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I read somewhere that the embargo lifted today - not sure how accurate that was - we will see in a few hours if it was true or not
 
For those curious about audio quality, this CNet review spends several minute comparing the output to the Echo Dot and Google Nest Mini


Audio comparison starts about 2:40
 
I’m interested in hearing / reading some reviews of the sound other than comparison to other competitors. We know audiophiles will scoff, but something more serious than saying it “has big audio” would be nice.

edit: some words were missing, need more coffee
 
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For those curious about audio quality, this CNet review spends several minute comparing the output to the Echo Dot and Google Nest Mini


Audio comparison starts about 2:40
Thanks for the time stamp. This is a great product comparison, which, now that I think about it, is maybe one of the better baselines since Apple is not touting it in the same way they did the HomePod as revolutionary for home audio.
 
I've been using a Cortina Harman Kardon invoke speaker next to my sink for the past few years. It was originally $199, purchased on sale for $99.

Compared to that, this speaker is muddy and quiet. It also relies on the surface you put it on to reflect audio, so picking it up changes the sound profile drastically. It's also quiet. At max volume, it's hardly loud enough to annoy people in the room over, let alone hear in the bedrooms like I can with the Invoke.

Apple could have gone with a speaker that had premium sound, but they went with a mid range speaker and simply charged the apple premium for it.

Microsoft is discontinuing Cortina support (including spotify) in January for the Invoke, so I'll keep the mini, but I'm going to investigate alternatives too, maybe a full size homepod 2 (when apple announces them).
 
I've been using a Cortina Harman Kardon invoke speaker next to my sink for the past few years. It was originally $199, purchased on sale for $99.

Compared to that, this speaker is muddy and quiet. It also relies on the surface you put it on to reflect audio, so picking it up changes the sound profile drastically. It's also quiet. At max volume, it's hardly loud enough to annoy people in the room over, let alone hear in the bedrooms like I can with the Invoke.

Apple could have gone with a speaker that had premium sound, but they went with a mid range speaker and simply charged the apple premium for it.

Microsoft is discontinuing Cortina support (including spotify) in January for the Invoke, so I'll keep the mini, but I'm going to investigate alternatives too, maybe a full size homepod 2 (when apple announces them).
They did go with a speaker that has a premium sound. It’s called the HomePod and that has a real Apple premium price.
 
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I’m underwhelmed with HomePod Mini’s sound quality as well, while being impressed with the AI and design of the speaker. The woven mesh fabric looks fantastic up close.

The sound seems to emphasize frequencies around 250Hz-500Hz to make up for a lack of deep sub-bass. The sound itself isn’t bad by any means especially for a speaker of this size, I just expected more from Apple. My expectation was that this would be the best sound quality I’d be able to get out of a smart speaker or even a Bluetooth speaker at this price point.

I like the concept, and can’t help but find myself wanting more. I think the availability of HomePod Mini will help Apple sell more full-sized HomePods. Maybe next time the HomePod goes on-sale I’ll pick one up and compare the two. They’re also complementary products: consumers can place a HomePod Mini in the bedroom, and a full-sized HomePod in the kitchen/living room.

Funnily enough I saw the USB-C cable attached to HomePod Mini and assumed for a second there wouldn’t be a wall adapter in the box.
 
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They did go with a speaker that has a premium sound. It’s called the HomePod and that has a real Apple premium price.
Right, but this is a $30 digital assistant masquerading as a $100 music speaker, that I would expect to cost $65 even with the Apple tax. I was expecting more for $100, silly me.

I'll keep it because I need something to replace my Invoke, but I don't think I'll be buying a few like I had originally planned on.
 
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