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HomePod HomePod first impressions

Mine was just delivered. Set up was a breeze ———— just ordered 2 more! Yes, it’s that good.

I’ve been a pretty big critic of Apple these past few years but my goodness does this little sucker put a smile on my face. I want the stereo set up NOW!
 
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Well once again I’m going to have to disagree with many people on sound quality, the HomePod does not sound amazing or even great. This has happened to me a number of times now with head/earphones mostly but I hear people online saying something I’m interested in getting has great sound, and I certainly saw plenty of that with the HomePod and the other features worked for me especially the Apple Music for the family while I’m not home with my phone. I tried to temper my expectations knowing from past experiences but the damn thing just like so many other speakers/headphones is muffled, like someone is trying to smother it to death with a pillow. I hate it when a speaker sounds like it’s hidden behind something, I can’t even understand why, it’s just got a mesh with tons of holes in it between the drivers and the outside so why does it sound like it’s cocooned in solid plastic.

I’m not saying it sounds awful and I know it sounds better than the competition but all these speakers should sound better, especially the higher priced smart ones. I unfortunately know what good audio sounds like and it isn’t this.

I won’t be returning it, as I said the competition is worse and Apple Music for the family is a big deal for me, just wish it didn’t have that muffle.
 
My first impressions; way to bass heavy....I was actually disappointed by that and in comparison to my other devices...

But I went out, gave it a few ours, just listening to Best of the Week and it is actually pretty awesome. Such clarity with all instruments on acoustic tracks, then there is this deep but controlled bass on the hiphop tracks.

Actually I'm very impressed. And Siri voice recognition is superb. I love how I can see my phone, watch and iPad also reacting but only one answering and given the priority to the HomePod.

Yes, very happy with it.
 
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WhiteHawk said:
Well once again I’m going to have to disagree with many people on sound quality, the HomePod does not sound amazing or even great. This has happened to me a number of times now with head/earphones mostly but I hear people online saying something I’m interested in getting has great sound, and I certainly saw plenty of that with the HomePod and the other features worked for me especially the Apple Music for the family while I’m not home with my phone. I tried to temper my expectations knowing from past experiences but the damn thing just like so many other speakers/headphones is muffled, like someone is trying to smother it to death with a pillow. I hate it when a speaker sounds like it’s hidden behind something, I can’t even understand why, it’s just got a mesh with tons of holes in it between the drivers and the outside so why does it sound like it’s cocooned in solid plastic.

I’m not saying it sounds awful and I know it sounds better than the competition but all these speakers should sound better, especially the higher priced smart ones. I unfortunately know what good audio sounds like and it isn’t this.

I won’t be returning it, as I said the competition is worse and Apple Music for the family is a big deal for me, just wish it didn’t have that muffle.
Click to expand...

you’re joking right?
 
How does this thing handle multiple users in the home. e.g. Me and the mrs both use Apple music, I would want to play my playlists, she would want to play hers, is this even possible or is it tied to 1 iCloud account?
 
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kendo88 said:
How does this thing handle multiple users in the home. e.g. Me and the mrs both use Apple music, I would want to play my playlists, she would want to play hers, is this even possible or is it tied to 1 iCloud account?
Click to expand...


As of right now it doesn’t handle this.
 
Sound is very subjective of course. To me this thing sounds great. Blows the Echo out of the water. The bass is unreal for a speaker its size. Build quality is as expected great. Siri is far better than Alexa for me. Alexa can never find the home automation things I want to control. Siri gets it right 90% of the time. Alexa plays odd versions of songs instead of the best known version. To me this isn't even a close competition. Then again, HomePod costs more than double what my Echo's cost, but I've stopped using my Echos. My wife and kids still like them for music. I plan to move to a new office soon and the HomePod will most likely go there.
 
Okay, so i've been listening for a few hours.

Mixed impressions, but overall I like it:

The sound quality is generally good, however I sometimes feel the EQ is hit or miss. This makes sense, as I understand it the A8 processor is constantly monitoring the sound through the mics and adjusting the EQ. Often it does a good job, but equally I don't think it does such a great job on some tracks. When it gets it right, it sounds pretty great for it's size and power - it is not as good as a a competent Hi Fi seperates system of similar cost even when it's at it's best, though. But that is the tradeoff you make, this thing is neat and tidy and fits in a small place in your room - a separates system does not, and of course does not have Siri or any voice assistant.

As I was alluding too earlier, sometimes I just feel the EQ gets it wrong. There are some songs where i've felt the bass is considerably too strong, and tubby. Other songs there is not enough bass (though this is rarer). Considering the amount of tweeters this thing has, it is surprisingly dark sounding too. There seems to be a lack of high end detail and clarity, which is a little frustrating because with the right EQ it should be more than capable of being a bit brighter with so many tweeters.

Also, Siri does not pick up my voice as well as others seem to be making out on here. I am white British male, so I suspect it works better with an American accent, like all assistants. Siri picks me up very well at 50% volume and below, but when it gets loud I have to speak pretty loudly. I wouldn't say I have to shout, but I still have to talk louder than I would in any normal non-loud environment. That said... it is still much better than Amazon Echo and Google Home without a doubt. Considering how loud it is above 50%, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised that I have to project my voice that much more, but I have a hard time believing these people that say they can whisper "Hey Siri" from 20 feet away while it is at a loud volume. Perhaps we have very different interpretations of whispering!

Overall I am pretty pleased. It sounds really good for it's size. I just wish I could brighten it up a bit and lower the bass for most songs.

7/10 - if they provide EQ that makes a difference with a software update, I could confidently give it a 9/10. I suspect anyone that likes a strong bass line (which is typical for average consumers, preferring a darker sound) will be very impressed.
 
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Need to know how HomePod reacts to movement, does the music pause at all as it adapts to new location? Curious because I am still exploring installing one in car
 
>I won’t be returning it, as I said the competition is worse and Apple Music for the family is a big deal for me, just wish it didn’t have that muffle.

Well that's the thing about speakers, every review is subjective, so you need SOME comparison to make it useful. A lot of people like a super 'bright' sounding speaker - I had some M&K's that were phenomenal at highs, but I didn't get the balanced, full sound, that I prefer out of them. But I'm going to 'side by side' test the HomePod with my Bose Solo 15 which I'm looking to replace. Bose is overrated IMO, but the Solo 15 sounds decent and has decent volume (for me) for a TV soundbar. I have half a room full of Maggies and Rotel equipment, and I have zero expectation that a HomePod is going to compete with my main system. But, again, for a soundbar, I suspect it'll be every bit as good as the Bose and add a few features that the Bose doesn't have. Hey, I could be wrong, the Bose might sound better (to me). But I'll know tonight.
 
UPS finally delivered my HomePod and I've had a chance to set it up and play with it for a little bit. Overall, the entire experience (setup, sound quality and its ability to hear my voice) are stellar!

First, let me say that I'm a pretty critical person when it comes to audio quality. My "computer" speakers are a pair of Klipsch reference series book shelves and Klipsch reference series sub connected to a high-end receiver. It's a perfect setup since I'm always sitting in the same position (sweet spot). My great room also uses the top end Klipsch reference series (floor standing fronts, center, wall mounted surrounds, etc.) connected to a Dolby Atmos receiver. Levels and crossovers have been professionally calibrated. Heck, even my simple living room setup uses a Paradigm Soundscape sound-bar. This is just to put in context my perspective.

Setup was as quick and easy as every review has indicated. I was blasting music within 2 minutes of plugging in the HomePod. The audio quality is refined with the perfect amount of bass (I prefer a truly natural sound, so someone who is used to Beats headphones may find it lacking). However, I found that the quality of the sound was dependent on location. In the middle of the room, on an end table, it sounded OK to good. But, I found it very directional (I was keenly aware of the location of the HomePod and it was somewhat distracting to move around the room) and lacking in depth. Simply moving the HomePod to the matching end table near the corner of the room (2.5 ft from back wall, 4 ft from side wall) made a world of difference! The bass was a bit heavier (which was ok, but bordering on a bit strong), but the sound was a lot more robust and wasn't as directional. It seems that bouncing sound off of the walls creates a richer, more layered overall sound. As I moved around the room, I wasn't nearly as aware of the location of the HomePod. So, I would definitely recommend trying different placements, especially if you aren't happy with the sound!

All that being said, is it as good as my $2,500 computer setup? No! It's just not at that level. Is it as good as my $1,500 Paradigm soundbar? Yes! I found the quality of the HomePod sound (testing just with music) to be more open with clear vocals and a punchier bass (not as muddy). For serious music listening, I'm sticking with existing computer speakers and great room setup (which was my intention anyways). For some awesome ambiance in the living room with a Siri baked in, this is perfect for me. Heck, I may buy another one for the kitchen and even add one for the dining room (once Apple releases multi-room support). I haven't tested other smart speakers in my house, but having tried them at other people's houses, I'm pretty confident this blows all of them away (including the Google Home Max, which was just a sonic mess in my book).
 
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AustinIllini said:
Across the board, the answer to this is no.
Click to expand...
? No to what.... can’t find a reason it won’t work, apparently a phone will connect to it via direct Wi-Fi without even having a router or internet connection.... so as long as the accelerometer does not interfere it should work fine
 
Mercury7 said:
? No to what.... can’t find a reason it won’t work, apparently a phone will connect to it via direct Wi-Fi without even having a router or internet connection.... so as long as the accelerometer does not interfere it should work fine
Click to expand...
Sorry. My understanding is HomePod does NOT pause when it reacts to movement.

That being said, HomePod is NOT a portable device. It is meant to remain fairly stationary.
 
I guess we will see, all I need to try it is a cheap inverter to plug in to my 12v and a good way to secure it, probably to the center arm rest in the back seat to give it breathing room to reflect
 
cyb3rdud3 said:
My first impressions; way to bass heavy....I was actually disappointed by that and in comparison to my other devices...

But I went out, gave it a few ours, just listening to Best of the Week and it is actually pretty awesome. Such clarity with all instruments on acoustic tracks, then there is this deep but controlled bass on the hiphop tracks.

Actually I'm very impressed. And Siri voice recognition is superb. I love how I can see my phone, watch and iPad also reacting but only one answering and given the priority to the HomePod.

Yes, very happy with it.
Click to expand...

I am concerned about the bass as well, and I’m not sure I like it that much especially on lower volumes. Even after a couple of hours.

I’m not sure it is for me, but will give another couple of days.

So does everybody genuinely like the bass that much normally? I really wish there was an option to control the frequencies in a simple Apple way rather than some algorithm deciding per track.
 
Mercury7 said:
I guess we will see, all I need to try it is a cheap inverter to plug in to my 12v and a good way to secure it, probably to the center arm rest in the back seat to give it breathing room to reflect
Click to expand...
certen said:
I am concerned about the bass as well, and I’m not sure I like it that much especially on lower volumes. Even after a couple of hours.

I’m not sure it is for me, but will give another couple of days.

So does everybody genuinely like the bass that much normally? I really wish there was an option to control the frequencies in a simple Apple way rather than some algorithm deciding per track.
Click to expand...
i listen to mainly rock music so most my components have bass turned up..... so maybe this will be a good feature for me
 
certen said:
I am concerned about the bass as well, and I’m not sure I like it that much especially on lower volumes. Even after a couple of hours.

I’m not sure it is for me, but will give another couple of days.

So does everybody genuinely like the bass that much normally? I really wish there was an option to control the frequencies in a simple Apple way rather than some algorithm deciding per track.
Click to expand...

This so much. Just a simple toggle for "less bass" would make it a much more palatable sound for anyone interested in neutral sounding speakers.
 
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certen said:
I am concerned about the bass as well, and I’m not sure I like it that much especially on lower volumes. Even after a couple of hours.

I’m not sure it is for me, but will give another couple of days.

So does everybody genuinely like the bass that much normally? I really wish there was an option to control the frequencies in a simple Apple way rather than some algorithm deciding per track.
Click to expand...

How close is it to a wall? I had to move mine at least a couple of feet from the wall. Any closer and the bass was way too much.
 
There are four kinds of people talking about HomePod:
  1. Ferrari owners that bought a Civic and are upset that it's not more like their Ferrari
  2. Civic owners that bought a Camaro and think they bought a Ferrari
  3. People that bought a Camaro with Camaro expectations and are satisfied
  4. Haters
:)

So far I'll echo a lot of what has been said about the impressive range of voice recognition, quality sound for the size and price of the device, and Siri's versatility. I feel that this is very much a beta product. With software updates, it can be something really special in time.
 
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MarketingGuy said:
How close is it to a wall? I had to move mine at least a couple of feet from the wall. Any closer and the bass was way too much.
Click to expand...
It is quite close and sitting on a bookshelf.

Thank you, I will try that and see how that goes
 
certen said:
I am concerned about the bass as well, and I’m not sure I like it that much especially on lower volumes. Even after a couple of hours.

I’m not sure it is for me, but will give another couple of days.

So does everybody genuinely like the bass that much normally? I really wish there was an option to control the frequencies in a simple Apple way rather than some algorithm deciding per track.
Click to expand...


I love bass when it is line with the other frequencies. I have an SVS subwoofer and that thing can sing. I feel that Apple is attempting to jack the higher low frequency range to compensate for the lack of depth and the lack of highs. Mid-range on male vocals is terrible.
 
AustinIllini said:
Sorry. My understanding is HomePod does NOT pause when it reacts to movement.

That being said, HomePod is NOT a portable device. It is meant to remain fairly stationary.
Click to expand...

You keep commenting based on what you’ve read. You have zero actual experience. I wish people without experience would go get some. My HomePod does not pause as I move it. Check. But a car is an enclosed space ... that does not change in shape a lot. People getting in and out.. sure. Who knows if rolling would cause it to keep resampling? You don’t. I don’t. You have no clue if it’s meant to be stationary. I just danced with mine, lol, no impact. Its solid. Sure sounds strange to me to put any 110 ac device in a car, but based on my experience so far you could with zero impact
 
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