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HomePod HomePod becoming useless!
- Thread starter clg82
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Was it ever useful? To some, maybe, but after 10 years of using MacBook and iPhone, I for one still don't see any real benefit to a HomePod. The only thing I might ever use Siri for, on my phone only, is to name a tune I might hear somewhere, which I then manually play on Spotify. But that's it. I have my B&W HiFi set at home which plays vinyls, and Spotify via 3.5mm jack on an iPhone 5, and a 10 year old Bose SoundLink mobile speaker which connects to my 12 mini with BT. Simple. When I want to change music, I don't ask, I just tap the screen with my fingers. Spotify also allows you to remote play from other devices on the same network, so if I'm sitting on the couch with my phone, I can change the music thats playing from the 5 connected to the HiFi.
Call me old school, but I still don't feel right talking to a machine, I don't trust 'she' will set the correct timer or alarm or play the right song, so I just pick the phone up and do it by hand, works every time.
Call me old school, but I still don't feel right talking to a machine, I don't trust 'she' will set the correct timer or alarm or play the right song, so I just pick the phone up and do it by hand, works every time.
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One of my 2 OG HomePods has the death fart. To me both the popping sounds and that fart sound like capacitor problems, most likely in the power supply. I am surprised some electronics guy has not figured these out yet.
HomePods provide a convenient and high quality alternative to the old school audio set up you enjoy in addition to Home Theatre. This is of use to those of us who no longer want the boxes and wires that go with traditional audio and home theatre systems, especially important when considering multi-room systems, and also to those of us who use the HomePod as a home automation hub.
Was it ever useful? For me, certainly yes.
Well, I´ve done a bit of testing after updating to 15.3 with my living room OG stereo pair and so far I am impressed.
Sound wise it seems that the overall muddy sound signature with recessed mids and overbearing messy bass of tvOS 14/15 its finally gone. So much clear and balanced.
No popping, no Airplay issues. Siri requests are faster than ever and overall the whole interaction with the speakers seems super responsive and fast now, like it should be. And she actually stays at the voice volume level that you tell it to in subsequent interactions, even with "automatic Siri volume" toggle enabled in settings, which is great.
There is just one area that unfortunately seems the same as previous tvOS 15 firmwares, and that is Homekit. There Siri still lags "one sec, I´m on it" a lot although for me it always carrie on with the scene at the end which is a huge improvement over previous firmwares. It just take a long time to do so and lags, but at least she get it done now.
Frankly, given the ******** that the homepods software/user experience has been since 14.6, I´m very happy with the update.
Better late than never to show some care for the homepod platform, I suppose. This makes me hopeful of future firmwares.
Sound wise it seems that the overall muddy sound signature with recessed mids and overbearing messy bass of tvOS 14/15 its finally gone. So much clear and balanced.
No popping, no Airplay issues. Siri requests are faster than ever and overall the whole interaction with the speakers seems super responsive and fast now, like it should be. And she actually stays at the voice volume level that you tell it to in subsequent interactions, even with "automatic Siri volume" toggle enabled in settings, which is great.
There is just one area that unfortunately seems the same as previous tvOS 15 firmwares, and that is Homekit. There Siri still lags "one sec, I´m on it" a lot although for me it always carrie on with the scene at the end which is a huge improvement over previous firmwares. It just take a long time to do so and lags, but at least she get it done now.
Frankly, given the ******** that the homepods software/user experience has been since 14.6, I´m very happy with the update.
Better late than never to show some care for the homepod platform, I suppose. This makes me hopeful of future firmwares.
I started to notice two things, I'll say, Siri play library, Siri replies with playing all songs shuffled, lol, this is a running joke with me and Siri but before all songs would be playing for 2/3 days, lately just a few hours. Second thing, one of the HomePods would cut off for a second or two. I hope this update corrects the cutoffs. I kinda like the play library and Siri does all songs and vice a versa, lol.
My OG HomePod cuts off whilst trying to get it to start playing music. So for me that issue has not been resolved. I have never witnessed it on any of my minis though.
I’m so happy I sold my HomePods before all this degradation began
Apple hardware is amazing.
Their software continues to hold nearly every single product back.
Apple hardware is amazing.
Their software continues to hold nearly every single product back.
For whatever it's worth, 15.3 has my pair working better than they were. Siri's even working better, and remembers where she's located.
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If you have issues with your HomePod I would just suggest restoring them as new.
I had an issue with Siri just refusing to do anything. "Sorry try again later" or something like that. For some reason when she screws up I see red, don't know why that is my trigger.
I ended up reseting both and they were like new again. Very odd but happy they are working.
I had an issue with Siri just refusing to do anything. "Sorry try again later" or something like that. For some reason when she screws up I see red, don't know why that is my trigger.
I ended up reseting both and they were like new again. Very odd but happy they are working.
I had high hopes... and until this morning they were working fine under the new software.
This morning, however, as is not uncommon the 'radio alarm' failed to work. Fortunately I was awake.
... asking Siri to 'play Radio X everywhere' just ended in silence.
I then went for what is now my normal backup plan..... I reach for my iPhone and ask Siri via the side button so HomePod doesn't attempt to hijack the request..... The radio immediately starts working on the iPhone... I then use the airplay button to add all the speakers in the house... this works fine every time.
Then, later, I said (as usually works) 'Hey Siri Stop'. Nothing. Then I said it again..... the HomePod replies 'on it' ... then a couple of seconds later 'im sorry im having trouble hearing you right now'.
Sigh..... back to the iPhone and press the stop button. (yes I know that the radio rwas technically playing from the iPhone but usually regardless saying 'hey siri stop' makes all the HomePods stop).
homepod is trash now, I have a homepod in ios11 , and it stream music really fast from my phone, after update to ios15, airplay become very slow to response(even I turn off lossless music, lossless music are bigger in size,so may slow down the performance of homepod), whats more, the sound become very flat and boring in ios15, and once you update, you can never get back... I think they put too much trash code to homepod software, and maybe A8 chip cant handle those in these days.
So, rather than a new thread this one seems to fit the bill.
The problem I now have with my HomePod mini is that the alarm just doest work.
A slight issue as its my wake up alarm!
Ive had no real problems in the months of HomePod ownership with alarms, on a rare occasion sometimes they havent worked, or it will revert to a beep alarm if it cant get the tune in radio station my alarm is set to.
however, recently, more often than not the alarm just doesn't work.
I have my alarm set to every weekday at 7am to a radio station on tune in. thankfully my body clock is waking me up lately otherwise id be a bit stuffed.
Ive done everything I can think of.... obviously deleted the alarm, restarted things etc etc... created a new alarm.... nothing seems to work.
Alarm reliability is somewhat an important function!!!
The problem I now have with my HomePod mini is that the alarm just doest work.
A slight issue as its my wake up alarm!
Ive had no real problems in the months of HomePod ownership with alarms, on a rare occasion sometimes they havent worked, or it will revert to a beep alarm if it cant get the tune in radio station my alarm is set to.
however, recently, more often than not the alarm just doesn't work.
I have my alarm set to every weekday at 7am to a radio station on tune in. thankfully my body clock is waking me up lately otherwise id be a bit stuffed.
Ive done everything I can think of.... obviously deleted the alarm, restarted things etc etc... created a new alarm.... nothing seems to work.
Alarm reliability is somewhat an important function!!!
@eret9616.
Interesting post, thank you.
With flat and boring sound I suppose it that you dont mean neutral and detailed (less bass heavy), but more muddy and veiled on IOS 15 than on ios 11?.
Also, is the maximum volume lower now?. I think it is.
I have my OG HomePods connected to my Apple TV 4K as the default audio output. Earlier today I wanted to pause what I was watching, used hey Siri. I got just a moment, working on it and the glowing light. This went on for about 20 seconds. I shouted at it again to do it and it did do it. But I mean is pausing video play back becoming such a big task now.