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HomePod Airplay 2 Multiroom Latency
- Thread starter MrTennessean
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Hey everyone - I would like to add my experience to the conversation as well and get some feedback if possible. I'll refer to my OLD setup and my NEW setup below.
OLD setup:
2009 Mac Mini running iTunes (iTunes version 12.7.9.5)
Apple TV 2nd Generation (AppleTV 6.2.1 - the last supported os for that generation)
Apple HomePod (iOS 11.4)
NEW setup:
iPhone running (Apple) Music App
(2) Apple TV 4Ks (TvOS 11.4)
My OLD setup works pretty well. I use iTunes on the Mac Mini as the audio source and Airplay to stream to all three devices. I can control the playback from my iPhone with the (horribly outdated) iTunes remote app.
The audio is very much synchronized. I will not say it's 100% perfect, but it is good enough for my needs. Surprisingly, the HomePod and the Yamaha are the most in sync (which is good because they are closest to each other).
My NEW setup is unusable. There is 500ms - 750ms latency between the HomePod and the Apple TVs. The latency between the two Apple TVs is manageable (< 500ms, probably more like 100ms - still not as good as the OLD setup).
This is consistent regardless of the audio source: iPhone X, either Apple TV, HomePod, MacMini (using Airplay 1 multi room audio).
Unfortunately, I've invested a lot of money and time in 'upgrading' to Airplay 2 and I'm worse off than I was with old (and in some cases obsolete) hardware / software.
As a last ditch effort, I enrolled one of the Apple TV 4Ks in the beta testing program. It is now running TvOS 11.4.1. this has made no difference.
OLD setup:
2009 Mac Mini running iTunes (iTunes version 12.7.9.5)
Apple TV 2nd Generation (AppleTV 6.2.1 - the last supported os for that generation)
Hooked up to Onkyo receiver via optical cable
Yamaha RXA3060 receiver with Airplay 1 built inApple HomePod (iOS 11.4)
NEW setup:
iPhone running (Apple) Music App
(2) Apple TV 4Ks (TvOS 11.4)
(1) Connected via HDMI to Yamaha RXA3060 receiver
(1) Connected via HDMI to Sony LCD TV
Apple HomePod (iOS 11.4)(1) Connected via HDMI to Sony LCD TV
My OLD setup works pretty well. I use iTunes on the Mac Mini as the audio source and Airplay to stream to all three devices. I can control the playback from my iPhone with the (horribly outdated) iTunes remote app.
The audio is very much synchronized. I will not say it's 100% perfect, but it is good enough for my needs. Surprisingly, the HomePod and the Yamaha are the most in sync (which is good because they are closest to each other).
My NEW setup is unusable. There is 500ms - 750ms latency between the HomePod and the Apple TVs. The latency between the two Apple TVs is manageable (< 500ms, probably more like 100ms - still not as good as the OLD setup).
This is consistent regardless of the audio source: iPhone X, either Apple TV, HomePod, MacMini (using Airplay 1 multi room audio).
Unfortunately, I've invested a lot of money and time in 'upgrading' to Airplay 2 and I'm worse off than I was with old (and in some cases obsolete) hardware / software.
As a last ditch effort, I enrolled one of the Apple TV 4Ks in the beta testing program. It is now running TvOS 11.4.1. this has made no difference.
That’s a bummer about iTunes dropouts. I haven’t experienced that.
My only hope is that we (the people in this thread and probably a few thousand others) are early adopters to multi room audio using Apple TVs + HomePod + Airplay 2. Perhaps when the tech gets more traction and a larger user base, the bugs will be worked out.
Well hey, they updated the iTunes remote app for iOS yesterday. Talk about timing
Maybe they’ll look into these other issues now...
For a long time I have played iTunes from my Mac to multiple AirPlay speakers -- which was only (natively) possible from iTunes -- and it most definitely was not synchronized. At least not consistently, and with the advent of AirPlay2 it's now more transparent that AirPlay wasn't exactly intended to be synchronous. It happened to be in sync for me much of the time, but would usually fall out of sync. I typically used it to play the same music inside and on a porch which had enough "sonic separation", if you will, to not notice.
AirPlay 2, on the other hand, is explicitly advertised as being in sync. And as evidenced by this thread, it ain't quite perfect yet. But I will say, the several times I've use AirPlay 2 with my HomePod and AppleTV have usually been good and in sync, so I'll be optimistic and take that as a good sign that AirPlay 2 is on its way to becoming a solid multi-speaker wireless audio platform. Hopefully
Woah, that's not good. I'm still running 12.7.9.5. The 12.8 update is pending - I'm going to hold off and test with a computer that is not my main media hub.After upgrading to iTunes 12.8 I've discovered that it now syncs my speakers every bit as well as Airplay 2. Thanks Apple.
I appreciate your heads up - sorry your experience has been so crappy. Holding out hope that this gets addressed soon.
First thing is to check and reduce audio delay settings on the TV and receiver (if applicable). Both my TV and receiver have this and when set as low as they can go when I play from an iOS device or AirPlay 2 source device to another the sync is perfect. Example, say to the HomePod "Hey siri play xxxx", then say "Hey Siri play this in the living room". Its perfectly sync'd, couldn't ask for better.
However if I AirPlay from my iMac (latest versions of iTunes and MacOS) the Mac and HomePod are perfectly sync'd but the AppleTV isn't. I can understand this because the TV and receiver have a delay for processing audio but keep in mind from the HomePod to AppleTV its perfect.
I thought maybe the HomePod and AppleTV could sync but Mac > HomePod + AppleTV couldn't because the HomePod was using its microphones to sync. So I intentionally added a slight delay with the receiver to see if the HomePod would compensate. It didn't....at all. I tried restarting songs, resetting and playing again, etc. It couldn't sync.
It doesn't appear (at a glance anyway) the HomePod is synchronizing using external means. So I don't know why if the HomePod is capable of syncing with the AppleTV the Mac can't. For me this has always been the case and iTunes 12.8 has made it better but perfection is required for something like this.
If you guys enjoy chill electronic the song Dew by Polynation makes it VERY easy to diagnose latency issues quickly and accurately. The first minute or so is essentially rhythmic tone and despite the beginning the song gets really good to help minimize the frustration of diagnosing this.
However if I AirPlay from my iMac (latest versions of iTunes and MacOS) the Mac and HomePod are perfectly sync'd but the AppleTV isn't. I can understand this because the TV and receiver have a delay for processing audio but keep in mind from the HomePod to AppleTV its perfect.
I thought maybe the HomePod and AppleTV could sync but Mac > HomePod + AppleTV couldn't because the HomePod was using its microphones to sync. So I intentionally added a slight delay with the receiver to see if the HomePod would compensate. It didn't....at all. I tried restarting songs, resetting and playing again, etc. It couldn't sync.
It doesn't appear (at a glance anyway) the HomePod is synchronizing using external means. So I don't know why if the HomePod is capable of syncing with the AppleTV the Mac can't. For me this has always been the case and iTunes 12.8 has made it better but perfection is required for something like this.
If you guys enjoy chill electronic the song Dew by Polynation makes it VERY easy to diagnose latency issues quickly and accurately. The first minute or so is essentially rhythmic tone and despite the beginning the song gets really good to help minimize the frustration of diagnosing this.
I don't have a HomePod but I am getting latency between my MacBook Pro and my Apple TV 4th gen. I guess it could be from my TV/Soundbar adding latency but I do not know if I can do anything about that.
It’s a software issue not a hardware issue. No Audio device on the market will have the same latency unless it has the exact same hardware, software, cable lengths and processing.
Apple should have included latency adjustment like every other multiroom setup has. I stopped using AirPlay a few years ago once Google bought out Chromecast audio’s. Was able to group speakers and adjust every audio option including latency and when out of range of wi-if the Audio would continue unlike airplay. Was a much cheaper option than Sonos at the time. Would have had over $2500 in Sonos compared about $200 in Chromecast audios.
Then Airplay 2 come out and I still had bunch of Apple routers sitting around so thought great I can now get my sonos, homepods and multiroom running altogether. Then after setting it all up I looked for the latency adjustment and there was none. How could such a simple software option be left out!
I am getting anything from a few hundred milliseconds delay to a couple of seconds. It’s impossible to get it synced without latency adjustment.
Sonos is the quickest to output
HomePod is a little slower but hard to tell
Kitchen on airport express is next with slightly more delay as it’s a fairly long run of cable to the kitchen from the amp
Deck speakers on the airport express are the next slowest as it goes through a processor and then an amp to the speakers outside with about 20ft of cable
Outdoor Projector speakers on airport express are the next fastest as they go through an amp and about 25ft of cable.
Outdoor Bar speakers on airport express are the slowest by far as they go through about 60ft of cable plus an amp.
So basically there is no way to adjust this without latency adjustment so get used to it. I called Apple and they said if I run all homepods this wouldn’t be an issue and they can’t do nothing about the delay through other brands of equipment.
It’s BS basically
Apple should have included latency adjustment like every other multiroom setup has. I stopped using AirPlay a few years ago once Google bought out Chromecast audio’s. Was able to group speakers and adjust every audio option including latency and when out of range of wi-if the Audio would continue unlike airplay. Was a much cheaper option than Sonos at the time. Would have had over $2500 in Sonos compared about $200 in Chromecast audios.
Then Airplay 2 come out and I still had bunch of Apple routers sitting around so thought great I can now get my sonos, homepods and multiroom running altogether. Then after setting it all up I looked for the latency adjustment and there was none. How could such a simple software option be left out!
I am getting anything from a few hundred milliseconds delay to a couple of seconds. It’s impossible to get it synced without latency adjustment.
Sonos is the quickest to output
HomePod is a little slower but hard to tell
Kitchen on airport express is next with slightly more delay as it’s a fairly long run of cable to the kitchen from the amp
Deck speakers on the airport express are the next slowest as it goes through a processor and then an amp to the speakers outside with about 20ft of cable
Outdoor Projector speakers on airport express are the next fastest as they go through an amp and about 25ft of cable.
Outdoor Bar speakers on airport express are the slowest by far as they go through about 60ft of cable plus an amp.
So basically there is no way to adjust this without latency adjustment so get used to it. I called Apple and they said if I run all homepods this wouldn’t be an issue and they can’t do nothing about the delay through other brands of equipment.
It’s BS basically
That response is BS given how AirPlay 2 is advertised. And frankly, unless the amps used are doing any sort of digital manipulation -- meaning A>D conversion, processiong, then D>A conversion -- I wouldn't expect any additional latency to be added. "Additional" to the signal being sent to the AirPlay 2 device (i.e., Airport Express) ... which should be zero per Apple's description of AirPlay 2.
I'm sorry your setup is not yielding the expected results. However, to contrast, I have a simpler setup of Homepod, AppleTV, and Airport Express in 3 different-but-nearby rooms, and when I play to all 3 I have no latency with the rare exception of my home theatre system (via AppleTV) glitching slightly, I assume due to the digital processing it can introduce ("sound settings" like Music, Movie, Live, etc) ... but it actually resolves itself after a few moments.
I have another Airport Express that I will add to another room and see if my apparent AirPlay 2 luck sticks.
Youre not understanding the issue. The latency is not coming from the Apple devices specifically but the device and software is what’a lacking.
As an example if you use a airport express with a set of speakers on a 1ft set of cables then a set of speakers on another airport express with 30ft of cable you will have a latency issue. All the other companies who do multi zone systems have adjustment for this. This is also not taking distance of speakers from each other causing latency also. I could be 10ft from a set and 20ft from another set and 30ft from another set and the sounds will all be reaching me at different times. Kind of how a AV receiver has delays set for each channel so that you don’t get that delay.
It’s just a poorly thought out system compared to what’s on the market for vastly less money.
While people are quick to say you're doing something wrong or that there's problem with your setup, none of that really matters. The fact of the matter, is that a lot of people are experience latency and the simple solution is to add a controls to manually adjust the buffer for each device.
Come at me bro.
Come at me bro.
I want to bump this to see if it has improved in 2021?
Maybe the silence here means it has. Or it means people have given up?
I'm considering a HomePod Mini each for the Kitchen and Bedroom, plus an Apple TV for my Samsung television/speaker setup. I use optical out from the television to a pair of powered speakers with optical input. (Klipsch R-15PM)
Considering the potential latency from Apple TV (HDMI out) -> Samsung (Optical out) -> Amp/Speaker (Optical in) I'm pretty sure the HomePods aren't going to account for this.
Alternative is to try a used Airport Express 2 via its analog output. Or the Apple TV with an HDMI audio extractor. Anyone tried either of those along with HomePods?
Maybe the silence here means it has. Or it means people have given up?
I'm considering a HomePod Mini each for the Kitchen and Bedroom, plus an Apple TV for my Samsung television/speaker setup. I use optical out from the television to a pair of powered speakers with optical input. (Klipsch R-15PM)
Considering the potential latency from Apple TV (HDMI out) -> Samsung (Optical out) -> Amp/Speaker (Optical in) I'm pretty sure the HomePods aren't going to account for this.
Alternative is to try a used Airport Express 2 via its analog output. Or the Apple TV with an HDMI audio extractor. Anyone tried either of those along with HomePods?
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Mine syncs going through a Bose home theatre. Two HomePods, two HomePod minis and the Apple TV with Bose play perfectly together.
For the most part I have continued to not have issues, and I now have an even more mixed setup:
• HomePod (typically the main "brain", streaming Apple Music to the other speakers)
• Sonos One SL stereo pair
• IKEA Symfonisk stereo pair
• IKEA Symfonisk single
• OneLink Safe & Sound (in two rooms)
• Airport Express connected to old iPod dock via 1/8" cable
I can stream to all speakers and walk around the house without any noticeable latency ... usually. I can count on one hand the number of times one speaker (usually one of the Safe & Sounds) is delayed, and then I just remove it from the AirPlay group and re-add it to resolve.
??♂️