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HomePod Am I the only one disappointed with the HomePod's sound quality?
- Thread starter Z3man
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Excellent!! I'm pleased to hear that a little placement experimentation has made that much difference! The HomePod really is quite good, isn't it!
Yes it is pretty good, its just a shame it is so sensitive to placement and i cant have it exactly where i want it, but not a major problem.
I have been doing some more testing today and the sound quality is definitely better when i stream from my MacBook to it rather than just using the HP. It is a little disappointing that they are not both the same, i assume that is because when streaming from the MacBook i am using the equaliser. That proves the HP could be even better if Apple gave us some presets or equaliser settings in the Home menu settings. You never know we may get some in the future.
The only music I have natively on the HomePod is my iTunes purchases, and I have done a few tests playing those and comparing them to the iTunes saved copies via Airplay. There was no real difference that wasn't primarily just related to the difference in volume. But that said, my HomePod is on a coffee table with no wall near it, so there is no structure in its vicinity to impact on its initial performance.
Keep experimenting! Personally, I'd put it back where it was originally, and play something from Apple Music or iTunes purchases for a few minutes and see what happens. If Apple are right, that it detects when it is moved and then adjusts itself to the acoustic profile of its location, that will give it the best chance to get it right. I say this because last night I was streaming a radio station that sounded rather thin and mid-rangy, and picked the HomePod up to see if it had created a white ring on the table (it hadn't, I obviously don't have the right quality furniture). After I put it back down and went back to the couch, I was surprised to hear that the bass had firmed up and the sound was far more balanced again.
Keep experimenting! Personally, I'd put it back where it was originally, and play something from Apple Music or iTunes purchases for a few minutes and see what happens. If Apple are right, that it detects when it is moved and then adjusts itself to the acoustic profile of its location, that will give it the best chance to get it right. I say this because last night I was streaming a radio station that sounded rather thin and mid-rangy, and picked the HomePod up to see if it had created a white ring on the table (it hadn't, I obviously don't have the right quality furniture). After I put it back down and went back to the couch, I was surprised to hear that the bass had firmed up and the sound was far more balanced again.
I just picked up the HomePod, yay me 
The sound is phenominal, I'm blown away by how it sounds at home.
The sound is phenominal, I'm blown away by how it sounds at home.
I just picked up the HomePod, yay me
The sound is phenominal, I'm blown away by how it sounds at home.
I was about to reply to your earlier post and say that every day that you wait is another day you don't have a HomePod. It really is too good to wait for!
You couldn't resist it in the end, glad you are happy.I just picked up the HomePod, yay me
The sound is phenominal, I'm blown away by how it sounds at home.
I am loving the convenience of it, not having to turn things on or press buttons, just using voice activation.
Now if Apple could just give some presets or equaliser settings it would be perfect.
OK, I was just about to reply to your original post about how spot on your description of the sound was, I basically said the same things about it sounding muffled etc and was laughed at here, but I have been wondering if moving the speaker to a different place might help a bit. Currently I have it set on the surface of an opening between my kitchen (which is being redecorated) and dining area as shown here:
Where it's placed it sounds just as you originally described, muffled as if hidden deep and covered in towels is how I describe it. I'm thinking it needs a wall to bounce some of the sound off of like it Apples little animation but it's not getting it here, trouble is the only real other place I could put it is just below that on the dining room sideboard just below the picture, then it would have a bit of wall to use though that would bounce it into the dining area and the kitchen might lose sound quality, plus where it's at the controls on top are accessible from both rooms(yeah I know, Siri, but still.)
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I'm wondering what sort of music you're listening to?
Some of the music on Apple Music - especially older stuff - is really badly compressed. For instance one of the first things my Wife said to the HomePod was 'Hey Siri - play some John Holt'. It sounded like the music was being squeezed down a tube into a HomePod wrapped in tracing paper. It was dreadful! Nothing to do with the HomePod - all down to Apple Music.
So try it with a bunch of stuff
I just picked up the HomePod, yay me
The sound is phenominal, I'm blown away by how it sounds at home.
I did an unprecedented bad thing, I bought a second one today. My house isn’t huge, but long. I had one in the living room but I also wanted one in my office and was tired of carrying it back and forth.
Plus, when AirPlay 2 comes out I can set them in the same room if I was to enjoy stereo sound.
——
For me, Siri works 85% of the time, but I just use it to play albums or playlists.
I don’t have audiophile equipment, I just love music. I’d rather buy super high end headphones than massive speakers that shake the house. The HomePod is a happy median - easy to use and good sounding speaker when I don’t want to wear headphones.
To be fair, that just proves that it could be better for you, buy, yeah, they may as well provide a few EQ options.
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part of why it did not work for my wife besides siri is we did not have a good place to put it. if it is on the coffee table it is really too low and just did not sound great. plus there is a chair and two couches around it. sitting on the table between the regular floor standing speakers it is pretty far from the kitchen thats a straight shot. but we also have the slam walls that narrow the space between the two rooms. the B&) speaker works better in this situation as it has a forward firing midrange speaker. my wife is planning on dropping apple music so the home pod would become less useful. She found siri works well with her iPad to control most streaming stuff. not always like I tried the cast's app and it would pause but not start with siri with ibooks laying audiobooks it works well using siri. it is a good work around for my wife.
I’m disappointed that you are disappointed. Does that disappoint you?I don't have one yet, but from my testing in the Apple store and reviews, I think the sound is impressive, so much so, the odds of my purchasing one increase on a daily basis
When i moved mine and got the big improvement, besides moving it more in the open i also moved it quite a lot higher. I have been doing some testing to see which made the biggest difference or were both equal. So i tried it in some lower locations but out in the open and it was ok, but as soon as i put in higher the sound improved quite a bit. So i have come to the conclusion it is both, but mainly putting it higher as that naturally puts it more in the open as well. Mine is on the top of a tall narrow set of shelves just over 5 1/2' tall, so nothing gets in the way of the sound until it hits the walls, now it has a chance to fill the room and calibrate itself.OK, I was just about to reply to your original post about how spot on your description of the sound was, I basically said the same things about it sounding muffled etc and was laughed at here, but I have been wondering if moving the speaker to a different place might help a bit. Currently I have it set on the surface of an opening between my kitchen (which is being redecorated) and dining area as shown here:
Where it's placed it sounds just as you originally described, muffled as if hidden deep and covered in towels is how I describe it. I'm thinking it needs a wall to bounce some of the sound off of like it Apples little animation but it's not getting it here, trouble is the only real other place I could put it is just below that on the dining room sideboard just below the picture, then it would have a bit of wall to use though that would bounce it into the dining area and the kitchen might lose sound quality, plus where it's at the controls on top are accessible from both rooms(yeah I know, Siri, but still.)
I think moving it higher i don't notice the bass as much either as the bass comes out of the top, and the rest of the sound comes out the bottom.
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I mainly listen to stuff like U2 and The Killers, but i also listen to a lot of 1970's UK punk and skinhead music, also some Elvis Presley and Neil Diamond. I do listen to other things, even a bit of modern chart music, but cant list them all.
Hi all. I have an iPad Pro, an iPhone, an Apple TV, and I use Apple Music. I really wanted to buy a Homepod when it comes to Canada, but some comparisons to Sonos and this kind of reviews make me hesitate (my Sonos One sounds terrific). That, and the fact that I love Tunein internet radio (this is something Apple must include in the future. TUnein is not competing with them, but would complement the offering). But what interests me the most is the sound quality of the speaker. So when I read that the sound quality depends on the speaker placement.....it's actually disappointing. I thought the whole point was to place the Homepod anywhere, and the sensors would work their magic. But it seems that first it has to be placed in a good place, with good bouncing elements around. That defeats the purpose of the speaker, I believe. So that, plus no Tunein..... mmmm...... am I better off changing my subscription to Spotify, stick to my Sonos, keep enjoying Tunein?
I wouldn’t say I was blown away with it initially. But I quickly stopped my music and moved the speaker to a different location and as others have said, the sound was much improved.
Being an old Hi-Fi hand as well I wasn’t making final judgment on it too soon. I’m one of those, you have to run it in, people. And it has borne out with HomePod too. There is a slight but discernible improvement in the sound quality after a good few days worth of near full volume running in.
It’s not perfect, but I don’t expect it to be for the price. However I am very happy with what it can do, for what it is and for what it costs.
The one thing I am looking forward to is the forthcoming change to reduce the bass for late night listening, as I currently find it a little bit much at the moment for that.
Being an old Hi-Fi hand as well I wasn’t making final judgment on it too soon. I’m one of those, you have to run it in, people. And it has borne out with HomePod too. There is a slight but discernible improvement in the sound quality after a good few days worth of near full volume running in.
It’s not perfect, but I don’t expect it to be for the price. However I am very happy with what it can do, for what it is and for what it costs.
The one thing I am looking forward to is the forthcoming change to reduce the bass for late night listening, as I currently find it a little bit much at the moment for that.
I would definitely stick with your Sonos for now, has much more functionality and most likely sounds better too.
I have never known a speaker so temperamental to placement as the HomePod, especially as it is advertised as palace anywhere speaker and the HP will do the rest, what loads of rubbish that statement has turned out to be. Lots of people are saying the same that you have to have the placement just right.
I managed to get a decent sound out of it when Airplaying from my MacBook using the presets or equaliser in iTunes, but then it just becomes an Airplay speaker and i already have much better speakers than the HP that i can Airplay from so no point in keeping it for that.
So i have returned mine today, no point in keeping it as just an Airplay speaker. But the main reason i am returning is the over powering bass, it just ruins the listening experience. It is always just thumping or droning away in the background and i cant wait to say "Hey Siri Stop" so i don't have to listen to it any more.
Very annoying as i really wanted to like this speaker, but owning it has introduced me to the smart speaker and streaming world, and i have decided i like it, so i am going to go the Amazon Alexa route, might even try Sonos with Alexa built in.
Does anyone know if the HP will auto-calibrate when the power is cut? Like if you plugged it in in one place, unplugged, moved it, then plugged it in the accelerometer would have never tripped, and it wouldn't "know" that it moved other than through the power loss.
It re-runs the calibration at power-up anyway, whether it's been moved or not. So it's fine for moving about and testing sound in different locations.
The good thing is that we as customers have options! Just keep in mind that a Sonos with built-in Alexa cannot voice control Apple Music. Only Amazon music and Spotify. You'd need to change your music service, as I will as soon as AM is expired. Good luck!
If i go the Alexa route i will get the single use Amazon Music subscription, it is only £3.99 per month, you can only use it on one device but that is all i need, this is just for my living room. I will get the 30 day free trial first, if i don't like it you never know by then Apple might have released an update for the HP giving it some presets or equaliser settings, if they do i would by another HomePod.
OK, I was just about to reply to your original post about how spot on your description of the sound was, I basically said the same things about it sounding muffled etc and was laughed at here, but I have been wondering if moving the speaker to a different place might help a bit. Currently I have it set on the surface of an opening between my kitchen (which is being redecorated) and dining area as shown here:
Where it's placed it sounds just as you originally described, muffled as if hidden deep and covered in towels is how I describe it. I'm thinking it needs a wall to bounce some of the sound off of like it Apples little animation but it's not getting it here, trouble is the only real other place I could put it is just below that on the dining room sideboard just below the picture, then it would have a bit of wall to use though that would bounce it into the dining area and the kitchen might lose sound quality, plus where it's at the controls on top are accessible from both rooms(yeah I know, Siri, but still.)
To me that looks like the HomePod has doesn't have a lot of surface to reflect off of. So that is probably why yours sounds muffled is there isn't a lot for the HomePod to use there to reflect sound from the tweeters. You have the inside of the arch but there may not be too much there for it to work with.
Tough to see what is at the spot you are taking the picture from but if you have somewhere near that wall behind where you are taking the picture from that would probably get lively sound in your living room and your kitchen should still get the audio through the opening but may still sound muffled (if you get the HomePod higher though it may help here too though). Seems to me though you may have to pick good sound in one room or muffled sound in both. Play around with placement though sometimes small movements can make a big impact. For example if that tall glass bottle happens to be between you and the speaker that could cause a lot of sound the high frequency sound to reflect back etc and also make the high end sound less lively at that position.
To me though this just looks like it would be a tough acoustical position for a lot of speakers. Your position likely will get the best balance in the two rooms but it maybe better to sacrifice some sound in one room to get the sound you want somewhere. At least worth a shot to see if you can get good sound out of it in one room you at least know if you like the speaker and then can worry about the best way to try and get good sound in both rooms.
Also just wanted to say maybe even moving it to the right even in that arch can help. Like if you have a wall off to the right of the picture moving it closer to that may give it more to reflect off of and may actually help the sound in both rooms. Like maybe try swapping it with the birthday wishes thing to get it closer to that wall to reflect. Middle and to the left of that arch may be the worst spots in the arch just because there is no wall on that side to create reflections.
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I have experimented a great deal with my HomePod, and it doesn't seem to matter much where it is placed, as long as it isn't in a corner, it sounds pretty much exactly the same. Mine lives on a coffee table with no surfaces nearby, and it sounds excellent. Very smooth, tight and detailed bass, very clear and crisp.