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Google Home Max will get an update to fix audio latency issues

Google Home Max will get an update to fix audio latency issues

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The update is expected to reduce line-in delay from 550 to 39 milliseconds

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Photo by James Bareham / The Verge

The Google Home Max will be receiving a performance update to fix audio latency issues by the end of the month, reports The Next Web. Currently, when you play something through the speaker via its 3.5mm port, like a record player, there’s a noticeable lag. That can be annoying if you’re using your Home Max with a TV source and the sound is delayed and out of sync with the picture. Google says the new update should fix this, and it’s expected to reduce line-in delay from 550 to 39 milliseconds. That translates to reducing latency by about 93 percent.

In a statement to The Next Web, Chris Chan, Google Home Max product manager, said:

“In launching Max, we knew that a vast majority of users would love using the Google Assistant to stream their favorite artist or album. We also learned that many users enjoyed using line-in to bring their personal collections to life. This performance improvement makes Max an even more frictionless experience for those plugging in their record player, smartphone or other audio source.”

In our review of the $400 Home Max, we noted its solid, full sound and handy integration with Google Assistant. We did notice, however, that the smart speaker doesn’t sound as good as comparable Sonos speakers like the Play:5, which has crisper, clearer sound, though that costs $100 more.

Still, if the performance update can fix those audio latency issues, it’s likely to entice more users — especially considering Google Assistant’s rapidly expanding capabilities.