Should I Use the Apple Homepod as a Speaker for my Apple TV 4K?
Best answer: The answer is a resounding yes if you're looking for a great stereo sound for your Apple TV. You can even use two HomePods!Crystal clear audio: HomePod ($345)Beautiful TV experience: Apple TV 4K ($179 - $199)
HomePod uses direct and ambient audio beamforming for room-filling sound
It's small but mighty. A single HomePod can, indeed, fill your living room with the sound of explosions, swelling violins, clashing swords, or whatever else you're looking for. The beamforming array makes it so that you can hear things at about the same level anywhere in the room.
The quality is stellar. The first time I watched Star Wars with my Apple TV connected to my HomePod, I shivered. It's got a robust bass level and well-rounded mids and highs.
HomePod does support limited Siri controls on your Apple TV, too. You can ask Siri to pause, play, skip ahead, or rewind. However, there are limitations. You can't ask Siri on HomePod to start playing a movie or recommend something to watch, but it will respond to any request for playback controls and even play subtitles for 10 seconds if you say, "Hey Siri, what did he say?" while watching something.
It's important to point out that HomePod only connects to AirPlay supported devices, so until television sets, DVD players, and gaming consoles support AirPlay, your HomePod won't connect to them.
Two HomePods are better than one
Though a single HomePod is room-filling, I quickly discovered just how much better two HomePods are. Thanks to AirPlay 2, you can group your HomePod duo on Apple TV so they can be used as true left-right speaker channels. I'll tell you what, nothing is cooler than hearing a weird creaking noise coming from the right side of the room that you didn't realize was part of the movie because it only came out of one speaker.
Because of the amazing technology of the beamforming array, both HomePod speakers send out audio waves around the room in equal parts. While a single HomePod fills a room, two HomePods really fill it. It's not just louder either. It spreads the sound out across the room better so that anywhere you sit, you're hearing the volume at the same level. Plus you can experience the features of left-right sound.
Yes, two HomePods are definitely better than one.
It's a great sound system for your Apple TV 4K and two HomePods are much better than one. You'll thank me when you hear that left-right channel sound.
If you're still on the fence about whether you need an Apple TV 4K, it's the perfect package to add to your dual HomePod set up.
