HomePod HomePod first impressions

[Dexterama]

For reference, the HomePod is in my bedroom, which happens to be the attic. One half of the attic serves as the living room, and the other half is the sleeping area.

I’m using HP for music and homekit. I am very impressed by the sound, and I will get a second one when stereo goes live. Siri hears me better than I can hear myself. Even when I stood on the other side of the room, 20 ft away, and intentionally speaking lower than my normal speaking voice with the music playing, Siri could still hear me. When the music was loud, I couldn’t even hear the words coming out of my mouth, just a hum, but Siri could make out my words. That is amazing.

I never used Siri all that much til I got the Apple watch, and I will be using it more with the HP. I realized I don’t like the female voice of Siri, her cold voice sounds like she wants to kill me. I changed it to male voice (American), sounds better and warmer.

One quirk: When I asked Siri to play “country playlist,” she didn’t play it. Instead, she played suggested country songs. I rephrased to “playlist country” and it worked this time.

 

[vipergts2207]

The /r/audiophile write-up and measurements are out.

https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/7wwtqy/apple_homepod_the_audiophile_perspective/

 

[tom123]

Yes, if you have Amazon prime music you can send it to the HomePod !

 

[BananaX]

The /r/audiophile write-up and measurements are out.

https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/7wwtqy/apple_homepod_the_audiophile_perspective/

I can understand about 5% of the review. But, it looks like Audiophiles are impressed.

 

[mmomega]

First impression for me:

Liked the packaging
Liked the speaker itself / asthetics
Liked the setup

Sound impressions at the moment..... it is ok. It definitely did not make me wow the sound quality.

I may have a moment where I listen to it again, a different room, nothing going on and it sounds 'better' but the fact that it didn't wow me immediately tells me it probably won't any other time.

I just go home from a trip, opened the box, set it on the counter where the Echo and B&W Zeppelin were sitting, set it up, still going in and out to get things out of the car, started a playlist back and forth to get things and lsitening to the homepod.
It never made me just "stop" and want to listen more.
If I am in the middle of doing something and a "thing" takes my attention, that is the wow factor and I didn't get it this time.

What did make me stop and take notice was how well Siri can hear my voice. And from how far away and how well it knows what I said.
From my bedroom, with my TV on, wife talking on the phone and I spoke loud enough that my phone on my nightstand beside me normally hears me at and the Homepod in the kitchen maybe 30-35' away caught what I said and turned on the lamps in the bedroom super quick.
How fast it heard me, the distance, over the other noise and speaking and how fast the action happened ..... that was my wow factor so far.

 

[The Game 161]

For reference, the HomePod is in my bedroom, which happens to be the attic. One half of the attic serves as the living room, and the other half is the sleeping area.

I’m using HP for music and homekit. I am very impressed by the sound, and I will get a second one when stereo goes live. Siri hears me better than I can hear myself. Even when I stood on the other side of the room, 20 ft away, and intentionally speaking lower than my normal speaking voice with the music playing, Siri could still hear me. When the music was loud, I couldn’t even hear the words coming out of my mouth, just a hum, but Siri could make out my words. That is amazing.

I never used Siri all that much til I got the Apple watch, and I will be using it more with the HP. I realized I don’t like the female voice of Siri, her cold voice sounds like she wants to kill me. I changed it to male voice (American), sounds better and warmer.

One quirk: When I asked Siri to play “country playlist,” she didn’t play it. Instead, she played suggested country songs. I rephrased to “playlist country” and it worked this time.

Sweet setup. how big is your TV stand? that would be ideal for me. I have to put my homepod on a table below my stand as won't fit either side.

 

[Dexterama]

Sweet setup. how big is your TV stand? that would be ideal for me. I have to put my homepod on a table below my stand as won't fit either side.

My TV stand is about 70” long and 19.75” high. My TV is 55” mounted to the wall. I have space on either side of the tv for the Homepods with this TV stand.

You can find it in the link below: The shelves aren’t as wide as I would like, so measure your electronics just in case. I learned this the hard way. My BluRay player is sitting diagonally on one of the shelves. As of right now, only the dark taupe (the one I have) is eligible for Amazon Prime. It’s relatively affordable. It’s not made out of solid wood, but it’s not so hollow feeling like the IKEA furniture. The instructions says to use the provided glue to join some of he pieces together, but I didn’t bother because it’s quite secure with just the screws alone, and you can undo it if the wrong pieces are joined together. Plus, I want the option to disassemble it if I’m moving in the future.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QUE9LHI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_1EqGAbBX6HTE5

 

[WhiteHawk]

I just spent an hour plus with two different HomePod's at an Apple Store here in Salt Lake City today

It seems fine… It's honestly mostly what I expected it to be. It seemed to sound very nice but nothing about it was compelling for me personally to run out and spend much money on it.

Who knows…

If they open it up a bit more and I can use other sources more natively with it versus just airplay perhaps I'll give one a try at home sometime but not for now.

It definitely feels like a subdued product launch as absolutely nobody was even looking at them or playing with them in the hour plus I was there (very busy store)…

I'm not even sure normal people knew Apple released their own speaker to be honest.

All in all it seems like a fine product to add to the portfolio… I guess my only comment at this time is I wish they had just put some hardware controls on there as I'm not into the screen/touchscreen controlling (When going for tactile control)

Nobody was looking at them because it’s an audio device and most people know its not going to inform your opinion of it much in a store with lots of noise.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Nobody was looking at them because it’s an audio device and most people know its not going to inform your opinion of it much in a store with lots of noise.

Well, I'm not going to go all the way on that with you there.

I was listening to the HomePod side by side with all the other speakers they had set up on the table (about 8 other models from a variety of companies). A relative comparison among models in the store atmosphere is certainly relevant to some degree.

That said, I do agree that a full test in a particular users home environment is clearly the best and most important test.

 

[WhiteHawk]

Well, so far so good with my HomePod. The sound is pretty wonderful.

I feel a little lost about the lack of control you have over it out of the box (i'm yet to start digging into the Home app). Even a little more documentation would be of help. I don't really call 3 small discs of paper a full set of documentation! Siri understands both me and my partners requests most of the time. I have noticed on track in my iTunes library that "she" refuses to acknowledge exists; yet I can still see and play it on both my iMac and my iPhone. Weird!

Was that track added by you outside of the iTunes Store, like you ripped it or got it somewhere else?

 

[The Game 161]

My TV stand is about 70” long and 19.75” high. My TV is 55” mounted to the wall. I have space on either side of the tv for the Homepods with this TV stand.

You can find it in the link below: The shelves aren’t as wide as I would like, so measure your electronics just in case. I learned this the hard way. My BluRay player is sitting diagonally on one of the shelves. As of right now, only the dark taupe (the one I have) is eligible for Amazon Prime. It’s relatively affordable. It’s not made out of solid wood, but it’s not so hollow feeling like the IKEA furniture. The instructions says to use the provided glue to join some of he pieces together, but I didn’t bother because it’s quite secure with just the screws alone, and you can undo it if the wrong pieces are joined together. Plus, I want the option to disassemble it if I’m moving in the future.

Monarch Specialties I 2536, TV Console, Euro Style, Dark Taupe, 70" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QUE9LHI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_OzqGAbWR2F1T0

Shame it doesn't deliver to Uk. Been looking one here that fits 65 inch Tvs so guessing I would be ok as my TV is 55 inch and basically I want to have the homepod at the side.

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/tv-an...250cm-tv-stand-black-chrome-10175149-pdt.html

is what i'm looking at now. Guessing there would be room at the sides for homepod for this.

 

[dukebound85]

A nice set of powered speakers with a smart device plugged into the aux input is a very compelling solution for many, especially as you can be platform agnostic and keep the smart part updated easily and cheaply while the speakers can last essentially forever.

Very true. You can’t expect any apple product to have a useful life beyond 5 years. Why would the HomePod be any different?

I still have some very nice speakers that are 25 years old that sound great today

 

[FoxD]

Returning mine, I could barely hear Siri’s voice and couldn’t believe you can’t turn it up. I want to hear her from across the house if need be like Alexa or Google.

I also didn’t realize you can’t place calls directly on it.

Quality is good, best of them all, but Siri is the worst and it’s mainly just a speaker, was hoping for more.

 

[Macdude2010]

Im really looking forward to seeing what they sound like in stereo. right now im sitting at my desk and have the home pod on a dresser behind me but i feel having the other near my desk will really fill the room.

I’m currently running 2 of them from my Mac using iTunes, while not true stereo, it blankets my whole apartment in amazing sound. I really REALLY hate to admit this, but for general listening, it beats out my home theatre system that was about $1700 MSRP, the only time my “real” speakers win is when I’m in their sweet spot. If I could get the HomePod to interface with my TV, I’d probably sell my whole system and just keep the HomePods.

 

[WhiteHawk]

Probably already been mentioned but for those that don’t know yet it turns out you can unplug the power cord from the HomePod, it just takes a bit of force and it audibly pops out and can pop back in, so those that need to put the cord through a tight space it is possible.

Though now Apple are “recommending” not to remove it for some reason.

[doublepost=1518412854][/doublepost]

Returning mine, I could barely hear Siri’s voice and couldn’t believe you can’t turn it up. I want to hear her from across the house if need be like Alexa or Google.

I also didn’t realize you can’t place calls directly on it.

Quality is good, best of them all, but Siri is the worst and it’s mainly just a speaker, was hoping for more.

What do you mean you can hardly hear her? On mine she is too loud, louder than the music, I wish she had an independent volume level to the music, as it is even at minimum volume she could do with being a touch quieter so at night I’m sure I’m not waking anyone up if I ask a question or ask it to turn on a light.

 

[cyb3rdud3]

Returning mine, I could barely hear Siri’s voice and couldn’t believe you can’t turn it up. I want to hear her from across the house if need be like Alexa or Google.

I also didn’t realize you can’t place calls directly on it.

Quality is good, best of them all, but Siri is the worst and it’s mainly just a speaker, was hoping for more.

Wow she is way too loud for my liking. But then I read your post again. So you want her in one room to hear you around the whole house?

Hmm why not buy multiple? Or do you go shouting around the house to your spouse as well when you want something?

 

[tomislavf]

I just go home from a trip, opened the box, set it on the counter where the Echo and B&W Zeppelin were sitting, set it up, still going in and out to get things out of the car, started a playlist back and forth to get things and lsitening to the homepod.
It never made me just "stop" and want to listen more.
If I am in the middle of doing something and a "thing" takes my attention, that is the wow factor and I didn't get it this time.

How does the sound quality compare to the B&W Zeppelin?

I have one but I’m considering replacing it with a HomePod (or two) because of Apple Music.

 

[craig1410]

The /r/audiophile write-up and measurements are out.

https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/7wwtqy/apple_homepod_the_audiophile_perspective/

Probably worth dropping the summary in here but I’d encourage reading the whole article as the author put in a lot of effort and time.

“I am speechless. The HomePod actually sounds better than the KEF X300A. If you’re new to the Audiophile world, KEF is a very well respected and much loved speaker company. I actually deleted my very first measurements and re-checked everything because they were so good, I thought I’d made an error. Apple has managed to extract peak performance from a pint sized speaker, a feat that deserves a standing ovation. The HomePod is 100% an Audiophile grade Speaker.”​

 

[cap7ainclu7ch]

Has anyone tested what kind of positioning is best? I've had mine against a window and it almost feels like it sounds better than the other spot I had against a wall. Is it possible that glass reflects the audio more efficiently?

 

[jordanm86]

I bought two in White and it's bittersweet.

In my opinion, it's not practical for most people or perhaps better phrased, most situations.
I live in a good sized semi-detached house with quite an open plan downstairs area. I'm happy with the looks, quality and sound of the homepod (even for the price, it is still on par with a good SONOS setup.

My issue comes with the bass. It's unbelievable how much bass there is. This was cool when we set it up - such clear deep tones really works great for things like Rap/R'n'B, some rock/pop etc etc

However, as the night drew in and I wanted to put something a bit more 'relaxed' on, I saw the downfall of the Homepod. The bass is so excessive, if you turn it down for 'easy listening' or as to be considerate to your neighbours, you can't hear hardly any mid or high tones, just that thumping bass. I had it at 15% volume and even listening to Ed Sheeran, it just sounds like something thumping on the wall.

I have moved it around and tried different positions (definitely worse in a corner) but its the same issue everywhere - too much bass and no EQ controls to change it.

I have only opened one Homepod and I am debating them back due to unsuitability.
Desperately hoping Apple do an upgrade allowing EQ controls (or even preset modes).

 

[AdamA9]

Returning mine, I could barely hear Siri’s voice and couldn’t believe you can’t turn it up. I want to hear her from across the house if need be like Alexa or Google.

I also didn’t realize you can’t place calls directly on it.

Quality is good, best of them all, but Siri is the worst and it’s mainly just a speaker, was hoping for more.

You're the first person I've seen complain that Siri is too quiet. Here's a tip, use your phone or other device on your person if you need Siri over the other side of your house. I don't think this was designed to know where you are to know how loud to be haha.

Has anyone tested what kind of positioning is best? I've had mine against a window and it almost feels like it sounds better than the other spot I had against a wall. Is it possible that glass reflects the audio more efficiently?

I've moved mine a lot to get the perfect position. I was quite critical in my initial assessment and I think that might have been due to my positioning of it. I have since moved it onto a hard wooden surface (I've had it on mental, granite and glass) in the middle of the room against a wall and I find the sound now is quite a lot different to before.

I can now see what all the fuss is about. I have an open-plan L shaped kitchen, dining room, and lounge. The sound seems to reach the whole area equally. I'm not sure how. I've included a quick awesome sketch of my floorplan and where I placed it. I'm thinking about getting another one for the bottom left in the lounge when Airplay 2 is available.

 

[Sparky2012]

I got my HomePod this morning.

Packaging and design of the device is standard Apple - Great. The HomePod is quite small and feels really solid, weighty and well built.

Compared some songs against my Play:1.
Songs were - ‘Remembering Sunday’ by All Time Low, ‘City of Stars’ from La La Land, ‘Perfect Strangers’ (acoustic) by Jonas Blue, ‘Wicked Games’ by The Weeknd, ‘Hotel California Live at The LA Forum’ by The Eagles.

Both are on the same cabinet/drawers so location shouldn’t be playing an advantage for either one. My Play:1 is tuned to the room, and is about 2 years old now. The HomePod obviously calibrates itself to the surroundings.

As for sound quality:

The HomePod for sure lays out the vocals clearly and separates the instruments but lacks some depth and seems to be missing something in some songs. The Play:1 has the depth and certainly handles the low frequencies better (maybe too much low end) but the high end is definitely not as good as I predicted beforehand. It sorta has everything together and so instruments and vocals just aren’t as clear.

I was shocked at the difference on ‘Hotel California Live at The LA Forum’ where the HomePod completely embarrasses the Play:1.

‘Remembering Sunday’ was quite even though the vocals are just clearer on the HomePod, but the Play:1 does the drums and that better.

‘City of Stars’ was also one where the HomePod convincingly beats the Play:1 based on the vocal clarity and more instruments coming through.

So far, I’m gonna say the HomePod takes the lead but maybe the type of songs have favoured it a bit? Either way, I don’t think it’s twice as good as the Play:1 which is what the price difference is (£319 vs £150).

Reckon already at this point though, that if you listen to classical or lots of acoustic music the HomePod will be the better device. If you listen to more bassy tracks, or pop, etc then the Play:1 is better. Generally the Play:1 is best bang for the buck I think.

Will be sure to continue testing later.

 

[MrJM]

Well after getting caught up in the hype I caved and ordered one and I've just taken delivery.

Really impressed with the packaging, even the brown box the homepod came in was lined!

Build quality is good, the fabric isn't as firm as I thought it would be. The display thing on the top is mesmerising too!

I think it sounds good but a little bit flat and not as bright as I had hoped. Its not to say I think its bad but I was really expecting to be blown away by it but the wow factor just isn't there. I also think it sounds a bit narrow, although this is probably because I only have one. Maybe two together would fix this?

Im going to play around with it in a few different places with different types of music. As it stands Im 50/50 on wether keep it or not.

Cheers!

 

[DarthVader!]

The display thing on the top is mesmerizing too!

Yes, I know. While at the Apple store, my daughter, who has been adamantly against the HP, saw the display and instantly wanted it

 

[Phil77354]

Well, I'm not going to go all the way on that with you there.

I was listening to the HomePod side by side with all the other speakers they had set up on the table (about 8 other models from a variety of companies). A relative comparison among models in the store atmosphere is certainly relevant to some degree.

That said, I do agree that a full test in a particular users home environment is clearly the best and most important test.

It occurs to me that Apple may need to start including listening rooms in its stores, in order to give a more suitable environment to experience the HomePods. I wonder if they are considering that - although they had plenty of time to plan for the introduction so it may not fit their idea of what their retain stores should look like.
[doublepost=1518437338][/doublepost]

The /r/audiophile write-up and measurements are out.

https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/7wwtqy/apple_homepod_the_audiophile_perspective/

That looks like a pretty comprehensive technical review. I'm not familiar enough with the kinds of measurements being taken to fully appreciate the technical details, but in skimming through the text of the review I find many very serious compliments to the performance of the HomePod and its performance. I also noticed that the measurements are very impressive with respect to the bass performance and control.

My guess is that some people who are bothered by the bass response of the HomePod are reacting to having a speaker that has accurate bass performance, being used to traditional speakers that were not. As just one example of how HomePod may be difficult to adjust to at first, given the degree to which Apple has engineered a speaker that reproduces sound so accurately.