Mac mini not remembering HomePod mini stereo pair output setting after restart

Hi,

macOS does not natively treat AirPlay-based stereo pairs as permanent, persistent sound hardware across a hard system restart, often reverting back to the Mac mini's built-in or default physical audio device. [1]

Why This Happens

• AirPlay Protocol Limitation: macOS treats stereo-paired HomePod minis as network AirPlay targets rather than directly attached wired or core audio peripherals.
• State Loss on Reboot: When the Mac mini restarts, the system audio preference initialization loads local hardware first before network-based AirPlay endpoints fully handshake, causing the Mac to drop the stereo AirPlay route and default back to internal or fallback options.

Workarounds and Fixes

• Manual Re-selection: Use the Control Center via the menu bar after every reboot to re-route system audio to the HomePod mini pair.
• Audio MIDI Setup (Aggregate Device): Open Audio MIDI Setup via Spotlight, create an Aggregate Device including the individual HomePod AirPlay streams, and select that aggregate as your system output. Note that this requires keeping the Apple Music app open in the background and may introduce minor latency.
• Accept Temporary Behavior: Real-world user consensus on community forums indicates that relying on a physical USB or wired connection is far more stable if you require a zero-maintenance default output that survives a hard restart