Sonos Rivals HomePod With New Assistant Speaker, Adding AirPlay 2 Support to Speakers Next Year

[deanthedev]

Hasn't Sonos been doing this for years with Trueplay? It makes a giant difference on my Playbar and Play:1's. Yes, I have to re-run it when I move the speakers...but that's basically never. When I do, it takes 2-3 minutes tops.

TruePlay is a simpler version of what the HomePod does - it’s basically EQ tuning based on room response. Sonos doesn’t have any speakers with a 360 degree array of drivers which can each emit sound not only with a different EQ but with a different time delay.

Why do you think there’s an A8 processor in the HomePod, which is ridiculously overpowered for a speaker that only has to worry about BT or WiFi? It’s for the real time acoustic modeling.

 

[knemonic]

I don't think you will be able to control Apple Music by voice using the Sonos speaker mics. Unless I am reading it wrong, it will be using Alexa and eventually Google for the voice commands and neither are compatible with AM. Airplay 2 will be nice, but you will still need the iPhone or iPad around to control it.

The Dot has an aux out, so you can plug it into a high end system. You can still use AM via Bluetooth in the Dot if you don't like the internal music services, but you lose multiroom support. If you are plugging it into Bluetooth speakers, that can definitely be improved upon, though.

The main upside to the HomePod will be the ability to control AM with voice just using the HomePod. Unfortunately, if you want "Hey Siri" control of a music service on your iPhone, you have to use AM. That gives the HomePod the advantage in this one critical area. As I said, maybe I missing something, but I didn't see where Sonos could control Apple Music without having an iOS device involved. I still don't know if the HomePod is worth the extra money, just to get direct AM control. However, I am not going to make any decisions until the product is available. If you can tell it to play "The Beatles in zone 1" and it sends Apple Music audio to multiple Airplay 2 speakers, I would probably buy one.

As a side note, I love my Sous Vide, too.

The more I read the more it seems you’re right. But I don’t think you get my approach, I want it seamless. It’s completely stupid to me to invest money into devices that have voice control but then to have to connect my phone to the dot or speaker to listen to my services. I want to be able to say “Alexa, play...” That is the sole reason I’m using Spotify, it’s completely integrated with Alexa, but on the flip side, Spotify isn’t great. For example, on a 9 hour road trip yesterday, Spotify randomly logged me out deleting all my downloaded music. I had 5gb downloaded, meaning it would kill my data plan if I downloaded on the road. I was not happy.

All I want is a speaker that has a built in assistant that can use voice control with Apple Music but also works with smartthings, Logitech, Sous Vide and hue. I highly doubt Apple will add smartthings ever to the HomePod, unless smartthings goes HomeKit, which I don’t see ever happening either. It will be 2 years before Apple opens up HomePod to Logitech, Sous Vide. This is a crappy time to be in this era of tech, cause everyone is throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks before playing nice. The HomePod will be the new Apple TV, well be complaining for years till they add an App Store to add things like skills from Alexa.

 

[vipergts2207]

Not sure what this means. Sonos makes traditional home theater systems look idiotic. It sounds amazing, there's no need at all for a receiver, and it's simple to use.

There’s no sound comparison between the two. And the price you’d pay for a 5.1 Sonos setup is a rip-off. For that money you could get a nice, actual home theater setup. Just the $700 they want for the “subwoofer” by itself is an absolute joke.

 

[page3]

Sure. And the iPhone can't hold a candle to a properly attuned land-line.

Eah?

 

[DaveOP]

TruePlay is a simpler version of what the HomePod does - it’s basically EQ tuning based on room response. Sonos doesn’t have any speakers with a 360 degree array of drivers which can each emit sound not only with a different EQ but with a different time delay.

Why do you think there’s an A8 processor in the HomePod, which is ridiculously overpowered for a speaker that only has to worry about BT or WiFi? It’s for the real time acoustic modeling.

It will be interesting to see the difference, if any, with the Homepod technology. I have truly considered getting one, but I rely on the Playbar for home theatre, so it cannot replace my Sonos yet. The Sonos home theatre setup is wife approved for cosmetics, so that's worth something

 

[campyguy]

I'll wait until they're all out on the market and give them a test.

OTOH, that video reminds me of Dieter & Boris in the "official" "Oh Yeah" video.

 

[vipergts2207]

Actually it sort of can. You ever heard Anthem Room Correction in operation?

Which is used with wired equipment.

 

[kiranmk2]

Will be interesting to see whether the HomePod is closer to the Play 3 or Play 5 in sound quality. I'm quite suprised Sonos didn't also release a Sonos 3 - the Play 3 must be getting overdue for a new model and I guess all their new speakers will have microphones now.

One further question - when you ask Alexa to play a song where will it play from by default? Your library, Amazon Music or somewhere else?

 

[rhett7660]

But does it have some cool LED lights somewhere? Yes, they serve a purpose.

It says it does right in the article:

Sonos One comes in black or white, weighs four pounds, and has an illuminated LED indicator light to ensure you are always aware when the speaker's microphone is active. The speaker connects to a home's Wi-Fi network, and it also has one 10/100 Mbps Ethernet port for those who prefer a wired connection.

Now whether it looks cool or not......

 

[mw360]

Will be interesting to see whether the HomePod is closer to the Play 3 or Play 5 in sound quality. I'm quite suprised Sonos didn't also release a Sonos 3 - the Play 3 must be getting overdue for a new model and I guess all their new speakers will have microphones now.

One further question - when you ask Alexa to play a song where will it play from by default? Your library, Amazon Music or somewhere else?

Amazon Music...
https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4343

 

[cola79]

Sorry but that’s just laughable that Sonos can hold a candle to a proper AV receiver/amp.

It does with ease. The eighties are over, back in those days there have been different qualities in the built in DACs they put inside the receivers/amps.

But nowadays even cheap chinese amps got decent dacs built in, as these have become a standard.

A difference is only left for speakers. But, sonos got excellent reviews by owners and magazines, in their price range they offer much more than competitors.

I got a play1 myself and the sound quality is excellent compared with my hifi standalone equipment from the 90s which i had paid 6 times more than for the sonos.

And i must admit, i was critical at first and was not sure if i should buy a sonos. But since i got it, i listened to music every day. It is so easy to use, supports all streaming services who are relevant (tested all from low prive up to quboz etc) and can be placed everywhere you want it.

Even if you don't use streaming, you can use your own nas or just the built in support for internet radio.

Whilst the applepod only supports apple music. Seriously, who needs that? Many people use amazon prime and will use amazon streaming, also spotify and google music are relevant, just to name two of the bigger ones.

I must admit, sonos delivers a great product that never let me down since i own it. Can't say that about my apple products so far. So no pod for me.

 

[KRG]

Will be interesting to see whether the HomePod is closer to the Play 3 or Play 5 in sound quality. I'm quite suprised Sonos didn't also release a Sonos 3 - the Play 3 must be getting overdue for a new model and I guess all their new speakers will have microphones now.

They will soon. I assume the 1 series has far more mass appeal than the 3 because of the $199 price point, and they wanted to focus on that for the holidays. The HomePod will likely be getting all the hype in the $300-500 space this season. Sonos is probably wanting to wait for that to settle, then they'll release a new 3 that matches or surpasses the HomePod sound quality and offers more flexibility.

 

[lowercaseperson]

Question for all you gurus out there:

I have a PlayBar and sync my TV sound with the Play1 in my kitchen so I can watch TV while I cook without the sound in the PlayBar blairing.

As Sonos adds Airplay2 could I replace that Play1 in my kitchen with A HomePod and and stream the TV sound to it the same way?

 

[mw360]

Lots of people listened to the HomePod demos and commented on their sound quality. Unless you think Apple cheated with their demos to make them appear better than they are (which would be really stupid as it would comeback on them when it’s rekeased).

Further, I’ve worked in audio engineering for 30 years. When I saw the demo the terminology and explanations Apple gave line up with technology I’m familiar with. Especially the modeling.

They cheated a little - they set the Homepod against a Play:3, which I think is commonly accepted to be the weakest of the Sonos products. I have one and don't find it nearly as nice as the Play:1s

 

[GBHK]

Home theater “system”



The solution for this is already out there. Buy an Apple TV 4K, a receiver and some speakers and you’ve got your Apple home theater.

Thank you. What I wanted to know is if you think Apple will replicate the Sonos approach to market releasing playbar and subwoofer in Apple style.

 

[page3]

It does with ease. The eighties are over, back in those days there have been different qualities in the built in DACs they put inside the receivers/amps.

But nowadays even cheap chinese amps got decent dacs built in, as these have become a standard.

A difference is only left for speakers. But, sonos got excellent reviews by owners and magazines, in their price range they offer much more than competitors.

I got a play1 myself and the sound quality is excellent compared with my hifi standalone equipment from the 90s which i had paid 6 times more than for the sonos.

And i must admit, i was critical at first and was not sure if i should buy a sonos. But since i got it, i listened to music every day. It is so easy to use, supports all streaming services who are relevant (tested all from low prive up to quboz etc) and can be placed everywhere you want it.

Even if you don't use streaming, you can use your own nas or just the built in support for internet radio.

Whilst the applepod only supports apple music. Seriously, who needs that? Many people use amazon prime and will use amazon streaming, also spotify and google music are relevant, just to name two of the bigger ones.

I must admit, sonos delivers a great product that never let me down since i own it. Can't say that about my apple products so far. So no pod for me.

We so clearly aren’t going to agree on sound quality, but that’s ok. I use Sonos too.

 

[vipergts2207]

Thank you. What I wanted to know is if you think Apple will replicate the Sonos approach to market releasing playbar and subwoofer in Apple style.

Something like that would likely depend on the success of the HomePod. Even then I’m not sure they’d do it. You’re talking probably more than a year down the road if they ever would do something like that in the first place. For now an ATV is the only option for an Apple-centric home theater.

 

[cola79]

Question for all you gurus out there:

I have a PlayBar and sync my TV sound with the Play1 in my kitchen so I can watch TV while I cook without the sound in the PlayBar blairing.

As Sonos adds Airplay2 could I replace that Play1 in my kitchen with A HomePod and and stream the TV sound to it the same way?

I doubt you can do that.

Because how do you want to transport the audio to your pod? The playbar basically just catches input and transports it to the desired places/receiving devices.

Whilst airplay is basically just a signal you can send. And your tv audio would first need to be caught (like now by your playbar) and then send again.

So your tv itself needs airplay capabilities and added to the ability to split audio from video signal.

So i would say your homepod will only work as a playback for your phone and maybe tv streaming you receive via phone. But not from your home television.

 

[vipergts2207]

A difference is only left for speakers. But, sonos got excellent reviews by owners and magazines, in their price range they offer much more than competitors.

And that’s the biggest problem with stuff like this, they use tiny drivers that can’t play down low enough. Even the Sonos sub only uses dual 6” drivers. That’s teeny-tiny for a sub. For comparison, my left and right channel speakers use dual 6.5” drivers, so I wouldn’t be at all surprised if my mains play lower than the Sonos sub.

Edit: I looked it up and oddly enough, both main my speakers and the Sonos sub +/-3dB point is at 34 Hz. That says a lot about the sub.

 

[MacNewsOverload]

Is it just me, or is it a travesty that Apple does not have a cohesive, all Apple product, multi-room system for music that can be controlled by a remote/portable device? I can airplay with several airport express units, amplifiers, and speakers, but ultimately can't control Apple Music selections from a remote on iphone or ipad. Yes, I can control volume and skip tracks, but anything more requires a return to the PC or Mac that is streaming.

It makes me wonder if anyone at Apple uses Apple Music in their own house...???

Of course, Airplay 2 may straighten this all out, but they better have an inexpensive way to upgrade Airports, or add an Airplay 2 receiver to existing audio equipment. Am I alone on this?

 

[ajguckian]

This is great news, and will most likely be the only way I'd get some type of voice assistant speaker to add to the house. Really, it's going to just be an excuse I use on my wife to justify getting the Play:1 I want for the kitchen.

 

[mw360]

Thank you. What I wanted to know is if you think Apple will replicate the Sonos approach to market releasing playbar and subwoofer in Apple style.

The problem is, Apple being Apple, there's a real risk any new features like that would require you to replace your existing hardware with version 2. See the history of the AppleTV for an example. I'd be staying well clear of a Homepod until they prove they are serious about supporting it long term, without customers having to keep ploughing money in. To their credit, Sonos seem to be very good at supporting older hardware - for example, they just released an Alexa-capable device, yet are happy to let existing owners have all the Alexa features without giving them an extra penny.

 

[lowercaseperson]

I doubt you can do that.

Because how do you want to transport the audio to your pod? The playbar basically just catches input and transports it to the desired places/receiving devices.

Whilst airplay is basically just a signal you can send. And your tv audio would first need to be caught (like now by your playbar) and then send again.

So your tv itself needs airplay capabilities and added to the ability to split audio from video signal.

So i would say your homepod will only work as a playback for your phone and maybe tv streaming you receive via phone. But not from your home television.

Hmmmmm.

My Samsung smart TV has an option to connect directly to Bluetooth speakers. Could it possibly send the sound to the HomePod and then the HomePod redirect the sound to the PlayBar? It’s backwards I know - I just don’t really know what Airplay2 is capable of.

 

[GBHK]

Something like that would likely depend on the success of the HomePod. Even then I’m not sure they’d do it. You’re talking probably more than a year down the road if they ever would do something like that in the first place. For now an ATV is the only option for an Apple-centric home theater.

Thank you. I do believe the same. I think we need to wait at least the whole 2018 to see where Apple wants to go. If they want to kill Sonos as a whole brand I think they can do that producing playbar, sub and Little HomePod that creates the same 5.1 ecosystem. I’m using sonos with Spotify. Having HomePod will have me to switch to Apple Music and whit this move I want to integrate all my home audio set to Apple cutting sonos out even if I love Sonos and I’m happy with the whole system so far.

 

[Uofmtiger]

The more I read the more it seems you’re right. But I don’t think you get my approach, I want it seamless. It’s completely stupid to me to invest money into devices that have voice control but then to have to connect my phone to the dot or speaker to listen to my services. I want to be able to say “Alexa, play...” That is the sole reason I’m using Spotify, it’s completely integrated with Alexa, but on the flip side, Spotify isn’t great. For example, on a 9 hour road trip yesterday, Spotify randomly logged me out deleting all my downloaded music. I had 5gb downloaded, meaning it would kill my data plan if I downloaded on the road. I was not happy.

All I want is a speaker that has a built in assistant that can use voice control with Apple Music but also works with smartthings, Logitech, Sous Vide and hue. I highly doubt Apple will add smartthings ever to the HomePod, unless smartthings goes HomeKit, which I don’t see ever happening either. It will be 2 years before Apple opens up HomePod to Logitech, Sous Vide. This is a crappy time to be in this era of tech, cause everyone is throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks before playing nice. The HomePod will be the new Apple TV, well be complaining for years till they add an App Store to add things like skills from Alexa.

The issue is that if you want to use voice control with iOS, you are locked into AM. If you want to have that feature on a stand alone (non-iOS/WatchOS) device at home, you are currently locked into the HomePod (or at least you will be when it comes out). Since I mainly listen to music on the road and at work, I value Siri control over apps like Spotify that would require me to touch the iPhone screen rather than just telling the Watch what I want to hear (like when I am driving).

At home, I use the Echo for casual listening (when I am making breakfast or getting ready for work) and I use Bluetooth more than any of the services built in. The Echo Dot's Bluetooth voice automation makes it easy by just telling Alexa to connect to iPhone and telling it to release when I leave the room. It can still pause and start playback via voice. I never plan on ditching the iPhone, so it isn't much of a sacrifice considering that I don't use the Echo for long term listening. I have Airplay for that.

My main issue with Airplay is that it requires manual interaction with the iOS (or from the Watch). If they build that into Siri, it will make playing Apple Music on my main systems a much easier experience.

I doubt Apple will ever have all of the third party skills available on the Echo (I use Plex, J River, SimpleControl and others that Apple will more than likely never support). It is why I didn't wait for Apple to get in the game before I invested in Amazon's solution. As I said, I would still consider a HomePod if it worked with Apple Music and could control Airplay. Outside of that, I will stick with my current solutions.