You can make fun of it all you want but it is a basic feature Sonos has had forever and there are some people who like music in their bathrooms...
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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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This is becoming such a tired response. I've seen *many* audiophiles respond that the HomePod is indeed good enough for them. Just because there are better speakers, and better listening environments, doesn't mean that an audiophile, or anyone who appreciates music for that matter, can't get plenty of value from the HomePod.
Obviously, this is a very good choice for anyone who wants something that sounds better than most (or all) other speakers in this price range. But, that is really all that it is. The Siri thing is just...
Especially if you wear the Watch.
Especially if you wear the Watch.
I said first and foremost. I do agree with you that the iPad should have multiple user integration not only for schools though. It is in a grey area while the HomePod clearly isn’t.
And by the way "rocking the house" is not a HiFi quality. And while on this subject, Apple NEVER used the word "HiFi" in their official communications/keynote. Because, simply, they know the the HomePod is not a HiFi speaker. it's probably a very good "colored" speaker with an emphasis on base; so yes it may rock the house but it certainly will not rock audiophiles. I bet that a $350 Paradigm bookshelf speaker is way better and even the $ 250 Paradigm Shift A2 is probably more of a HiFi speaker.
Apple very much INTENDS the iPad to be a per user device and not a shared device.
But I do agree, especially with how expensive (compared to other options, with more functionality for getting online) it si for a family.
Bought my nieces and my sister iPads to get them online. But there's no ****ing way in hell my sister's family could ever afford to purchase 4 ipads.
But many familes don't havew a choice but to share devices. And having user switching capability would be great. However, Apple is putting profitability before functionality in this case and wants every person in a household to own their own iPad. that's 4x sales instead of just 1x.
The whole thing seems odd. They list all the iOS devices as being "compatible" but no mention of Macs. Not being able to stream music from my MacBook seems weird.
Edited: If I have a playlist with my ripped CD content, I should be able to tell Siri to play that playlist. Not ideal, but should work.
It should work just fine. Apple TV allows you to send all system audio out via Airplay to other Apple TVs. HomePod should function as an Airplay speaker, so it should work just fine. I'll let you know once mine ships
Yes, but think of the sound delay once you stream audio. This is some problem when using Sonos while watching TV. So the question rather is if this feature somehow is embedded, meaning synced to the video output or just available as you said as an outcome of Airplay 2. My thoughts on this.
This. So much this. This is the problem Apple's engineers set out to solve with HomePod. If you've ever optimized a room/speaker setup (I have for work) you know that it takes time and skill to do it right. I'm very excited by the early reports that emphasize that HomePod sounds great/the-same wherever you are in the room. I'm hopeful Apple has cracked room acoustics (at least in mids and uppers) with their beam forming tech. My concern is will people notice/care?
Perhaps it will be something most people won't recognize until it is missing. You buy a HomePod, or spend some time at a friend's place who has one, and suddenly your other, directional speakers seem lacking by comparison.
unfortunately it will take a long time, as I live in a country not considered much as an important market.I'm curious to hear your opinions and see that list of reviewers when you're done
Anyway, my double home Hi-Fi set up is quite old and good (for MY needs) and I've helped myself with Airport Express that supports ALAC streaming. I want to easily take music or radio to other rooms. I've tried Sonos but it wasn't satisfying.
This hyperbolic comments on HomePod gained my interest. I only can't understand certainty from people who've never tried the product. Hence the list for future needs.
That was my thought as well. Either some of these reviewers only listen to music through laptop and iPhone speakers, or there's some notable exaggeration here. I'm sure the speaker sounds good for what it is, but come on now.
You need an iOS device to setup the HomePod. I agree though it isn't very clear.
lol I predict a lot of soreheads here in a few months when Consumer Reports -- who routinely give highest marks to MacBooks & iPhones -- ding HomePod on a few things (possibly even "best" sound among smart-speakers; shocking, I know!) as a biased rag.
Are Bose Wave stereos still a thing? I paid $500-something more than a decade ago for mine. Note: Bose company also states "Room-filling sound like you're at a concert" & its propriety music distribution sound superiority. Oddly enough, CR mag dings Wave on lack of ability to increase bass. Doesn't mean the magazine is total garbage. It just means even a top-notch piece of technology won't hit every top bar. A precautionary food for thought down the road. ;-)
Are Bose Wave stereos still a thing? I paid $500-something more than a decade ago for mine. Note: Bose company also states "Room-filling sound like you're at a concert" & its propriety music distribution sound superiority. Oddly enough, CR mag dings Wave on lack of ability to increase bass. Doesn't mean the magazine is total garbage. It just means even a top-notch piece of technology won't hit every top bar. A precautionary food for thought down the road. ;-)
But it is also misinformation/disingenuous to state that HomePod can't play ripped CDs when it can (just not directly via Siri on the HomePod). I already have two Bowers & Wilkins A5 AirPlay speakers and I control them from the Remote app on either my iPhone or iPad so I don't need to leave the room. I plan to control the HomePod in the same way.
The reason why they list all of those iOS devices are simply because you need them to initially SETUP the device. You can’t use a Mac to setup HomePod. Same thing with AirPods.
So those devices are required to set it up and then your Mac or my Mac can AirPlay or Bluetooth music directly to it.
Most people have completely different experiences with 'live' based on the type of music played and the venues. To me, live music is terrible because I mostly go to clubs and large concerts playing mostly electric rock. They all sound like garbage but people go for the drinks, band performance and live atmosphere. Sound fidelity always comes last.
As others have noted, comparing the sound quality from a single (mono) teeny little speaker to live music just makes the reviewer look silly. In fact, whereas the quality of recorded music improved for 100 years with time over the 20th C ... for the last 17 years --- pretty much since the iPod came out --- we have seen the rise of low quality mp3, crappy headphones, backward regression from stereo to mono, lossy compression, and worst of all ... low bit-rate STREAMING ... sound quality has been going backwards. the average person's parents audio would almost unquestionably provide higher resolution than that which which most teens listen to today. It's ease of access over quality, its retrograde technology, and to people who care about quality and sonics, its very disappointing. Yes - this new Apple speaker is way better than listening over your earphones - but it is designed to be mono - MONO - like what your great grandparents had - and will be used by people to play low quality streams that typically discard (throw out) out about 80% to 90% of the original recorded information, when compared to a hi-res (e.g. SACD) recording.
Apple never considered iPad a family device (see software limit and no Multi-Account choice) but my family didn't know this and both old and current iPads areleft around the house for anyone who may be in need
Im a Klipsch guy. Total opposite end of the speaker spectrum. This wont compare to a true stereo setup. I may pick one up for the bedroom though. Time will tell
In fact the first question raised is "What did they used for listening to music until now?"
I agree I don't think it will be a HiFi speaker. I also think that if you're comparing to traditional HiFi/direction speakers you're missing the point.
I'm certain it will be very colored compared to my Focal CMS monitors I use for work. But then, when I'm listening for pleasure I'm less concerned about accuracy and more about pleasing.