"Apple Homepod: a Speaker to Reinvent Home Music"

[12B4A]

So...uh...iOS 11.4 beta has setup for stereo homepods. Unfortunately, one needs to update the homepod firmware to a beta version which neither 3rd party devs nor consumers have access to. Anyway, I think the upshot is that stereo homepods might arrive on or before WWDC in the beginning of June.

 

[mpm]

It will happen. I am just thrilled to never require a subwoofer, and only one wire per loudspeaker, to the mains.
I do hope they allow manual EQ, because we all know that recordings are all over the map,
and that we all have our tastes, too. Nothing Apple can do about either. So, let us muck it up ourselves at our discretion,
there is always 'Default'. No one is harmed.

 

[darzel]

I am planning on buying a HomePod.I was searching online for the compatible devices,and I found some here https://devicebase.net/en/product/apple-homepod-speaker/99990090 .

I want to ask some opinion from you guys base from your experiences.What are the devices that can work with HomePod?Will it work with iPad?

Thank you in advance.

 

[RayDunzl]

Will it work with iPad?

Apple says it will:

 

[12B4A]

Airplay 2 has been released in the iOS 11.4 update. That means stereo pairing and multiroom support has landed just barely before WWDC.

 

[svart-hvitt]

Any news on Airplay2 being able to play hi-res files higher than 16/44?

 

[12B4A]

AFAIK, 48khz is the highest sample rate Airplay 2 will ever support. There was no mention in the WWDC developer presentation about anything above 48khz. It was pretty clear in that presentation that AP2 data throughput enhancements were clearly aimed at multiple streaming and dramatically increased buffering. Apple’s behavior towards high res audio has been pretty clear that they don’t think it adds value.

 

[svart-hvitt]

AFAIK, 48khz is the highest sample rate Airplay 2 will ever support. There was no mention in the WWDC developer presentation about anything above 48khz. It was pretty clear in that presentation that AP2 data throughput enhancements were clearly aimed at multiple streaming and dramatically increased buffering. Apple’s behavior towards high res audio has been pretty clear that they don’t think it adds value.

So it means everything in hi-res will still be downconverted to 16/44?

Apple insist on masters being delivered in 24 bits and 96* (48 and 192) kHz. So what they demand from others, consumers shall not expect from Apple.

*See page 3, «Provide high resolution masters»: https://images.apple.com/itunes/mastered-for-itunes/docs/mastered_for_itunes.pdf

 

[12B4A]

Apple insist on masters being delivered in 24 bits and 96* (48 and 192) kHz. So what they demand from others, consumers shall not expect from Apple.

They do that for error free encoding in to their format, not because they think it's audibly better.

 

[svart-hvitt]

They do that for error free encoding in to their format, not because they think it's audibly better.

Yes, of course.

And in case you wanted to make some processing (DSP, room compensation, etc.) yourself, wouldn’t it be better to start the process from a higher resolution outset?