HomePod HomePod Stereo Placement for best audio experience

[212rikanmofo]

I have 2 HomePods running as a stereo pair in my bedroom. I had them originally placed on the chest in front of my bed and they are about 45-50 inches apart with my TV in between. I tested it out by listening to some music and watching some movies on my Apple TV and the sound wasn't really what I had expected, it sounded alright but not the wow factor that I had hope for. So I decided to move them and put them on my night stand next to my bed and find that it sounds much better with the speakers directly to the right and left of me rather than coming in front of me.

What do you guys think? Would love to hear what others have done with their HomePod stereo placements.

 

[gigaguy]

I prefer to be equal distance from both and both in front of me. A triangle. Near a bed is too close for me. They need some space.
My two are about 7' apart and about 10' away from me, one on each end a long ent console about 30" off the ground.

 

[Mercury7]

I have 2 HomePods running as a stereo pair in my bedroom. I had them originally placed on the chest in front of my bed and they are about 45-50 inches apart with my TV in between. I tested it out by listening to some music and watching some movies on my Apple TV and the sound wasn't really what I had expected, it sounded alright but not the wow factor that I had hope for. So I decided to move them and put them on my night stand next to my bed and find that it sounds much better with the speakers directly to the right and left of me rather than coming in front of me.

What do you guys think? Would love to hear what others have done with their HomePod stereo placements.

My experiments over the last couple of days indicate they need a minimum of 7ft separation , otherwise they kinda meld together and defeat the purpose

 

[212rikanmofo]

True, I believe I need more space apart between the 2 in order to get the benefits of stereo, but unfortunately I can't place them that far unless I place them on the floor. 2 may be too much for my bedroom. I'll probably unpair it and put it in another room then.

 

[Mercury7]

I think that would e a wise move, one sounds great and seems to me would be plenty for a small space, my preference would be to center it though because you will get some stereo effect that way since some notes are often fired directionally

 

[MistrSynistr]

Stereo Homepods I noticed work best behind you/side of you in the back of the room, not next to the TV for Apple TV audio.

 

[Mercury7]

Stereo Homepods I noticed work best behind you/side of you in the back of the room, not next to the TV for Apple TV audio.

I think it’s about positioning, I am very pleased using these with appletv, using youtubetv

 

[cynics]

I have 2 HomePods running as a stereo pair in my bedroom. I had them originally placed on the chest in front of my bed and they are about 45-50 inches apart with my TV in between. I tested it out by listening to some music and watching some movies on my Apple TV and the sound wasn't really what I had expected, it sounded alright but not the wow factor that I had hope for. So I decided to move them and put them on my night stand next to my bed and find that it sounds much better with the speakers directly to the right and left of me rather than coming in front of me.

What do you guys think? Would love to hear what others have done with their HomePod stereo placements.

Typically with stereo speakers you want to place them in front of you so using the speakers and yourself as point form an equilateral triangle. Speakers aimed at you and EQ from the listening position.

This arrangement typically works well for TV with the TV being between the speakers. This is how 2 channel is stereo is produced for television since its the typical setup. If they are on your right and left you could be watching two people on TV talk and it sound like you are standing between them while you are seeing them in front of you. Disorienting for some. The HomePods are especially good at being disorienting because they are omnidirectional and auto EQ.

However its all about what YOU like the best. There is no right and wrong when it comes to your preference. And it doesn't matter too much with the HomePod they will equalize themselves. However you if they are above you and anything is in the way such as the shelf its on it won't sound as good as it does in line of site.

 

[Mercury7]

Just thought I would repeat this for people with challenging seating positions, with using stero homepods on either side of your tv and if you are not sitting in front of them, you can steer the phantom speaker sweetspot to your seating position by moving the furthest HomePod from you forward a few inches, I had to do this and now dialog is anchored solidly to my tv screen ( this is imaging and it’s important to have this right for music too)

 

[ipedro]

Any thoughts on differing heights? I’m thinking of putting one HomePod on a shelf that’s about 4 feet off the floor and the other HomePod on the opposite side of the room on a floating shelf about 2 ft off the floor.

Given how HomePods already create this 3D soundstage where it’s hard to locate where they are in space, I wonder if it’ll account for the different heights.

Remember that Apple pulls this off with its multiple microphones, allowing HomePods listen to both themselves and to each other to fine tune the sound bouncing off surfaces into the perfect soundstage that just sounds like it’s coming from everywhere.

My second HomePod arrives later this week. I’ll report back.

 

[audioaudio]

Any thoughts on differing heights? I’m thinking of putting one HomePod on a shelf that’s about 4 feet off the floor and the other HomePod on the opposite side of the room on a floating shelf about 2 ft off the floor.

Given how HomePods already create this 3D soundstage where it’s hard to locate where they are in space, I wonder if it’ll account for the different heights.

Remember that Apple pulls this off with its multiple microphones, allowing HomePods listen to both themselves and to each other to fine tune the sound bouncing off surfaces into the perfect soundstage that just sounds like it’s coming from everywhere.

My second HomePod arrives later this week. I’ll report back.

Pretty funny. I have about the same set up in my office space. The left height is 3 ft off the ground on a shelf. The right one is closer to me that is 2 feet off the ground on a table top. Both are behind me.

I coudln't deal with 1 sound coming from the left so I added a 2nd Homepod to the right, but now I hear the right one more than the left. Is there no way to control how much music is coming out from each speaker to equal them out when i'm clearly closer to the right one?

Regardless sounds good but expected better. Almost feels like 1 homepod "sounds better" if you know what that means.

 

[ipedro]

Any thoughts on differing heights? I’m thinking of putting one HomePod on a shelf that’s about 4 feet off the floor and the other HomePod on the opposite side of the room on a floating shelf about 2 ft off the floor.

Given how HomePods already create this 3D soundstage where it’s hard to locate where they are in space, I wonder if it’ll account for the different heights.

Remember that Apple pulls this off with its multiple microphones, allowing HomePods listen to both themselves and to each other to fine tune the sound bouncing off surfaces into the perfect soundstage that just sounds like it’s coming from everywhere.

My second HomePod arrives later this week. I’ll report back.

My second HomePod arrived.

Stereo pairing is absolutely insane! I thought the sound of a single HomePod was rich... You know that amazing sound you get with an excellent set of noise cancelling headphones? It's just you and the music. HomePods replicate that feeling of being secluded, just you and the music, but it does it without having to cover your ears with headphones.

But stereo pairing isn't really why I bought a second HomePod. The second one is for the bedroom. I live in an open concept condo so it's not a fully closed off room. The bedroom has walls on 2 sides and is open to the living room. The original HomePod is close to the bedroom but not in it. I placed the second HomePod in its intended home inside the bedroom on a dresser that's about 4 feet off the floor while the living room HomePod is on a floating shelf a little less than 2 feet off the floor.

I'm playing them not as a pair but together as separate rooms. Holy cow. The sound is of course perfectly synced so walking from one room to another, it just sounds like the music is being generated in thin air all around you. If I didn't know where they were and you told me to find the HomePods, I would have difficult locating them. Close my eyes and I literally have no clue. These HomePods completely envelop you in sound no matter where you are, as you walk around freely.

HomePods are Apple's most underrated product. I really hope they don't give up on it.

 

[delta.hex]

I am getting my second HomePod today and I am also really excited. I plan to pair them in stereo for my home office. I am debating about placement. I was thinking to get some wall mounts (rack solutions) but after reading about Apple's recommendations that it should be 6-12 inches away from the wall, I am thinking maybe I should put floating shelves instead. Anybody has compared both?

 

[mpainesyd]

Try listening to Let it Be -Naked by the Beatles. The stereo is so clear that I'd swear you can hear movement in the Abbey Road studio!

 

[newellj]

Some of this depends on how you like your audio. I have a stereo pair in our living room and positioned them fairly close to walls to get a little more reflective sound. Whether that's what actually happened I can't really say, but I like the sound of the pair a lot.

Stereo Homepods I noticed work best behind you/side of you in the back of the room, not next to the TV for Apple TV audio.

I briefly tried them up near the TV, using them as add-on audio for the HT system. It didn't work out well (though that could be because I dropped them into the middle of the HT sound setup).
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Try listening to Let it Be -Naked by the Beatles. The stereo is so clear that I'd swear you can hear movement in the Abbey Road studio!

I've had an awful lot of speakers over the last 40 years. I simply love the clarity of the HomePods in stereo. They're clear without being too bright or too directional. Siri often annoys me, but the sound is worth the trouble.