I have an issue that seems to elude the minds of all the Apple technicians with whom I discuss it. I have replaced approximately eight HomePod minis (white) since purchasing two new in May of 2023 because they keep failing for no apparent reason. I connect two as a stereo pair and they both work for a while, then without notice or any sign of a problem, one of the two invariably fails (will not power up at all). Since they are on AppleCare+ they continue to be replaced, but the same thing happens with each replacement. I connect the replacement with the one that continued to work and set them up as a stereo pair, and the same problem repeats itself. They both work for a while, but the one that was originally working (the older replacement) fails, and the newer replacement mini continues to work. This cycle keeps repeating.
There are several things I’ve tried, without positive results, to troubleshoot that may offer some insight:
I have three other HomePod minis in the house (all Space Gray) that work as expected—two connected as a stereo pair in one room and one stand alone in another room.
I have tried several different power supplies.
I have had the electricity in the house checked by an electrician.
I have tried them in three different rooms with the same result.
I have had both units connected into the same electrical outlet.
I have had both units connected to the same surge protector.
I have had each individual unit connected to its own surge protector.
There is no consistent timeline for the failure, e.g., I have had a failure in as little time as overnight and I’ve had both speakers operational consistently for approximately one month. All the other failures have occurred at variable intervals.
Any thoughts or ideas will be greatly appreciated.
Weird component deaths are frequently tied to bad power, as evidenced by your somewhat extreme efforts to diagnose power issues. Have you considered putting them on a quality UPS to see if something weird is going on with your power? (Is there anything large nearby, such that it would produce something like motor spikes? A/C, fridge, elevator, etc?)
Thanks for the reply. That’s what is so strange about the problem. Power was checked by electrician and everything good. Both units plugged in to the same surge protector. Both work as a stereo unit fine when first connected, but then over time it’s always just one that stops responding and when I get the replacement HomePod mini and set them up as a stereo pair, the same thing repeats, always with the one that was working failing and the replacement module working until I add the next replacement and the process repeats. There is no indication of damage, they just stop working and won’t power up. Apple just keeps supplying replacement units. Also, as I mentioned I have three other units functioning fine in the same environment two as a stereo pair and one as a stand alone.
A surge protector can be worth very little. Most of them are sacrificial, and only really make a difference if the surge is fairly significant, and do little for other conditions which can be harmful such as consistently high or low power. This is why I suggested the UPS. It will not tolerate bad power, and you will hear it squeal if things take a turn for the bad.
The problem is, if it is an old fridge, for example or an old microwave or a TV or other device causing a short or spike, that probably wouldn’t be running, when the power was checked, the same if the sub station is providing power spikes every now and then, if it didn’t happen, when the electrician was checking the cabling, he wouldn’t see anything. Cheap power filters and surge protectors often aren’t worth the plastic they are encased in.
I’ve had a pair of orange ones running for about a year, with no problems and I’ve not heard of any general problem.
Putting them on a decent UPS might help at least narrow down the electricity.