I’ve been struggling with this issue for a few years now and cannot seem to find a reliable solution. Google searches reveal (as Google generally does) no useful solutions.
Environment
While I am heavily invested in the Apple Ecosystem, I do have a mix of Sonos speakers (all the same model) and Apple HomePods scattered across various rooms of the house; some rooms just have Sonos and some just HomePods (such as the garages, as Sonos would be way too expensive); some rooms, such as my office, my wife’s office and the master bedroom have both devices.
Use Case
I am also heavily invested in the CHIME_TTS HA integration and use it in numerous scenarios to make voice announcements when appropriate. While it works like a charm in the Sonos-only environment, it has issues when I combine Sonos and HomePods together.
Currently, the Sonos are ONLY used for playing TTS announcements - as yet, I don’t stream music (although that was the original justification for them).
Issue
If I create a media player helper group containing a mix of Sonos and HomePods, there is a clear synchronization issue; the Sonos respond immediately, followed a couple of seconds later by the HomePods. (Using either the ‘group’ option in CHIME_TTS or as a separate call to group the speakers makes no difference.) I have tried using the Music Assistant add-on and referencing a combination through that, but that delivers a new set of symptoms: the HomePods play, but not the Sonos.
Has anyone found a stable and reliable workaround for this?