Apple adds support for paired HomePods in stereo as default audio output with macOS 11.3 beta



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Users can already pair two HomePods in stereo mode and set them as audio output on iPhone, iPad, and even Apple TV. However, using a stereo pair of HomePods on a Mac isn’t that easy. macOS Big Sur 11.3 beta, which released today for developers, finally adds an option to set paired HomePods in stereo as the default audio output on Mac.

In previous versions of macOS, stereo paired HomePods were available as an option in the Music app or for other AirPlay content, but you had to select them for each content through the AirPlay menu. When trying to choose stereo paired HomePods as the default option, macOS shows the left and right sides as separate outputs.

With macOS Big Sur 11.3 beta installed, the system now shows a HomePod pair as a single option in the audio output list instead of showing each HomePod separately. Once you click on the pair of HomePods, the system will automatically use them to play sounds in stereo mode.

The feature doesn’t work consistently yet, but it’s still a big step up from the experience Mac users have had with the HomePod so far. It should be noted that this only allows you to use two HomePods to play stereo sound from media such as music and videos on different apps, but system sounds will only remain played on Mac speakers. integrated.

As stated by my 9to5Mac colleague Ben Lovejoy, Apple never implemented AirPlay 2 on macOS, only adding it to some of the system’s native apps. This may suggest that the company is finally implementing its latest audio protocol on the system.

The reason is, incredibly, because the macOS system does not natively support AirPlay 2, only AirPlay 1. Yes, the latest version of Apple’s flagship operating system does not support the latest version of the audio protocol. from Apple. Apple has built the protocols into its audio apps, but not into macOS itself.

macOS Big Sur 11.3 is now available exclusively for developers, and it’s unclear when Apple plans to release it to the public.

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