New HomePod Reviews Offer Hands-On Look at Sound Quality, Siri, and More

[Uofmtiger]

I have some Sonos speakers with a microphone and I've disabled the mic on every one. I've tried voice control a few times and I find it much faster for me to just use my phone or iPad, but everyone's use case is different and I definitely appreciate the appeal of voice control.

I am not sure if you are experiencing some type of delay or if you are using Sonos from a sitting position which makes it easier to just use a phone. However, we use our HomePod when we are in and out of the kitchen and it is just a lot easier to be cooking something and just telling it what you want to hear. Hands can be occupied and all that. We have had people over and spent hours listening at the kitchen table playing music and discussing it. It's great especially for those that don't want the phone being a separate distraction.

Everyone has their own needs, but we really like our OG for our multi-room audio needs. If it died, I wouldn't hesitate buying this new version.

 

[Razorpit]

…excited much for my pair!

That's what she said.

What would they update it with?
The mini HomePod and the regular HomePod basically have the same identical features now.
Both have the temperature sensor, both have thread, both have a recent Apple Watch chip… not sure what else you could want

Not to give Apple any ideas but they could remove a microphone or two, the full-range driver. Big enough update for you? 😉

OK, so the new one sounds just as good as the old one.

But will it stain? 😅

Yep. it does!

All of these youtube thumbnails make not want to click on any of them... So cringe.

Careful, the ones that want to date iJustine will be after you before you know it. 😄

I still don't get it. Not much new/improved/fixed. it's just like an "update" to the 1st gen. So why did Apple discontinue the product? Maybe something with manufacturing on the 1st gen that forced them to halt production?

I love my 1st gen HomePods. I just don't understand what happened.

I have the first gen, my guess is they were more expensive to produce than they thought when they went in to production, and I believe the original had a bad circuit board design regarding power handleing.

The thing that’s bugging me the most, the biggest issue I have…

Is people comparing the price. “It’s only $50 cheaper!” No. It’s not. Go do some math and calculate inflation compared to 2018.

You’ll find it’s much more than $50 cheaper than the previous model.

Minus a few parts and few others that are down spec'd.

I have all my TV and PS5 audio through HomePod minis. You do need an TV but if you do it works brilliantly.

Better than the average TV speakers? I never listened to mini's, but I never thought they would be any better than the built-in speakers on a Sony TV. Not criticizing, honest question. I have the first gen HomePods and thought about adding them to the PS5 hookup in the basement. A little more than I wanted to spend though. I'd have to update the AppleTV as well, and that's really the only use for the AppleTV in the basement.

Quoting the article: “When playing back music, the HomePod’s top will glow in colors that resemble the album artwork of what you’re listening to”

I don’t think this is accurate. Only one review claims this, and all the videos show just the white glow while playing.

The White album. 😁

The Digital Trends review is very interesting. He says you shouldn't buy just one speaker as there are better choices for a smart speaker, but he then adds that if you buy two, it creates a pretty amazing set of speakers for the Apple TV, especially with spatial sound tracks for TV shows and movies. I'd like to hear a demo of that myself.

I started with one first gen, adding the second when they dropped $50. Although it was good with one, night and day difference with the pair.

 

[JamesHolden]

I am not sure if you are experiencing some type of delay or if you are using Sonos from a sitting position which makes it easier to just use a phone. However, we use our HomePod when we are in and out of the kitchen and it I just a lot easier to be cooking something and just telling it what you want to hear. Hands can be occupied and all that. We have had people over and spent hours listening at the kitchen table playing music and discussing it. It's great especially for those that don't want the phone being a separate distraction.

Everyone has their own needs, but we really like our OG for our multi-room audio needs. If it died, I wouldn't hesitate buying this new version.

I've actually never enabled voice control on my Sonos. I tried an Echo at one point and I bought an OG HomePod and tried it out for a week or so before returning it. For me it's more about how I listen. I get the convenience of voice control, but I like to browse. I also found that 80% of the time, give or take, voice control would get things right, but it got things wrong enough to where I was reaching for my phone anyway, so I just found the whole experience annoying overall.

Edit: the other issue I have with voice control is that I have a huge lossless music library on a home server and I wasn't able to tell the HomePod to play music from the server. It always used Apple Music. Maybe that's changed, but it was a deal-breaker for me when I tried it out.

I think a lot of smart home stuff is very overrated. By the time I tell some assistant to turn a light on and adjust the dimming, I can take a few steps across the room and do it myself, and it always works. I definitely see the promise and, one day, when we have a foolproof Star Trek-esque conversational UI, I'll get on board.

 

[Uofmtiger]

I've actually never enabled voice control on my Sonos. I tried an Echo at one point and I bought an OG HomePod and tried it out for a week or so before returning it. For me it's more about how I listen. I get the convenience of voice control, but I like to browse. I also found that 80% of the time, give or take, voice control would get things right, but it got things wrong enough to where I was reaching for my phone anyway, so I just found the whole experience annoying overall.

Edit: the other issue I have with voice control is that I have a huge lossless music library on a home server and I wasn't able to tell the HomePod to play music from the server. It always used Apple Music. Maybe that's changed, but it was a deal-breaker for me when I tried it out.

I think a lot of smart home stuff is very overrated. By the time I tell some assistant to turn a light on and adjust the dimming, I can take a few steps across the room and do it myself, and it always works. I definitely see the promise and, one day, when we have a foolproof Star Trek-esque conversational UI, I'll get on board.

We dont do a lot of browsing for music when making meals in the kitchen and that kind of thing. I listen to music a lot, so I also have that sit down and listen experience and I don't really use the HomePod for that. It is usually for background music when I am doing something else, but it sounds great, which makes it more enjoyable and also causes us to use it more often.

I had Plex and J River Skills on my Echo Dot that would allow me to play my home library using Airplay to my HomePods. It was fine, but too much trouble for that use case.

For us, music is #1 for our smart devices, but we find it useful for a lot of other things. Your example would be for lamps that have dimming built in. This gives regular lamps dimming by voice or by app. They are also great for timers, alarms, and many other things, especially in the kitchen. It's not a necessity, but can definitely be quite useful.

No product is really for everyone, so live and let live.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

A good way to sum it up is ‘it’s a fantastic sounding, rubbish smart assistant that 9.5 out of 10 Apple users will never be interested in’.

The first HomePod was a flop because it was overpriced for the market it’s aimed at and this new version is only £50 cheaper with all the same hardware and software issues. Apple need to invest in Siri (massively) and also realise that a good proportion of iPhones users do not necessarily use Apple Music. Until Apple introduce flexibility and understand the smart assistant market, the HomePod will only appeal to a smaller number of people who focus purely on having a good sounding Bluetooth speaker.

 

[Tozovac]

Stumbled upon this video after watching some of the others. The amazon echo sounded pretty damn good in this test.

Brian preferred the OG HP over the HP2 too...

 

[Uofmtiger]

Stumbled upon this video after watching some of the others. The amazon echo sounded pretty damn good in this test.

Brian preferred the OG HP over the HP2 too...

Very surprising results. I wasn't surprised they preferred the OG, but I am surprised they preferred the Echo over HomePod 2. I think a lot of this comes down to taste, but surprised his fiancé had the same results. Definitely hoping they dig into this speaker in Stereophile.

Edit - Nevermind. I dont think Stereophile wil know what to do with it. They may not even tackle this one since they have a review of the original. But when asked why they didn't have measurements of the OG, they said "We didn't include measurements with this review because with a product as complex and idiosyncratic as the HomePod I just wasn't sure what measurements would correctly characterize its performance".

 

[James Godfrey]

Like the AirPods Max this seems like a product that doesn’t have a market. Audiophiles will want something better and everyone else will go for something cheaper, especially if the voice assistant is better. I’m a little surprised Apple didn’t replace this with a soundbar, and maybe one that integrated Apple TV. This is what Apple should be targeting:

Roku® Streambar® SE | Roku Soundbar & 4K streaming | Roku

Roku® Streambar® SE upgrades any TV with powerful streaming & premium sound. A 4K streaming soundbar that lets you hear every detail.

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View attachment 2151142

Yeah I have been wanting Apple to bring a HomePod/Apple TV combo device for years in the form of a sound bar, it makes perfect sense!

It takes setting up/updating 3 devices to 1 single device. I would snap that up in a heart beat!

 

[James Godfrey]

Stumbled upon this video after watching some of the others. The amazon echo sounded pretty damn good in this test.

Brian preferred the OG HP over the HP2 too...

Yeah saw that it looks as though the removed hardware has made a difference in the sound quality unfortunately.

Another reason to not ‘upgrade’ my OG HomePods, will wait until these I have pack up I think

 

[Tozovac]

Yeah saw that it looks as though the removed hardware has made a difference in the sound quality unfortunately.

Another reason to not ‘upgrade’ my OG HomePods, will wait until these I have pack up I think

I'm looking for an owner of two OG's who's looking to sell theirs for the new ones.

 

[xmach]

What would they update it with?
The mini HomePod and the regular HomePod basically have the same identical features now.
Both have the temperature sensor, both have thread, both have a recent Apple Watch chip… not sure what else you could want

Both should have Wi-Fi 6 (E not necessary) for improved latency and increased power efficiency. And, since most people will keep speakers around for many years, it would be nice for a 2023 product to come with networking that doesn’t hail from 2009.

 

[DesignMonkey]

A few YouTubers who got bribed with a free speaker saying such speaker is not worse than the predecessor despite being worse should outrage someone? These reviews are worthless, do a double blind test with a decent number of people involved and if the two speakers are indeed on par then I’ll be interested. Otherwise it’s just cheap marketing and just a fool would fall for it.

You should checkout Brian Tong's in-depth review. He does a blind sound test between Nest, Amazon Echo and the old and new HomePod.

 

[DeepIn2U]

…excited much for my pair!

Excited as "steve still loves me ... OOOOH-My------Gaaaaaaaads" lol

It just didn't "fix" why I never bought one in the first place.

So ... that "OOOOH-My------Gaaaawwwwwd" did fix it enough for ya? it wasn't good for ya?

Best intro review by MKBHD team ever.

Great written reviews of Bohemian Rhapsody and Skrillex playback (have never heard the latter mentioned/referenced in the news article).

Still the best objective reviewer - Dave2D from Toronto!

A Good Safe Play!!

 

[GermanSuplex]

Not really. Apple knows how to market though, and how to convince card carrying Fan Club members that they can do more with less even though that is usually merely smoke and mirrors. Some people are really easy to convince, others are more apt to say prove it by showing me, not by listening to bias YouStupiders trying to make money.

It’s all subjective my dude.

 

[I7guy]

Hardly. Apple's satellite SOS has a lot of flaws, starting with the iPhone itself. No serious outdoors person would rely on an iPhone for SOS given how the batteries fail in cold weather and at higher altitudes.

Then those "serious sportsman" should get a pay-for service that according to you is "rock solid". Apple doesn't develop tech for the niches...they develop tech for the masses. All that has to happen is the satellite SOS has to provide the capability to rescue people when there is no cell service.

In over 10 years of regular use my SPOT has never failed me. My iPhone, on the other hand, dies all the time when it gets too cold or when I'm at a higher altitude.

Good for you. You are not the target market for free emergency satellite SOS service that apple has built into the iphone 14. There are people, such as me, who are.

My annual SPOT service also included global evac and medical insurance. SPOT (and Garmin) also let you share your location with friends and family so they can see where you are on your trip. In tracking mode, with location updates being sent every 10 minutes, the (replaceable) AAA batteries in my SPOT last a month or more. Good luck getting a day out of an iPhone if you're recording a GPS track.

I already have global evac and medical and I'm not the type to climb Mt. Everest. As I said you can pay for whatever service you need. The built in free satellite emergency SOS service works for me. Hopefully I will never need it.

As for the fanboys, there's a small percentage (I wouldn't say tens of millions) of customers who won't even consider other brands or products. As soon as Apple releases a product, they act like it's something revolutionary and amazing.

And so what...why would you even care. They aren't spending your $$$.

HomePod is a perfect example. So is the satellite SOS feature. I'm not saying these products and features are bad, but there are much better options and those options have existed for years.

While there are some objective ways to gauge products, the use and fit for purpose are purely subjective. If one believes some product is the best thing since sliced bread and spends their money on it, who are we to say they are wrong?

So yes, HomePod is for the fanboys, not for anyone who is serious about home audio.

In your opinion.

Do you provide a citation for every opinion you post? Get over yourself.

Yes, when I state a fact. Otherwise I state it's an opinion. Don't post as if you have your finger on the pulse of everyone who buys an Apple product.

 

[Kbceric]

I have two of the minis and so tempted to get one. But I have to admit I don’t really utilize the ones I have fully. Will the bigger give better sound?

It will sound better, my original HomePod in stereo pair is so good already, so the new HomePod shouldn’t disappoint you

 

[Kbceric]

Then those "serious sportsman" should get a pay-for service that according to you is "rock solid". Apple doesn't develop tech for the niches...they develop tech for the masses. All that has to happen is the satellite SOS has to provide the capability to rescue people when there is no cell service.

Good for you. You are not the target market for free emergency satellite SOS service that apple has built into the iphone 14. There are people, such as me, who are.

I already have global evac and medical and I'm not the type to climb Mt. Everest. As I said you can pay for whatever service you need. The built in free satellite emergency SOS service works for me. Hopefully I will never need it.

And so what...why would you even care. They aren't spending your $$$.

While there are some objective ways to gauge products, the use and fit for purpose are purely subjective. If one believes some product is the best thing since sliced bread and spends their money on it, who are we to say they are wrong?

In your opinion.

Yes, when I state a fact. Otherwise I state it's an opinion. Don't post as if you have your finger on the pulse of everyone who buys an Apple product.

I have a very good AV surround sound and stereo system but I still like the sound quality of my original HomePod in stereos paired

 

[Jarrodbcall]

A good way to sum it up is ‘it’s a fantastic sounding, rubbish smart assistant that 9.5 out of 10 Apple users will never be interested in’.

The first HomePod was a flop because it was overpriced for the market it’s aimed at and this new version is only £50 cheaper with all the same hardware and software issues. Apple need to invest in Siri (massively) and also realise that a good proportion of iPhones users do not necessarily use Apple Music. Until Apple introduce flexibility and understand the smart assistant market, the HomePod will only appeal to a smaller number of people who focus purely on having a good sounding Bluetooth speaker.

I generally agree with you, but I do think that the software side is much better than when the OG launched. They couldn’t stereo pair, act as TV speakers, or recognize voices then. I find my HomePod more useful now than before, so I’m more interested this time around.

More interested doesn’t mean super interested, though.

 

[JamesHolden]

Then those "serious sportsman" should get a pay-for service that according to you is "rock solid". Apple doesn't develop tech for the niches...they develop tech for the masses. All that has to happen is the satellite SOS has to provide the capability to rescue people when there is no cell service.

Agreed.

You responded to my comment about someone saying he would get an iPhone 14 for his wife now that it had satellite SOS and my point remains the same. If he cared that much about his wife, he could have bought any of the SOS beacons that have been available for over a decade. But no, he only cares when Apple releases it. Same with all the people on here who were talking about how it would make them feel so much more secure when they are backpacking and, again, they didn't need Apple's late to the party offering if they really cared that much.

I have no problem with the satellite SOS service. I think it's a great feature. I also don't think anyone who needs an emergency beacon should rely on Apple's offering. There are too many potential points of failure.

Good for you. You are not the target market for free emergency satellite SOS service that apple has built into the iphone 14. There are people, such as me, who are.

It's not free. Apple is currently covering the cost, but rest assured it will be a paid for service soon enough. They basically said as much in the keynote. And if you're going to pay for it, you might as well get a real rock solid beacon you can trust.

I already have global evac and medical and I'm not the type to climb Mt. Everest. As I said you can pay for whatever service you need. The built in free satellite emergency SOS service works for me. Hopefully I will never need it.

I'm not the type to climb Mt. Everest either, but I take plenty of day hikes and backpacking trips and my iPhone has failed on me numerous times. And, again, the satellite SOS is not free. It's free for a limited time. Apple isn't going to cover the cost of emergency satellite service forever. You're talking about a company that's too cheap to give customers a free year of Apple Music or free cloud storage when they buy a new product. You think they're going to pay for satellite SOS for hundreds of millions of iPhone users? Never.

And so what...why would you even care. They aren't spending your $$$.

Defensive much? I don't care. I'm posting my thoughts on an opinion forum. Just like you.

While there are some objective ways to gauge products, the use and fit for purpose are purely subjective. If one believes some product is the best thing since sliced bread and spends their money on it, who are we to say they are wrong?

I agree, but we're all entitled to our opinions and forums like this are where people share opinions. You don't have to agree with me, but I certainly don't need to justify anything to you either.

In your opinion.

Exactly. Just like everything you post is your opinion. The difference is, I'm not so thin-skinned that I need to jump all over you for not sharing my opinion.

Yes, when I state a fact. Otherwise I state it's an opinion. Don't post as if you have your finger on the pulse of everyone who buys an Apple product.

I'll state my opinion however I see fit. If you don't like it, feel free to add me to your ignore list.

 

[Kbceric]

LOL. They aren't anything compared to Kiplsh, etc. Tell me one movie thearer that uses sonos. I don't know about you. I have a 85", "65" ad 90" tvs...all three have receivers (denon),. and 8 speakers....Pictures fall off my wllls when I watch a movie. That is how it should be done. Course you watch on a laptop or computer....who cares. (but i would never subject myself to that)


Yes, movies and audio are my life. I actually refused to buy the low end car cause speaker systrem was horrible (I was the kid in the 90s with the sub, amp, tweeters, etc in car next to you). I am currently trying to make this (yes I guess I am not your average users)

However, I was before everyone went to inferior mp3s, and compressed videos on digital I was.

Totally agree with you! How could he say Sonos is a gold standard for home theatre?

 

[I7guy]

Totally agree with you! How could he say Sonos is a gold standard for home theatre?

I thought this was the gold standard. https://www.mcintoshlabs.com/systems/Reference-Music

 

[I7guy]

Agreed.

You responded to my comment about someone saying he would get an iPhone 14 for his wife now that it had satellite SOS and my point remains the same. If he cared that much about his wife, he could have bought any of the SOS beacons that have been available for over a decade. But no, he only cares when Apple releases it. Same with all the people on here who were talking about how it would make them feel so much more secure when they are backpacking and, again, they didn't need Apple's late to the party offering if they really cared that much.

I have no problem with the satellite SOS service. I think it's a great feature. I also don't think anyone who needs an emergency beacon should rely on Apple's offering. There are too many potential points of failure.


It's not free. Apple is currently covering the cost, but rest assured it will be a paid for service soon enough. They basically said as much in the keynote. And if you're going to pay for it, you might as well get a real rock solid beacon you can trust.


I'm not the type to climb Mt. Everest either, but I take plenty of day hikes and backpacking trips and my iPhone has failed on me numerous times. And, again, the satellite SOS is not free. It's free for a limited time. Apple isn't going to cover the cost of emergency satellite service forever. You're talking about a company that's too cheap to give customers a free year of Apple Music or free cloud storage when they buy a new product. You think they're going to pay for satellite SOS for hundreds of millions of iPhone users? Never.


Defensive much? I don't care. I'm posting my thoughts on an opinion forum. Just like you.


I agree, but we're all entitled to our opinions and forums like this are where people share opinions. You don't have to agree with me, but I certainly don't need to justify anything to you either.


Exactly. Just like everything you post is your opinion. The difference is, I'm not so thin-skinned that I need to jump all over you for not sharing my opinion.


I'll state my opinion however I see fit. If you don't like it, feel free to add me to your ignore list.

The only thing tying this conversation to HomePods is your stated opinion of HomePods being half-baked as this product is; according to you.

If you "need" emergency SOS, then by all means go out and get a subscription service. The people who "need" it, know it. For me, I'm grateful my iphone has crash detection and emergency SOS. And emergency satellite SOS will serve people well as time goes on and Apple will improve it. And probably drive the price of the subscriptions down as well. Currently the price is $0. I understand in the future there will be a subscription, but right now the cost to the consumer is $0.

I've never had an iphone "fail" in the cold. I suppose if you go out in sub-zero temperature for days on end a lithium battery will ultimately stop working due to the cold. For those who do that, know it and will take the appropriate precautions. For those off the grid for days at time, you know who you are and prepare accordingly.

For me, I'm more likely to go into the SW desert where there is no cell service. But there's not doubt in my mind that emergency satellite SOS is a game changer.

 

[PatriotInvasion]

Strange product, will most likely be a flop again at $299 (people forget apple reduced the OG to $299 before discontinuing it and it still flopped), this should have been more around the $249 price tag for it to be truly compelling.

I think I will wait to upgrade my OG HP’s until these come down in price… I can see good sales on these coming through Black Friday etc…

At this current time, your only missing out on a couple of sensors if your rocking the OG, just not worth the upgrade IMO…

How long have run of the mill Bluetooth speakers from Bose and others sold for $199-$299 with little fuss? Over a decade?

$299 is perfectly reasonable for the sound quality the HomePod provides. If you compare it only to the price points of trojan horse junk speakers from Amazon and Google designed simply to acquire data to sell ads, then it's not for you.

If you want an amazing sounding speaker that has Siri built-in for independent Apple Music audio, HomeKit commands, and the occasional random question for Siri, it's an amazing product. I've had two HomePods in my house since 2018 with no issues and both were well worth the price.

 

[Apple_Robert]

People in this thread and elsewhere on MR who say they aren't going to get the new HomePod based on what some YouTuber's subjective opinion is, is really doing a disservice to objective critical thinking rooted in personal responsibility. Many of you couldn't care less if someone didn't like your car, house, job, or hobby you engage in; and yet, many of you are willing to be led by the tech nose by total strangers, without trying the product for yourselves as you make declarative blind judgments and posts to others. Some of you need to do some serious thinking about your decision making process.

 

[Macaholic868]

I love our OG HomePod and want a pair but the question is do I buy two new second generation devices and move the OG HomePod to another room or do I get on eBay and grab a lightly used OG for around $220 including shipping? I can see Apple no longer putting out software updates for the OG HomePod soon if they ever put one out again after the most recent update and if that happens in the next year I’d rather just grab two new units that’ll be supported for years to come then to have just dropped $220 or so on a discontinued device that isn’t getting updates.

I’ve got 3 minis in the basement, two in a stereo pair in the back of the room and one by itself in the front of the room by the Apple TV we have down there but getting all 3 to play the same music is a PITA.

The only way I have found to do it is by using the Apple Music app then directing the audio through AirPlay via the stereo pair and the one one that is on its own down there.

Is there a better / faster way to get the stereo pair and the one off unit that’s down in the basement all playing the same thing? We’ve got 3 levels in our house with at least one mini at every level. It’s rare we’d want to play music on all of the HomePods in our home but it would be nice for a quick way to play music on all of the HomePods in a room as defined in the Home App without having to go into the Music app, setting AirPlay redirect and picking the stereo pair and one off basement unit every time.