AirPlay 2 is here

[uofmtiger]

I finally got around updating my 3 AppleTV 4s with the latest betas ( this may run on the current OS, but I went ahead and installed the betas, so I am not sure).

This allows you to send audio from iOS to multiple AppleTVs. I tested it tonight and from what I could tell from walking from room to room, it synced the audio perfectly. You can also send different audio streams simultaneously to different rooms.

I also noticed that the Apple TVs showed up in the Homekit app which most likely means that it can be added to Siri automation, but I haven’t had a chance to test that yet. I am hoping that my AirPlay devices around the house that are built into third party devices get updates, but I guess I will wait and see.

Anyway, those complaining about AirPlay needing a computer to get multiroom audio (outside of the WHAALE app) should be pleased...assuming they own an AppleTV 4 or 4K.

 

[+48V]

Yeehaaww. What about all us luddites that have an Apple TV 3 and airport expresses. Can we still whine?! LOL

A tit jealous but ....S'ok. My old ass Apple TV still comes in handy in it's sole location. As for multi-room, my Dots along with Alexa are filling that gap quite nicely and cheaply.

Grats on the Airplay 2

 

[uofmtiger]

Yeehaaww. What about all us luddites that have an Apple TV 3 and airport expresses. Can we still whine?! LOL

A tit jealous but ....S'ok. My old ass Apple TV still comes in handy in it's sole location. As for multi-room, my Dots and Alexa are filling that gap quite nicely.

Grats on the Airplay 2

I bought one for early on, then I got one of them when I trialed Directv’s app, and added the 4K version in December. I was pretty happy with that purchase since it upgraded several of the movies I uploaded to Vudu to 4K HDR. I didn’t see that coming.

I have 2 Airport Express units still in use, but I think Apple would have mentioned it if they were getting the update ( which they haven’t at this point). I am more concerned with my Denons, Yamaha, and Onkyo receivers/streamer that have AirPlay 1 and are fairly new.

I rarely listen to music in a multiroom setting. I haven’t used it once since setting up my Echos. Though, I know a lot of people care, so it was worth mentioning. Also, since AirPlay works with all of my iOS audio apps, it is more useful for my multiroom use cases than the Echo. I still love my Dots, but they are missing key ingredients like Apple Music, Tidal, Google Play, Overcast/Podcast support, etc. AirPlay works with everything. Now I just need a device that ties in with it all and has an array of microphones to hear voice commands.

 

[chicks]

I picked up an AppleTV the other day to play with the TunesMap app, which is pretty cool. Visualizes anything playing on any of my Sonos devices on a 40" display, plus tons of info to dig into about the artist, including albums, articles, photos, videos, related artists, etc. Was surprised to discover that the AppleTV remote can start/stop/skip Sonos while TunesMap is on.

Voice control via Alexa for now, Google soon. Airplay 2 coming to Sonos this spring, so will be interesting to see what synergies that brings. I think it was Jimmy Iovine who said streaming is just getting started. How true.

 

[+48V]

I bought one for early on, then I got one of them when I trialed Directv’s app, and added the 4K version in December. I was pretty happy with that purchase since it upgraded several of the movies I uploaded to Vudu to 4K HDR. I didn’t see that coming.

Well now...that was a bonus.

I have 2 Airport Express units still in use, but I think Apple would have mentioned it if they were getting the update ( which they haven’t at this point). I am more concerned with my Denons, Yamaha, and Onkyo receivers/streamer that have AirPlay 1 and are fairly new.

Yeah. I'm pretty confident the AEs and ATV 3's have been shoveled to the deprecated update bin.

I rarely listen to music in a multiroom setting.

Just getting my feet wet with Amazon multi-room aside from playing with it so me neither; unless I'm alone and dicking around the ranch.
That said we just had an annual shindig with about 30 people scattered about inside and out. It was pretty neat/great fun to be able to abide requests with the Alexa remote as I meandered about the individual clusters. Localized/centralized boogie/bummer in "every" room.

I still love my Dots, but they are missing key ingredients like Apple Music, Tidal, Google Play, Overcast/Podcast support, etc.

[sigh] yeah. If I was an Apple Music guy that has to have been a big bummer.

Now I just need a device that ties in with it all and has an array of microphones to hear voice commands.

LOL. This too will soon be part of your heretofore hungry quiver. I'm sure you'll be a pig in shit hollering out and conjuring up your AM tunage.

While I'm fairly into the Apple eco with 2 iPhones, (well 1 doesn't really count cause the bride could give a shit about this shit), a Mac (among 4 other PCs), an ATV, and an AE...the HomePod is just too damn $pensive of a utilitarian parlor trick toy to justify what'd I'd reap compared to what I already have and enjoy with rig connected Dots and a massive Spotify collection.

 

[+48V]

I think it was Jimmy Iovine who said streaming is just getting started.

[cough] I'll have you know that it was I that said that circa 1998. Jimmy is a come lately...ptooey!

 

[uofmtiger]

Well now...that was a bonus.

Yeah. I'm pretty confident the AEs and ATV 3's have been shoveled to the deprecated update bin.

That is too bad. Apple needs an audio only Airplay 2 device with optical and analog out (like the AE), but maybe they are leaving that to third parties. Just curious to see how many companies update to Airplay 2 and how many devices have it in the next year.

I think it was Jimmy Iovine who said streaming is just getting started. How true.

Yep, I agree.

[sigh] yeah. If I was an Apple Music guy that has to have been a big bummer.

LOL. This too will soon be part of your heretofore hungry quiver. I'm sure you'll be a pig in shit hollering out and conjuring up your AM tunage.

While I'm fairly into the Apple eco with 2 iPhones, (well 1 doesn't really count cause the bride could give a shit about this shit), a Mac (among 4 other PCs), an ATV, and an AE...the HomePod is just too damn $pensive of a utilitarian parlor trick toy to justify what'd I'd reap compared to what I already have and enjoy with rig connected Dots and a massive Spotify collection.

It isn't just Apple Music (which admittedly is my main concern). If you want to stream Tidal around the house, you can't do it with Dots. If you Bluetooth to them, they can't Bluetooth back out. Using an iOS device, you can pick whatever source you want and send it to any or all Airplay 2 devices. Not possible with Echo Dots. You are locked into one of the few services they support if you want multiroom audio.

 

[chicks]

Was poking around the Home app on the iPad, don’t remember seeing Apple Music there before. I don’t have a sub, so don’t know if if can now be controlled via voice from the air freshener...

 

[uofmtiger]

Was poking around the Home app on the iPad, don’t remember seeing Apple Music there before. I don’t have a sub, so don’t know if if can now be controlled via voice from the air freshener...

View attachment 1098144

I think that means it can be controlled by Google Voice on the phone, but I am not sure if it flows through to the Air Freshener. Not sure what "limited availability" means, either.

 

[uofmtiger]

[sigh] yeah. If I was an Apple Music guy that has to have been a big bummer.

LOL. This too will soon be part of your heretofore hungry quiver. I'm sure you'll be a pig in shit hollering out and conjuring up your AM tunage.

​

Though, I agree that it is expensive compared to everything but the Google Max, I went ahead and ordered one. I got the space gray because the white looks too much like a toilet roll. (I have a feeling Chicks will refer to it that way in the future anyway).

As I mentioned in the other thread, I am disappointed that they don’t have Airplay 2 Control features out of the gate. Why the heck didn’t they launch it on time if it was going to be missing features anyway? However, I do know that it will be added eventually and I would be buying it then, so I decided to get it now to at least be able to play Apple Music on it. I will keep the Dots around in the same space for their other skills. I am used to using the AnyList app with Amazon shopping and it was like pulling teeth to get my girlfriend to install an app on her phone, so changing to something new is more than I really want to tackle.

For me, this isn’t about Siri vs Alexa vs Home. I have all three. It is about getting the ease of use for my favorite streaming platform on a decent sounding speaker* with voice control and eventually being able to tell it to send the audio to my main system or systems and getting great sound quality. I am curious to see how it integrates with the Apple ecosystem (reminders, calendars, etc.). However, that isn’t my main goal.

* iMore has an article on some comparisons between similar speakers...that Apple set up. I am curious to see how it performs in the wild, though. This won’t be replacing my MA RS6 speakers for serious listening in any case.

https://www.imore.com/homepod-vs-amazon-echo-vs-google-home-max-vs-sonos-one-speaker-showdown

One thing I forgot to mention is that it also works with Bluetooth. In that respect, I could, in theory, pair a Dot with it and have all the features of both systems in one speaker. It will depend on whether the speaker maintains all its features while being paired, but I plan to test it.

(EDIT : Correction, it does NOT work with Bluetooth. It has a Bluetooth receiver inside,but it is apparently only useful for setting up the HomePod with the iPhone. )​

 

[chicks]

Hadn't really thought about its looks. Maybe a giant marshmallow? Lol. It should blend in to any room without issue, with great WAF. I've read several reports about the SQ being top notch. They apparently hired an R&D guy from B&W to ensure that it sounds great. It's also ultra simple to set up, just hold your iPhone next to it (same as my new AppleTV was, nice).

If I were just starting out, or were an Apple guy, I sure wouldn't hesitate to get one, but I think that a stereo pair of Sonos Ones, at exactly the same price, is a much better deal right now, and a far more open, flexible platform for the future.

 

[uofmtiger]

Hadn't really thought about its looks. Maybe a giant marshmallow? Lol. It should blend in to any room without issue, with great WAF. I've read several reports about the SQ being top notch. They apparently hired an R&D guy from B&W to ensure that it sounds great. It's also ultra simple to set up, just hold your iPhone next to it (same as my new AppleTV was, nice).

If I were just starting out, or were an Apple guy, I sure wouldn't hesitate to get one, but I think that a stereo pair of Sonos Ones, at exactly the same price, is a much better deal right now, and a far more open, flexible platform for the future.

Yes, the Sonos One pairing is at a great price right now. The upside is that they have already committed to working with Airplay 2, so if someone wants to use them with iOS or a HomePod down the road, they will pair perfectly.

I agree, if I didn't own an iPhone (and many other Apple devices), I probably wouldn't be using Apple Music or Siri, which means I would have no interest in this device. As things are, I couldn't resist.

 

[chicks]

 

[+48V]

I won't be buying one right out of the gate. I want to see some reviews first.

Though, I agree that it is expensive compared to everything but the Google Max, I went ahead and ordered one.

 

[uofmtiger]

Luckily, there are already numerous reviews:
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/01/27/homepod-sound-quality-impressions/

Also, my gal wanted me to buy it since she uses Apple Music and doesn’t want to learn how to use my main system. Once I had her approval, you know what happened next.

 

[uofmtiger]

One added benefit of using the HomePod alongside the Echo Dots that I hadn't thought of until now. I can already use Alexa to control J River Media Center running on a computer. I now use Airfoil to tell J River to send the audio stream to any of my Airplay devices. However, that typically requires turning on a stereo, so it becomes less convenient to use. After I get the HomePod, I can point Airfoil to play audio on the HomePod and essentially have access to my entire ALAC database to play on the HomePod while controlling it with Alexa.

 

[hjames]

Probably not going to buy a Homepod when I already have serious audio systems in a couple rooms,
Remote (apple friendly iTunes remote control app) loaded to my iPhone and her iPad,
and airport express units (with nice DACs) already in place.
My wife likes the Altecs (and tubes) and UREIs in place around the house ...

 

[willyrover]

I'm buying one right out of the gate! As soon as it arrives in Canada - sometime in 2019?

 

[uofmtiger]

Probably not going to buy a Homepod when I already have serious audio systems in a couple rooms,
Remote (apple friendly iTunes remote control app) loaded to my iPhone and her iPad,
and airport express units (with nice DACs) already in place.
My wife likes the Altecs (and tubes) and UREIs in place around the house ...

In my opinion the HomePod is more about convenience with decent sound in a very small footprint. If you don't mind grabbing an iOS device and firing up the kit every time you listen to music, it really doesn't fill a role in your home.

I'm buying one right out of the gate! As soon as it arrives in Canada - sometime in 2019?

I remember a lot of complaints about the Echo not being in Canada for a long time. Do you think your country is often left out because it is not all English speaking and that creates issues when the product only understands English?

 

[willyrover]

Do you think your country is often left out because it is not all English speaking and that creates issues when the product only understands English?

Yes, that is part of the delay, at least for the HomePod.