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Deals: HomePod Returns to $199.99 at Best Buy ($99 Off)
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I feel the same way. Setup an LG TV with echo the other day and it felt like I was transported back to Windows, testing through trial and error which driver worked with my mouse. Very clunky and not at all seamless.
Honest question, I have a JBL bluetooth speaker that sounds great and doesn't have to be plugged in. What does the HomePod offer over that?
Plus, the JBL bluetooth has an audio in/out and does not listen to you...
And of course this is still NOT on Sale at BestBuy Canada. still $399. Going forward I should ignore the $ amount on these 'sale' main page articles, since it's always referring to USA, when these stores are global.
Yes, I have Siri and HomeKit on the phone, watch, and now computer as well. You don’t need to use Siri on the HomePod - you can also just use it as an awesome airplay speaker to play ANY audio from your phone or Mac. I do this all the time. The sound quality really is awesome.
Tempted, but I barely use the nice pair of Klipsch speakers I bought while waiting for this to release originally.
Admittedly that because the wife and I are currently in an apartment and they scare the cat, but c'est la vie.
Admittedly that because the wife and I are currently in an apartment and they scare the cat, but c'est la vie.
Yep that was me - its a real leap getting a stereo pair - I have two in our conservatory and two in the bedroom
That makes a good point. But bestbuy.com has the one listed at 199. Price is the same now. And at the same price, the HomePod is much better. Sonos also lists the One as being good for “every room”. Sounds like they line up for competition now. And I’d be happy to trade my Sonos One for a HomePod if anyone is open to it.
Again....to each his own....blind tests cannot tell the difference or have the Homepod not finishing first.
Thank you again! The difference is huge, and not just with respect to stereo separation, but also yielding a richer sound with more clarity.
Compelling price. I have a few airport expresses around the house hooked to some decent speakers, so somehow eventually looking to get Airplay 2 working with those speakers when the airport express eventually dies... I wanted a speaker I could quickly unplug and steam music to around my deck, or other areas of the house last month, but price of Homepod pushed me away. I instead got the Sonos One, and actually very happy with the sound in a single speaker. Frustrating that I can't use Siri on it for songs started on a phone that I want to skip, though I suppose I can do that on my watch... Use of Alexa or Google along with many, many music services is the big plus here though, and using Alexa to play back Apple Music service works great. Lots of SONOS radio options, and easy to ask to play back CBC News for a half hour if I want a music and screen break, and listen to what's going on in the world.
If Homepod was $100 cheaper at the time, would I have bitten? Likely. Alas, they sell for $399CAD. Though in retrospect now using the Sonos One, the service choice and sound quality tends to make me believe it might be the better option, at a decent price point(?)
If Homepod was $100 cheaper at the time, would I have bitten? Likely. Alas, they sell for $399CAD. Though in retrospect now using the Sonos One, the service choice and sound quality tends to make me believe it might be the better option, at a decent price point(?)
Not at a 30%+ discount, though. One rarely finds any Apple product on sale for that kind of discount (other than HomePod it seems), even previous generation products.
I bought a HomePod when it was first released (and returned it). I wasn't blown away by the sound. It sounds good, and if you're upgrading from a modest little Bluetooth speaker, sure, it will amaze you. My Sonos Play:5 definitely sounds a lot better, though. It is also a lot more expensive, so that's to be expected.
My biggest gripe with HomePod audio was that it sounded overly processed to my ears. The Sonos has a richer, warmer, more "natural" tone, whereas HomePod struck me as quite cold. Bass was also a big difference. The Sonos just sounded better, more balanced, whereas HomePod was way too bass-forward for me (and I say this as someone who listens to a lot of electronic music).
Ultimately, my problems with HomePod have little to do with sound quality and more to do with the overall vision, or lack thereof. On the hardware side, I want Ethernet. For me that's a deal-breaker. I prefer to hardwire devices that don't move around the house, ie: my Sonos devices, my Apple TVs, my Mac mini home server, etc.
On the software side, I have a Mac mini with a large lossless audio library. If I ask Siri to play a song on the HomePod, I get a compressed/matched stream from Apple's servers. HomePod/Siri should be smart enough to use my local music library, not only to reduce bandwidth usage, but also to favor the higher quality audio source.
Finally, vision. What is Apple's vision for home audio? This is really why I stick with Sonos. They have a mature product line. HomePod is Apple dipping its toes into the water. I want them to jump in (and just buy Sonos already). Apple needs to offer something like the Sonos Amp and Port for those of us with existing stereo setups (and way better speakers than HomePod). What about surround sound? Subwoofer support? I recently set up a Sonos 5.1 system for my parents and was really impressed with how easy it was to setup and how great it sounds.
Personally I'll stick with Sonos until Apple gets serious about home audio. Right now it feels like they could change their minds at any moment and then, suddenly, HomePod = iPod HiFi.
$500 have you been drinking, its not worth $50.
I think so. I’ve bought two so far this year as Best Buy has run this sale a couple times before. I now have a stereo pair in my living room which sounds wonderful, and it works well with HomeKit. I’ve gotten them a little cheaper because during the sale I look for open box in “Excellent” condition.
This is what is holding me back as well, I need a new speaker set and would like 2x HomePods but I also have a PC and want the speakers shared amongst my devices so I am now leaning towards:
Edifier S350DB Bookshelf Speaker and Subwoofer 2.1 Speaker System Bluetooth v4.1 aptX Wireless Sound for Bedrooms, Living Rooms and Dens
Edifier S350DB Bookshelf Speaker and Subwoofer 2.1 Speaker System Bluetooth v4.1 aptX Wireless Sound for Bedrooms, Living Rooms and Dens
www.amazon.com
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
You mean “in your opinion” the HomePod is much better. There is scant evidence to support that. The blind tests don’t support it, neither does the amount of services available to each support the assertion that the HomePod is “much better”.
Considering that the majority of all high fidelity stereo speakers are just a pair of mono speakers...Put Google into it and I'll buy one.
I had Stereo when I was a small child. Never would I have imagined, in xx years time we'd be paying considerable amount of money for a mono speaker again
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If you enjoy the JBL bluetooth speaker, then the HomePod just offers a set of features that are of little importance to you, so, I’d say the HomePod offers you not very much.
i don't think so and i'm Apple everything.... They are not that loud and for 99.00 the bose computer speakers ( yes two) sound better and are louder that with a 29.00 google smart speaker i say 199 is not worth it.
They work great with Apple Music. I also like using them for setting timers when cooking.
The sound quality is exaggerated by a lot of people. My experience has been they sound very weak in a large room and very boomy in a small room. I think both cases could be helped if they would add an EQ to the HomePod.
The sound quality is exaggerated by a lot of people. My experience has been they sound very weak in a large room and very boomy in a small room. I think both cases could be helped if they would add an EQ to the HomePod.