HomePod I'm a late HomePod fan...one word. Wow.

[beanbaguk]

As the title states...I'm late to the party, but what a party it is!

I've been after a high quality smart speaker for some time now and was originally considering the Sonos 5, but after reading the reviews, the original HomePod caught my eye. Literally 4.5 to 5 star reviews everywhere. (Why did Apple discontinue it???)

So I bought a used HomePod for about 240eur and it was phenomenal. The sound quality is strastopheric for the size of the device and it fills the room brilliantly. I was chuffed.

But then I started reading about stereo pairing two HomePods and before long, I purchased another for just 180eur! 🤣

It's truly brilliant. I've got it hooked up in my study, providing sound for my Apple TV, but also there to play music when I work. Even the wife came in and said, "that sounds good"; And she casually dismisses my B&W 5.1 surround HiFi set-up in the lounge!

Honestly, I am dumbfounded as to why Apple discontinued these magnificent speakers.

I don't get it. Cost? Lack of support (although they updated in the latest iOS release). Lack of consumer interest?

I've not tried the HomePod mini's but I don't believe they are a patch on the original HomePods.

Who else is a fan?

 

[russell_314]

Honestly, I am dumbfounded as to why Apple discontinued these magnificent speakers.

I don't get it. Cost? Lack of support (although they updated in the latest iOS release). Lack of consumer interest?

I've not tried the HomePod mini's but I don't believe they are a patch on the original HomePods.

Who else is a fan?

Because people are used to buying $39 smart speakers. The HomePod at 10 times that price just didn’t have a chance.

A lot of people don’t care about sound quality. I would be willing to bet that the majority of TV owners don’t even have a sound bar. Perhaps if Apple could have gotten more people to hear this device, then it would’ve sold, but it just looks like a round speaker.

As someone who owns a HomePod mini, I will say Siri is the main thing that holds it back. I can’t compare it to other assistants because I don’t want a Google or Alexa but I have to believe they are better. Even simple commands like turning off a light or setting an alarm are not simple for Siri. It’s like whoever designed it never tested or used it.

Tim Cook needs to take that fancy fake house that he showed in the HomePod mini presentation and live in it with HomePod and Siri. Then maybe when he tries to turn his lights on or off and it doesn’t work, he’ll fix it.