can (and yes, I've tried multiple rooms – by walls, in corners, centred in a room / 1m from the wall – and over multiple days) but mine can't, it's faulty.

BTW that link you included was useful. The line from there: "Use a HomePod, HomePod mini, or a stereo pair with your Apple TV 4K to create a theater experience with Dolby Atmos or surround sound right in your home" reinforces that surround is to be expected from a single HomePod (even a mini, which surprises me).

I'm pretty sure all audio coming from one spot doesn't qualify as a "theatre experience".

Mac Jim ID wrote:

• The only one I the list I would consider a stretch on a single HomePod would be "theater experience", the rest simply describe the operation of an Atmos speaker that directs sounds to different areas.

Ok. I'd not seen it that way previously. To me, "surround" / "Atmos" means different audio channels hitting the listener from different directions to simulate the sensation of sources all around them (i.e. the "surround" part).

So you're saying that these words (Atmos / surround) actually mean the speaker sends audio outward in all directions (omnidirectional) and everyone gets to hear the same mono track no matter where they are?

I really didn't get that from reading the description of the terms online.

e.g. "multiple audio channels from speakers that surround the listener"

Currently we have Mac Jim ID interpreting the phrase "surround sound" as a mono audio track emanating from a single location but radiated in all directions (which is what I'm currently getting from the HomePod). Do we have a consensus on that?

Wish there was a voting feature on this forum. 🤣

Return it. You have 14 days to return the HomePod for a full refund.

• Try another. If you are still not happy with the stereo pair, you can return them both within 14 days.

Would love to. However just this discussion has lasted 10 days. I had it with a service place for a week testing for hardware faults (then they tell me they only check whether it does basic functionality) plus a few weeks of trying to get an answer from Apple. (we don't have Apple Stores where I am.)

Honestly? Is there nobody with a single HomePod who's noticed whether the music is mono / stereo / surround?