TOApple’s big, high-quality smart speaker is back for a surprise second generation. But five years after the first model was launched, a lot has changed in the world of voice-controlled home hi-fi. Can the HomePod still cut it?
The speaker costs £299 ($299 / A$479), £20 less than its predecessor’s 2018 launch price, but more than triple the price of Apple’s other Siri speaker, the £99 HomePod mini.
The new HomePod has the same design as the previous version: a marshmallow shape with a light-up disk on top, a fabric-covered body, and a small silicone foot. Slots for detachable power cords are on the back, but there are otherwise no ports or gaps.
As with other HomePods, this speaker is for Apple users only. Those without a working iPhone iOS 16 or a working iPad iPad OS 16 you cannot configure it, while Android and PC users cannot connect to it at all.
It’s designed for Apple Music, though you can play tracks purchased from Apple or streamed from the iTunes Match cloud storage service, podcasts, TuneIn and some radio stations from Global in the United Kingdom. In the US and Australia, you can also play iHeartRadio and Audacy.
Other services, including Spotify and BBC Sounds, can be manually sent to the speaker via AirPlay 2 over Wi-Fi using their respective apps on your iPhone or iPad, but cannot be played natively via Siri voice requests. , like Apple Music. The HomePod does not support streaming via Bluetooth nor does it have any analog line input.
Apple’s voice assistant works well for Apple Music song requests and for controlling playback. Its ability to hear you “Hey Siri” at normal voice volume, even when it’s playing music at 100% volume, is completely impressive.
Siri has more limited access to general information than the competition, but it does most tasks like timers, calculations, and conversions with ease. It has access to your personal information, such as your calendar, when it recognizes your particular voice and your iPhone is on the same Wi-Fi network as the speaker.
Specifications
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Dimensions: 142x168mm
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Weight: 2.3kg
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Connectivity: Wi-Fi 4 (n), Bluetooth 5.0, Wired, UWB, 4x microphones
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Control S: top capacitive touch buttons
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Speakers: 4-inch woofer, five tweeter array
Music, movies and spatial audio
The HomePod’s sound quality is more dependent on the shape of the room and listening position than any other speaker I’ve tested. When placed in a large open plan area, such as a kitchen island, it sounds great.
It has plenty of well-controlled bass, detailed highs, and good mids, with excellent tone separation. It sounds great with normal and spatial audio tracks, although it can sound a bit clean and clinical.
Two HomePods can be paired for even bigger sound. Spatial audio tracks can sound fantastic if the recording has been produced well, although most songs sound better in stereo.
But when used in a four-square-meter living room, with the speaker on the side of the room next to the TV and the sofa directly against the wall, everything changes. Sitting on the sofa, all you hear is a loud, booming, uncontrolled bass that totally dominates the sound. Stand up or sit on the floor in the middle of the room and the sound will return to normal.
The problem is exacerbated when used together for stereo and spatial audio from Apple Music, Spotify tracks, and movie soundtracks. played from an Apple TV. Moving the speakers to the left, right, or further away from the wall doesn’t make a noticeable difference. I encountered the same problem in two other rooms of different dimensions but similar layouts.
The bass roll-off toggle in the Home app reduces it to less overwhelming levels, but also cuts some of the fullness of the rest of the audio in the process. The proper solution is to move the sofa further into the room, but that is not practical.
Sustainability
HomePod contains multiple recycled materials, including gold, plastic, rare earth elements, and tin. It is generally repairable with an out-of-warranty service. costs £239 and has a easier to access design than its predecessor. It consumes less than 0.5W when idle, up to 9W at 50% volume, and a maximum of 36W at 100% volume.
Apple offers free trade-in and recycling schemes, even for non-Apple products.
Price
The second generation Apple HomePod costs £299 ($299/AUD479).
For comparison, the HomePod mini costs £99Amazon Echo costs £110Google Nest Audio costs £90the Sonos One costs £199 and the Era 100 costs £249.
Verdict
The second generation HomePod is one of the most inconsistent speakers I’ve tested. In large open spaces it sounds great. But if you’re sitting in the wrong spot, such as directly in front of a sofa that’s pushed against the wall in a medium-sized living room, the HomePod can sound completely overpowered by baggy, boomy bass, which is extremely disappointing for a speaker. from £299.
You can’t play music natively from Android or Windows, so only Apple households should consider it, and you need an Apple Music subscription to get the most out of it. But if that’s you and you’ve got the right room geometry, the HomePod is packed with cool features and works great with an Apple TV. Siri can hear you extremely well and do most of the basic tasks anyone could want from a smart speaker.
However, for most people, there are better options from rivals like Sonos, Bose, and Amazon at similar or cheaper prices.
Advantages: spatial and lossless audio, recycled material, improved Siri, AirPlay 2, can be converted to a stereo pair and used for Apple TV sound, good sound in large open spaces.
Cons: sound quality is highly dependent on room geometry, no native Spotify or BBC radio, you need an Apple Music subscription to get the most out of it, no Bluetooth streaming or line-in, expensive, no it is cross platform.
