First Impressions From HomePod Mini Customers: 'The Sound Quality is Great'

[theaudiobully87]

The power brick was my first reason for getting it, a £20 value, secondly I am a total Apple fanboy and have an awful lot of their products, recently I have seen changes, some not fo the good in my opinion, with regards to the HomePod they really missed the bus and have fallen so far behind they will never catch up, I appreciate the work they have put into this little speaker although design wise as mentioned a few minor things could have been changed, it certainly has a place, perhaps on a desk or small room/kitchen/bedroom, mention of it replacing a Sonos system are utter rubbish, all I would ask is honesty, I bought it on the back of some of these claims having never heard it in real life, you don‘t need to be an expert to appreciate the quality of sound so that is where my underwhelming comes from, taking away the lack of integration with a lot of other third party smart home devices doesn’t take away the gadgetness of it, it is a very clever magic box as I said earlier, and for that reason I will find a place for it, its just managing expectations that’s all.

For the equivalent of £80 discounting the power brick worth £20 which I am now using for the MagSafe phone charger it is an absolute bargain compared to a £59 piece of leather/plastic Apple phone case, the cost just can’t be compared, but to an Amazon Echo for sound and functionality it gets kicked out the park!

Hope that helps, and all are my first impressions which what was asked for, why not be honest? that’s way things improve!

Fair play there mate. Appreciate your honest opinion on it. Great write up by the way, I enjoyed reading it mate.

 

[gadgetpete]

Fair play there mate. Appreciate your honest opinion on it. Great write up by the way, I enjoyed reading it mate.

Go to 2:30 in this review link to hear comparison with the Echo and Google systems, this was one I looked at yesterday, tell me what you think

 

[theaudiobully87]

Go to 2:30 in this review link to hear comparison with the Echo and Google systems, this was one I looked at yesterday, tell me what you think

The echo dot sounds good but a few things

1. I think it's difficult to really get a feel for the sound of a device by watching a video of said device in action.
2. Some devices will sound better or worse in different rooms/room placement. That's why I feel it's important to really think about what your primary use of a Homepode will be and they take some time to try it out.
3. It's down to personal preference. What I think sounds good might not sound good to another person.

I've never had any interest in the Echo dot purely because I didn't really need one, only recently have I decided to invest in a smart speaker and it just so happens that the Homepod was announced around the time I started shopping around and being an apple fan too - it was also going to be a homepod mini after it was announced.

 

[groovyf]

I work from home and currently have an Ultimate Ears Wonderboom that I have on my desk. It’s a great little speaker and is perfect for playing music whilst I’m working, or cooking, or just pottering around the house. The HomePod will be replacing this. Whilst I had the Wonderboom on my desk, the HomePod is currently on the shelf across the room. Playing it at around half of the maximum volume seems to be the sweet spot for this room. I’m getting really nice sound from it. It fills the room better than I thought it would and I’m impressed at how loud this thing can go. I’m fairly confident that if I have friends over for a gathering, I can play music through it without a bout of crippling anxiety filling me with worry that they aren’t getting the absolute BEST listening experience. Comparing this to anything other than a small smart speaker is just daft. If you’re expecting anything more then I’d say just skip this and get a regular HomePod.

Thanks for this! I hadn’t imagined it’d be slightly smaller height-wise than the wonderboom.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I think the HomePod mini sounds great. There is definite bass,

 

[bluespider]

my first thoughts (bought 2 mini white) I paired them and set them up in my office. The sound is great, ease of setup (for the most part) seamless and easy. My biggest disappointment is that you can't set them as the default audio option on atv4k. They do sync using airplay, but as an apple device, I would have expected full compatibility from the box. 1 in a small room is really nice, but adding a second one for full stereo is great. I was using UE Wonderboom 2 before and the sound quality is similar, however, the Mini's are missing the mobility. I wanted the mini(s) for the apple ecosystem and "instant" compatibility with my devices.. it was almost there.

all that said, I'm not unhappy with the purchase, but the UE Wonderboom connecting to atv via Bluetooth or the mini connecting via airplay is wash... I do think these are a more dollar friendly option for a small room, but then again there are plenty of options in this size/dollar/feature market.

 

[gadgetpete]

The new Echo 4 Dot arrived, wow what a bargain at £28.99, placed them side by side, the Dot oozes quality and well thought out design, raised buttons for visually impaired, a visual light you can see from any angle, actual function buttons and Aux 3.5, the dust collecting cheap looking plastic top on the HomePod mini which shows fingerprints if you have the black top doesn’t exist on the dot, sound wise the dot is louder and I find it hard to compare sound difference but the mini did sound slightly tinny, at the end of the day these are cheap budget speakers so can’t expect too much, they aren’t going to win any hifi awards, the dot trounces the mini in functionality overall, the mini wins in Apple eco system integration but you are going to be very lonely and miss out on the huge wider outside world connectivity functionality that the Amazon dot offers, it really makes the mini seem archaic with no real understanding or interest in connecting with the bigger world.

Conclusion: The HomePod mini is being returned, my home is fully automated and runs flawlessly on Amazons system, I bought the HomePod to put in my motorhome hoping to benefit from linking my Apple TV’s to it but lack of any other real functionally killed it off, Amazon are King and this new bargain dot will now be a great addition.

£99 mini v £29.99 dot? The dot is an absolute steal at the current offer price!

 

[theaudiobully87]

The new Echo 4 Dot arrived, wow what a bargain at £28.99, placed them side by side, the Dot oozes quality and well thought out design, raised buttons for visually impaired, a visual light you can see from any angle, actual function buttons and Aux 3.5, the dust collecting cheap looking plastic top on the HomePod mini which shows fingerprints if you have the black top doesn’t exist on the dot, sound wise the dot is louder and I find it hard to compare sound difference but the mini did sound slightly tinny, at the end of the day these are cheap budget speakers so can’t expect too much, they aren’t going to win any hifi awards, the dot trounces the mini in functionality overall, the mini wins in Apple eco system integration but you are going to be very lonely and miss out on the huge wider outside world connectivity functionality that the Amazon dot offers, it really makes the mini seem archaic with no real understanding or interest in connecting with the bigger world.

Conclusion: The HomePod mini is being returned, my home is fully automated and runs flawlessly on Amazons system, I bought the HomePod to put in my motorhome hoping to benefit from linking my Apple TV’s to it but lack of any other real functionally killed it off, Amazon are King and this new bargain dot will now be a great addition.

£99 mini v £29.99 dot? The dot is an absolute steal at the current offer price!

Thanks for the write up mate. I'm actually considering one for my front room. I don't have any smart home accessories so will just be using it for background listening when relaxing in the front room.

Does Alexa integrate with Spotify?

Also, I thought these were closer to £50.00. Where did you get one for so cheap?

 

[gadgetpete]

Thanks for the write up mate. I'm actually considering one for my front room. I don't have any smart home accessories so will just be using it for background listening when relaxing in the front room.

Does Alexa integrate with Spotify?

Also, I thought these were closer to £50.00. Where did you get one for so cheap?

Yes they do link to Spotify https://support.spotify.com/uk/article/alexa/

They are on a deal with Amazon at the moment at £28.99 in any colour, BUT you need to place the order through an Amazon dot, or at least tell it to buy it then it goes in your basket and complete the transaction on your computer iPad or phone, so you need to know someone that already has one. They are really brilliant and you can have 3 for the price of a mini, if you have more than one you can drop into rooms and chat to people, announce which gives out the nessage on all, and so much more, I run 15 at home, we have one in every room of various sizes and types including Sonos with Alexa integrated, it really does change the way you run your life efficiency wise and so easy to set up. There are different ones on offer just search echo on Amazon but here is the dot 4 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B084DWCZXZ?tag=googhydr-21&ref=pd_sl_7r382gr2dm_e

if you have any questions I’m happy to help 👍

NOTE: On the Echo you can mute it so it can’t hear you, on the mini YOU CANNOT!

 

[theaudiobully87]

Yes they do link to Spotify https://support.spotify.com/uk/article/alexa/

They are on a deal with Amazon at the moment at £28.99 in any colour, BUT you need to place the order through an Amazon dot, or at least tell it to buy it then it goes in your basket and complete the transaction on your computer iPad or phone, so you need to know someone that already has one. They are really brilliant and you can have 3 for the price of a mini, if you have more than one you can drop into rooms and chat to people, announce which gives out the nessage on all, and so much more, I run 15 at home, we have one in every room of various sizes and types including Sonos with Alexa integrated, it really does change the way you run your life efficiency wise and so easy to set up. There are different ones on offer just search echo on Amazon but here is the dot 4 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B084DWCZXZ?tag=googhydr-21&ref=pd_sl_7r382gr2dm_e

if you have any questions I’m happy to help 👍

NOTE: On the Echo you can mute it so it can’t hear you, on the mini YOU CANNOT!

Ah ok. I don't have any Amazon products so can't order through Alexa :-(

They sound great though and I'm very interested in once. I'll read a bit more into them for sure.

Thanks mate

 

[gadgetpete]

Ah ok. I don't have any Amazon products so can't order through Alexa :-(

They sound great though and I'm very interested in once. I'll read a bit more into them for sure.

Thanks mate

More here https://www.amazon.co.uk/b?node=22159831031

When you buy an Echo device it’s automatically registered to you when it’s despatched, but say your buying one as a gift or someone getting it for you then it needs de registered which is easy, here https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201357520

 

[B/D]

Yes they do link to Spotify https://support.spotify.com/uk/article/alexa/

They are on a deal with Amazon at the moment at £28.99 in any colour, BUT you need to place the order through an Amazon dot, or at least tell it to buy it then it goes in your basket and complete the transaction on your computer iPad or phone, so you need to know someone that already has one. They are really brilliant and you can have 3 for the price of a mini, if you have more than one you can drop into rooms and chat to people, announce which gives out the nessage on all, and so much more, I run 15 at home, we have one in every room of various sizes and types including Sonos with Alexa integrated, it really does change the way you run your life efficiency wise and so easy to set up. There are different ones on offer just search echo on Amazon but here is the dot 4 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B084DWCZXZ?tag=googhydr-21&ref=pd_sl_7r382gr2dm_e

if you have any questions I’m happy to help 👍

NOTE: On the Echo you can mute it so it can’t hear you, on the mini YOU CANNOT!

You can ask Siri to stop listening and it will stop responding. Later, when you want her on again, tap on the homepod and say hey siri listen again.

 

[gadgetpete]

You can ask Siri to stop listening and it will stop responding. Later, when you want her on again, tap on the homepod and say hey siri listen again.

Fair enough I didn't know that, but still I like a button, one press done.

There will hundreds and thousands of people buying these things, great if you have never had any exposure to anything similar because you then don't now what your missing, but I think they will find it hard to compete with world leaders, time will tell I look forward to the real life reviews as they come in, the ones that haven't been sponsored.

 

[B/D]

Fair enough I didn't know that, but still I like a button, one press done.

There will hundreds and thousands of people buying these things, great if you have never had any exposure to anything similar because you then don't now what your missing, but I think they will find it hard to compete with world leaders, time will tell I look forward to the real life reviews as they come in, the ones that haven't been sponsored.

Oh, I personally think that the limited smart and homekit abilities of Apple smart speakers are compensated by their security/ privacy policy and sound quality. That said, the homepod mini its only a reasonable purchase if you are deeply invested on the Apple ecosystem, just like the original HP (starting by the fact that you need an Iphone or an Ipad to setup and activate the damn thing). If you re not, the purchase doesn´t make any sense.

 

[gadgetpete]

Oh, I personally think that the limited smart and homekit abilities of Apple smart speakers are compensated by their security/ privacy policy and sound quality. That said, the homepod mini its only a reasonable purchase if you are deeply invested on the Apple ecosystem, just like the original HP (starting by the fact that you need an Iphone or an Ipad to setup and activate the damn thing). If you re not, the purchase doesn´t make any sense.

Sound quality is neither here nor there, I can hear the words being sung so clearly on the Echo but just a mumble on the Mini, maybe different for other people but there is hardly any difference at all apart from that, in fact the high notes are tinny on the 3 x more expensive mini. At the end of the day both are toy speakers, they can't be taken seriously due to their size, weight and budget build, they are for a desk or small room, don't be under any illusion they will somehow become hifi units, its totally impossible, they are what they are. If you want to pay 3 x more at the moment to have an Apple logo and supposedly more security so be it, and be severely limited into linking with other smart home apps then that's personal choice, but if you have not had both playing at the same time side by side as I have then you will have no idea of the sound, I listened to a youtube clip before I bought it and in real life it was totally different. Maybe a good old decent Bluetooth speaker is a compromise?

If you want bang for your bucks quality and connectivity with a smart home go Sonos integrated with Alexa, I'm moving my home over from a fully integrated B&O system to the more sophisticated and flexible Sonos system and its stunning.

Anyway I have both, I can't return the mini as I have opened it so unless I find a another use for it, mini golf? 😄 it will be in a drawer until I do.

 

[B/D]

Well, I get your point completely, and I agree with you partially . Like I said, in my particular case my house is already all Apple devices/homekit accessories (and I already have two original homepods in the living room with an Apple TV 4K), so buying a mini for the kitchen makes sense. If I didn´t live in an Apple household, i probably would have choosen Google Nest Audio or Amazon Echo family.

 

[gadgetpete]

Well, I get your point completely, and I agree with you partially . Like I said, in my particular case my house is already all Apple devices/homekit accessories (and I already have two original homepods in the living room with an Apple TV 4K), so buying a mini for the kitchen makes sense. If I didn´t live in an Apple household, i probably would have choosen Google Nest Audio or Amazon Echo family.

Well if you have the big HomeHub or as you say 2, then I would guess they are probably similar to a Sonos type much better quality sound, you will then see what I mean about the mini being a toy speaker, but in a nice way. I have been heavily into home automation from day one, in fact I bought an Echo dot (3rd gen) £18.99 for my daughter today to use as a speaker for her monitor as its one of the only ones that accepts a line in, I just did a search for it in my Amazon history and couldn’t believe I have bought 26 of them over the years, but they have failures as well such as the Auto one which I felt was totally pointless but anyway you will see hope integrated I am, and only because Apple weren’t in the game then, but I doubt they will catch up, and with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections I don’t feel I am missing out on any integration with my Apple kit. For you you are on a path so you just have to see where it leads, nothing to stop you trying an Echo as I have, check out the deals here, even start with an £18.99 Echo dot (3rd gen), the one I bought today that accepts a line in.

Anyway live an let live, I just hope people stick their heads above the Apple parapet now and again to see what’s going on in the world, things are changing at Apple, the accountants are getting involved, no charger with my new 12 Pro Max phone to save the planet as they send out smaller boxes, but WTH, the Apple phone box was in another box that could have had at least 4 in, so what a load of nonsense that is, that and the quality of the leather/plastic phone cases (I sent mine back) and daft wallet that destroys the aesthetics of the phone and is so limited for space it’s useless, as well as falling off with the slightest nudge has got my attention now, these 2 items each sell for more than 50% of the price of the mini, unbelievable, but people pay so why not!

Amazon.co.uk: Echo

Amazon.co.uk: Echo

www.amazon.co.uk

 

[theaudiobully87]

Well if you have the big HomeHub or as you say 2, then I would guess they are probably similar to a Sonos type much better quality sound, you will then see what I mean about the mini being a toy speaker, but in a nice way. I have been heavily into home automation from day one, in fact I bought an Echo dot (3rd gen) £18.99 for my daughter today to use as a speaker for her monitor as its one of the only ones that accepts a line in, I just did a search for it in my Amazon history and couldn’t believe I have bought 26 of them over the years, but they have failures as well such as the Auto one which I felt was totally pointless but anyway you will see hope integrated I am, and only because Apple weren’t in the game then, but I doubt they will catch up, and with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections I don’t feel I am missing out on any integration with my Apple kit. For you you are on a path so you just have to see where it leads, nothing to stop you trying an Echo as I have, check out the deals here, even start with an £18.99 Echo dot (3rd gen), the one I bought today that accepts a line in.

Anyway live an let live, I just hope people stick their heads above the Apple parapet now and again to see what’s going on in the world, things are changing at Apple, the accountants are getting involved, no charger with my new 12 Pro Max phone to save the planet as they send out smaller boxes, but WTH, the Apple phone box was in another box that could have had at least 4 in, so what a load of nonsense that is, that and the quality of the leather/plastic phone cases (I sent mine back) and daft wallet that destroys the aesthetics of the phone and is so limited for space it’s useless, as well as falling off with the slightest nudge has got my attention now, these 2 items each sell for more than 50% of the price of the mini, unbelievable, but people pay so why not!

Amazon.co.uk: Echo

Amazon.co.uk: Echo

www.amazon.co.uk

I have just ordered one of the 4th Gen Echo I opted for the one with premium sound as it's on sale for 59.99, so I thought why not just spend a little extra so I can compare it a little closer to the HomePod mini.

Really looking forward to trying it out. I'll defo keep the HomePod Mini for my office and the Echo will have a place in my front room.

Thanks for convincing me to give them a go. I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

 

[gadgetpete]

10% OFF Iphone 12 mini, Black Friday Special READ T's & C's 👍

Very | Womens, Mens and Kids Fashion, Furniture, Electricals & More! | very.co.uk

Discover fashion, home, tech & more online with a choice of ways to pay and next day delivery with click & collect. Download our app for exclusive offers

www.very.co.uk

 

[gadgetpete]

I have just ordered one of the 4th Gen Echo I opted for the one with premium sound as it's on sale for 59.99, so I thought why not just spend a little extra so I can compare it a little closer to the HomePod mini.

Really looking forward to trying it out. I'll defo keep the HomePod Mini for my office and the Echo will have a place in my front room.

Thanks for convincing me to give them a go. I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

Thats fair, and PLEASE give your honest opinion but I guess with premium will be far better than the standard, will be great to get feedback!

 

[theaudiobully87]

Thats fair, and PLEASE give your honest opinion but I guess with premium will be far better than the standard, will be great to get feedback!

I will do mate. I was just going to get the standard one but I had a 10 pound voucher so thought why not.

 

[RRC]

My HomePod mini arrived, and it sounds great! Although the echo may be louder, it’s not as rich sounding to my ears. The HomePod has a more all round warm sound, a quality sound.

 

[theaudiobully87]

Thats fair, and PLEASE give your honest opinion but I guess with premium will be far better than the standard, will be great to get feedback!

As promised. My honest opinion of the Echo.

VERY impressed.

Now, the Echo is MUCH bigger than the HomePod so it was always going to sound better. It's deeper, bassier and significantly louder than the HomePod. I played multiple songs on each device and the Echo sounded a lot more fuller, as you'd expect. I'd be keen to see how the Echo Dot holds up against the HomePod.

The Echo really does sound fantastic. I was pleasantly surprised at just how good actually. I always thought that these Amazon smart speakers would be cheap and not really all that. I was wrong. This thing can GO. It's SO loud. Even at half volume, it's a lot louder than I'd have it for casual listening whilst working in my office. I have decided to keep the Echo in my office and move the HomePod into the living room. Both fit perfectly in their spaces.

Personally, I find using the HomePod via the Home app a lot more pleasant that using the Alexa app. I know both speakers are designed to be voice first but I like to scroll through my music to see what I fancy listening to. I also like the scenes and automations on the Home app. I haven' really explored the Alexa app that much yet since I don't really have any smart home accessories. I use Spotify by default (although I am on a 3 month free trial of Apple Music) so having native Spotify integration is a game changer for the Dot. Hopefully Spotify will make it's way to the HomePod soon.

I find Alexa to not be as quick or responsive as Siri but again, I'm yet to really explore what she can do. I will test this out more this weekend.

Overall, I'm very happy and very impressed with the Echo. If I only had to choose one, I would probably swing towards the Echo BUT I think the HomePod would pull me back since I have an iPhone, an iPad, an Apple Watch and a Macbook, so it just fits in so well.

I'll be keeping both devices and I think both will fit in nicely to my home setup.

I'm looking forward to playing around with both this weekend and really seeing what they can do.

 

[gadgetpete]

As promised. My honest opinion of the Echo.

VERY impressed.

Now, the Echo is MUCH bigger than the HomePod so it was always going to sound better. It's deeper, bassier and significantly louder than the HomePod. I played multiple songs on each device and the Echo sounded a lot more fuller, as you'd expect. I'd be keen to see how the Echo Dot holds up against the HomePod.

The Echo really does sound fantastic. I was pleasantly surprised at just how good actually. I always thought that these Amazon smart speakers would be cheap and not really all that. I was wrong. This thing can GO. It's SO loud. Even at half volume, it's a lot louder than I'd have it for casual listening whilst working in my office. I have decided to keep the Echo in my office and move the HomePod into the living room. Both fit perfectly in their spaces.

Personally, I find using the HomePod via the Home app a lot more pleasant that using the Alexa app. I know both speakers are designed to be voice first but I like to scroll through my music to see what I fancy listening to. I also like the scenes and automations on the Home app. I haven' really explored the Alexa app that much yet since I don't really have any smart home accessories. I use Spotify by default (although I am on a 3 month free trial of Apple Music) so having native Spotify integration is a game changer for the Dot. Hopefully Spotify will make it's way to the HomePod soon.

I find Alexa to not be as quick or responsive as Siri but again, I'm yet to really explore what she can do. I will test this out more this weekend.

Overall, I'm very happy and very impressed with the Echo. If I only had to choose one, I would probably swing towards the Echo BUT I think the HomePod would pull me back since I have an iPhone, an iPad, an Apple Watch and a Macbook, so it just fits in so well.

I'll be keeping both devices and I think both will fit in nicely to my home setup.

I'm looking forward to playing around with both this weekend and really seeing what they can do.

Great honest review, but as you say you went for the premium one so a bit harder to compare, BUT for the money you will see what Amazon turn out, its great.

OK, here is something for you, maybe even more Echos, I guess you know Amazon has Warehouse deals, well from today they are offering AN EXTRA 30% off certain items, I have bought loads of stuff today including Hue units, when you are in the warehouse and select an item it shows you in green if it has an extra 30% off which is deducted in the checkout, there is a lot of Apple stuff in there including 11 and 12 Pro cases but has been going all day so you need to be quick plus of course everything else, the items I bought were classed as 'As new', you can always return them if not suitable, look at he savings I got on one light unit!

Happy shopping, just make sure you are searching in the Amazon warehouse bar, see here where I typed Apple, you can change it for what you want https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=apple&i=warehouse-deals&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

Cheers,

 

[theaudiobully87]

Great honest review, but as you say you went for the premium one so a bit harder to compare, BUT for the money you will see what Amazon turn out, its great.

OK, here is something for you, maybe even more Echos, I guess you know Amazon has Warehouse deals, well from today they are offering AN EXTRA 30% off certain items, I have bought loads of stuff today including Hue units, when you are in the warehouse and select an item it shows you in green if it has an extra 30% off which is deducted in the checkout, there is a lot of Apple stuff in there including 11 and 12 Pro cases but has been going all day so you need to be quick plus of course everything else, the items I bought were classed as 'As new', you can always return them if not suitable, look at he savings I got on one light unit!

Happy shopping, just make sure you are searching in the Amazon warehouse bar, see here where I typed Apple, you can change it for what you want https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=apple&i=warehouse-deals&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

Cheers,

Yeah, for 60 quid I'm VERY happy. And thanks for the info mate. I'll check it out.