Apple Shares New Video on Getting the Most From HomePod

[Machead2012]

Really? Bose, the most artificial bass speakers ever, and the HP is muddy? Lol, to each his own...

Bose was never a favorite of mine but base tone and power are 2 different sounds. Beats headphones would exhibit power but horrible tone. Audio engineers hear things different obviously when mixing music but the point was more about the cost factor vs. the overall sound as my post clearly states. Paying extra for Siri is many minds might not be worth it but to each his own.

 

[Lab4Us]

Bose was never a favorite of mine but base tone and power are 2 different sounds. Beats headphones would exhibit power but horrible tone. Audio engineers hear things different obviously when mixing music but the point was more about the cost factor vs. the overall sound as my post clearly states. Paying extra for Siri is many minds might not be worth it but to each his own.

Um, your post said Bose blew away the HP in ...”the real bass tone” department, not to mention both highs and mids. I don’t buy that for a minute. Maybe their ears were more fatigued than thought!

Enjoy your minilink...I’ll enjoy my HPs. Oh, and I only use Siri to control music (and occassionally check weather to see if I need a jacket), so you are correct, that is part of what I paid for...well that and not having to sit in a 3ft “sweet spot” to hear music as intended, as well as personally experiencing the best tech in a speaker this size to date (some would refer to me as an early adopter). Way more than worth it.

 

[Deliro]

Box it back up, return it and use the money to get a Sonos. That is how you get the most out of it.

Without voice recognition anyone can send messages as you with this thing. They can also have Siri dictate the last message etc.. A no go for me.

 

[Mark Booth]

A friend who purchased a HomePod recently brought it to a Pro recording Studio last night to A/B the sound against a 2015 Bose Mini soundlink. While 2 staff Engineers present who's ears were use to listening to the in house Yamaha NS10 reference monitors that day which tend to be more dry sounding w little ear fatigue the opinion was unanimous. Where the HomePod was clearly louder and more powerful the Bose blew it away in the clarity, mid, high and real bass tone dept. The HomePod tended to be more muddy and break up at high levels however there was not a dispute in the quality of sound as much as the price differential between the two. One would argue that you are paying more for the Siri feature which many believe including reviews has a lot to be desired. Regardless he still is happy with his purchase but then again money is not an object for him.

I own a Bose SoundLink Mini that's 2015 vintage (received it as a gift in August 2015). When I got the HomePod I compared the two side-by-side. I connected my iPhone to the SoundLink Mini via Bluetooth and connected my iPad to the HomePod via AirPlay. The main test song was 'Hotel California' by The Eagles (live version from their tour) but I also listened to a few other tracks.

It was NO CONTEST. The HomePod blew away the Bose SoundLink Mini. While the Bose had a slight bit more "brightness", the extra brightness sounded artificial. It's what Bose does. They have been long-known to play with the frequency curve in their speakers and not provide accurate sound. Conversely, the HomePod has already been tested to deliver a very flat frequency response. An ACCURATE frequency response.

Beyond the artificially boosted highs (which, admittedly, can sound pleasing to the ear), it wasn't even a remotely close contest. The HomePod was superior in every other regard. Your engineer friends must be half deaf if they think the Bose had better bass than the HomePod. The two speakers aren't even on the same planet, let alone the same spreadsheet comparison. If bass response on the Bose was ranked as a 10 the bass response on the HomePod is a 1,000.

I found absolutely no lack of clarity to the HomePod. No muddiness whatsoever. The HomePod sounded natural, not artificial. And the HomePod also sounded like a much larger speaker than it is. The sound appeared to be coming from the HomePod and from the air for about a foot around the speaker. With the Bose SoundLink Mini the sound appeared to be coming from a little box plus a couple of inches. The Bose's sound field was tiny by comparison. And when I stepped off to the side of the two speakers, much of that artificial "clarity" of the Bose was lost while the HomePod sounded exactly the same (which is one of the things that makes the HomePod superior to a LOT of speakers).

Your report is so completely opposite of my experience that I'm stunned that anyone would say what you typed. Your engineer friends should try it again using some songs that actually contain some real bass, such as Hotel California.

Lastly, my test reminded me of my frustrations with the Bose. OMG, if the SoundLink Mini sits unused for a week or more it won't even turn on unless I place it on its charging plate for a brief moment to wake it up. And once I get it turned on it's a crapshoot whether or not Bose's Bluetooth will connect to my iPhone. I can't count the number of times I've had to delete the Bose's Bluetooth profile from my iPhone and pair them again. DOZENS of times over 2.5 years of ownership of the Bose. I've come close to throwing the thing in the trash on multiple occasions.

As a battery-powered portable speaker, the Bose SoundLink is a very nice choice to take on a picnic or to the beach. But suggesting it sounds better than a HomePod borders on being laughable.

Mark

 

[Machead2012]

Um, your post said Bose blew away the HP in ...”the real bass tone” department, not to mention both highs and mids. I don’t buy that for a minute. Maybe their ears were more fatigued than thought!

Enjoy your minilink...I’ll enjoy my HPs. Oh, and I only use Siri to control music (and occassionally check weather to see if I need a jacket), so you are correct, that is part of what I paid for...well that and not having to sit in a 3ft “sweet spot” to hear music as intended, as well as personally experiencing the best tech in a speaker this size to date (some would refer to me as an early adopter). Way more than worth it.

Sorry that you had difficulty reading and interpreting my post but as I said in my last post I never really cared for Bose. I also never said or insinuated that it was my mini link. My post clearly stated that a friend who is a recording engineer at a recording studio who along w his colleagues tested (A/B) his new purchase against a Bose Mini Link. I also clearly stated that he was still satisfied with his HP purchase even though they all concluded that the HomePod was not up to par the Bose mids, highs and bass tone (in their own words "blew it away") and that the cost factor was for Siri which has a lot to be desired based on many personal and trade reviews. I repeat , I'm sorry if you had difficulty reading and interpreting the post but I can't be any more clear. Personally I agree with them as far as the Siri handicap is concerned and the HP being overtly loud with little ascetic sound quality at high volumes but I can also understand why many would be intrigued with it's potential with pending Siri correcting Software upgrades down the road but also with the exception to the high price point. It's good news that today's consumer has choices in the Smart Speaker market and whether you agree or believe in their conclusion is your personal opinion. They (3 RCE's) have no reason to lie especially considering that one bought the HP and was satisfied. It was strictly and solely their professional observation and conclusion and as you said "To each his own". I guess that would be a fair and democratic way to end the debate.

[doublepost=1519161970][/doublepost]

I own a Bose SoundLink Mini that's 2015 vintage (received it as a gift in August 2015). When I got the HomePod I compared the two side-by-side. I connected my iPhone to the SoundLink Mini via Bluetooth and connected my iPad to the HomePod via AirPlay. The main test song was 'Hotel California' by The Eagles (live version from their tour) but I also listened to a few other tracks.

It was NO CONTEST. The HomePod blew away the Bose SoundLink Mini. While the Bose had a slight bit more "brightness", the extra brightness sounded artificial. It's what Bose does. They have been long-known to play with the frequency curve in their speakers and not provide accurate sound. Conversely, the HomePod has already been tested to deliver a very flat frequency response. An ACCURATE frequency response.

Beyond the artificially boosted highs (which, admittedly, can sound pleasing to the ear), it wasn't even a remotely close contest. The HomePod was superior in every other regard. Your engineer friends must be half deaf if they think the Bose had better bass than the HomePod. The two speakers aren't even on the same planet, let alone the same spreadsheet comparison. If bass response on the Bose was ranked as a 10 the bass response on the HomePod is a 1,000.

I found absolutely no lack of clarity to the HomePod. No muddiness whatsoever. The HomePod sounded natural, not artificial. And the HomePod also sounded like a much larger speaker than it is. The sound appeared to be coming from the HomePod and from the air for about a foot around the speaker. With the Bose SoundLink Mini the sound appeared to be coming from a little box plus a couple of inches. The Bose's sound field was tiny by comparison. And when I stepped off to the side of the two speakers, much of that artificial "clarity" of the Bose was lost while the HomePod sounded exactly the same (which is one of the things that makes the HomePod superior to a LOT of speakers).

Your report is so completely opposite of my experience that I'm stunned that anyone would say what you typed. Your engineer friends should try it again using some songs that actually contain some real bass, such as Hotel California.

Lastly, my test reminded me of my frustrations with the Bose. OMG, if the SoundLink Mini sits unused for a week or more it won't even turn on unless I place it on its charging plate for a brief moment to wake it up. And once I get it turned on it's a crapshoot whether or not Bose's Bluetooth will connect to my iPhone. I can't count the number of times I've had to delete the Bose's Bluetooth profile from my iPhone and pair them again. DOZENS of times over 2.5 years of ownership of the Bose. I've come close to throwing the thing in the trash on multiple occasions.

As a battery-powered portable speaker, the Bose SoundLink is a very nice choice to take on a picnic or to the beach. But suggesting it sounds better than a HomePod borders on being laughable.

Mark

Hi Mark - I guess it's all a matter of taste and opinion but I don't know you or what your taste or credentials are as far as good sound is concerned. That being said and considering that I have heard the HP and was not overly impressed myself with its sound (Powerful Volume excluded) I would have to agree with someone credible like a professional recording engineer with numerous Gold and Platinum Album credits and not rest my laurels solely on an Eagles Record (imho that borders on being laughable too) as there are much better comparisons to test bass sound but it's really not a big deal and not necessary for further detailed debate because again its a matter or personal taste and everyones ears are different. There are however documented negative reviews and well as some positive reviews on the HP and the bottom line is if someone is happy with spending the money on an HP then more power too them. Further - My post was simply a comment of a test result that I took to heart and shared and not intended to hit a nerve or be so polarizing (maybe a bit of an overreaction on your part with remarks about people being "half deaf"?) but on a positive note we do however share an opinion about Bose. I was never a fan and after owing a pair of their noise cancelling headphones (never owned a mini link so no comment) I would be reluctant to own another pair. In conclusion i'm glad that you are satisfied w your HP purchase along with many other posters here even if I would not personally spend my money on one.

"On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night."

Peace!

 

[EdT]

Perhaps Apple could do something extraordinary and simply tell us its plans for HomePod of the next 6 and 12 months?

Why does this need to be a secret?

When it comes to new or improved products I understand why any company isn’t specific. You don’t want to give competitors enough time and information to counter your product. But you also shouldn’t want to lose customers by not explaining where, in general terms, that product is going. Especially if competitors offer a similar product and they have a significant market lead.

 

[Mark Booth]

Further - My post was simply a comment of a test result that I took to heart and shared and not intended to hit a nerve or be so polarizing (maybe a bit of an overreaction on your part with remarks about people being "half deaf"?)

Anyone that believes a Bose SoundLink Mini sounds better (with ANY music) than a HomePod is most definitely tone deaf to near completely deaf. The laughable part is your belief that the SoundLink Mini has better bass. There's this thing called physics. It is IMPOSSIBLE for the tiny little speaker in a SoundLink Mini to move as much air as the 4" high excursion woofer in a HomePod. It's not just opinion, it's science.

Mark

 

[Machead2012]

Anyone that believes a Bose SoundLink Mini sounds better (with ANY music) than a HomePod is most definitely tone deaf to near completely deaf. The laughable part is your belief that the SoundLink Mini has better bass. There's this thing called physics. It is IMPOSSIBLE for the tiny little speaker in a SoundLink Mini to move as much air as the 4" high excursion woofer in a HomePod. It's not just opinion, it's science.

Mark

It seems that you are meticulously calculating your bass output opinion at HP's high volume level (dimensions included) In which I agree with you output wise but with the exception of actual bass sound/tone quality. The opinions from the original post where i specified an a/b comparison at low to normal levels (Not Cranking Bass Boom Levels which imho are muddy) I thought were pretty clear. Obviously not by your off kiltered interpretation but again I'm glad you are "most definitely" happy and feeling proud and fired up with your $350 HP listening to Eagles Music with "Science", "Physics" and "Impossible" all rolled into one. lol For me the word "impossible" comes off as limited and a tad finite as I'm more of an "anything is possible" type of guy and dragging science and physics into the "music listening experience" might be a little too anal retentive for me but hey....freedom of choice, different taste and varied opinion is a beautiful thing but I'm still not ready to bow down, pay homage and worship the HP just yet especially in its present state including the indentured slavery mindset where "it's their ecosystem or nada". Apparently im not alone in my view after reading the newer strings on this page, numerous negative credible trade reviews and the lackluster roll out of the product including the disappointing sales in comparison to other Apple launch products. Same goes for buying a Mini Link (not interested). In conclusion and without further debate all is still good for me while listening and enjoying music and I'm both hopeful and optimistic that we will see the much desired improvements including Airplay 2 and a respectable software upgrade for the dysfunctional Siri.

Roar on Mark and Viva your HomePod!

There she (The HP) stood in the doorway;
I heard the mission bell (Siri Reply)
And I was thinking to myself
'This could be heaven or this could be Hell'

 

[Tech198]

Neat Apple

 

[Keirasplace]

It seems that you are meticulously calculating your bass output opinion at HP's high volume level (dimensions included) In which I agree with you output wise but with the exception of actual bass sound/tone quality. The opinions from the original post where i specified an a/b comparison at low to normal levels (Not Cranking Bass Boom Levels which imho are muddy) I thought were pretty clear. Obviously not by your off kiltered interpretation but again I'm glad you are "most definitely" happy and feeling proud and fired up with your $350 HP listening to Eagles Music with "Science", "Physics" and "Impossible" all rolled into one. lol For me the word "impossible" comes off as limited and a tad finite as I'm more of an "anything is possible" type of guy and dragging science and physics into the "music listening experience" might be a little too anal retentive for me but hey....freedom of choice, different taste and varied opinion is a beautiful thing but I'm still not ready to bow down, pay homage and worship the HP just yet especially in its present state including the indentured slavery mindset where "it's their ecosystem or nada". Apparently im not alone in my view after reading the newer strings on this page, numerous negative credible trade reviews and the lackluster roll out of the product including the disappointing sales in comparison to other Apple launch products. Same goes for buying a Mini Link (not interested). In conclusion and without further debate all is still good for me while listening and enjoying music and I'm both hopeful and optimistic that we will see the much desired improvements including Airplay 2 and a respectable software upgrade for the dysfunctional Siri.

Roar on Mark and Viva your HomePod!

There she (The HP) stood in the doorway;
I heard the mission bell (Siri Reply)
And I was thinking to myself
'This could be heaven or this could be Hell'

Yeah, appeal to "authority" must feel good now in your opinion huh. Man, seriously.

And my parents have several Bose products and you are funny, that's I will say about that.
They're not close, not close at all especially at high volume were the Bose's sound like Trumpets no matter what music you play, even those with plenty of bass or even lower mids.

 

[Machead2012]

Yeah, appeal to "authority" must feel good now in your opinion huh. Man, seriously.

And my parents have several Bose products and you are funny, that's I will say about that.
They're not close, not close at all especially at high volume were the Bose's sound like Trumpets no matter what music you play, even those with plenty of bass or even lower mids.

Greetings Keirasplace!

Respectfully speaking - I'm not quite sure what point you are trying to convey due to your flawed grammar and ("appeal to authority" and "trumpets"?) comparison. Did you even read the post?

Regardless I repeat...

"freedom of choice, different taste and varied opinion is a beautiful thing"

Peace!