Static and crackling sound on HomePod Mini

I updated all HomePods of all versions to OS 18.1.

I have been playing for about 2 days now and notice no static; the music stays synchronized across stereo pairs and non-paired HomePods. There also appears to be less latency when a) starting to play music when HomePod needs to exit sleep. Another improvement is that volume control doesn't show latency, so it's easy to increase/decrease volume for multiple HomePods.

Unless the problem recurs, I'm assuming that my issues are fixed with HomePod OS 18.1.

I can confirm exactly what you have stated and thought it was my UI network except my HomePod is using 5ghz without issue but becomes super static and cracking after a few minutes of play then quits playing and has a huge delay in getting the wide to play again. This has been happening from 17.6

I’m also experiencing this issue with crackling, distortion and out of synch dropouts when airplaying Apple Music to my HomePods and I have now logged a formal support case with apple

Apple Case ID:  102444010836

Mine has magically quit having the static sound. I did report it to Apple via the feedback email address.

This is affecting all 4 of my HomePod minis. Since updating, I have to constantly restart my HomePods because they are crackling and out of sync with each other. This is horrible

Sure enough the static started a few hours after posting that I hadn’t had any static for 4 days.

I even downloaded and installed the newest iOS available on all of my HomePods, I have seven of them had no static for a day thought. Awesome It’s fixed !! Nothing but static today!!!!

It’s interesting to me that it doesn’t happen on every HomePod. I have two minis and it happens on one, but not the other.

Amazing Apple has yet to release a bug fix update for this AirPlay problem!

Well at least I’m not crazy alone. C’mon Apple. Fess up and fix this.

This also has started - specifically with audio from Spotify - on one of my two original HomePods. Running iOS 18 most recent releases across the board as of 10/27/24.

I’m in the process of updating my HomePods right now and hope it solves this issue for all of us. The crackling was so bad I thought it was going to do damage to the units that I have in the kitchen. Thanks all!

Same for me on HomePods (minis and regular) after installing iOS 18. Crackling and even just had music get stuck on a skipping sound like it used to do when listening to a CD. This is happening when playing Apple Music.

I've tried resetting them all, still get the random static. I'm gonna start tracking the time and date next few times it crackles. Wouldn't it be interesting if we all experienced it at the same time? Like it's not internal but from the source?? Hmmm?

Statics, crackling, single Homepods disconnecting randomly, sometimes last chunk of audio is stuck in a permanent loop (0.25 sec)…

this is really annoying.

in my setup i have 5 Homepod Mini and 1 Belkin Soundform Connect.

music is played via iphone 13. all on newest firmware.

Network is AVM Fritz Mesh. Newest hard-/firmware.

In addition to the Airplay/Homepod problems the Iphone regularely disconnects from Wifi.

AVM knows the problem but passes it on to Apple. - no solution for several Updates even major OS updates).

so i guess its time to switch back to good old FM Transmitter/Receiver for seamless multiroom audio. - welcome to the future (2024)