HomePod Sonos and HomePod group

[mrmacuser69]

How to group HomePod and Sonos speakers for multi-speaker surround sound

Just got a Sonos or HomePod? Thanks to AirPlay 2, they can talk to each other for proper surround sound!

www.imore.com

Has anyone tried this? How is the experience? I’m considering getting the new HomePod, but only if it integrates well with the Sonos system. I love their speakers (especially with Spotify connect) but when I use AirPlay with them, it’s a less than favorable experience. Is it going to be the same with a HomePod + Sonia system?

 

[pup]

I’ve got 15 various Sonos speakers plus an amp and a port, and have used them in configurations both with and without apple devices in the loop. Short version of my experience - I could never get a HomePod to work reliably or sync well with the other speakers, and having one in my network also seemed to poison HomeKit.

I did have things working well enough through Airplay with an AppleTV (sync issues, but it worked) and and old AirPort Express in the mix with all my Sonos speakers; but the HomePod always seemed to cause trouble one way or another. Dumping it made for far less frustration and my HomeKit gear has worked almost flawlessly ever since.

HomePod aside, I’d say that if you have Sonos kit then try to keep apple devices out of the loop entirely so that you can avoid airplay. Getting rid of my Airport and AppleTV, then switching to the Sonos app, was like having the sun come out after a month of rain. Sonos’ network sounds crisper and brighter; and the contrast in responsiveness and reliability is stark. Their app is a bit bare bones but at least I can use it without wishing harm on Tim Cook.

Anyway, I personally think that soundwise the HomePod was/is no better than a Sonos One, so I think the only real reason for getting a HomePod is for Siri. If you really want a Siri device, then I’d say get HomePod mini but don’t try to use it for music regularly. You’ll possibly have more trouble with HomeKit as a result of it being on your network but I guess that’s part of the cost.

Or just use your phone for Siri. Or don’t use Siri.

 

[mrmacuser69]

I’ve got 15 various Sonos speakers plus an amp and a port, and have used them in configurations both with and without apple devices in the loop. Short version of my experience - I could never get a HomePod to work reliably or sync well with the other speakers, and having one in my network also seemed to poison HomeKit.

I did have things working well enough through Airplay with an AppleTV (sync issues, but it worked) and and old AirPort Express in the mix with all my Sonos speakers; but the HomePod always seemed to cause trouble one way or another. Dumping it made for far less frustration and my HomeKit gear has worked almost flawlessly ever since.

HomePod aside, I’d say that if you have Sonos kit then try to keep apple devices out of the loop entirely so that you can avoid airplay. Getting rid of my Airport and AppleTV, then switching to the Sonos app, was like having the sun come out after a month of rain. Sonos’ network sounds crisper and brighter; and the contrast in responsiveness and reliability is stark. Their app is a bit bare bones but at least I can use it without wishing harm on Tim Cook.

Anyway, I personally think that soundwise the HomePod was/is no better than a Sonos One, so I think the only real reason for getting a HomePod is for Siri. If you really want a Siri device, then I’d say get HomePod mini but don’t try to use it for music regularly. You’ll possibly have more trouble with HomeKit as a result of it being on your network but I guess that’s part of the cost.

Or just use your phone for Siri. Or don’t use Siri.

That third paragraph is exactly how I expected the experience to be. Yea I have Amazon Echo's as my voice assistant, and they integrate fabulously with Sonos. I'll say "hey play this by them over there" and she nails it every time. Also uses Spotify connect so I can change the song instantly from any of my devices. I just thought it would be cool to have handoff with the U1 chip so I could go from my headphones when I get home to the speakers. Also thought it might be an upgrade to replace Alexa with Siri; seems like that's not the case unfortunately.

 

[PauloSera]

I frequently group HomePods and my living room Sonos system for whole house music, but that's a temporary grouping for background music. I've never attempted to add HomePods into the mix with a Sonos sound system, but I'm sure there is no way that's going to work. Any sync that happens would be accidental. The Sonos system is doing the work of keeping its wireless speakers synced. It doesn't know anything about the HomePods. Conversely, the Apple TV can keep HomePods in sync when they are a stereo pair and set as the default output for Apple TV.

But with AirPlay? There is nothing actively working to synchronize those speakers, and even if they do sync with each other, they won't sync with the video on the screen.

 

[mrmacuser69]

I frequently group HomePods and my living room Sonos system for whole house music, but that's a temporary grouping for background music. I've never attempted to add HomePods into the mix with a Sonos sound system, but I'm sure there is no way that's going to work. Any sync that happens would be accidental. The Sonos system is doing the work of keeping its wireless speakers synced. It doesn't know anything about the HomePods. Conversely, the Apple TV can keep HomePods in sync when they are a stereo pair and set as the default output for Apple TV.

But with AirPlay? There is nothing actively working to synchronize those speakers, and even if they do sync with each other, they won't sync with the video on the screen.

Yea having all the music playing at the same time sure would be ideal haha. I'm not using it for watching videos though so some delay isn't exactly a deal breaker.

 

[PauloSera]

Yea having all the music playing at the same time sure would be ideal haha. I'm not using it for watching videos though so some delay isn't exactly a deal breaker.

If it's just music then it should be a no brainer. The source/destination selection UI makes it easy to group any speakers and it works fine for different types of AirPlay speakers grouped together.

 

[darthbane2k]

I’ve got 15 various Sonos speakers plus an amp and a port, and have used them in configurations both with and without apple devices in the loop. Short version of my experience - I could never get a HomePod to work reliably or sync well with the other speakers, and having one in my network also seemed to poison HomeKit.

I did have things working well enough through Airplay with an AppleTV (sync issues, but it worked) and and old AirPort Express in the mix with all my Sonos speakers; but the HomePod always seemed to cause trouble one way or another. Dumping it made for far less frustration and my HomeKit gear has worked almost flawlessly ever since.

HomePod aside, I’d say that if you have Sonos kit then try to keep apple devices out of the loop entirely so that you can avoid airplay. Getting rid of my Airport and AppleTV, then switching to the Sonos app, was like having the sun come out after a month of rain. Sonos’ network sounds crisper and brighter; and the contrast in responsiveness and reliability is stark. Their app is a bit bare bones but at least I can use it without wishing harm on Tim Cook.

Anyway, I personally think that soundwise the HomePod was/is no better than a Sonos One, so I think the only real reason for getting a HomePod is for Siri. If you really want a Siri device, then I’d say get HomePod mini but don’t try to use it for music regularly. You’ll possibly have more trouble with HomeKit as a result of it being on your network but I guess that’s part of the cost.

Or just use your phone for Siri. Or don’t use Siri.

Youre right, trying to keep HomePod and Sonos grouped via airplay doesn’t work well over the long term.
While Sonosnet is robust, The Sonos app is horrible and buggy when searching Apple Music. That cannot be stated enough.
As for Sonos One being superior to HomePod.. that’s ridiculous unless you are referring to the Mini. Sonos Ones fall apart when they go over 70% volume.

 

[pup]

My experience, having had them side by side, trying them in different rooms, etc., is that they’re both very good speakers that sound far bigger than anyone would expect, with subjective preference outweighing any technical advantage one may have over the other. I could go into it further but this probably isn’t the topic for that.

As for the Sonos app, I haven’t come across any bugs myself. In fact I’d say the main reason I like it is that “it just works”. But maybe there’s some specific thing you’re doing that I don’t. As I said, I do think it’s a bit bare bones, but then Apple’s app lacks some pretty obvious features itself. I think the main things I don’t like about the Sonos app is that it’s visually sparse, it lacks lyrics, and of course there’s the fact that I still need to use Music to manage my library.

 

[Postal]

It's best to stick to one platform or the other; depending on cobbled-together solutions, especially unofficial ones, tends to lead to heartache.

I've actually considered a wholesale switch from Sonos to HomePods if the money allows, for a couple of reasons. To start, we're big on Apple Music — it'd be so much easier to simply tap our phones than to try searching with Sonos' app (or even to AirPlay content). And simply speaking, I'm getting annoyed with Alexa. It seems like Amazon is constantly pushing services or asking for reviews. I'd like a voice assistant that simply does what I asked!

 

[darthbane2k]

It's best to stick to one platform or the other; depending on cobbled-together solutions, especially unofficial ones, tends to lead to heartache.

I've actually considered a wholesale switch from Sonos to HomePods if the money allows, for a couple of reasons. To start, we're big on Apple Music — it'd be so much easier to simply tap our phones than to try searching with Sonos' app (or even to AirPlay content). And simply speaking, I'm getting annoyed with Alexa. It seems like Amazon is constantly pushing services or asking for reviews. I'd like a voice assistant that simply does what I asked!

Same here. I originally had a couple OG HomePods and was disappointed when Apple discontinued them as the plan was to expand to other rooms. I then Bought a couple of Sonos Fives and then Apple announced HomePod was coming back! Luckily thanks to Sonos’ generous returns policy, I returned them and now plan on going full HomePod, ordering two more.

 

[EastHillWill]

Youre right, trying to keep HomePod and Sonos grouped via airplay doesn’t work well over the long term.
While Sonosnet is robust, The Sonos app is horrible and buggy when searching Apple Music. That cannot be stated enough.
As for Sonos One being superior to HomePod.. that’s ridiculous unless you are referring to the Mini. Sonos Ones fall apart when they go over 70% volume.

Extremely agree with the app comments--search is horrendous, especially with Apple Music. If you always listen to the same stuff and/or save items then it's passable, but overall I would say the Sonos app is one of the worst I deal with on a regular basis. I can't believe they fully remade and introduced a new app and the end result was...S2.

Also agree with Sonos One vs. HomePod sound. I have five Ones (and a Beam) and while I really like the Ones--which is why I have several of them--the HomePod blows them out of the water, primarily due to the bass. I suppose if you're only listening to classical (or podcasts) then it's closer, but for anything with low-end the HomePod sounds like it costs 1.5x as much as the Sonos.

 

[stocklen]

ive got a sonos arc, 2x ones, and a sub in my living room used predominately for TV.

Of course its also Airplay2, so "integrates" in Apple's multi room music.

A couple of years ago I wanted HomeKit to be my multi room music solution instead of Alexa, and had the quandary of either adding more Sonos, or buying HomePod minis to fill the house.

Although I was looking at the IKEA speakers, the minis were still cheaper, sounded OK for what and where I needed them (especially as a stereo pair) and had the added 'benefit' of siri and handoff (and lately of course the temp and humidity sensors) - I wanted the whole system to be primarily voice activated.

Also, when Sonos goes wrong IT GOES WRONG! and its SO hard to troubleshoot and fix things. Ive had speakers disappear from the sonos app and its been like pulling teeth to fix. I once also changed wifi router and the hoops that I had to jump through to re-do the network connection were way beyond reasonable. I have had horrendous issues with Sonos and although generally stable it's a royal pain when it doesnt work. Due to this I opted not to add more sonos.

So my multi room music is HomePods plus the living room sonos. They DO work 'well' together and there is no issue with sound sync between the rooms at all. That said, the speakers should 'remember' the last configuration so when you ask siri to play music 'everywhere' it includes the sonos... however next time if you omit 'everywhere' it should play everywhere but always omits the sonos - so you have to explicitly state 'everywhere' or pop onto the iPhone and manually select the sonos to add it each time.

I cant speak too much for the sonos app as I rarely have the misfortune of having to use it - only when things 'go wrong' but music selection etc is all done via siri or the iPhone and then add sonos to the multi room mix which works ok.

The shame is that taking a step back.. Siri and multi room is still, even at 16.3, very very ropey indeed. Id say conservatively at least half the time it doesnt behave as expected and rudimentary fixes are required. If I say 'play music everywhere' it will often just randomly miss out a speaker (I have 6 minis consisting of 2 pairs and 2 separate) so I have to fix things by saying 'hey siri add the bedroom' etc to fill the missing gaps. Sometimes it doesnt respond, etc etc.... but this is always down to Apple and a temporary server-side issue which is frankly unacceptable.

 

[darthbane2k]

ive got a sonos arc, 2x ones, and a sub in my living room used predominately for TV.

Of course its also Airplay2, so "integrates" in Apple's multi room music.

A couple of years ago I wanted HomeKit to be my multi room music solution instead of Alexa, and had the quandary of either adding more Sonos, or buying HomePod minis to fill the house.

Although I was looking at the IKEA speakers, the minis were still cheaper, sounded OK for what and where I needed them (especially as a stereo pair) and had the added 'benefit' of siri and handoff (and lately of course the temp and humidity sensors) - I wanted the whole system to be primarily voice activated.

Also, when Sonos goes wrong IT GOES WRONG! and its SO hard to troubleshoot and fix things. Ive had speakers disappear from the sonos app and its been like pulling teeth to fix. I once also changed wifi router and the hoops that I had to jump through to re-do the network connection were way beyond reasonable. I have had horrendous issues with Sonos and although generally stable it's a royal pain when it doesnt work. Due to this I opted not to add more sonos.

So my multi room music is HomePods plus the living room sonos. They DO work 'well' together and there is no issue with sound sync between the rooms at all. That said, the speakers should 'remember' the last configuration so when you ask siri to play music 'everywhere' it includes the sonos... however next time if you omit 'everywhere' it should play everywhere but always omits the sonos - so you have to explicitly state 'everywhere' or pop onto the iPhone and manually select the sonos to add it each time.

I cant speak too much for the sonos app as I rarely have the misfortune of having to use it - only when things 'go wrong' but music selection etc is all done via siri or the iPhone and then add sonos to the multi room mix which works ok.

The shame is that taking a step back.. Siri and multi room is still, even at 16.3, very very ropey indeed. Id say conservatively at least half the time it doesnt behave as expected and rudimentary fixes are required. If I say 'play music everywhere' it will often just randomly miss out a speaker (I have 6 minis consisting of 2 pairs and 2 separate) so I have to fix things by saying 'hey siri add the bedroom' etc to fill the missing gaps. Sometimes it doesnt respond, etc etc.... but this is always down to Apple and a temporary server-side issue which is frankly unacceptable.

Agreed. Despite both systems supporting airplay, it’s still a pain in the backside having to negotiate two separate ecosystems. Another reason why I’m now going full homepod.

As for your Sonos dropping off the system, make sure one is wired to Ethernet so that the SonosNet mesh network is created. That will resolve that issue.

In terms of voice commands to target all speakers, if you mention the same of the room ‘Hey Siri play music in the Dining Room’, that will work too, but clunky and easy to forget.

In short, pick a single ecosystem and roll with it.

 

[stocklen]

Agreed. Despite both systems supporting airplay, it’s still a pain in the backside having to negotiate two separate ecosystems. Another reason why I’m now going full homepod.

As for your Sonos dropping off the system, make sure one is wired to Ethernet so that the SonosNet mesh network is created. That will resolve that issue.

In terms of voice commands to target all speakers, if you mention the same of the room ‘Hey Siri play music in the Dining Room’, that will work too, but clunky and easy to forget.

In short, pick a single ecosystem and roll with it.

indeed.

Sonos is, by necessity, my TV's 5.1 surround sound system. Expensive.. great sounding... but 'contained' in the living room.
Its compatibility with Airplay 2 is convenient, and stops me needing any HomePods in the living room. When I had the whole house Alexa set-up I had to put an Echo Studio (a great sounding speaker!) in the living room alongside the Sonos which always struck me as a bit overkill given Sonos' airplay compatibility. It was most frustrating to have a Sonos Arc WITH Alexa built in and yet not be allowed to join Alexa's multi room setup - never did understand the logic of that but hey.

Im very intrigued at some of the new HomePod reviews showing audio output for the appletv and most reviewers being blown away by the sound quality. Although im sure its good - I just dont think it could be a substitute for physical rear speakers in a 5.1 setup or compete with the Sonos Arc.
I think if Apple allowed a HomePod mini to be used as a distinct rear speaker in the home theatre setup and therefore you had a 4.0 setup it would be far more interesting. They have already taken a big step in allowing the AppleTV to use Audio Return Channel (ARC) and therefore share the paired HomePods with anything attached to the TV.

 

[darthbane2k]

indeed.

Sonos is, by necessity, my TV's 5.1 surround sound system. Expensive.. great sounding... but 'contained' in the living room.
Its compatibility with Airplay 2 is convenient, and stops me needing any HomePods in the living room. When I had the whole house Alexa set-up I had to put an Echo Studio (a great sounding speaker!) in the living room alongside the Sonos which always struck me as a bit overkill given Sonos' airplay compatibility. It was most frustrating to have a Sonos Arc WITH Alexa built in and yet not be allowed to join Alexa's multi room setup - never did understand the logic of that but hey.

Im very intrigued at some of the new HomePod reviews showing audio output for the appletv and most reviewers being blown away by the sound quality. Although im sure its good - I just dont think it could be a substitute for physical rear speakers in a 5.1 setup or compete with the Sonos Arc.
I think if Apple allowed a HomePod mini to be used as a distinct rear speaker in the home theatre setup and therefore you had a 4.0 setup it would be far more interesting. They have already taken a big step in allowing the AppleTV to use Audio Return Channel (ARC) and therefore share the paired HomePods with anything attached to the TV.

Just an opinion, but I think Apple going to the trouble of allowing eARC to route TV audio to HomePod indicates their plans to expand their home cinema offerings. I think they will allow Minis to be used as rears but not before releasing a HomePod soundbar with built in TV OS and built in sub. They won’t go down the separate sub route.

 

[stocklen]

Just an opinion, but I think Apple going to the trouble of allowing eARC to route TV audio to HomePod indicates their plans to expand their home cinema offerings. I think they will allow Minis to be used as rears but not before releasing a HomePod soundbar with built in TV OS and built in sub. They won’t go down the separate sub route.

I agree but not entirely.

I dont see Apple creating multiple distinct and quite niche products such as a sound bar.
Why create a sound bar when everyone, including youtube audiophiles, seem to rate the paired HomePod experience ABOVE that of the sonos beam AND it outperforms ATMOS in some cases (which im sceptical of).

Personally, ive never rated any virtual rear surround devices... there is no substitute to a physical speaker behind you. Im intrigued as to how these HomePod reviews say there is a rear presence...
BUT - Apple already have perfect devices for physical rears in the HomePod mini, and it's not like them to miss a trick in upselling more kit for a better experience. I think that the relaunch of the HomePod, and the encoragement to pair them with an AppleTV for genuine Living Room big screen audio performance can only mean that software-wise hompod minis will someday soon be able to be configured as rears....
After all, with a bit of a software tweak, for a lot of people who have purchased and configured the HomePod as a pair for the living room TV speakers.. its a guaranteed sale of 2x minis if they were able to enhance their setups. Id be surprised to not see this in iOS/HomePodOS/TVOS 17.

But I dont see another device such as a sound bar - I just dont see the point of that existing when 2 HomePods are as good or better than a lot of sound bars out there (apparently).


Ive got a couple of new HomePods arriving this week and although they arent intended for the living room, I will give them a quick test as im intrigued as to how they compare with the full 5.1 Sonos surround solution.
Should the minis become an option for rears, AND im sufficiently impressed with the pair of HomePods... I can potentially see myself doing the unimaginable in that I could be happy to ditch the Sonos for this solution.

 

[AEWest]

I agree but not entirely.

I dont see Apple creating multiple distinct and quite niche products such as a sound bar.
Why create a sound bar when everyone, including youtube audiophiles, seem to rate the paired HomePod experience ABOVE that of the sonos beam AND it outperforms ATMOS in some cases (which im sceptical of).

Personally, ive never rated any virtual rear surround devices... there is no substitute to a physical speaker behind you. Im intrigued as to how these HomePod reviews say there is a rear presence...
BUT - Apple already have perfect devices for physical rears in the HomePod mini, and it's not like them to miss a trick in upselling more kit for a better experience. I think that the relaunch of the HomePod, and the encoragement to pair them with an AppleTV for genuine Living Room big screen audio performance can only mean that software-wise hompod minis will someday soon be able to be configured as rears....
After all, with a bit of a software tweak, for a lot of people who have purchased and configured the HomePod as a pair for the living room TV speakers.. its a guaranteed sale of 2x minis if they were able to enhance their setups. Id be surprised to not see this in iOS/HomePodOS/TVOS 17.

But I dont see another device such as a sound bar - I just dont see the point of that existing when 2 HomePods are as good or better than a lot of sound bars out there (apparently).


Ive got a couple of new HomePods arriving this week and although they arent intended for the living room, I will give them a quick test as im intrigued as to how they compare with the full 5.1 Sonos surround solution.
Should the minis become an option for rears, AND im sufficiently impressed with the pair of HomePods... I can potentially see myself doing the unimaginable in that I could be happy to ditch the Sonos for this solution.

The main drawback to switching to Hompod (if they ever change the software to allow minis to become rear speakers) is the lack of a subwoofer. I have the Sonos Sub Gen 2 and it really adds depth to both music and movies that no small speaker such as a homepod can match.

 

[stocklen]

The main drawback to switching to Hompod (if they ever change the software to allow minis to become rear speakers) is the lack of a subwoofer. I have the Sonos Sub Gen 2 and it really adds depth to both music and movies that no small speaker such as a homepod can match.

It does but its sooooooooooooo expensive.

Id argue the beam, or the arc alone are pretty good and maybe dont need the sub.

But in the case of the HomePods, they are probably Bass-y enough for a lot of people alone. I dont see a separate bass module being needed in the fantasy world of Apple separates.

 

[AEWest]

It does but its sooooooooooooo expensive.

Id argue the beam, or the arc alone are pretty good and maybe dont need the sub.

But in the case of the HomePods, they are probably Bass-y enough for a lot of people alone. I dont see a separate bass module being needed in the fantasy world of Apple separates.

I was fortunate enough to buy the previous gen Sub open box for $350. I also have the Beam and two Ones.

The point is that you can start out with a soundbar and either expand to a full 5.1 system over time (like I did) or stay with the original purchase if that is sufficient. I even added some cheaper IKEA Sonos speakers in secondary rooms.

That flexibility is lacking in a non audio focused company such as Apple. I don't ever expect Apple to come out with a sub or larger speakers if someone wants to grow their wireless home audio system.

That is something to consider for some people, not only if the current Homepod sounds as good or better than an existing soundbar.

 

[Melmanoh]

I'm sorry what kills Apple Solution is the Sonos app for me. I love being able to control music from my Mac, iPad,iphone. So if I have a song playing and I want to skip to the next or change the song I can do that from any device that I'm using. Apple's native music app can't match that. I had two OG Homepods was not blown away by the sound really and I don't get the hype. I have the Sonos 5 and move and they have a much fuller sound. I know that's subjective but that's just my thoughts. Also have two Sonos one's connected to a Beam with a sub mini and it's unreal !

 

[darthbane2k]

I love being able to control music from my Mac, iPad,iphone. So if I have a song playing and I want to skip to the next or change the song I can do that from any device that I'm using. Apple's native music app can't match that.

Yes it can and yes it does.

 

[Melmanoh]

Yes it can and yes it does.

Is this a new feature? I know if I start a song from my iPhone and I’m on my iPad I can’t open the music app on my iPad and change the station or song. I switched to using Sonos about a year ago. So unless this is a new feature I’ve never been able to do that with the native Apple Music app .

 

[pup]

It does work - I've never thought it was a very obvious interface so understandable that you missed it. But once you know, it works similarly to Sonos, at least in the abstract sense. You have to first tap the airplay widget and then switch to whichever device is playing, and then you can control it. I just tried it to see, since I think maybe at first it didn't work for phones and pads, but now it definitely works for both, as well as TVs, pods and what should still be iTunes.

 

[AEWest]

I understand that the new Sonos 300 speaker can stream Atmos music directly from Apple Music. Very unusual for a third party speaker. So Sonos and Apple have a deal.

Maybe they can cut another deal - have the Homepod be compatible with the new Sonos sub mini. That would greatly Increase the home theatre chops of the Homepod.

 

[darthbane2k]

I understand that the new Sonos 300 speaker can stream Atmos music directly from Apple Music. Very unusual for a third party speaker. So Sonos and Apple have a deal.

Maybe they can cut another deal - have the Homepod be compatible with the new Sonos sub mini. That would greatly Increase the home theatre chops of the Homepod.

Only works via the Sonos app, not airplay. And The Verge points out the Sonos app doesn't report (via song search) whether the track is spatial or not. Only when its playing will you know.