Are any of these review by non-suck ups who don't depend on being cuddly with the Apple mothership? I wouldn't rely on any review which tries to say a 350$ speaker is anything more than overpriced and poor value compared to the Google Echo.
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HomePod Early Hands-On Reviews: 'Seamless' Siri Commands and Audio Quality 'Feels Like You're at a Live Performance'
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For the Apple TV connection there's a screenshot in another thread with an Apple representative confirming it (plus... it's common sense).
I don't recall what else I confirmed. It's usually just obvious stuff that has already been confirmed which people keep asking over and over without reading any of the thread.
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Or perhaps it's Nest that's behind the curve because it doesn't support Homekit like many other IoT devices?
Meaning what? Sure iMore is mostly pro-Apple but that doesn’t mean the site has no credibility.
I'm really curious how good it sounds. If you're only interested in music, I'm almost willing to bet that you can get better sound for less money: buy a good pair of powered speakers (e.g. Swan M200MkII), a cheap used Apple TV 3 from eBay, hook it up via optical, and voila, you have an excellent little Airplay speaker system for under $300, and it's even stereo without buying another $350 speaker.
There are six tweeters, controlled by a powerful processor. Supposedly it measures automatically how your room responds to sound and adjusts its output accordingly. That's something that doesn't fit into typical specs. Frequency response of your speaker doesn't matter if because of the room physics what arrives at your ears is much worse.
Now I haven't heard these speakers for real. I'll be very interested to hear them. They might be very good for the money, they might not be. But don't look at specs, they don't work.
What I would find interesting would be if Apple worked with some company making high end speakers to do the same thing, two quality levels up. Say $1,000 a speaker. And then we can see if computer control can improve sound quality for the same money.
Overpriced? Based on what? Right or wrong HomePod isn’t competing with the Echo. It’s competing with Bose, Sonos, etc. Also the Echo is Amazon not Google.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
It is good to see any information of real experiences with it.
However, again, there is Apple press (like this one) and then there are those who's jobs don't revolve around and/or depend on generally good relationships with Apple. She opens thoroughly dismissing her audio knowledge but then weaves terms like tweeter array, mids, etc: words as if she knows more than she disclaimed, or maybe got some input from others that wanted to punch up the review.
I realize such terms are not deep, hardly-anyone-can-know terms. But based on the preface, if asked someone who sounded as non-audiophile-minded as she presented herself, "what is a tweeter?" I suspect they would open an app and demonstrate Twitter's service to me.
Almost every HP crit was quickly defended with a "BUT...". In short, I read it like the objective was to conclude that it's best available smart speaker and the task was to focus on the positives, ignore almost all negatives (but sprinkle in a few things likely to actually be addressed later this year).
The biggest questions I had was were there any blind listening tests (always a default goodie for head-to-head reviews)? And WHO set up the tests? Who chose the audio? I remember days working at Circuit City. The TVs with the best commissions got the maximum presentation treatment. The others were tweaked to seem less appealing in "head to head" comparisons. Why? Sell a lot of people on the TV you want them to buy.
Last weekend I saw the terrific, touring production Chicago. A player within the play is a news reporter named Mary Sunshine. Another key player- lawyer Billy Flynn- basically works the press- especially Mary- to get it to run with the message he wants them to spout. They do and some murderers go free. Flynn's solo about this is called "(Give 'em the old) Razzle Dazzle." Here's Richard Gere's version of the song...
Maybe this is Razzle Dazzle time?
That said- some in jest btw- again, seeing anything that is reviews is better than knowing only what we've seen in marketing messaging, and extrapolations from marketing messaging. I'm a little skeptical based on the source, their dependent relationship on Apple and the general tone that just about every issue quickly had a good rebuttal to make it good or not very bad... except for the other products with stated bad points not followed by any "But..." defenses.
I look forward to reviews that read like the conclusion was not predetermined... and hope HomePod stands so very spectacularly alone in those kinds of reviews (too). These head-to-head type reviews should be plentiful once HomePod is in the wild. It will be interesting to compare what the non-Apple press thinks with reviews like this one. And yes, conclusions certainly could be exactly the same.
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I would really consider buying one if there was a way to hook these up to my tv set (not just apple TV).
It may have or may not. A review will be credible if it comes from independent source. Not from a site that is dedicated to Apple. They won't venture into saying anything negative because that may result it not getting invited for next apple product.
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Ah.. the defense for no-spec..
I have a feeling Apple worked with Bose on this. These type of things Bose loves to do since the speaker itself can't produce the true sound. A true speaker lets you hear the sound unadulterated as much as possible, not process it.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
For the prices involved here, there are PLENTY of great speakers you can build around a television. And then use
TV to be able to do the exact same airplay everything to those speakers. And use Siri in TV for voice command controls.HomePod seems to really be Apple's answer to Echo and similar. A lot of us are trying to frame it like it's all kinds of other stuff, but I still think it looks like Deluxe Magical Echo + for Apple people, happily living mostly within the walled garden.
Put this- or one of those- in rooms where you don't already have speakers and it should play some good-sounding music from a little box. And give- especially the single living alone- some basic functionality as implied by the term "virtual assistant."
This thing MIGHT be something for the television speaker hungry too. But even Apple hasn't pitched anything in that direction. It makes me perceive that Apple is not wanting this to be that kind of speaker(s). If Apple viewed it in that direction, I think they could have at least implied it. After all, someone shopping for home theater speakers are typically quick to realize they may need at least about 5 speakers instead of just one.
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Not true. A site like Apple Insider reflexively defends anything Apple does. iMore doesn’t.
Haven't seen any reviews yet except for the 2 or 3 Apple curated sites such as iMore and this one such as OP.
will have to wait then to actually get real world reviews on sound and it's practicality.
There are two types of people who will buy HomePod..For the prices involved here, there are PLENTY of great speakers you can build around a television. And then use
HomePod seems to really be Apple's answer to Echo and similar. A lot of us are trying to frame it like it's all kinds of other stuff, but I still think it looks like Deluxe Magical Echo + for Apple people, happily living mostly within the walled garden.
Put this- or one of those- in rooms where you don't already have speakers and it should play some good-sounding music from a little box. And give- especially the single living alone- some basic functionality as implied by the term "virtual assistant."
This thing MIGHT be something for the television speaker hungry too. But even Apple hasn't pitched anything in that direction. It makes me perceive that Apple is not wanting this to be that kind of speaker(s). If Apple viewed it in that direction, I think they could have at least implied it. After all, someone shopping for home theater speakers are typically quick to realize they may need at least about 5 speakers instead of just one.
One type who are die hard Apple fan who absolutely refuse to admit that others can make better product than Apple. Second type who have been listening music using Apple earpod/airpod/Beats...
For everybody else, there are better options to listen to good music or to automate your home controls.
Although longer and more in-depth reviews for Apple's smart speaker, the HomePod, have not yet been published, a few websites have gotten the chance to spend an hour or so with the speaker and have been sharing their experiences this week.
At Digital Trends, Julian Chokkattu liked the unassuming design of the HomePod, noting that "it's easy to miss... because it makes no effort at standing out." This should make it easier for the HomePod to blend in with any room's decor, according to Chokkattu.
In terms of sound, he got to listen to upwards of five songs from various genres at a volume of about 65 percent, and concluded that it "sounds great" no matter where you are in the room. He also called his brief encounters with Siri on HomePod "fast and seamless," explaining that Siri is smart enough to realize when you're meaning to activate it on your iPhone ("when your phone is in your hand") so that the HomePod does not answer.
Tech journalist Lance Ulanoff shared his thoughts on HomePod in a post on Medium, and noted that when the sound quality was compared to the Google Home Max and Sonos One, HomePod was "astonishing." Ulanoff echoed a sentiment stated by Chokkattu, detailing a listening experience that felt as if he was hearing the music "in a small café for an audience of me" and equating HomePod's sound quality to a live performance.
Although stereo pairing won't be ready at launch, Ulanoff got to experience this as well and said that "two HomePods playing just about anything is incredible." Ultimately, he called HomePod an "ultra-high-quality" speaker that doubles as an "excellent Siri ambassador."
Pete Pachal with Mashable was also impressed by the HomePod's sound quality, which he described as an "aural triumph," but was more skeptical on the device and questioned whether or not Apple is too late to the smart speaker market.
Those interested in HomePod can pre-order the speaker on Apple.com in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia beginning today, January 26, and then the device will launch on February 9. For those on the fence about Apple's entry into the smart speaker market, Sonos today is launching a sale aimed at competing with Apple where you can get two Sonos One speakers for the same price of one HomePod.
Article Link: HomePod Early Hands-On Reviews: 'Seamless' Siri Commands and Audio Quality 'Feels Like You're at a Live Performance'
It’s about soundstage. Buying big buck speakers doesn’t automatically make anyone an audiophile. Good quality soundstage (To which the live performance comment pertains) is the separation and pinpoint location of each instrument or vocal track as if you were watching and listening live. Based on Apple’s design and software, it’s not only possible, but quite probable that the soundstage is excellent and on par with audiophile speakers much larger. It’s not about volume, bass or big name brands.
Please post if you find any. Thanks!
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The real question is whether it'll shape up to the iPod Hifi.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Maybe? Apple has so much momentum and so much brand goodwill, I suspect they will sell a bunch of these to non Apple fans and even non-Apple product owners. I've joked in other threads that I think Apple could poop in a box and sell a million boxes of poop (and some of this crowd will spin "best poop ever"). Yes, that's a joke but underlying it is that Apple's momentum is such, I do believe they could box up just about anything (salsa, tires, dirt) and sell a number of first time (Apple) product buyers as well as a bunch of people that are no Apple fans. It's just how it is.
Besides, at this point, nobody has heard the thing yet that is not married (or nearly) to Apple Inc. With every bit of skepticism about it before hearing it, one should hold a similar measure of optimism. It may be a box of poop or it may be the best speaker ever made. My guess: probably somewhere in the middle.
Non-Apple product owners can't buy it because it needs an Apple product like iPhone/iPad to set it up.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Live performance, eh? So it's too loud and my feet hurt? Can I get a living room performance instead, please?
And even if it doesn’t pollute it. What about the history/suggestions/etc. of the other people living in the house wanting to use it? I agree with you if it is not fully multiuser capable it wasn’t thought through.
But if, say, the speaker's tweeters are bad (frequency response) no amount of processing power can help then. So, frequency response still matter a lot and probably way more than the processor. The processor would be still needed for Siri. Te beamforming relies on DSP not the processor (although "processor" is such generic term that it may cover anything including "P" in DSP).