Streaming from an iPhone with Apple Music to HomePods has never delivered with Dolby Atmos. This was restricted to playback through the Apple Music app on Apple TV. Not sure if second gen offers playback without Apple TV.
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Everything That's Changed in the New 2023 HomePod
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It looks like a downgrade on the spec sheet with fewer tweeters but I'm interested to hear the reviews on the sound comparison. You'd hope that Apple will improve, tune the drivers, response for fidelity and sound.
When the news was released I was happy and excited in buying the gen2.
I have two Gen 1 Homepods which I am very pleased with but reading downgrade of tweaters and wifi. Nah, I think I´ll pass. In 2023 I though we were moving on to newer wifi standards and multi speaker surround.
I have two Gen 1 Homepods which I am very pleased with but reading downgrade of tweaters and wifi. Nah, I think I´ll pass. In 2023 I though we were moving on to newer wifi standards and multi speaker surround.
Wow that's just crazy. 802.11n Wi-Fi is not as efficient as 802.11ac and even 802.11ac is pretty old now. 802.11ac chips are super cheap, so why have they done this?
You joke but I have an Echo Dot on mute, connected via AUX cable to my audio system. So it works over Bluetooth. When the sound quality is all you need, this is a good way to go.What's not changed:
People will still try to compare it to a $25 Echo Dot...
Oh yeah... that's fair. 👍
I was just remembering the original HomePod's introduction when everyone was shouting "I could buy XYZ speaker for a tenth of the price..."
🤣
The Mini has the same Wi-Fi chip. It’s possibly used in the new HomePod for better compatibility. That’s a guess but I doubt it’s much of a cost-saving measure and more of an engineering-related reason (this is an Apple Watch SoC).
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Goodness, that was very anti-climactic. “What’s not changed” is my absent desire to spend money on this door stop.
Seems like the first gen was better, they took short cuts and cut things out like microphones etc even with a high price
That's still Stereo not Dolby Atmos, you're not getting anything from behind or above you.
DigitalTrends reporting
"AirPlay is still the only way to stream to the HomePod. Despite having a Bluetooth 5.0 radio, Apple continues to keep the speaker’s Bluetooth capabilities severely limited — you can’t connect a non-Apple product to the HomePod using the wireless tech, keeping the speaker strictly an Apple-only accessory."
"AirPlay is still the only way to stream to the HomePod. Despite having a Bluetooth 5.0 radio, Apple continues to keep the speaker’s Bluetooth capabilities severely limited — you can’t connect a non-Apple product to the HomePod using the wireless tech, keeping the speaker strictly an Apple-only accessory."
5 tweeters in each angled upwards is going to throw ten beams around the room.
If the calibration works well on your room, it should be able to make those sounds bounce off walls and ceilings fairly effectively. Reviews on original always said a the surround effect from a pair was good.
What would be good would be adding a pair of minis to the room and enabling more effective rear effects...
The 5 tweeters point downwards, even the original ones that had 7 had no virtual Atmos effect, i'm not even sure it supports it does it? If it does it's as bad as the psychoacoustics implementation on Airpods.
Now Dolby Atmos tracks with a proper actual surround system are great.
I’m really happy about this. I have the original HomePod in many rooms of the house. It’s good to know I can replace them if needed.
Insanity is doing the same thing again and expecting a different result.
Yes, because it too uses the Apple Watch SoC now, just like the Homepod mini.