I ’ve already made my Android - lean way know here at Gizmodo . When Apple announced it was updating theHomePodsmart speaker , I did n’t understand why it was a vainglorious deal — or why my Apple pals had such eminent hopes for and concern about it . Then I realized it was because Apple bumble the first HomePod , which very promptly get a price drop after its release and was thendiscontinued . There was hope that this manikin would fix what did n’t act upon in the last one and would ransom it , especially since the HomePod Mini had offer some respite . unluckily , that ’s not the case .
Apple ’s HomePod has too much rival to be as intermediate as it is . Let me be clear : it is a good smart speaker . It ’s pretty to front at , easy to adjust up , and run great if you ’re inside the Apple Music ecosystem . But the sound it bring about is n’t idea - blowing , especially not since the Apple - friendlySonos Eraseries of smart speakers launched . Buying two HomePods will not improve the sound much , either , at least not enough to vindicate the price . At $ 300 / firearm , there are flash options that can produce as much or more presence than two HomePods strung together . And if it ’s Siri and smart house ascendance you ’re after , the HomePod Mini is much more affordable at $ 100 .
Apple HomePod
When Siri is listening, you’ll see a rainbow gradient light up the HomePod.Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
Apple ’s second - generation smart utterer is boomy , but there are cheaper ways to get that into your home .
What is it ?
Apple ’s 2d - genesis smart speaker
When Siri is listening, you’ll see a rainbow gradient light up the HomePod.Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
Price ?
$ 300
Like
You’ll have to be clever to hide the cable tail.Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
Boomy and loud , AirPlay and Matter compatible , effortless consolidation with the residuum of the Apple ecosystem
Dislike
Expensive , mid - tones can get drowned out with all that bass , too close off to non - Apple users
You can control volume and playback from the top of the HomePod.Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
Apple makes everything so simple and easy
The 2nd - gen HomePoddesign does n’t swan far from the first - gen , but Apple leads with what works . The HomePod is a simple , circular verbalizer . It does n’t stand out in black or white when place against the backcloth of suburban household life . Instead , it blends in like a vase you spend too much on at West Elm . It ’s Apple ’s minimalism in a nutshell .
While one HomePod looked o.k. inside my office on a shelf , my two respective black and white-hot review building block look out of place when I took them to the livelihood way and stress to practice them as a left - and - right wing audio array . The problem is that I ’ve already built my tv set frame-up around a soundbar , so I had to set the HomePods on different pieces of article of furniture to frame it . One HomePod sat on the fireplace mantle , while the other was on the TV cabinet . At one level , I put both HomePods on the floor so I would n’t have to face at their long cable white tie . Sometimes , minimalism only works well if the rest of the star sign is outfitted for it , and the design earn the HomePod feel more like a curious twist rather than something intended to be part of a full - blown environs heavy setup .
The HomePod is packed with five cornet - loaded tweeter and a four - inch woofer . That is two fewer tweeters than the last HomePod , though the one woofer stays the same . The tweeters are all aspect outwards in a round array , signify you ’ll learn your audio no matter where you stand around the gimmick . There ’s also an Apple S7 chip helping ease the spacial way sound capableness , which assist make up for the reduced tweeter reckoning . It is technically a watery chip shot than theiPhone 6‘s A8 processor , which was power the last - gen HomePod , but Apple switched to the Apple Watch ’s processor for its overbold loudspeaker system when it introduced the HomePod Mini in 2020 .
The HomePod pairs easily with the Apple TV.Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
Zooming nigher , you ’ll note a slightly perforated surface inside the HomePod ’s mesh net . When gently gripping the HomePod , you may feel some cushioning on the external squish . This relative softness could be an progeny if the HomePod drop down from a eminent - up place like a drapery or bookshelf . I do n’t own this computer hardware , so I did n’t push it on durability while testing . But it ’s something to look out for if you ’re putting one up high .
Like the revamped Sonos Era speakers and its harbinger , Apple ’s on - equipment HomePod controls are at the top of the talker . you could tap to control the volume or bring up Siri , and the speaker ’s top will fall up as the digital assistant listens . The base is also savorless now , compare to thefirst - gen HomePod , which looked like someone had scooped it out . The bottom has a cartilaginous finish , so the speaker is n’t bounce around on suave surfaces . It did finely atop the same flimsy bookshelf where I tested theSonos Era 300 .
Setting up the HomePod is well-heeled . take the air into the elbow room with the HomePod while holding the iPhone you ’re setting it up with , and the Apple Home app will forthwith pop out up with a window ask you to copulate the two . Doing this with a exclusive unit or a left - and - right array is easy . It ’s even easy to move the HomePods from room to room and reconfigure them all . This convenience is a big part of the Apple experience , and I ’ll accept — sometimes I wish Google ’s stuff felt this way .
You’ll know when the HomePod is playing music with an ambient light on the top.Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
The HomePod Gen 2 is still very bassy
Despite its compatibility with Dolby Atmos substance , that experience allow me doubtful about the HomePod ’s ability to serve as a living room entertainment apparatus . Unlike Sonos ’ soundbars and Era series smart speakers , this frame-up ( which was recommended to me by Apple ) was n’t trying to emulate a whole surroundings sound experience . It was just two HomePods , in a left - and - right raiment , knock down what was on screen . Applesaysthe units should be four foot aside when paired this way , which seems more clever for a smaller apartment setting than a high - ceiling living elbow room .
gratefully , the second - gen HomePods were fine play other contentedness on TV . I had no problem watching kids ’ subject matter like Bluey through YouTube TV or whatever Netflix promote for the weekend . The HomePods did well with low - volume dialog , even though they were localize behind the TV ( because that ’s the only way they would stay four feet aside within my be setup ) . But when I seriously want to watch something , like live Coachella performances through YouTube or a featured motion picture on Pluto TV , the HomePods made it known that they preferred pump bass to the high - ending . This was especially apparent after I put it on a 2000s pop euphony TV channel and Drake ’s picture for “ I Better Find Your Loving ” came on . The HomePods were thump ! And the mid - tones and high sounded so matte . I heard it while determine moving picture , too — I do n’t know how I ended up on Tomorrow Never Dies ( yes , the Pierce Brosnan version ) , but the bass was way more prominent than the dialogue in the activity tantrum .
I still prefer my less expensive soundbar setup over two HomePods , since I have voices and duologue piping in from the front and bass from the action impinge on from the back via the subwoofer . You do n’t get that kind of directional turnout with the two HomePods .
The HomePod can be controlled through the Apple Home app.Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
One of the new feature of the second - gen HomePod is compatibility with Apple ’s Spatial Audio and elbow room - sensing engineering science . The idea is that , regardless of where you station the speaker , the processor deep down will use the built - in accelerometer to ascertain where the sound bounces around in the room . It can pick out reflections off nearby aerofoil to tell if there ’s a wall behind it or if it ’s gratis to blare . But it ’s laborious to tell how good it is with the HomePod ’s overt basso .
I tried a synthwave song with The Midnight ’s “ Shadows ” to hear how much the freshwater bass would drown out everything else The song starts with footstep against a backcloth of police sirens and related ambient sounds . I could n’t hear the footsteps as intelligibly as I did on the Sonos Era 300 , which has six directional tweeters ( let in one position upwards ) . And while the HomePods were able to deliver the “ sapidity ” that ready the song ’s intensity , it was hard to get into the more combat-ready part of the melody without point out the freshwater bass .
One HomePod is fine enough if you want a boomier , louder sound than the HomePod Mini ’s one number one wood can provide . I land the blank HomePod into my office , a small-scale elbow room with a lower roof . The HomePod filled my space with comportment , especially with all the chillwave and shivering hop I take heed to while I work . But I could only do so at lower volume , since anything higher felt too intense . Again , the freshwater bass is the culprit here . The same songs I love out in the living room were too boomy to enjoy in my office , and I matt-up like I require to launch the threshold to let the sound physically escapism .
Unfortunately , Apple does n’t offer customization over the equalizer as Sonos , Google , and even Amazon do for their smart speakers . There is an choice to reduce the bass part through the Apple Home app , but then the synthwave and dance songs voice awfully flat . While I can apprise that Apple wants to make it easy by lease on the Department of Labor of tuning a trail , I was result wanting more control over the sound .
Apple’s well-tended walled garden
Apple ’s AirPlay is similar to what I ’m used to with Google Casting . Tap on the AirPlay icon in the app you ’re streaming from on your iOS / iPadOS gadget , and the music pipes through the devices of your choice . AirPlay also supportsHandoff , which permit you “ toss ” over content from a mobile twist to another connected gadget within the ecosystem .
The Apple HomePod has a four - mike array to listen in for far - bailiwick articulation control — multiple mics are stock among voguish speakers , as it ’s how the twist can find out a program line while playing media . For compare , the Era 300 has four microphone for its Alexa / Hey Sonos control , and theGoogle Nest Audiohas three . The last HomePod had six , and it seems that was two too many .
Siri pick up my call over the blaring euphony and boob tube , though most of my program line were simple . Apple ’s digital assistant is great for setting a timekeeper or turn on a batch of lights linked in your smart dwelling house . And now that there is access to thebuilt - in temperature and humidity sensorsbuilt into the HomePod , you may postulate Siri to give you a reading on the room the speaker is placed in — this works for multiple HomePods throughout the mansion , as long as they are denote as being in different rooms . Like Alexa and Google ’s smart home arrangement , the HomePod can also do as an intercommunication system and a loudspeaker for a radical call — it ’s much easier than everyone hover around the same iPhone .
Siri work withPersonal Requests , which basically identifies your part so that it knows it ’s you calling out to it . As a resultant , you could fix up a hatful of default for playing music and podcasts . One big bummer is that the HomePod wo n’t limit Spotify , which I am deeply tied to for cyclosis , as its nonpayment music app . Apple only support Apple Music and Apple Podcasts in this instance , as well as Pandora , Deezer , TuneIn Radio , and iHeartRadio — I employ none of those ! It could be more well-disposed to those outside of the walled garden . At the same time , Apple Music is corking — it has the same program library as Spotify , plus Dolby Atmos tracks , and if I were bass into the Apple ecosystem , it would n’t be an consequence . But if you genuinely want a political platform - agnostic smart speaker , do n’t grease one’s palms something from Apple . Granted , the larger issue here is maybe that the HomePod wo n’t link to a gimmick without AirPlay .
The second - gen HomePoddoes haveMatterbuilt into it , so it ’s quick for this next phase of the connected base . alas , I do not have Matter devices available for testing and pairing with the HomePod . I plan to explore this separately within all the overbold domicile ecosystems rather than just Apple ’s .
you may use the build up - in temperature and humidity sensing element for automation within your home , whether you want a light bulb to go off a fussy color when it ’s getting too cold or a thermostat to kick on the gentle wind conditioning when it ’s too hot . Apple also recently made legal sensing usable in the HomePod , which get the speaker unit hear in for smoke and intruder alert . You enable it and all automation through the Apple Home app .
unluckily for the new HomePod , these features are also now useable in the $ 99 HomePod Mini , and sound detection is available in the original HomePod .
The new HomePod is a smart speaker for Apple fans only
The second - gen Apple HomePoddoes small to ransom the first - generation ’s foolishness . The smart talker is still within a relatively unsympathetic ecosystem , which is fine for diehard Apple fans but pestering for anyone with an iPhone who wants to abuse outside of the walled garden once in a while . And while the sound is better despite using fewer tweeter than the first - gen release , it ’s only a borderline footmark - up is still very sea bass - heavy . Perhaps the HomePod ’s most meaning betterment is that it doesn’tleave a ringbehind on wood furniture — or at least our review whole haven’tyet . But it still costs as much as the first - gen HomePod did after its initial damage drop , which did n’t save it from being break .
There are well - priced alternatives to consider , depending on your shopping situation . If all you want is access to Siri as a digital assistant , you ’re undecomposed off saving money with the HomePod Mini , which also has work up - in humidness and temperature detection and can be used to automate your Apple - led impudent house .
If you do n’t care for Siri , consider the $ 250 Sonos Era 100 , which is more favorable to other platform . We have n’t go over the geological era 100 , but based on the performance of the buirdly Era 300 , it ’s bound to be more agreeable than one or two HomePods for home entertainment . It also offers Bluetooth connectivity to any equipment and audio frequency - in through an adapter , while the HomePod rest closed off to anything that is n’t an Apple equipment . Sonos ’ ecosystem is compatible with AirPlay , so it ’s a good barter - off for iPhone users . And it offers optional access to Alexa for the smart base , which is much more sophisticated for home mechanization .
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