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I think it's just level of prior experience/overall audio snobbishness.

(To give an update to my earlier negative impressions, it's better in a small room, but overall it's still a thumbs down from me.)
I wish I was reviewing today.....I do have a lot of experience..... but generally if a speaker is good, the range of reviews is good to excellent, we have the full gambit on here today
 
I wish I was reviewing today.....I do have a lot of experience..... but generally if a speaker is good, the range of reviews is good to excellent, we have the full gambit on here today
True. But I think if we had the data on 'opinion' vs. 'ever spent more than a couple of hundred dollars on a speaker before', it would be quite revealing...
 
I'm getting one to replace my Bose Color Soundlink which holds no charge anymore and always has BT connection issues. I'm looking forward to adding HomePod.

Maybe a dumb question but . . . If i have "Hey Siri" enabled on my iPhone and I say it to my HomePod does it activate Siri on both?
 
Is it possible to control the HP from the Apple Watch the same way you can control it from Mac/iPhone/iPad?
 
Maybe a dumb question but . . . If i have "Hey Siri" enabled on my iPhone and I say it to my HomePod does it activate Siri on both?

Not a dumb question, based on what I've seen/read in reviews and even here, its quite possible that Siri on the iPhone (or iPad) will pick up and not the HomePod
 
True. But I think if we had the data on 'opinion' vs. 'ever spent more than a couple of hundred dollars on a speaker before', it would be quite revealing...
Ive been buying stereo equipment for 35 years and can say without a doubt the more people spend the more defensive they are about their gear lol.... but being an audiophile is not about spending gobs of money, there are quite a few cheap bookshelf speakers that sound excellent. That’s mostly what I want to compare the HomePod to..... not my Uber expensive towers
 
Ok, after reading this thread, I am tempted to buy one. I had no intention to before because of my current setup: Echo Dot plugged into two speakers and subwoofer (Cyber Acoustics). Link on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Cyber-Acoust...8&qid=1518200061&sr=1-4&keywords=2.1+speakers. I know they are cheap and hard to compare to some of the higher quality speakers, but they sound pretty good and have adjustable bass.

Would anyone be able to remotely compare sound quality and volume of HomePod to something like my setup? I have my speakers on top of my desk, and the subwoofer under, so I am curious also how HomePod would sound if you are sitting at a desk with it on it.

Thank you.
 
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Not a dumb question, based on what I've seen/read in reviews and even here, its quite possible that Siri on the iPhone (or iPad) will pick up and not the HomePod
I read that Siri may activate on your phone but immediately hand off to HomePod
 
Not a dumb question, based on what I've seen/read in reviews and even here, its quite possible that Siri on the iPhone (or iPad) will pick up and not the HomePod
Yes it does but normally HomePod is what responds first

I’ve actually switched off hey Siri when my phone is locked and on my iPad for this reason
 
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Yes it does but normally HomePod is what responds first

I’ve actually switched off hey Siri when my phone is locked and on my iPad for this reason
Does HomePod hand off to iPhone or iPad for things it can’t answer/do?
 
Yes it does but normally HomePod is what responds first

I’ve actually switched off hey Siri when my phone is locked and on my iPad for this reason
Not always and that's the issue it seems for some. I'm only reporting what I've read, so please don't shoot the messenger. :)
 
Not always and that's the issue it seems for some. I'm only reporting what I've read, so please don't shoot the messenger. :)

It depends

If my iPad is off it can respond but when the Smart Cover is over the screen it won’t react
 
The wide range of reviews and since most professional reviews seem to just be comparing to other smart speakers makes me decide to go to the Apple store.....not ideal listening environment but I should be able to know if I will be happy or not..... on paper this should be a great speaker
 
'

Maybe a dumb question but . . . If i have "Hey Siri" enabled on my iPhone and I say it to my HomePod does it activate Siri on both?

I don’t have mine yet, so this is just based on what I’ve read and how my current devices have handled it: when multiple devices are in earshot, they will all wake up but quickly negotiate which one will answer. Usually that will be the HomePod. If you are actually using some other device, for example reading on your iPad or you raised your wrist to wake the watch, then the active device will answer instead. This is exactly what happens when I have my iphone, iPad and Apple Watch all nearby but idle now: all will wake up briefly, then the iphone responds and the other 2 devices go back to sleep. The HomePod will take priority when it’s installed, per some reviews and the user guide.

Edit: I see a bunch of others answered while I was typing - sorry for the redundant reply
 
And don’t pay attention to anyone slamming power, it’s about design, power requirements have nothing to do with it as long as it’s designed that way
 
Setup was a no-brainer and fast. Sound quality is fantastic. Build quality is evident. Siri has worked for me perfectly so far (even with my phone, MacBook, and Watch all nearby). Learning new/useful ways to use her for music requests despite having AppleMusic on my phone since it launched.
 
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I've been a major Apple user for decades. However, first impressions for Homepod? Major let down. After 1 hour, its back in the box ready to return. Terribly integration with Apple TV...not easy to adjust sound correctly. Siri AI far lower than Echo Alexa. Far more functionality with Echo Dot and my connected Bose speaker. So disappointing. Yes, great sound, but terribly functionality.
Joined today to give a negative review. #Fishy o_O
 
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I'm conflicted on whether to get one. I currently use a Bose Sounddock Portable for music with a bluetooth piece attached to make it wireless. The things is probably 7 or 8 years old now but still works to my liking. I listen to mostly bass heavy music, so I'm conflicted since some here said it is great for that, and others said the bass isn't great and sounds tinny.
 
So I've had mine up and running for about 20 minutes or so. . . I am VERY surprised at the amount of bass this thing puts out. The Shots EP from Imagine Dragons is pretty impressive. I can't imagine how loud two of these things working in conjunction will be.

It certainly sounds a lot better than my Play:1 ever had, even with TruePlay tuning turned on.

If you're on the fence, I say go for it. With the 14 day policy you really have nothing to lose.
 
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Got mine at 9:38am in my office. Tried it out a few minutes later in the bosses office. He ordered one. Another co-worker did the same.

Love it. Earth, Wind, and Fire was first, then Dire Straits, and then a random mixture that others wanted to hear. The heavy metal wasn't my favorite. I said, Siri, please stop now. :)
 
Setup was a no-brainer and fast. Sound quality is fantastic. Build quality is evident. Siri has worked for me perfectly so far (even with my phone, MacBook, and Watch all nearby). Learning new/useful ways to use her for music requests despite having AppleMusic on my phone since it launched.

I know it's usually the most overlooked item, but even the power cord looks and feels premium. When I opened the box and unwrapped the power cord I couldn't help but think about the people that designed and put together that piece of cardboard holding it, down to where the prongs go into it. Something so trivial as a piece of cardboard is thought out. Impressive.
 
Right away I noticed how good this speaker sounded. I picked it up from Best Buy this morning when I got the email that my pre order was ready for pick up. I went to my office and set it up. took easily 90 secs if that. If you have AirPods, its just like that. Since I was in my office I showed it to a few co workers and they were all looking for a sub-woofer and a big speaker. I'm very happy since I have a nice setup at home with towers for my home theater and since it can't obviously top that setup it sure sounds fantastic. Now I need to buy another one for the kitchen! No regrets here!
 
Just got mine and it sounds great. Also, "hey siri" does trigger on iPhone but then flips to HomePod.

Plenty loud for my needs.

As mentioned before I was coming from a small Bose BT speaker . . . the two are no comparison.

Is everyone able to play custom playlists from iTunes? I subscribe to Apple Music and have iCloud Music Library on. All of my playlists are created on my iPhone, not sure if that matters or not.

Edit: Figured it out. Works perfectly now.
 
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