HomePod HomePod EQ

[gazwas]

Does any one else who is happy with the general sound of the HomePod also wish there was some EQ adjustments?

I’m late to the party and only just got a HomePod but was so impressed with it and Siri that I’ve ordered another to use as a stereo pair.

However, while I love playing it loud I find the bass way too much when you just want it quite at night or while working on my computer with HomePod as background music.

I know HomePod EQ’s itsself to room acoustics and infinite tweaking of levels is probably never going to happen but I’d love to see some presets added maybe in iOS 13. Reducing bass so the speaker has better mids for night listening, background music or spoken voice that adjusts the EQ to not only room acoustics but also environment.

Anyone else feel the same that it would make the HomePod even better? I’d love to see an HomeSub so that did all the bass duties and let the HomePod concentrate on mids and highs which I’m sure would improve its performance with movies.

 

[JBaby]

Honestly no. That’s just not an something I want to mess with. And I don’t want a HomeSub either. The all-in-oneness of the device is a major reason why I love my HomePods so much.

 

[Mercury7]

Perhaps some presets would be ok but I think a full eq would mess with the beam forming tech..., guessing it’s one of the main reasons we don’t have it

 

[bbednarz]

I like the way they sound, but could understand people wanting less bass for sure. An optional EQ setting wouldn't be a bad idea. Although, I don't think they would sell any better if Apple added this.

 

[gazwas]

I've just received my second HomePod yesterday to use as a stereo pair and for some reason the bass is actually much better balanced at lower volumes then just having one HomePod for some reason.

Maybe one HomePod has to work harder than two so the bass is boosted more?

Still think a night mode would be good - something like night shift on Mac that just tones everything down to a more relaxing level that you could fall asleep with....... Ahhhhh. ZZzzzzz!

 

[burgman]

Honestly no. That’s just not an something I want to mess with. And I don’t want a HomeSub either. The all-in-oneness of the device is a major reason why I love my HomePods so much.

Sounds reasonable but those of us who do want this basic common feature should have it. What bothers me is the equalization is very different depending on using direct source like AM or AirPlay. So having manual adjustment is needed.

 

[JBaby]

Sounds reasonable but those of us who do want this basic common feature should have it. What bothers me is the equalization is very different depending on using direct source like AM or AirPlay. So having manual adjustment is needed.

That’s a limitation of AirPlay. AirPlay has always downgraded quality. It does the same thing when AirPlaying video to tv. I, also, think it would probably mess with the beam forming. I just don’t think  is going to give us the ability to mess with EQ. If that’s something people truly want then they need to look for a different AirPlay 2 speaker. ’s major selling point is that HomePod reads the room so it always sounds good. They think people shouldn’t have to mess with EQ because most people don’t know what they’re doing. And  is trying to appeal to most people.

 

[burgman]

That’s a limitation of AirPlay. AirPlay has always downgraded quality. It does the same thing when AirPlaying video to tv. I, also, think it would probably mess with the beam forming. I just don’t think  is going to give us the ability to mess with EQ. If that’s something people truly want then they need to look for a different AirPlay 2 speaker. ’s major selling point is that HomePod reads the room so it always sounds good. They think people shouldn’t have to mess with EQ because most people don’t know what they’re doing. And  is trying to appeal to most people.

Ok you like less, I like more control to make my experience better. The reality is, given the sluggish sales the market doesn’t vote for your position.

 

[JBaby]

Ok you like less, I like more control to make my experience better. The reality is, given the sluggish sales the market doesn’t vote for your position.

I never said it did. And this wasn’t my position. This was/is ’s. I don’t make the HomePod. I explained how AirPlay works. Apple made a big deal about the the HomePods capability to read the room. Rewatch the event special and you’ll see. And  has never been the company of choice if you want to do things differently than how they want you to do them. I’m not saying anything new.

 

[gazwas]

I don’t think having Apple’s own baked in presets is the same as messing with the EQ and effecting its ability to adjust to the room. An EQ preset would effect the sound after calibration when all the room reflections are calculated.

Its just a choice I’d be interested to see in iOS13 to make the amazing homepod experience even better. Much like the choice to use night shift on MacOS/iOS which screws with the colour balance of a perfectly accurate screen for night time viewing - you don’t have to use it but its an option.

 

[labyrinth153]

Airplay does not downgrade audio quality.

 

[gazwas]

Airplay does not downgrade audio quality.

I think the difference being when played via Apple Music the HomePod adjusts its sound quality dynamically to get the best sound per song but over AirPlay is does not have this ability.

 

[labyrinth153]

I think the processing is done on the HomePod. I’ll look at the airplay spec.

 

[MacBird]

I think the difference being when played via Apple Music the HomePod adjusts its sound quality dynamically to get the best sound per song but over AirPlay is does not have this ability.

There is an equalizer in iOS devices if you use AirPlay: Settings > Music > EQ. It's not ideal but better than nothing.

 

[Lappen71]

That’s a limitation of AirPlay. AirPlay has always downgraded quality. It does the same thing when AirPlaying video to tv. I, also, think it would probably mess with the beam forming. I just don’t think  is going to give us the ability to mess with EQ. If that’s something people truly want then they need to look for a different AirPlay 2 speaker. ’s major selling point is that HomePod reads the room so it always sounds good. They think people shouldn’t have to mess with EQ because most people don’t know what they’re doing. And  is trying to appeal to most people.

Not true.

http://geekout.io/index_files/The_truth_about_AirPlay_audio_streams.html

http://www.audiogurus.com/learn/speakers/bluetooth-vs-airplay/446