It's not bad, but overpriced (and has way too much bass, imho). If you factor in Siri, the price might feel better, but imho you can get better sounding non-smart speakers for half the price.
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HomePod 2 Now 1,000 Days Old
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I have 6 original Home pods in 3 Stereo pairs. They have kept working for perfectly for, must be about 8 years now. I added 4 Home pod 2's in 2 Stereo pairs about 2 years ago, worked ok for about 9 months & since then I have had nothing but trouble with them. Now 1 is dead, another has touchscreen failure, and the 2 that are left, one of them recently started playing music randomly on its own. Very annoying & that is how the one with touchscreen failure started to go bad as well. I took them to Apple only to be told they were out of warranty, they did offer me to exchange for a reconditioned unit, but the fee was 90% of the price of a brand new one. I have over 30 Apple devices currently on my Apple ID and many more over the years, this is the first time I feel I was screwed by Apple, these Gen pods are junk. And don't get me started about Siri, also useless, these are the worst products from Apple I have ever owned. I have a lot of Apple products that I very satisfied with, but take my advice, stay away from the Gen 2 Home Pods. I hope that they would come up with a new solid product that works, but Apple is extremely slow, so I am going to check out the New Google Speakers that are launching later this year, if the sound is half decent I will jump. PS I also now have 1 Mini (1 of a stereo pair) that is also starting to play randomly. I have reset them, all are on the latest software etc. Just failing hardware.
Apple tends to bass-heavy across their entire line, and I'm not sure why.
.....of course, an actual device equalizer (with frequency controls, not just rock, jazz, spoken word, toilet sounds, etc.) would help.
Agree on that point. But I’m not talking on behalf of Apple or talking to Apple, I’m talking with fellow consumers. Mind you I have a stereo set of the 2nd Gens.
I’m sure Apple won’t hesitate to dump support for early gen HomePods when it suits them…
I have 8 HomePods, 6 original generation and 2 new generation models and in my opinion they are one of the best sounding speakers at the price. I also have a pair of Sonos Era 300s and 100s and a Naim MuSo II. The fact that they respond to Siri commands is a bonus.
As far as Siri goes, it controls my lights, thermostats and allows me to play my Apple Music without a problem of any kind. My wife uses Siri for the occasional spelling for her crosswords! We also use Siri in the car to send and respond to texts and take us to places without a problem. So for us the HomePod works well.
For reference I have a pure 2 channel quality music system based on Martin Logans and a Krell amp with an Airplay receiver and Cambridge Audio CD player and a multimedia systems for TV with Monitor Audio loudspeakers and subs with a Marantz audio preprocessor and Rotel power amps. So we are a house of Audio and love the HomePods.
I would be quite happy for Apple to keep making them as is with software updates and perhaps add a direct connection and BT.
And for those that need them repairing try Nics Fix. He specializes in fixing them and upgrading components.
As far as Siri goes, it controls my lights, thermostats and allows me to play my Apple Music without a problem of any kind. My wife uses Siri for the occasional spelling for her crosswords! We also use Siri in the car to send and respond to texts and take us to places without a problem. So for us the HomePod works well.
For reference I have a pure 2 channel quality music system based on Martin Logans and a Krell amp with an Airplay receiver and Cambridge Audio CD player and a multimedia systems for TV with Monitor Audio loudspeakers and subs with a Marantz audio preprocessor and Rotel power amps. So we are a house of Audio and love the HomePods.
I would be quite happy for Apple to keep making them as is with software updates and perhaps add a direct connection and BT.
And for those that need them repairing try Nics Fix. He specializes in fixing them and upgrading components.
For background sounds just use a white noise app, it’s fantastic… 👍🏻I have a first gen one. A great speaker for any kind of music I listen to, although I have to requests:
· Better Siri. No further explanation needed.
· Better background sounds system: It has no interface for it and seems that the new sounds introduced in iOS26 (fireplace, roof rain, etc...) have not be implemented. I want to be able to use the CC control to enable background music on my iPhone and airplay it to the HomePod. Or put a special category for them in Apple Music
Love my OG Homepods--stereo pair with ATV, and single speaker in bedroom. They sound and look great. I also have a Mini in the kitchen. I use them all every day for TV, music, ambient noise, alarms, timers, weather, calendar, smart home stuff, and random queries. When I lived with other people I also used Intercom (though that was a brief period). I've come to rely on the convenience these things provide. If one ever breaks, I'd replace it immediately. People complain about Siri, but it works fine within its limitations and I don't find myself wanting anything more, but maybe I'm just a simple person🤷♂️
It's a pretty good piece of audio equipment that has had firmware updates. Does it need an update? It's not a McIntosh amp or a Denon CD player, but I'd like audio equipment not to be unsupported, obsolete, etc. These are working great.
Apple's second-generation HomePod is now 1,000 days old, with no sign of a refresh or third-generation model on the horizon.
The original HomePod was announced at WWDC in 2017 and launched in 2018 after a heavily delayed release. The device was met with mixed reviews; critics praised its outstanding sound quality but pointed out its high price, missing features, and limited functionality compared to rivals.
Apple dropped its price from $349 to $299 in April 2019 and, in March 2021, the company announced that it was discontinuing the first-generation HomePod, instead shifting its focus to the HomePod mini, which launched the previous year. The decision left a gap in Apple's product lineup for a full-sized smart speaker until the company introduced the second-generation model via a press release on January 18, 2023.
The second-generation HomePod looks virtually identical to the original, although it is 0.2 inches shorter and has a larger edge-to-edge LED touchscreen on top. It also boasts a range of upgrades and changes compared to its 2018 predecessor, including the S7 chip, a U1 ultra wideband chip, a removable power cable, a temperature and humidity sensor, and sound recognition. However, it features two fewer microphones and horn-loaded tweeters.
This second-generation device has now reached 1,000 days since its announcement and no successor is rumored, but at least two other HomePod products are allegedly in the pipeline. One is a new HomePod mini with a new S-series chip and Apple's new N1 Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip, and the other is an all-new smart home hub, which has been described as a HomePod with a square iPad-like 7-inch screen and an A18 chip. Apple is widely rumored to be planning a wave of new smart home devices over the next few years, so while a third-generation HomePod doesn't seem to be on the horizon for now, a refresh or the launch of a similar product seems inevitable.
Article Link: HomePod 2 Now 1,000 Days Old
Seriously HomePod is just a good speakers. Siri is hopeless. No point to refresh it if they can't fix Siri.
It’s a sign that they have no idea what to do (kill it? Refresh it but how? Etc.) with the product line, like the 4 year gap in 2014 Mac mini or 5 year gap for 2013 Mac Pro or the current Mac Pro.