Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Shocking that the independent reviews mirror the reviews that Apple strong-armed all of those poor publications into writing.

Let me guess, these don't count because they're by amateurs and not audiophiles? Or maybe only the most hardcore Apple fanboys would ever order one to be delivered on the first day?
 
Shocking that the independent reviews mirror the reviews that Apple strong-armed all of those poor publications into writing.

Let me guess, these don't count because they're by amateurs and not audiophiles? Or maybe only the most hardcore Apple fanboys would ever order one to be delivered on the first day?
You mean no soundstage, no EQ, lacking high freqs? I do not remember the lackeys writing that.
 
I’m not allowed to kindly request it can handle the streaming of competing services that Google, Amazon and Sonos have offered for years now?

It’s not the cross-compatibility - even as an avid Apple Music user, I don’t disagree with cross-compatibility, but a “port”? To “plug in”?
Remember when the 3.5mm headphone jack went away and everyone was happy about it? I know, never happened.
I, however, embraced it. AirPods. Wireless. 2016 and beyond.
And you ask for a “port?”
:eek:
 
Evidently hardware is there. As soon as Apple makes Siri smarter and with 3rd party options via software the HomePod will be gold.
 
  • Like
Reactions: askep3
Why do you care what people spend their money on? The more I see whining like this the more I know it’s just bugging the crap out of some people that this might actually be a good product.
[doublepost=1518145393][/doublepost]
I think he was referring to customers not media reviewers.

I totally agree, the same thing happened with the iPhone X, people without it trashed Face ID while the majority of owners love it
 
It’s not the cross-compatibility - even as an avid Apple Music user, I don’t disagree with cross-compatibility, but a “port”? To “plug in”?
Remember when the 3.5mm headphone jack went away and everyone was happy about it? I know, never happened.
I, however, embraced it. AirPods. Wireless. 2016 and beyond.
And you ask for a “port?”
:eek:
I own AirPods, an iPhone X and QC35s... they don’t use ports- difference is, they’re all mobile devices that are space compromised, a HomePod has plenty of room for that port which opens so many possibilities.
 
Why do you care what people spend their money on? The more I see whining like this the more I know it’s just bugging the crap out of some people that this might actually be a good product.
[doublepost=1518145393][/doublepost]
I think he was referring to customers not media reviewers.
And maybe it’s because he can’t afford it. Projection is a killer.
[doublepost=1518149211][/doublepost]
I’m not allowed to kindly request it can handle the streaming of competing services that Google, Amazon and Sonos have offered for years now?
It can via AirPlay. Apple will never offer competitor integration.
 
I’ll kick it off. Not completely negative (he liked the audio quality) but the NY Times experience was marred by Siri’s ineptitude. Yes, Apple’s marketing HomePod as “speaker first” but they can’t expect to incorporate Siri and then be given a pass on her embarrassing brainlessness. It’s truly incomprehensible how/why Apple keeps rolling out Siri everywhere while not making her smarter, even as the competition pulls away in this department.

One thing in that review that I thought was unfair: He was upset that Apple Music didn't learn all his music tastes within a week. He apparently was comparing it to Spotify which he has been using for an unspecified amount of time. A fair comparison would've been to create a new Spotify account and judge them both after 1 week of training.

I also thought he, and many other tech reviewers focus on the edge cases of usage, instead of the 80% of usage of these - which is listening to music and asking what the weather is. Apple has focused on what most people use this type of device for. The "gee-whiz" features of the Amazon and Google devices are used mainly by people in the commercials.
 
I own AirPods, an iPhone X and QC35s... they don’t use ports- difference is, they’re all mobile devices that are space compromised, a HomePod has plenty of room for that port which opens so many possibilities.

I wouldn't be shocked if the next generation HomePod had an external audio input. Otoh, I wouldn't be shocked if it didn't. Speaking only for myself, I wouldn't find it useful.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Blackstick
Evidently hardware is there. As soon as Apple makes Siri smarter and with 3rd party options via software the HomePod will be gold.
I agree. Apple has focused on the sound quality and they are offering just a few Siri services at the moment. Since Siri can be updated, chances are the HomePod will become more useful over time. Just as the iPod originally only worked with Macs, and the iPhone didn't have any 3rd-party apps, the HomePod comes out of the gate without trying to do everything on day one.
 
Honest question here:
What makes Cortana, Google, and Amazon “smarter” than Siri? Aside from being able to order stuff, what truly separates other “smart” servants from Siri?
I ask because when I ask for lights to turned on, they are. When I ask for weather, I get it. When I dictate a message, 96.87% of the time, it’s what I said. In word and grammar.
So what is that makes Siri “years” behind?
I have tried Cortana and Google, and neither, in my experiences, seems “smarter” than Siri.
Please provide real world results.
 
I agree. Apple has focused on the sound quality and they are offering just a few Siri services at the moment. Since Siri can be updated, chances are the HomePod will become more useful over time. Just as the iPod originally only worked with Macs, and the iPhone didn't have any 3rd-party apps, the HomePod comes out of the gate without trying to do everything on day one.


Ironically, that's exactly what we thought a few years back when Siri was introduced on the phone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DeepIn2U
Ironically, that's exactly what we thought a few years back when Siri was introduced on the phone.
And for basic tasks it still use useful. Can't ever think smart assistants will ever truely be that useful in my daily Life. If they do whats required thats enough really.
 
Here are my positives:
  • Distortion free
  • It does sound good all round the room
  • Bass is just right
  • Siri can control airplay feeds including Spotify (pause, skip etc - and what is this song etc)
  • Siri VERY responsive and recognises voice well
  • Great volume
My negatives:
  • I don't hear the "Soundstage" as being that fantastic - and there is no Left/Right separation reproduced
  • Expected more in the higher freq range
  • No EQ presets to choose from - which would have been easy to implement

Will try in another room, and listen to a friends of mine to compare in case there is something wrong with mine - the reviews implied there was plenty of higher freq. This is playing both Apple Music and Spotify music streams.

EDIT
Playing different music genres seems to make a big difference to my satisfaction of the speaker - Jazz was disappointing, Humble by KL and Hotel California sound much better...
Apple has said that they set the EQ differently for every song. No manual control yet but it's kind of like a "preset".

You also won't really hear a sound stage if it's in the middle of a room - it has to be near a wall. No idea what your setup is.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: NetMage and redmac
I do not know what you are playing. I just repeated what a mate from Australia posted a few messages back.

Its strange though, it has plenty of treble/soundstage most of the time now.

It may not have calibrated itself properly, as I moved it a few times and then back to original position and now its sounding better.

Not sure what its doing - but sometimes I feel its hiding away all the high-hats etc and pushing the voice out so much it sounds a little muffled. But then other times it sounds fine.

I guess its just how its processing the audio, as the speaker itself has plenty of treble when it wants to.. just wish I had more control over it.

Flipping iTunes between HomePod/Mac exposes the softened range... (Easily noted when playing Miles Davis to me)
[doublepost=1518150982][/doublepost]
Apple has said that they set the EQ differently for every song. No manual control yet but it's kind of like a "preset".

Yes it absolutely is, and its not always what I would choose.


That being said, its not going back to the shop - I think its great.
 
Its strange though, it has plenty of treble/soundstage most of the time now.

It may not have calibrated itself properly, as I moved it a few times and then back to original position and now its sounding better.

Not sure what its doing - but sometimes I feel its hiding away all the high-hats etc and pushing the voice out so much it sounds a little muffled. But then other times it sounds fine.

I guess its just how its processing the audio, as the speaker itself has plenty of treble when it wants to.. just wish I had more control over it.

Flipping iTunes between HomePod/Mac exposes the softened range... (Easily noted when playing Miles Davis to me)
[doublepost=1518150982][/doublepost]

Yes it absolutely is, and its not always what I would choose.


That being said, its not going back to the shop - I think its great.
Do you have it near a wall? Some reviewers have said it really needs to be next to a wall to get the proper effect.

Otherwise it'll just be blasting most of the highs away from you into thin air and you won't be able to hear them.
 
It is now, and after playing for a while at higher volume (> 50%) it sounds better.

Perhaps it needs a bit of volume to shape the sound better after moving it?

It does sound better to me now, I started against the wall, moved it away, then back and I swear it sounds better than when I first had it against the wall.
 
I'll buy it, when, in 10 years or so, this is also available in Switzerland - maybe by then Siri isn't "dumb as a brick" anymore.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.