WHAT? HomePod is only compatible with iPhones/iPads/iPods!? So you cannot play music from your MacBook? Can't believe it!
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HomePod Launches February 9, Available to Order Starting Friday in United States, UK, and Australia
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The Sonos Play 3 has stereo speakers that are separated, the Sonos Play 1/One which is about the equivalent of the HomePod in terms of speaker placement, is not advertised as stereo FYI:
https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/play1.html
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Sounds like this is primarily for music. If so, I don't see a reason to get this to replace my Sonos. With Sonos I get Applemusic, Pandora, Spotify, etc
So you're saying a mono/summed woofer negates stereo tweeters/mids? Don't tell that to all the audiophiles with monitor + subwoofer 2.1 rigs!!
I agree as well. Beside the obvious plug and play into the Apple EcoSystem, there is no real benefit to me for having to spend $350 plus tax on a device that's playing catch up. I'm sure loyalist will make sure this device sells well, but customers on the fringe are beginning to realize that not everything Apple creates is worth the extra mark up.
Firstly: that's the whole damn point. I want to be able to roll out of bed and say "Hey Siri Play My Morning Playlist" and have it just start playing my well groomed morning music playlist from Spotify. Compare that to using Airplay:
1. Hunt down my phone
2. Unlock it
3. Open Spotify
4. Find the playlist
5. Hit play (and have it start playing out of my phone)
6. Open up the output selection dialog
7. Select "Other"
8. Select "Living Room HomePod"
Are you really telling me that you can't see the utility loss in not having Siri integration with Spotify?
Just this morning I did: "Hey Google Play My Morning Playlist"... and my tunes just start instantly flowing out of my Google Home.
In addition, it's about more than that. Google Home has _incredible_ Spotify integration. It understands the difference between my girlfriend and myself... so when she asks it to play music it plays from _her_ Spotify account and plays her playlists. Also, if a good song is currently playing I can say "Hey Google save this song to my music" and it will add the current song to my music library!
BTW: Alexa doesn't currently do any of that with Spotify either. It can only use one Spotify account, can't play personal playlists and can't add music to your library.
For me, Google Home is getting the smart speaker thing done. As an added bonus saying "Hey Google" doesn't light up my iPhone, Apple Watch and iPad. So I can talk to the "room" easily when I want to... or say something to Siri when I want to.
it should say "to create true stereo sound/separation" IMO.
you won't get a true stereo left/right panning experience from a speaker that is coming from one singular location unless the speaker is larger/wider than one's space between ears... no matter if it has 1 or 21 speakers in it. can you hear the separation in smaller devices? sure, but your ear/brain can't easily detect left/right separation when it's coming from two narrow channel speakers in front of your face.
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hah. audiophile's aren't always correct...
not saying it's not a stereo setup, but if we're talking stereo recordings and replicating that to the listener, plenty of artists in the history of music have utilized low frequencies in stereo separation that a single woofer can't replicate accurately is all (again, listen to the song Ringfinger by NIN for a great example).
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right?
I would love to see what that white one looks like in a house with a pet after a year...
I don't think anyone has said that. I sure have not. So if you are responding to my posts let's not twist or manufacture words. Keep that to your reading of Apple's spec sheet.
What I have said is that Apple advertises that for stereo sound you need to connect two units together. It doesn't say for "improved stereo compared to a single unit," for "wider stereo compared to a single unit ," "for more magical stereo compared to a single unit." It says, in black and white: Create stereo sound with a second HomePod.
Yes, "create stereo sound with a second HomePod...." Period.
BTW, Apple DOES advertise "Stereo" on its iMac tech sheet. Does it not strike you as odd that it would tout stereo capability of a computer but not a speaker?
Precisely this! Siri is just utterly useless. It doesn't seem to have improved one ounce over the last few years. I am no Alexa fan but when I've seen (heard) it in action in my friend's homes I've been subtly impressed. Siri = crap.
“Hey Siri, tell Spotify to play my morning playlist on HomePod.”
I'm listening to a stereo track on my iPhone X (horizontally). The speakers are crap, but I can clearly hear a stereo sound/pan. Definitely not wider than the space between my ears
I remember a time when Apple innovated instead of followed. They are the last company to launch this type of product which in itself is not necessarily a bad thing (iPad and iPhone both came much later than tablets and smart phones) but the difference there was Apple actually launched things that were incredibly innovative.
This is lacking even features they themselves advertised at the announcement like multi-room and stereo mode. Features Sonos and other wireless speakers have had for years.
This is really a lacklustre product that will only appeal to the YouTube unboxing and review community. I'm sure iJustine, MKBHD, Unbox Therapy and all those other talking heads will have one to show us very soon but the common public are not going to buy this, these are lousy boring products and Apples attempt is just a "me too" and not a very good imitation of the quality speakers Sonos puts out for around the same price.
This is lacking even features they themselves advertised at the announcement like multi-room and stereo mode. Features Sonos and other wireless speakers have had for years.
This is really a lacklustre product that will only appeal to the YouTube unboxing and review community. I'm sure iJustine, MKBHD, Unbox Therapy and all those other talking heads will have one to show us very soon but the common public are not going to buy this, these are lousy boring products and Apples attempt is just a "me too" and not a very good imitation of the quality speakers Sonos puts out for around the same price.
I'm listening to a stereo track on my iPhone X (horizontally). The speakers are crap, but I can clearly hear a stereo sound/pan. Definitely not wider than the space between my ears
hah, again, it's possible, just not ideal.
yes you can !! " Requires a Mac (2012 or later) with OS X Yosemite or later, or an iOS device (late 2012 or later) with iOS 8 or later."
AC power is not the reason Siri is terrible. Hey Siri, was only available when the iPhone was plugged in at first and it still stank.
I wasn't that far off.
Launch for Valentines Day? It is on a Wednesday. Doesn't Apple usually release new products on a Wednesday (or Tuesday)?
People can spend all night whispering sweet nothings to it.
Looks like the power cord is built in, from pictures and descriptions it won't be removable. https://www.apple.com/homepod/specs/
https://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2017/06/HomePod-back-800x450.jpg