Apple
HomePod (1st gen · A1639)
Original 2017-launch HomePod · 7-tweeter array + woofer · spatial-audio smart speaker · repaired Feb 2026 for known sb-diode-failure issue
Model
Apple HomePod (1st gen) · A1639 · launched Feb 2018, discontinued Mar 2021; superseded by HomePod 2nd gen (A2825) and HomePod mini (A2374)
Manufacture date code
1746k–1748k · Apple year-week code for Nov–Dec 2017 (year 2017, weeks 46–48) · this date-code range is the cohort with the documented sb-diode-failure-on-amplifier defect
Known issue
Sb-diode failure on amplifier board · presents as "no power" or sudden death after years of use · industry term among repair shops: "death farts" or "bass farts" (DC fault on the subwoofer drive that produces distorted low-frequency bursts before total failure) · repairable, not a write-off
Current status
Operational · repaired by Nic's Fix LLC (Feb 2026); 1+yr warranty on the work
Serial number
TBD — capture from the underside of the unit (Apple etches the serial onto the rubber base) and log here
Current status
Powered up and in service. Death-farts symptom mitigated by Nic's Fix LLC DC-filter replacement 26 February 2026. Subwoofer gasket also swapped from original foam to rubber (more durable). 1+yr workmanship warranty from Nic's Fix runs through ~February 2027.
References
- Nic's Fix LLC nicsfix.com · the repair shop · Bellevue, WA · phone 509-220-8752 · email nic@nicsfix.com
- Repair VOD YouTube · Nic's Fix live repair stream · the actual repair captured on video (referenced on the invoice)
- Apple support support.apple.com/homepod · official docs
- iFixit teardown ifixit.com/Device/Apple_HomePod · component reference
- Community context the sb-diode-failure pattern is widely documented in r/HomePod and r/AppleSpeakers; Apple acknowledged via out-of-warranty service program for affected units in some regions
Service log
26 February 2026
Speaker repair
Paid · 26 Feb 2026
Nic's Fix LLC (12819 SE 38th St #341, Bellevue, WA 98006 · invoice #0783). Subtotal $50 + shipping $20 + tip $5 = $70.00 total · paid $75 (overpayment $5 noted on invoice).
Diagnosis matched the known sb-diode-failure pattern for the 1746k–1748k date-code cohort: no power, dead Schottky-bypass diode on the amplifier board.
Work performed:
- Sb diode replacement on amplifier board
- DC filters replaced (mitigates "death farts" / distorted-bass failure mode)
- Subwoofer gasket replaced — original Apple foam swapped for rubber (more durable)
Warranty: 1+ year on the work, runs through ~Feb 2027.
Receipt: 2026-02-26-nics-fix-apple-homepod-a1639-repair-70usd.pdf · Live VOD: YouTube
Cross-references
- Personal category index — parent
- Nic's Fix LLC — go-to remote-mail-in repair shop for Apple-Pod-class hardware; warranty their work; live-stream the diagnosis as marketing