HomePod OG Homepod sound quality was never good: A discussion

[B/D]

In the last few days, given the recent amounts of complains about the HP sound quality, I have been looking back to reviews of when the product was launched back 2018, because I remembered that it was praised for its sound quality when it first released. But surprisingly, I have found quite a bit of severe negative reviews sound wise.


Perhaps the beats like tuning was always there since day one and we just stayed for the convenience of the ecosystem, not the sound quality.

For example.
https://venturebeat.com/2018/02/12/...nly-siri-fans-should-consider-this-bass-bomb/

https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/reviews/apple-homepod-review-an-audiophile-perspective-r697/

And one recent review:

https://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/apple-homepod-part-1-audio-performance

Thoughts?. Have we, after all, being fooled by the distortion reality field all this time?.

 

[dotme]

I like my OGs but I feel they were seriously over-engineered. Unnecessarily complicated... making them expensive to make, impossible to repair, and for what? I'm still struggling to comprehend the benefit of a 360 degree speaker that depends on a power outlet for operation. Maybe I'm in the minority, but for some reason my house has outlets built into walls, not floating in mid air in the center of a room.

• High-excursion woofer with custom amplifier
• Array of seven horn-loaded tweeters, each with its own custom amplifier

Eight amplifiers? No wonder they get hot. One of mine now smells like burning plastic after it's been operating for an hour or two.

As for audio quality, yeah - I like the bass these bad boys put out when they're not popping. And for room-filling ambient background music I think they're fantastic. But it's no surprise that at $800 a pair retail with tax, not a ton of people bought them.

 

[B/D]

I like my OGs but I feel they were seriously over-engineered. Unnecessarily complicated... making them expensive to make, impossible to repair, and for what? I'm still struggling to comprehend the benefit of a 360 degree speaker that depends on a power outlet for operation. Maybe I'm in the minority, but for some reason my house has outlets built into walls, not floating in mid air in the center of a room.

• High-excursion woofer with custom amplifier
• Array of seven horn-loaded tweeters, each with its own custom amplifier

Eight amplifiers? No wonder they get hot. One of mine now smells like burning plastic after it's been operating for an hour or two.

As for audio quality, yeah - I like the bass these bad boys put out when they're not popping. And for room-filling ambient background music I think they're fantastic. But it's no surprise that at $800 a pair retail with tax, not a ton of people bought them.

A victim of its own hardware... very interesting, thank you.


And for room-filling ambient background music I think they're fantastic

Very accurate description. The audio quality is not necessarily very good, but is fun and punchy. But for actual sound quality, for sitting down and enjoying a classical reference recording, for example, they are not.

And perhaps that was part of the problem. Perhaps at $800 they should have been. I dont know.


I´m happy with my pair and accept its shortcomings, but its sad history seems to me a curious one, a product victim of its own ambitions.

 

[glindon]

I find the sound quality very good on my pair of OG HomePods. Audio tests at the time of release showed they were pretty flat from 20-20k, (why I felt comfortable buying them) and I've thoroughly enjoyed listening to music on them. Are they high end audio? Kinda? I don't think I could get as good of quality sound for the $700 I spent on them, not without going through the hassle of placement, room treatments, additional gear. Probably would have spent over $1000 for similar quality. There was a time when I'd do all that but really I found that I spent just as much time tinkering than sitting back and enjoying my music.

 

[satchmo]

They sound bass heavy and muddy to me. But I’ve only heard them at a local BestBuy.

 

[turbineseaplane]

The sound quality is pretty good on the OGHPs, but overrated also

I realized that when comparing with reasonable midrange PC speakers (several models, around the same price or less than two HomePods in stereo)

 

[glindon]

They sound bass heavy and muddy to me. But I’ve only heard them at a local BestBuy.

Much different sounding in a controlled environment. They were really designed to take room acoustics into account and a large open space kept the feature from working properly. I had the opposite experience with the HP mini's. I never was interested in buying a pair until I heard them in person at a Best Buy just before Christmas. I thought the bass was pretty impressive (for the size), so I bought a pair and put them on my computer desk. Totally underwhelmed by the sound quality--especially compared to pair of OG HP.

 

[Allyance]

I doubt very seriously if any legitimate test showed them to be "flat" from 20hz to 20kz, a very difficult feat for even the best loud speakers.

 

[glindon]

I doubt very seriously if any legitimate test showed them to be "flat" from 20hz to 20kz, a very difficult feat for even the best loud speakers.

No speaker is truly “flat.” But I’ve seen enough charts in my lifetime to know if a speaker measures well or is a dumpster fire, and the HP’s were competitively “flat” with other high end gear.

 

[kevcube]

All things considered, sound quality, price, ease of use.. I'm very happy I picked up a OG HP at $300 a year or two ago. I also own two HP Minis and the sound difference is crystal clear. I'm very happy with the clarity of both, but when the minis are turned up loud I find myself wishing I'd bought more full size HP's before discontinuation and secondhand market price rise.

 

[iObama]

I bought one and had to return it because of how loud the bass was. I live in an apartment complex that doesn't have the thickest walls in the world. Using the BS Music app EQ barely helped, then frustrated me every time I got in the car and had to change it back to Flat.

 

[glindon]

I bought one and had to return it because of how loud the bass was. I live in an apartment complex that doesn't have the thickest walls in the world. Using the BS Music app EQ barely helped, then frustrated me every time I got in the car and had to change it back to Flat.

Yeah, now they have a "reduce bass" option that solves that issue.

 

[iObama]

Yeah, now they have a "reduce bass" option that solves that issue.

Interesting! I certainly hope they re-release a larger HomePod. I absolutely love my Sonos Ones with AirPlay 2, though, so I'm not rushing to buy anything else

 

[Spotlighter9]

I have two pairs of Stereo OGs (one of the pairs is connected as Home Theater speaker to my Apple TV) and think they sound phenomenal with certain albums/songs/atmos. Sometimes I'm unimpressed with the sound inconsistency and bugginess, especially after updates, but overall they (and the several minis I bought for bedrooms) served my purpose of bringing decent sounding music wirelessly into our home at low cost/effort. After hearing the incredibly immersive, yet tiny, speakers on my new 16" M1 MBP (and asking..."now, why don't my OGs sound like that), however, I believe that Apple will release an updated version of the OGs at some point that sound even better then the originals. With that said, one of the original functions of the OGs was too ensure that music is heard uniformly throughout and filling a room and not only in one direction from a speaker...in that I think it does an amazing job.

 

[Duncan-UK]

Am I missing something “OG” what does that mean?

I bought the HomePod on release and thought it sounded ok but nowhere near as orgasmic as some of the early reviewers. In fact it was only when I got another and set them up as a stereo pair that the sound became good. Of course this is all subjective.

subsequently I bought two more for an upstairs room.

Sadly though two of them have fallen victim to the fart of death which is frankly pretty appalling of Apple.

 

[iObama]

Am I missing something “OG” what does that mean?

I bought the HomePod on release and thought it sounded ok but nowhere near as orgasmic as some of the early reviewers. In fact it was only when I got another and set them up as a stereo pair that the sound became good. Of course this is all subjective.

subsequently I bought two more for an upstairs room.

Sadly though two of them have fallen victim to the fart of death which is frankly pretty appalling of Apple.

OG technically stands for "original gangster," but people use it interchangeably for "original"

 

[Allyance]

No speaker is truly “flat.” But I’ve seen enough charts in my lifetime to know if a speaker measures well or is a dumpster fire, and the HP’s were competitively “flat” with other high end gear.

I was in retail audio from 1969 to 1975, then became a professional sound contractor till 1990. I have sold all type of audio gear and have built 170 nightclub systems. I built all the loudspeakers for the clubs with professional JBL components. The only way to accurately measure a loudspeaker is in an anechoic chamber. Speaker response will vary with placement and room conditions. When the specs say 20 to 20k, they are measured at the -3db down points.

 

[Spotlighter9]

I was in retail audio from 1969 to 1975, then became a professional sound contractor till 1990. I have sold all type of audio gear and have built 170 nightclub systems. I built all the loudspeakers for the clubs with professional JBL components. The only way to accurately measure a loudspeaker is in an anechoic chamber. Speaker response will vary with placement and room conditions. When the specs say 20 to 20k, they are measured at the -3db down points.

All good points. I trust that Apple's $100M anechoic chamber accurately calibrated and refined the OG's (Original Generation) sound signature. The sensor technology within the OG automatically recalibrates the output based on placement and room conditions, either by saying "Hey Siri, recalibrate the HomePods in the kitchen" or you can just shake the OG...the HomePod Mini has no such capability.

Chambers of Super Silence: What’s Inside Apple’s $100 Million iPhone Radio Test Facility

During his <a href="//www.fastcompany.com/1670989/antennagate-apple-explains-all-at-its-iphone-4-press-event">spiel to explain</a> why Apple’s iPhone 4 doesn’t have an antenna flaw in real-world experience, Steve Jobs used some plain science. And he showed off Apple’s radio test facilities too...

www.fastcompany.com

 

[glindon]

All good points. I trust that Apple's $100M anechoic chamber accurately calibrated and refined the OG's (Original Generation) sound signature. The sensor technology within the OG automatically recalibrates the output based on placement and room conditions, either by saying "Hey Siri, recalibrate the HomePods in the kitchen" or you can just shake the OG...the HomePod Mini has no such capability.

Chambers of Super Silence: What’s Inside Apple’s $100 Million iPhone Radio Test Facility

During his <a href="//www.fastcompany.com/1670989/antennagate-apple-explains-all-at-its-iphone-4-press-event">spiel to explain</a> why Apple’s iPhone 4 doesn’t have an antenna flaw in real-world experience, Steve Jobs used some plain science. And he showed off Apple’s radio test facilities too...

www.fastcompany.com

I didn't know Siri could recalibrate the HomePod. Neat.

 

[ouimetnick]

I actually like the 360 sound. It's handy for various settings like in the kitchen where there's a half wall separating the kitchen from the living room area or at my parent's house where there is a half wall separating the dining room and computer room. It sounds the same in both rooms, but with a regular speaker like a Sonos One, you can only get great sound in one direction.

The HomePod has always been bass heavy (something I actually like), but I swear the mid range isn't what it used to be. I wish Apple didn't change the sound profiles through updates since it defeats the purpose of buying it based off sound. Sonos is also heavy in the bass department, but you can adjust that to sound more flat. I actually have the bass increased on my regular stereo, so heavy bass is fine by me. Obviously not obnoxious bass, but tweaked slightly higher is fine. I wish the OG HomePod would let you adjust the bass granularly instead of an on/off switch.

The 7 small tweeter amps and woofer amplifier are quite efficient and stay cool, it's the power supply circuitry on the amp board that fails (diode tends to overheat and fail)

 

[turbineseaplane]

I wish Apple didn't change the sound profiles through updates since it defeats the purpose of buying it based off sound.

I simply wish they'd allow more control over "which profile you use"...

Sort of like some sports video games that allow you to pick a specific gameplay "tuner" -- even old ones (or even original)

Apple is way too controlling in this regard. With something like sound, we should be able to craft a profile we like and it should be encouraged -- not buried in weird accessibility stuff, etc

 

[zhenya]

All of that engineering is what allows you to place the HomePod almost anywhere and it will sound decent to very good with minimal concern for room surroundings or materials, nor even where the listener is in the room. We had a couple of moderately expensive component bookshelf systems that were many times more expensive than a pair of HomePods that really only sounded good if they were placed in a good location and the listener was sitting almost directly in front of them. We now have 15+ HomePods and HP mini’s in our house and they all sound decent and enjoyable regardless of where they are located and even in places like a large kitchen where we are constantly moving.

Before originally settling on the HomePods, we tested the Sonos equivalents and while the Sonos also sounded very good, they were not nearly as effective at adjusting their sound as the listening position shifted in the room.

 

[Allyance]

I have an first gen Homepod, I keep it in the kitchen and listen to music at meal times. It sits in the middle of a bay window, lets me enjoy a few tunes with a minimum of fuss. I try not to listen to the speaker, but the music. It is definitely NOT audiophile quality, not bad for what it is. With a 5 1/4" woofer, it doesn't have the cone excursion to produce deep fundamental bass.

 

[cynics]

I really like the sound quality of my HomePods. I have 2 (OG models) and they are set on the dividing counter between my kitchen and living room. The sound fills the space unusually well. There is the least amount of 'hot spot' near the speaker I've really experienced with any speaker (it doesn't get much louder the closer you get). Since its omnidirectional it can't be EQ'd (no single listening position) nor would anyone be able to EQ the horned tweets to project the sound as even as it does automatically.

Since I live in a condo its great, because I don't have to turn it up the further away I get. Matter of fact I'll often walk out of my office to make sure its not too loud for the neighbor. It never is...

The problem with the HomePod was its customer base vs their idea of 'value'. Its initial 350 dollar price tag is cheap for audio equipment. Its closest competitor in the market is Sonos (which I also have two OG 3's) and they are (were) similar priced. The difference being Sonos's customer base are people looking for audio equipment, not Apple customers looking for an Alexa dot replacement.

I always ignore audio most reviews. You can find reviews that support your own narrative way too easily because sound is subjective. I need to hear the product myself because of those subjective taste. For example some people say the HomePod base heavy, however if I use an admittedly cheap mic with sound level meter program on my Mac its fairly flat (meaning its reproducing the original sound accurately). More impressively its fairly flat across the majority of the space which is wild. I'm used to a fairly narrow listening position, outside of that area and everything falls apart. That doesn't mean you have to like it and to be honest I adjust my Sonos after the phone EQ deal because it 'seems' base heavy and the room I have them in is under my neighbors bedroom. That is a subjective preference we all have them.

Best sound I ever heard? No way, not by a mile. Best sound I've heard from an omnidirectional speaker that is also the source? Yep.

 

[notgonna]

One of mine got bricked, likely by the 14.6 update*. I'm looking at moving on to another, maybe Sonus. I really haven't started looking. Recommendations for quality sound? AirPlay 2 support?

My wife prefers using Bluetooth or wired to a Harmon Kardon Studio (4?) from her iPhone. It does sound great.

(*Any suggestions on a fix are welcome. I'm not going to pay Apple $279. for a replacement. The hard reset doesn't work. It was removed from Home app and removed as an Apple iCloud device. The other three have been updated to 15.3.)