If it was $229, this would've been worth it.
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Apple Announces New HomePod for $299 With Full-Size Design, S7 Chip, and More
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Should have made them pairable with the Apple TV to use the mini as rear surround speakers, that would be nice.
considering $299 two years ago is $342 today, they did technically lower the price. something to keep in mind.
I am underwhelmed with the sound of a single HomePod Mini but it appears that the new HomePod doesn't produce stereo sound unless it's paired with a like model.
In this age of entitlement, you’re surprised by this?
I have the original HomePod and I think it is worth it. Even when I take it outside in the backyard, the amount of bass it pushes in all directions* is amazing for its size.
* This is what sets this speaker apart from others... it's not directional. I can place it on the patio table in the middle of my yard and clearly hear it (and speak to it) from anywhere in the back yard.
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Perhaps this is their strategy because this new one comes with everything the old one has out of the gate. The first gen was getting ‘basic’, expected features added after it had been discontinued. Reviews for the first one noted its shortcomings - some of which were addressed in updates, but were never reflected in day-of-release reviews.
This one comes out more fully baked from Day 1. Reviews will reflect that.
I think they screwed themselves over by drip-feeding features during the OG’s lifespan.
Put Alexa in this thing and I’d be all over it.
I thought this was an early April Fool's joke. Glad to see the OG HomePod back. The sound on the original is still leagues better than the Mini.
I'm hoping this is something they add in the future. Would be great to have more speakers in the mix for Atmos support (as it supports many speaker positions). Would love two larger HomePods as they are now, then a couple of minis for "surround tweeters".
That’s an interesting way of seeing something entirely different.
Cause every grandma should have the choice / needs to know if she needs an Ethernet port or not to watch Netflix, needs one or two SSD NANDs to go on the Facebooks, 5 or 7 tweeters or whatever mini is packing tweeter wise to recount Elvis, and if jelly scroll is gonna impact her National Enquirer cursory glance she enjoys in the morning
If it’s still Airplay only then I don’t care. Airplay sucks and has such high latency you cannot use these for real time applications like MacBook speakers.
Basically agreed. Had one for a few months, didn't like the sound profile at all in my small room, and Siri was unreliable at best. People told me that once you pair it with another the sound is a lot better, which I could believe, but when the way to fix my £200 speaker is to buy a second £200 speaker, nah, I'm out. Replaced it with a Denon mini hi-fi that suits my needs a lot more, though I appreciat they're not comparable items really.
It will be interesting to see how they compare sound wise. It’s possible the 5 tweeters are bigger and can still effectively give the full sound of the original. The original mentioned “Array of seven horn-loaded tweeters, each with its own custom amplifier”- the new one doesn’t mention individual custom amplifiers. That probably saves cost, and maybe they have something that works just as good.
I hope the 4 microphones still work as good as the original- it’s pretty amazing that you can whisper across the room with loud noises playing and the original homepod will pick it up- hopefully the new one is quicker/better at processing commands.
It seems Apple is using Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos interchangeably. The press release makes no mention of Atmos specifically.
I think they've done this before, and it's probably to generate more buzz in the media. I bet an M2 iMac or new AirPods Max arrive tomorrow.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
You likely well know that Bluetooth can deliver only inferior quality audio to these "superior quality" (sound) speakers. Bluetooth is "the future" only in terms of cutting a cord. What it delivers to the speaker is inferior to what can be delivered by that cord. If the reason to buy these is superior sound, they can't deliver their "superior" if the source is hamstrung.
One AUX jack will also make these useful as "dumb" speakers beyond a time when Apple may choose to stop supporting them. They would still sound just as good 10 years from now, even if Apple gives up on them in the next year or two. Unlike even iPhones, speakers tend to have very long useful lives with reasonable care. Good speakers can easily sound just as good 10-20 years after purchase.
AUX also opens them up to all of the other audio sources that Apple chooses not to directly support. Yes, airplay can get around this issue but that's depending on a whole other Apple device to throw alternative audio to these. An AUX option would work with Apple devices and non-Apple devices too.
It seems a very reasonable want by consumers to me.
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I cant wait for YT influencers to say that it ‘feels’ more premium while picking it up and taking it out of the box
Debunked, the link is literally "HomePod 2nd gen":
HomePod (2nd generation)
High-fidelity audio. Intelligent assistant. Home hub that works across devices. HomePod is a powerhouse speaker with the privacy of Apple built in.
www.apple.com
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
Suspended
I agree $299 is still alot for a speaker.
I’ve always kind of wondered if there really is a Greg Joswiak, or if it’s a virtual identity made up from the names Jo(b)s and W(ozn)iak.