HomePod Thinking of getting myself a HomePod, and have some questions...

[Cassandle]

Hi

I'm tempted to get a HomePod, especially now you can get new ones for £200 in the UK. I'm fully tied in to the Apple ecosystem (my wife and I have iPhones, we have a MacBook Pro, an old iPad, Apple TV, I have an Apple Watch)

It would go on my desk which is in my office/dining room. So it would be used for listening to music whilst working and listening to music and podcasts during dinner etc. I've done a bit of reading about HomePod but have a few questions that I was hoping some users could help me with:

1. Is it worth the extra cost over a Sonos 1? I do not want Alexa or Google in my home as I don't trust them. I trust Apple a bit more (naively perhaps?) but ultimately the ability to interact with an AI by voice is a nice to have. I'm buying this for listening to music (so if I got a Sonos it would be a Sonos 1 SL rather than any voice activated one). What I've read seems to suggest that HomePod is much better sounding. Is this true? Is this also the case for people who are sat quite close to the HomePod? As it will be on a desk I will only be a couple of feet away from it whilst working.
2. Where does the music actually get played from? This might be a dumb question but these sorts of speakers are all new to me. I have a number of ripped CDs (e.g. remasters of the Beatles back catalogue). If I ask HomePod to play a Beatles album, will it play one of my ripped remasters from my iTunes/Apple Music?
3. Does HomePod need to be controlled by voice? Or can you use your phone to control what is played? I tend to flick through my music collection and find an album that takes my fancy - would I just press 'play' and send it to HomePod?
4. Can the Apple Watch control playback? It's super useful to be able to do this when music is playing off my phone in my headphones...
5. Is there anything else I should know that would help me decide between a HomePod and a Sonos 1 SL? I know the Sonos is cheaper (about £40-£50) but if HomePod is worth it I'm happy to pay more.

Thanks

 

[Moakesy]

Hi

I'm tempted to get a HomePod, especially now you can get new ones for £200 in the UK. I'm fully tied in to the Apple ecosystem (my wife and I have iPhones, we have a MacBook Pro, an old iPad, Apple TV, I have an Apple Watch)

It would go on my desk which is in my office/dining room. So it would be used for listening to music whilst working and listening to music and podcasts during dinner etc. I've done a bit of reading about HomePod but have a few questions that I was hoping some users could help me with:

1. Is it worth the extra cost over a Sonos 1? I do not want Alexa or Google in my home as I don't trust them. I trust Apple a bit more (naively perhaps?) but ultimately the ability to interact with an AI by voice is a nice to have. I'm buying this for listening to music (so if I got a Sonos it would be a Sonos 1 SL rather than any voice activated one). What I've read seems to suggest that HomePod is much better sounding. Is this true? Is this also the case for people who are sat quite close to the HomePod? As it will be on a desk I will only be a couple of feet away from it whilst working.
2. Where does the music actually get played from? This might be a dumb question but these sorts of speakers are all new to me. I have a number of ripped CDs (e.g. remasters of the Beatles back catalogue). If I ask HomePod to play a Beatles album, will it play one of my ripped remasters from my iTunes/Apple Music?
3. Does HomePod need to be controlled by voice? Or can you use your phone to control what is played? I tend to flick through my music collection and find an album that takes my fancy - would I just press 'play' and send it to HomePod?
4. Can the Apple Watch control playback? It's super useful to be able to do this when music is playing off my phone in my headphones...
5. Is there anything else I should know that would help me decide between a HomePod and a Sonos 1 SL? I know the Sonos is cheaper (about £40-£50) but if HomePod is worth it I'm happy to pay more.

Thanks

I’ve got an HomePod and Sonos system, so I can give you my view.

First of all, and as you probably know, the Sonos 1 is £179 so it’s not much of a cost difference at all. The small difference is absolutely worth every penny.

The sound of HomePod is a real step up from the Sonos, and it very noticeable in my opinion. When I first got the HomePod, I did a little sound test and compared it to my Sonos 1, 3 and 5 speakers. It beats them all.

The music gets played from either Apple Music, or you can send sound to it via AirPlay from your phone / MBP / IPad etc. If you ask it to play something, it will use Apple Music. If you want it to play your own ripped Beatles tracks, then you can still do this (very easy).

Voice is the easiest way to control it, but you can any Apple device. By way of an example, lets say you had a skype call come in on your work laptop....you can pause the music by a variety of ways. It could be quick tap of the top of the HomePod, pressing pause on your Apple Watch or saying ‘Hey Siri, stop’. When the call has finished, the same method can be used to start the music again. If your iphone rings, then the music stops / starts automatically when you take the call.

You can also setup short cuts on your phone which auto directs the output to your homepod. I have one for Radio 2, where the iphone shortcut opens BBC Sounds, selects Radio 2 and then directs output to the HomePod.

It’s also great for saying ‘Hey Siri, play some music I’d like’.....or ‘play some workout music’. The choices it makes is very good most of the time. I tend to pick it up and move it around occasionally, which is something I never do with my Sonos.

I love my homepod. I’m more into smart speakers as music devices rather than voice devices, so the fact Siri is behind Google / Alexa doesn’t bother me at all. It does all I want.

If I hadn’t invested so much in Sonos I would have ditched it completely and had all Homepods by now. I may still do this, now that the price of the HomePod is down to £200.

 

[boltjames]

What I've read seems to suggest that HomePod is much better sounding. Is this true? Is this also the case for people who are sat quite close to the HomePod? As it will be on a desk I will only be a couple of feet away from it whilst working.

Yes, the HomePod is generally thought to be the best sounding smart speaker in the industry. As you are already in the Apple ecosystem, you should be giving strong consideration to HomePod.

Where does the music actually get played from? This might be a dumb question but these sorts of speakers are all new to me. I have a number of ripped CDs (e.g. remasters of the Beatles back catalogue). If I ask HomePod to play a Beatles album, will it play one of my ripped remasters from my iTunes/Apple Music?

You're going to be very happy. You can do it another way, but with HomePod you really should get an Apple Music subscription, it's $10 a month and gives you not only access to 45 million songs but also included is iCloud storage for your rips, boots, alternate pressings, live shows, outtakes, etc. and they all live seamlessly together. Apple looks at your physical library and uploads the songs it doesn't have in its library. So I've got a Playlist with Beatles songs from Apple Music and songs from the Budokan show and songs from the Christmas Album and they all are available either on their playlists or by name. You just need to have the right naming conventions in your physical library before syncing it all.

Does HomePod need to be controlled by voice? Or can you use your phone to control what is played? I tend to flick through my music collection and find an album that takes my fancy - would I just press 'play' and send it to HomePod?

Both. Or either. Its entirely up to you. I'd recommend memorizing the Siri commands for music as its just easier, but if you want to use your iPhone you can or since you're using it in your office, you can use your computer too. But, yes, you can flick through the Music app on your iPhone and start playing without voice control if you prefer. You will find that you will take your HomePod to the kitchen or in the backyard, and with your hands full of ingredients or sunscreen its nice to be able to say "Hey Siri, play Revolver 1966 Mono" or "play some music for an Italian dinner party" and have it come on handsfree.

Is there anything else I should know that would help me decide between a HomePod and a Sonos 1 SL? I know the Sonos is cheaper (about £40-£50) but if HomePod is worth it I'm happy to pay more.

The only reason to buy a Sonos is if you resist an Apple Music subscription. For me, HomePod isn't "a speaker". It's Apple Music in any room of my house. And Apple Music is so much more than a library, it's really changed the way I listen to music entirely. My own curated album collection and playlist collection gets streamed, but about half the time I'm asking for something random and I'm discovering 30 year old songs I've never heard before, it's really a cool experience.

Advice: HomePod has a 30 day return period and Apple Music has a free 90 day subscription. Don't give it any thought. Buy a HomePod and get your free Apple Music subscription today. Give it the month of July. Return the HomePod and cancel Apple Music and it won't cost you a thing.

 

[firedept]

I can't add much more as the answers already given are spot on. I can only agree with what has been said. Go with the HomePod you won't regret your decision.

 

[danmart]

Another very satisfied HomePod user - I have six now. Four used singly and two used as a stereo pair in my lounge. The others are in the bedroom, dining room, kitchen and my home office. It is certainly a good listening experience close up, or further back. They also make pretty good speaker phones, too, which can be handy in the home office...

In terms of where the music comes from, it’s all streamed in some way. You can use AirPlay to send music from any device that can use that* and control the music in a fully featured way using that device.

You can subscribe to ‘iTunes in the Cloud’ to upload your own, ripped music collection and play that directly on a HomePod via voice commands. Or you can subscribe to Apple Music, and that is definitely the best experience. The way I look at it is that I have access to music in pretty much every room that gets regular use in the house.

* You can’t directly control the HomePod from you Watch, and you can’t send music on your Watch to the HomePod, either. What you can do is switch your iPhone to controlling one of your HomePods, and then the ‘Now Playing’ feature on your Watch can be used to play / pause, switch track and control volume.

 

[pup]

I've owned both. I had a HomePod for about a year and a half, but had constant connection issues and never got much use out of Siri. Because of that, I bought a Sonos 1 to try and ended up quickly expanding my Sonos system, demoting the HomePod to less and less used rooms until ultimately selling it. Now I have pairs of Sonos Ones in three rooms, plus a Move, a Beam, and most recently a Sub.

In short, I found individual Sonos Ones to have slightly better sound quality and significantly better reliability than a HomePod. And I've since found that the flexibility and expandability of the Sonos system is a rarely mentioned advantage.

A few points, in no particular order:

I've found Sonos products to be the most reliable Airplay speakers/devices I own - more reliable than the HomePod and even more reliable than wired devices like my AppleTV and Airport Express. (About half of my Sonos are wired, which is an indispensable option if you have iffy WiFi or just want the most stable connection.)

The ability to adjust the tone control individually for each speaker really makes a difference in getting the sound you enjoy as well as adjusting it for each room. I initially enjoyed the sound of my HomePod, but was disappointed when Apple forced a different EQ on all the HomePods, which boosted the midrange and dulled the bass. FWIW, all the HomePod/Sonos One comparisons out there are based on the old EQ, and generally the HomePod was preferred in those tests because of its weightier bass - so Apple eliminated the very thing that reviewers preferred. For me, I just don't want to cede control of how I enjoy my music to whatever Apple's marketing team thinks is going to be most marketable next month.

The Sonos DSP is more advanced than the HomePod's, using your phone to take measurements from all over the room rather than at just the one spot where the HomePod sits. This helps locate and reduce the impact of low frequency nodes that the HomePod would have missed. It will also adjust the sound based on what other speakers it knows you have in the house.

I prefer the interface and control of the Sonos app vs Airplay, but I still primarily use Airplay since the Sonos app can't stream to non-Sonos speakers and can't access smart playlists (and in some cases certain songs). But streaming to the Sonos over Airplay via the Mac or iPhone is exactly the same as streaming to any Apple product. I typically stream from iTunes and use the remote app on my phone, watch, or iPad to control playback.

The flexibility and expandability of Sonos products is an under appreciated advantage. A HomePod is a HomePod. Yes, you can buy another and create a stereo pair, but that's it. No surround sound. No subwoofer. No Amp. No portable, etc. It will never become part of an integrated system, much less part of a 'audiophile' system. With the Sonos, on the other hand, you can start small and simple but then add to your system's performance and complexity as you want. I can tell you, for example, that adding a Sub to a pair of Sonos Ones is as transformative as creating a stereo pair. (Sonos does subwoofers right - when you add one, the system pulls bass away from the other speakers, allowing them to perform better in the upper and midrange. You don't hear the Sub so much as your music is suddenly richer and more expansive - provided you keep the sub at a reasonable level.) Likewise, you might start with Sonos Ones, but then someday upgrade to some Fives and shift your Ones to part of a surround system. Sonos just offers a lot more upgrade paths other than 'what room do we put the other HomePod'.

My recommendation for a single speaker, however, is to pay a bit more money than either the HomePod or the Sonos One and get the Sonos Move instead. You'll find the sound to be significantly richer than either, and you gain the flexibility of using it anywhere in the house or yard or - anywhere. IMO, with a Move you and your family will get a lot more enjoyment for your money.

 

[Cassandle]

Thanks everyone for your advice, it's much appreciated.
[automerge]1592851999[/automerge]

I’ve got an HomePod and Sonos system, so I can give you my view.

First of all, and as you probably know, the Sonos 1 is £179 so it’s not much of a cost difference at all. The small difference is absolutely worth every penny.

The sound of HomePod is a real step up from the Sonos, and it very noticeable in my opinion. When I first got the HomePod, I did a little sound test and compared it to my Sonos 1, 3 and 5 speakers. It beats them all.

The music gets played from either Apple Music, or you can send sound to it via AirPlay from your phone / MBP / IPad etc. If you ask it to play something, it will use Apple Music. If you want it to play your own ripped Beatles tracks, then you can still do this (very easy).

Voice is the easiest way to control it, but you can any Apple device. By way of an example, lets say you had a skype call come in on your work laptop....you can pause the music by a variety of ways. It could be quick tap of the top of the HomePod, pressing pause on your Apple Watch or saying ‘Hey Siri, stop’. When the call has finished, the same method can be used to start the music again. If your iphone rings, then the music stops / starts automatically when you take the call.

You can also setup short cuts on your phone which auto directs the output to your homepod. I have one for Radio 2, where the iphone shortcut opens BBC Sounds, selects Radio 2 and then directs output to the HomePod.

It’s also great for saying ‘Hey Siri, play some music I’d like’.....or ‘play some workout music’. The choices it makes is very good most of the time. I tend to pick it up and move it around occasionally, which is something I never do with my Sonos.

I love my homepod. I’m more into smart speakers as music devices rather than voice devices, so the fact Siri is behind Google / Alexa doesn’t bother me at all. It does all I want.

If I hadn’t invested so much in Sonos I would have ditched it completely and had all Homepods by now. I may still do this, now that the price of the HomePod is down to £200.

You mentioned that you move yours about. Was wondering about this: I know it's not a 'portable' speaker as such, but does it manage okay with occasionally being moved from one room to another?
[automerge]1592852144[/automerge]

Yes, the HomePod is generally thought to be the best sounding smart speaker in the industry. As you are already in the Apple ecosystem, you should be giving strong consideration to HomePod.



You're going to be very happy. You can do it another way, but with HomePod you really should get an Apple Music subscription, it's $10 a month and gives you not only access to 45 million songs but also included is iCloud storage for your rips, boots, alternate pressings, live shows, outtakes, etc. and they all live seamlessly together. Apple looks at your physical library and uploads the songs it doesn't have in its library. So I've got a Playlist with Beatles songs from Apple Music and songs from the Budokan show and songs from the Christmas Album and they all are available either on their playlists or by name. You just need to have the right naming conventions in your physical library before syncing it all.



Both. Or either. Its entirely up to you. I'd recommend memorizing the Siri commands for music as its just easier, but if you want to use your iPhone you can or since you're using it in your office, you can use your computer too. But, yes, you can flick through the Music app on your iPhone and start playing without voice control if you prefer. You will find that you will take your HomePod to the kitchen or in the backyard, and with your hands full of ingredients or sunscreen its nice to be able to say "Hey Siri, play Revolver 1966 Mono" or "play some music for an Italian dinner party" and have it come on handsfree.



The only reason to buy a Sonos is if you resist an Apple Music subscription. For me, HomePod isn't "a speaker". It's Apple Music in any room of my house. And Apple Music is so much more than a library, it's really changed the way I listen to music entirely. My own curated album collection and playlist collection gets streamed, but about half the time I'm asking for something random and I'm discovering 30 year old songs I've never heard before, it's really a cool experience.

Advice: HomePod has a 30 day return period and Apple Music has a free 90 day subscription. Don't give it any thought. Buy a HomePod and get your free Apple Music subscription today. Give it the month of July. Return the HomePod and cancel Apple Music and it won't cost you a thing.

I should have mentioned, I do have an Apple Music subscription and love it (after a rocky start!). I do find that when I directly play one of my ripped albums it plays 'my' version, but when those songs appear in a playlist curated by Apple Music, it will play a different one. As long as HomePod doesn't ignore my own content I'd be happy (e.g. some mixes of Beatles albums are dreadful, whereas the re-masters - both stereo and mono, are fantastic).
[automerge]1592852318[/automerge]

I've owned both. I had a HomePod for about a year and a half, but had constant connection issues and never got much use out of Siri. Because of that, I bought a Sonos 1 to try and ended up quickly expanding my Sonos system, demoting the HomePod to less and less used rooms until ultimately selling it. Now I have pairs of Sonos Ones in three rooms, plus a Move, a Beam, and most recently a Sub.

In short, I found individual Sonos Ones to have slightly better sound quality and significantly better reliability than a HomePod. And I've since found that the flexibility and expandability of the Sonos system is a rarely mentioned advantage.

A few points, in no particular order:

I've found Sonos products to be the most reliable Airplay speakers/devices I own - more reliable than the HomePod and even more reliable than wired devices like my AppleTV and Airport Express. (About half of my Sonos are wired, which is an indispensable option if you have iffy WiFi or just want the most stable connection.)

The ability to adjust the tone control individually for each speaker really makes a difference in getting the sound you enjoy as well as adjusting it for each room. I initially enjoyed the sound of my HomePod, but was disappointed when Apple forced a different EQ on all the HomePods, which boosted the midrange and dulled the bass. FWIW, all the HomePod/Sonos One comparisons out there are based on the old EQ, and generally the HomePod was preferred in those tests because of its weightier bass - so Apple eliminated the very thing that reviewers preferred. For me, I just don't want to cede control of how I enjoy my music to whatever Apple's marketing team thinks is going to be most marketable next month.

The Sonos DSP is more advanced than the HomePod's, using your phone to take measurements from all over the room rather than at just the one spot where the HomePod sits. This helps locate and reduce the impact of low frequency nodes that the HomePod would have missed. It will also adjust the sound based on what other speakers it knows you have in the house.

I prefer the interface and control of the Sonos app vs Airplay, but I still primarily use Airplay since the Sonos app can't stream to non-Sonos speakers and can't access smart playlists (and in some cases certain songs). But streaming to the Sonos over Airplay via the Mac or iPhone is exactly the same as streaming to any Apple product. I typically stream from iTunes and use the remote app on my phone, watch, or iPad to control playback.

The flexibility and expandability of Sonos products is an under appreciated advantage. A HomePod is a HomePod. Yes, you can buy another and create a stereo pair, but that's it. No surround sound. No subwoofer. No Amp. No portable, etc. It will never become part of an integrated system, much less part of a 'audiophile' system. With the Sonos, on the other hand, you can start small and simple but then add to your system's performance and complexity as you want. I can tell you, for example, that adding a Sub to a pair of Sonos Ones is as transformative as creating a stereo pair. (Sonos does subwoofers right - when you add one, the system pulls bass away from the other speakers, allowing them to perform better in the upper and midrange. You don't hear the Sub so much as your music is suddenly richer and more expansive - provided you keep the sub at a reasonable level.) Likewise, you might start with Sonos Ones, but then someday upgrade to some Fives and shift your Ones to part of a surround system. Sonos just offers a lot more upgrade paths other than 'what room do we put the other HomePod'.

My recommendation for a single speaker, however, is to pay a bit more money than either the HomePod or the Sonos One and get the Sonos Move instead. You'll find the sound to be significantly richer than either, and you gain the flexibility of using it anywhere in the house or yard or - anywhere. IMO, with a Move you and your family will get a lot more enjoyment for your money.

What's the basis of your opinion on Sonos having a better sound? Is it a personal preference or to do with the quality/clarity of the audio.

I'm not an audiophile but I prefer headphones and speakers to sound more 'natural' and not to have lots of EQ applied - my headphones have a flat EQ. WOuldn't want something that gave lots of unnatural bass, for example.

 

[Moakesy]

Thanks everyone for your advice, it's much appreciated.
[automerge]1592851999[/automerge]

You mentioned that you move yours about. Was wondering about this: I know it's not a 'portable' speaker as such, but does it manage okay with occasionally being moved from one room to another?
[automerge]1592852144[/automerge]

Simple enough, just unplug and pick it up. When in it’s new location, it adapts itself automatically to ensure you get the best possible sound. You have no idea it’s doing this, it just happens in the background. Same happens even if you just move the HomePod on your desk. It does a sound test, works out if it’s close to a wall and optimises it’s speakers.

I have a shed converted to a ‘man-cave’, and move it from the living room to the shed sometimes (typing this makes me realise I really should just buy another one!).

 

[pup]

What's the basis of your opinion on Sonos having a better sound? Is it a personal preference or to do with the quality/clarity of the audio.

I'm not an audiophile but I prefer headphones and speakers to sound more 'natural' and not to have lots of EQ applied - my headphones have a flat EQ. WOuldn't want something that gave lots of unnatural bass, for example.

I think they're close and it comes down to personal preference more than anything else. What I tell people is that before the new EQ settings, I think the HomePod had the upper hand; and afterward, Sonos did. But I can't say that for sure since I've only compared them side by side with the newer EQ. I also think the adjustable tone controls on the Sonos make it more flexible in that regard. I'm certain that placement has an important effect also, with a more traditional speaker placement probably favoring Sonos, while the HomePod probably does better when it's located in the middle of a room.

 

[Cassandle]

Thanks again - all very helpful responses.

I think the only final question for me is to decide which colour to get!

 

[boltjames]

Thanks again - all very helpful responses.

I think the only final question for me is to decide which colour to get!

Black for the office, white for the master bath. Then unplug them and re-plug them in the backyard, the kitchen, the playroom, the summer home. You will find that you move these around and use them situationally. Just a fantastic device.

 

[Bogstandard]

When I owned a single homepod, I would unplug it and move it until I noticed the sparking at the mains plug during the connect/disconnect.
I got to thinking about the potential voltage spikes.
I would recommend a switch or smartplug with a manual switch if you're intending to move the homepod frequently.
In the end I purchased a second homepod and they became a fixed location stereo?? Pairing.

 

[hippyeverafter]

Have you purchased the HomePod yet? as noticed today that on the John Lewis website it has gone back up to £279. Got one of these last December from them and thoroughly enjoying the experience. Did have several Bluesound products but for me was a miserable experience but that's another story. At the moment I am streaming a Qobuz playlist in Roon from the iMac in another room to my bedroom and sounds good. Also decided to get a years subscription of iTunes as I am in the Apple eco system and happy with it.

 

[Cassandle]

Have you purchased the HomePod yet? as noticed today that on the John Lewis website it has gone back up to £279. Got one of these last December from them and thoroughly enjoying the experience. Did have several Bluesound products but for me was a miserable experience but that's another story. At the moment I am streaming a Qobuz playlist in Roon from the iMac in another room to my bedroom and sounds good. Also decided to get a years subscription of iTunes as I am in the Apple eco system and happy with it.

Sadly not. I was planning to, but was a bit slow to act (I'm very much lacking in impulsiveness when it comes to spending money) and then the price went up

I think I'll wait for John Lewis to lower the price again even if other places are selling for £200, as their extended warranty on electrical goods makes them a good place to buy from.

 

[Dingo Dave 69]

I picked one up from John Lewis for £199 and glad I did, enjoying it to far. They have been that price a few times so worth keeping an eye on it.

 

[Cassandle]

I picked one up from John Lewis for £199 and glad I did, enjoying it to far. They have been that price a few times so worth keeping an eye on it.

Glad you’re enjoying yours.

Hope you’re right about John Lewis: I’m gutted I didn’t take the plunge when I had the chance. £200 feels a good price for the HomePod, definitely wouldn’t stretch to its normal price.

 

[Dingo Dave 69]

I have been on the fence for a while and thought about it last time they were at £199. Always regretted not getting one.

I am enjoying it and definitely preferit to my Sonos ones and my Alexa devices. I wouldn’t want to pay more than £199 for it though. Think that, or cheaper is about right.

 

[Dingo Dave 69]

@Cassandle John Lewis have them back on offer at £199. Go for it!

 

[Cassandle]

Had just spotted it too. Cheers for the heads up - will get it today!

 

[Cassandle]

Even better, just found an unused £50 John Lewis voucher!

 

[Dingo Dave 69]

Happy days indeed, enjoy!

 

[Cassandle]

So my Space Grey HomePod has arrived today. Setup was a breeze and it's been merrily playing music for the past hour. Needless to say it sounds great - very happy with the sound so far.

Still getting used to finding the source of the music - whether it's being sent across from my iPhone or HomePod streaming directly from Apple Music. It's also not appearing on 'Now Playing' on my Apple Watch. The Watch can see the HomePod but it says 'Not Playing'. Would like to get this sorted as I tend to play/pause/skip using my Watch when I'm working as it's the easiest way.

 

[danmart]

How complex is your WiFi network? Mine is pretty complex and there was often too many ‘hops’ between devices for UPnP to work. After I increased the number of hops on my router everything worked a lot better.

 

[Cassandle]

How complex is your WiFi network? Mine is pretty complex and there was often too many ‘hops’ between devices for UPnP to work. After I increased the number of hops on my router everything worked a lot better.

To be honest I have no idea - I've never heard of a 'hop' on a router before

Just the one wifi router with a few devices attached: Apple TV, MacBook, 2 iPhones, iPad, sometimes a Kindle or 2.

 

[danmart]

You should be fine. Signals move across your home network in hops from device to device - phone to router to HomePod. Your Watch probably is connected to your phone to save energy, rather than the WiFi directly. So:

Watch > Phone > Router > HomePod

...is three hops.

Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) is a standard for devices to find each other on networks as well as when physically connected. By default my router was set for the UPnP information to propagate for four hops. My network is more complex than some and that caused issues when the iPhone and Watch were in separate areas:

Watch > AirPort Express in office > Powerlink in office > Powerlink in lounge > AirPort Extreme > iPhone

That’s five hops so my devices couldn’t find each other. Increasing the UPnP propagation to 8 (for some contingency) worked a treat.