I think Apple pre-released the HomePod because of spatial audio. They're pushing spatial audio on Apple Music and Apple TV. Their AirPods lineup works very well with Atmos (including head tracking) and their MacBook speakers have surprisingly good DSP processing for Atmos. They probably hope people would buy two of the larger HomePods for use as a sound bar replacement when combined with an AppleTV 4K for Dolby Atmos. The Mini's only support stereo when used in this configuration. Side note: one of my most popular YT videos was comparing the original HomePod to various bookshelf speakers.
I think you’re spot on here. We actually used two 1st gen HomePods with our older Apple TV 4K and I really was blown away by the sound placement of atmos-enabled tracks for not having a sub and their form factors being so diminutive. Ultimately they were always meant to be replaced with a Sonos Arc and sub when the budget allowed, but those two little HomePods now get daily usage as a left-right channel; one tucked above our kitchen cabinets, and the other behind some plants in the dining area and I’m not kidding, they truly sound like we have a dedicated Bose in-home system in place. I’m extremely pleased Apple brought these back and I think your insight here is probably where the corporate thought process is. Competing with Sonos in the high-end consumer sphere makes a lot of sense.
Bingo. The killer app is two of these with an Apple TV for Atmos + Spacial Audio for music for good measure, so the right comparison often less with smart speakers and more with Atmos sound bars that often cost more but don't have the advantages of smart home & the great music experience that is amplified to greater-than-sum-of-parts by the paired soundstage.
@@clintgolub1751 I've reviewed the Syng Cell Alphas that cost way more and designed by the same guy who worked on the original HomePod. The bass on them is nuts. Check them out if you haven't already. Interesting, but super expensive.
I currently have 3 HomePod Mini's. If I were in an apartment I could really see a use for two HomePods in stereo as a speaker set for my Home Theater setup.
That’s exactly it. I have iPhones and iPads, Apple Watch and AirPods. I have a smart house and I need an Apple TV (more versatile and cheaper than HomePod) to create a hub for those smart stuff around the house. Once I have all of these I would like to have a home theater: but why should I buy a home theater if I can buy two HomePods which would integrate perfectly in my home system?
...because discontinuing it forced people to buy the Mini and it drove significantly higher adoption, they've achieved a critical mass and there are enough potential upgrade customers now who will grab a $300 great sounding 2nd or 3rd HomePod in the form of the full size version.
The old HomePod needed to be replaced if something broke inside because they manufactured it to be completely sealed. This would have cost them significantly under warranty as it needed to be cut open to get inside and there was no way to properly re-seal it. The new HomePod can be opened up just by unscrewing the top and removing it, thus can be properly repaired instead of replaced.
Unofficially the first generation HomePod can be opened without cutting anything, just a little prying and some screws. You can use alcohol to make the prying effortless, and it doesn’t even need to be glued back together to work or look as good as new! It’s still nice to see improvements in repairability on the new generation. Source: I’ve fixed over 500 of them :)
In a small IT office, we had a HomePod because the owner got everything new from Apple. I had the original Google speaker in my kitchen but never set it up after moving. Now I have the HomePod Mini because it sounds good and costs less for my kitchen. Its use is just for music for my wife when she spends extended time in the kitchen or to do timers. The only reason I may get another mini would be for a bathroom to play music while showing. Even then, it would get limited use. I may be different with the "Smart Home" stuff because I run Home Assistant and connect everything to it, along with building my own sensor packages for different locations using ESPHome.
I purchased two OG Home Pods when they were $215 at Best Buy and I love them. Everyone that comes over is always impressed by the sound in my living room. Since I’m deep in the ecosystem, it made sense to get them.
I REALLY wanted one of these and really waited and almost bought 2 first gens. As times past, I hooked up theatre setups. I still want one but have no real use.
For some odd reason I've always wanted a Apple HomePod I literally don't know why + Marques if your reading this I love your videos so much bro I'm always watching and commenting + I'm gonna keep grinding on my youtube videos and one day I'm going to make a youtube video with you.
For those who have the original HomePod, aside from more advanced HomeKit integration (such as Matter/Thread - that is not universally used right now), it doesn't have any additional benefits. I mean if you have any Hue motion sensor in your house it already tells you the temperature. You can also use the OG HomePod as a stereo pair. The new HomePod is something I might consider upgrading like 5 years from now when Thread/Matter are more common. The Hardware really isn't the issue, it's the software, Siri, that's the problem.
For some of us sound quality is priority, smart speaker functionality never was considered. I may be that odd person… My current set up, All in on Sonos in the living room, Arc, 2 S1 & the big Sub…. 2 OG HomePods in the kitchen, 2 in the master bedroom & 1 in the bathroom….. quality sound is my number one priority, Sonos & HomePod have checked that box…. After listening to many reviews, I will stick with the OG HomePods.
Agreed, I don’t buy a speaker for its assistant functionality first, I buy it for audio quality. Having used the og HomePod since launch I can say it’s been one of my favorite products. The frequency response in such a small package is really impressive and AirPlay is my main form of music casting anyways. I have a Google Home Hub that gets all of my assistant requests, but for music, you’re hard pressed to beat the homepod’s audio quality at a similar size.
The old one did sound great. The bargain in this segment is the Nest Audio though. They go down 59 dollars a couple times a year and the stereo feature is effortless set up. 120 bucks for room filling Spotify is hard to beat.
I have a couple nest products from the hubs to the minis… I refuse to listen to music in them outside of like a shower setting. They really don’t sound good for music imo
I have the G. Home Mini, but paired with a cheap Bluetooth amp connected to an old, but fancy set of stereo hi-fi speakers. You can then set the default play device for music to be the amp.
If you think of HomePod as just a speaker, it’s great! I have 2 ‘old’ HomePods linked with an Apple TV and never use its smart features… The simplicity and sound quality is what I like about it. Even with Spotify I just use handoff or airplay and it works fine.
But that’s 600$ of speaker. 700 before the price decrease. There is a lot of other options out there in that price range. Especially if you don’t care about the smart home capabilities!
@@daniel.punt0318 it doesn’t sound weird. Everything isn’t for everyone. You can either afford to buy or you can’t just like every other product in existence.
It’s not so complicated. If you want a good sounding speaker with Siri for Apple users then it’s the home pod. Key here is the sound nothing else. It’s speaker. In the smart speaker market where almost every speaker is sounding crappy and cheap, a good sounding speaker is gold. Like the Sonos move and few others.
I have the G. Home Mini, but paired with a cheap Bluetooth amp connected to an old, but fancy set of stereo hi-fi speakers. You can then set the default play device for music on the Mini to be the amp. Works well!
HomePods are for a very specific buyer within the apple user ecosystem. Profit margin was compromised in the last model with markdowns, so it was pulled and redeveloped for audio-loving apple users. Margin beats sales for luxury products. Apple demonstrates their need for margin and even at the cost of market share. Old school apple.
I'm actually considering replacing my Sonos setup in my living room with Home Pod Gen 2 because of the issues I have with smart functionality on my Sonos systems. Whenever I try to use Sonos and Home Pods (Mini or Reg) together using Air Play 2 the Sonos speakers will cut out, or there will be a delay with the audio. Where the HomePods are all perfectly in-sync and responsive.
Exactly Amazon just laid off 50% of their Alexa group people. The division was projected to lose up to 10 billion in 2022. Apple doesn't have that kind of business model. Also with regard to Spotify the comparison with Apple Music is specious. Spotify has 200 million users but has never made money on an annual basis. Over the past 5 years they have in fact lost 1.5 billion dollars. They are a disaster and Apple Music makes money, no comparison.
When the new HomePod was announced, I planned on buying 2 for my first smart speakers in the house. Then I saw Midnight instead of Black, and now I have no plans to purchase
Never had any reason to buy the original. Bought the mini and keep it in my kitchen and love it when cooking with Apple Music. Now I want to get the new homepod for my basement gym to get that base and fill the room. Would have never considered it if I wasn't so pleased with the mini.
They need to be working on the HomeKit options along with speaker set up options, there are very few devices that work with home kit. If they can make HomeKit more robust I believe it will sell.
The problem I have with my Gen 1 pair is definitely overheating. They heat up very fast. My Gen 2 pair doesn’t. One time I had my Gen 1 plugged in with no music playback and the top of it was burning to the touch. This scenario happened a week before my Gen 2 pair came in the mail.
You guys definitely did not know the first Homepod was not available in most countries. The mini is available everywhere and they sold a lot. From demand, they have released the HomePod 2. I have bought 1 and buying the second one next week. I have seen many reviews that say 2 HomePods 2 are the way to go.
I REALLY wanted the OG HomePod but it was discontinued a while back, so I went ahead and grabbed 2 of the Gen 2s. To me, they sound decent enough! The only downside is they’re a bit buggy. I have one next to my bed and it keeps asking my phone to connect to it. Hope it gets fixed.
They might as well try compete with Sony for surround sound. They just seem confused by what they want it to be… it’s too expensive for a home assistant but probably wants to be a big speaker for good sound
Bought 2 of the 2nd gen HomePods along with a 3rd gen Apple TV for my bedroom, and the Dolby atmos is RIDICULOUSLY GOOD. On par if not better than the high end sound bars out there
At least this time you can use HomePod as your TV speakers with the Apple TV eARC feature. So now it’s useful for TV viewers unlike last time where it was uselsss…
I think apple was just trying to cut the price of HP1. 2018 350$ would be 420$ today so for them to bring out HP2 at a 300$ price point basically required them to cut 120$ off production to get there.
Gotta be honest I bought a HomePod 2 and the sound isn’t as great as I thought it would be. I have a lot of sonos speakers. I compared the homepod2 to the one and the move. And both speakers sounded a lot better to my ears. I don’t know if there are settings adjustments I could make HomePod 2’s sound.
I think they don’t get how many people wanted the HomePods for everything the mini offers but with a much better sound. And the Sonos system is considerably more expensive then 2 HomePods that offer a great sound.
I don’t see how the mini is so convincing compared to the new home pod to you guys. In my opinion, granted it isn’t worth much, it’s just a sonos competitor for the main room to tie it into the Apple home eco system. A colleague of mine changed his Sonos system for a mini in every room and a HomePod in the living room. With handoff and stand-alone Apple Music playing I’d be convinced myself if I didn’t just buy a Sonos. Tldr, I think it’s meant as a Sonos competitor for the Apple smart home ecosystem.
Guys, what if you stop looking at what Apple wants to get and start looking at what Apple doesn't want to lose. Affluent customers within the Apple ecosystem who wanted a better sounded smart speakers had to go to Sonos after discontinuing Homepod. When these customers buy a single speaker from Sonos, they also buy other products, and the Apple ecosystem starts to be the Sonos ecosystem. They were losing affluent customers to other brands, which is something other than what Apple can allow. Even if they lose money on Homepod, it is a wise investment.
I got so tired of using Bluetooth for music not on Spotify w Alexa. Got a HomePod mini and a couple of the ikea Sonos speakers, all $100 each. Got a great sounding multiroom thing goin on w airplay, it’s great
I have a dozen homepods... But literally can't just ask it to play music directly lol. Nothing works with it except for apple music, which I definitely don't have. Pushing AirPlay manually.
This is the second video you’ve made about the HomePod,,, just say you hate it! You think it’s stupid and you hate it…. It’s like your terrified to say what you really mean 😂
not every product it meant to or supposed to sell in volume or gain market share. don't know if you guys pay attention to your comment section, but it seems most people who bought it, did so for the sound quality.
I would guess they're still selling a lot of 2019 Mac Pro's. It's most likely the last chance to get a fully upgradable pro mac tower. The next gen will be crazy fast and power-efficient. But it probably wont be nearly as modular.
Only way id ever buy this is if they make it so the mini’s can act as rear speaks as the bigger homepods act as the left and right speakers for the front
You can also pair cheap smart speakers with decent speakers over Bluetooth. I have one Google home mini in my kitchen, paired to old, but badass stereo speakers. Save your money, by avoiding Homepod and Sonos and get a cheap smart speaker and some very good second hand speakers and a £30 Bluetooth amp. Plus you can feel good about saving some tech from the junk yard
@@SergioCorona960919 when I ask Google Home Mini to play Spotify tunes, it plays on my Bluetooth speakers by default, rather than locally. At least you have an option to get a cheap mini and spend the difference on nice speakers
It’s simple. The mini sold well, and a lot of people who got them that never got the original one now want a bigger one. The mini is the gateway drug that the original one never had
I would like the reason why I would get the old ones or the new ones is because I want to tie it in my Apple TV box and have theater sound quality in my living room on my den
We recently renovated. Upgraded from a 1080P to 4K Samsung Frame. My Marantz AV receiver was obsolete and I am DONE with poorly mixed surround. My entire setup is now the Frame, an Apple TV 4K and two HomePods. This has a much smaller footprint than the AV receiver, the sub woofer and all those speakers. Buying a new Marantz alone is the cost of two HomePods. Now our AV is virtually invisible. Aesthetics and design are a big part of the discussion and my wife is thrilled that the ugly bulky equipment is history. A good sound bar is in the same price range as two HomePods and many of them are also butt ugly. Music should never be played on AV equipment (or wireless speakers) so that was not a factor.
The sound is more important to me. I don’t understand why people bad mouth a good sounding speaker. The HomePod is a speaker. If I buy a speaker I want the best sounding speaker I can get. If Apple would come out with a sub for the Homepod or mini for your TV and music. I think they would be hands down the best speakers.
Agree. When I buy headphones I don’t care if they are heavy or other things. I care about sound quality. I can put up with the minor annoyances as long as I’m pleased with the audio quality.
The voice assistants are much better in terms of responsiveness and answering questions and shit like that. Siri is dumber, but doesn’t collect your voice data like google and Alexa do, if you are into privacy. I also think the sound quality is better on HomePods personally. Alexa and google are more compatible with third party stuff, but again, HomeKit is more privacy focused. Google and Alexa support Spotify natively whereas homepod is Apple Music. I’d say if you want a super smart assistant, you could always get HomePods for sound and a tiny 20 dollar google nest or whatever if you need a super smart assistant. I honestly don’t use them for anything other than turning on the lights though, lol
The mini’s Thread implementation is busted arse. I’m having an absolute nightmare with my thread enabled smart lights and it’s the mini’s ‘hub’ that’s causing it. If I disconnect all the minis, the lights work fine.
If you have stained furniture and you’re worried about the finish why would you put anything on it without testing it first? You might as well put a glass of ice water on it while you’re at it.
I would love to be all in on the Apple ecosystem, but the big HomePod has always just been too expensive. If the minis had come out 3 years earlier I’d probably have 7 of them throughout my house despite them costing 2x what echo dots/nest minis cost. But Apple was late and I’d already bought a bunch of echos and changing over isn’t worth it unless there is a major leap in smart speaker tech. But Apple has continually been late in this area so I don’t see any new innovation coming from them first anyways.
My homepods ,3 years old are just too fussy to play anything. My Bose soundtouch portable , 6 years old, plays as good, as it was on day one ,and now it has airplay support .
Spotify is a massive one and I don’t even use Spotify! The speaker needs to be compared more to Sonos than a smart speaker, if you’re going to buy a Sonos one, might as well get the HomePod
My echo dot only lasted about 10 months until it started getting very tin-e sounding. My HomePod mini has lasted me a year and a half. Alexa might be better than Siri, but Apple has better build quality
I’ve been waiting for a legit HomePod subwoofer, or new minis with a magnetic charger base, or Apple battery bases to make minis semi-portable around the house…
@@snoksI rather meant an Apple battery base with magnetic charging for something like wireless minis with a MagSafe bottom. Thinking more on that, it would actually be better to have a small battery inside said minis. That way one could move speakers around their home to existing MagSafe chargers all while media continues playing. On the subject of current battery bases for HomePod mini, I’ve only ever seen two, of which, the Mission seems the only dependable offering.
@@itsfonk look at Sonos roam or Sonos move… they also sound better. And no, minis with a battery inside would be bad for sound weight and everything else and wireless charging sucks because you loose a lot of the energy… cable is always the best.
I’ve been using my HomePods with a PC by only using iTunes in it so I think is something apple just can release for every device but they just don’t want to 😢
Whats with the confusion here? Literally ALL the other manufacturers have multiple models at different price points. Pay your money and take your choice... and Apple MUST give HomePod users at least 2 models - catering the cheaper low end for people who dont care too much about audio quality - and then the higher end giving people who want a HomePod with better sound something to buy. To me it was bizarre that there was ONLY the mini for a long time. Amazon sell the dot, the standard echo, and the studio - thats 3 tiers of price and quality. Apple are simply doing the same.
I mean seriously it needs to work with Spotify or others if they really want to sell more
Apple opened it up for support a few years ago. It would work with Spotify if Spotify would build the support.
They mentioned in the video that Apple wanted them to, but Spotify refuses to….
Price................. $200.00 yes as is hard no.......
Also, just to clarify, you can still Airplay Spotify to it. It just won’t play natively via voice bc Spotify hasn’t built the support for the HomePod.
That’s literally on Spotify
The wild thing is that I have more trouble using Apple Music with my HomePod than I do with using Spotify with the HomePod.
I think Apple pre-released the HomePod because of spatial audio. They're pushing spatial audio on Apple Music and Apple TV. Their AirPods lineup works very well with Atmos (including head tracking) and their MacBook speakers have surprisingly good DSP processing for Atmos. They probably hope people would buy two of the larger HomePods for use as a sound bar replacement when combined with an AppleTV 4K for Dolby Atmos. The Mini's only support stereo when used in this configuration.
Side note: one of my most popular YT videos was comparing the original HomePod to various bookshelf speakers.
I think you’re spot on here. We actually used two 1st gen HomePods with our older Apple TV 4K and I really was blown away by the sound placement of atmos-enabled tracks for not having a sub and their form factors being so diminutive.
Ultimately they were always meant to be replaced with a Sonos Arc and sub when the budget allowed, but those two little HomePods now get daily usage as a left-right channel; one tucked above our kitchen cabinets, and the other behind some plants in the dining area and I’m not kidding, they truly sound like we have a dedicated Bose in-home system in place. I’m extremely pleased Apple brought these back and I think your insight here is probably where the corporate thought process is. Competing with Sonos in the high-end consumer sphere makes a lot of sense.
Omg joe n tell!!!
Bingo. The killer app is two of these with an Apple TV for Atmos + Spacial Audio for music for good measure, so the right comparison often less with smart speakers and more with Atmos sound bars that often cost more but don't have the advantages of smart home & the great music experience that is amplified to greater-than-sum-of-parts by the paired soundstage.
@@gahlol7069 🙌😁
@@clintgolub1751 I've reviewed the Syng Cell Alphas that cost way more and designed by the same guy who worked on the original HomePod. The bass on them is nuts. Check them out if you haven't already. Interesting, but super expensive.
I currently have 3 HomePod Mini's. If I were in an apartment I could really see a use for two HomePods in stereo as a speaker set for my Home Theater setup.
That’s exactly it. I have iPhones and iPads, Apple Watch and AirPods. I have a smart house and I need an Apple TV (more versatile and cheaper than HomePod) to create a hub for those smart stuff around the house. Once I have all of these I would like to have a home theater: but why should I buy a home theater if I can buy two HomePods which would integrate perfectly in my home system?
...because discontinuing it forced people to buy the Mini and it drove significantly higher adoption, they've achieved a critical mass and there are enough potential upgrade customers now who will grab a $300 great sounding 2nd or 3rd HomePod in the form of the full size version.
Can you use multiple minis to make surround sound?
You can use two. You can play sound to more than two but no Spatial Audio if you do that.
@@stevenaziz thank you!
The old HomePod needed to be replaced if something broke inside because they manufactured it to be completely sealed. This would have cost them significantly under warranty as it needed to be cut open to get inside and there was no way to properly re-seal it.
The new HomePod can be opened up just by unscrewing the top and removing it, thus can be properly repaired instead of replaced.
Unofficially the first generation HomePod can be opened without cutting anything, just a little prying and some screws. You can use alcohol to make the prying effortless, and it doesn’t even need to be glued back together to work or look as good as new! It’s still nice to see improvements in repairability on the new generation.
Source: I’ve fixed over 500 of them :)
In a small IT office, we had a HomePod because the owner got everything new from Apple. I had the original Google speaker in my kitchen but never set it up after moving. Now I have the HomePod Mini because it sounds good and costs less for my kitchen. Its use is just for music for my wife when she spends extended time in the kitchen or to do timers. The only reason I may get another mini would be for a bathroom to play music while showing. Even then, it would get limited use. I may be different with the "Smart Home" stuff because I run Home Assistant and connect everything to it, along with building my own sensor packages for different locations using ESPHome.
I purchased two OG Home Pods when they were $215 at Best Buy and I love them. Everyone that comes over is always impressed by the sound in my living room. Since I’m deep in the ecosystem, it made sense to get them.
I REALLY wanted one of these and really waited and almost bought 2 first gens. As times past, I hooked up theatre setups. I still want one but have no real use.
For some odd reason I've always wanted a Apple HomePod I literally don't know why + Marques if your reading this I love your videos so much bro I'm always watching and commenting + I'm gonna keep grinding on my youtube videos and one day I'm going to make a youtube video with you.
Me too
@@spreadinglove648 I've literally been wanting an Apple HomePod forever
Got a pair of the OGs at good price a few years ago…insane sound, smh! Hope you’ll get a pair as well!
For those who have the original HomePod, aside from more advanced HomeKit integration (such as Matter/Thread - that is not universally used right now), it doesn't have any additional benefits. I mean if you have any Hue motion sensor in your house it already tells you the temperature. You can also use the OG HomePod as a stereo pair. The new HomePod is something I might consider upgrading like 5 years from now when Thread/Matter are more common. The Hardware really isn't the issue, it's the software, Siri, that's the problem.
For some of us sound quality is priority, smart speaker functionality never was considered. I may be that odd person… My current set up, All in on Sonos in the living room, Arc, 2 S1 & the big Sub…. 2 OG HomePods in the kitchen, 2 in the master bedroom & 1 in the bathroom….. quality sound is my number one priority, Sonos & HomePod have checked that box…. After listening to many reviews, I will stick with the OG HomePods.
You’re not the odd person. You’re normal…these gentlemen’s take are odd honestly.
If sound quality is priority get the Vifa speakers and not some sonos toys...
Agreed, I don’t buy a speaker for its assistant functionality first, I buy it for audio quality. Having used the og HomePod since launch I can say it’s been one of my favorite products. The frequency response in such a small package is really impressive and AirPlay is my main form of music casting anyways. I have a Google Home Hub that gets all of my assistant requests, but for music, you’re hard pressed to beat the homepod’s audio quality at a similar size.
Fair, but you can also pair the Google nest mini with a nice bluetooth speaker and use it as the primary audio source. You'd get great sound quality
The old one did sound great. The bargain in this segment is the Nest Audio though. They go down 59 dollars a couple times a year and the stereo feature is effortless set up. 120 bucks for room filling Spotify is hard to beat.
I have a couple nest products from the hubs to the minis… I refuse to listen to music in them outside of like a shower setting. They really don’t sound good for music imo
I have the G. Home Mini, but paired with a cheap Bluetooth amp connected to an old, but fancy set of stereo hi-fi speakers. You can then set the default play device for music to be the amp.
If you think of HomePod as just a speaker, it’s great! I have 2 ‘old’ HomePods linked with an Apple TV and never use its smart features… The simplicity and sound quality is what I like about it. Even with Spotify I just use handoff or airplay and it works fine.
But that’s 600$ of speaker. 700 before the price decrease. There is a lot of other options out there in that price range. Especially if you don’t care about the smart home capabilities!
@@Thenub12 some people just have the money to spend and don't want to think about it and have the apple product. I know it sounds weirs
@@daniel.punt0318 it doesn’t sound weird. Everything isn’t for everyone. You can either afford to buy or you can’t just like every other product in existence.
@@McStrokeAvision true
It’s not so complicated. If you want a good sounding speaker with Siri for Apple users then it’s the home pod.
Key here is the sound nothing else. It’s speaker. In the smart speaker market where almost every speaker is sounding crappy and cheap, a good sounding speaker is gold. Like the Sonos move and few others.
Think the Sonos One is the best smart speaker to buy to also have a amazing voice assistant (google) it just works great.
I have the G. Home Mini, but paired with a cheap Bluetooth amp connected to an old, but fancy set of stereo hi-fi speakers. You can then set the default play device for music on the Mini to be the amp. Works well!
Mid-video alliteration? I'm here for it! Next up, a video of alliteration through and through.
When do you release S23 review?
Question, can you play Tidal on Homepod 2?
HomePods are for a very specific buyer within the apple user ecosystem. Profit margin was compromised in the last model with markdowns, so it was pulled and redeveloped for audio-loving apple users. Margin beats sales for luxury products. Apple demonstrates their need for margin and even at the cost of market share. Old school apple.
I was not ready for 15:59 lol
HomePod vs phantom 2. Which one sounds better?
*Tuned out* “wub….” *watching with full engagement* 😂😂😂
Great edit 🎉
It sounds better. Tweeters make a difference.
I'm actually considering replacing my Sonos setup in my living room with Home Pod Gen 2 because of the issues I have with smart functionality on my Sonos systems. Whenever I try to use Sonos and Home Pods (Mini or Reg) together using Air Play 2 the Sonos speakers will cut out, or there will be a delay with the audio. Where the HomePods are all perfectly in-sync and responsive.
Tech companies: How should our speakers look?
Smart speaker design teams: Marshmallow
A lot of these companies are selling their smart speakers at a loss. Is unfair to compare prices directly
Exactly Amazon just laid off 50% of their Alexa group people. The division was projected to lose up to 10 billion in 2022. Apple doesn't have that kind of business model.
Also with regard to Spotify the comparison with Apple Music is specious. Spotify has 200 million users but has never made money on an annual basis. Over the past 5 years they have in fact lost 1.5 billion dollars. They are a disaster and Apple Music makes money, no comparison.
Just got a homepod mini and enjoy it.
When the new HomePod was announced, I planned on buying 2 for my first smart speakers in the house. Then I saw Midnight instead of Black, and now I have no plans to purchase
its just a darker space grey, the blue tint isnt even that visible
Go look at it physically
Never had any reason to buy the original. Bought the mini and keep it in my kitchen and love it when cooking with Apple Music. Now I want to get the new homepod for my basement gym to get that base and fill the room. Would have never considered it if I wasn't so pleased with the mini.
I really wish product reviews were more grounded like the podcast.
They need to be working on the HomeKit options along with speaker set up options, there are very few devices that work with home kit. If they can make HomeKit more robust I believe it will sell.
I have 5 HomePod Mini’s and currently looking for a room to place this HomePod in
9:42 lmao he had to 😂
The problem I have with my Gen 1 pair is definitely overheating. They heat up very fast. My Gen 2 pair doesn’t. One time I had my Gen 1 plugged in with no music playback and the top of it was burning to the touch. This scenario happened a week before my Gen 2 pair came in the mail.
The Gen 2 HomePod also has more gold that is used inside for parts, with more earth minerals and such used than the Gen 1.
4k but 1080p video quality??
For me, the sound quality of the HomePod far exceeds the HomePod mini. Again, for me, it justifies the cost difference.
You guys definitely did not know the first Homepod was not available in most countries. The mini is available everywhere and they sold a lot. From demand, they have released the HomePod 2. I have bought 1 and buying the second one next week. I have seen many reviews that say 2 HomePods 2 are the way to go.
when will smartphones be quantum powered?
I REALLY wanted the OG HomePod but it was discontinued a while back, so I went ahead and grabbed 2 of the Gen 2s. To me, they sound decent enough! The only downside is they’re a bit buggy. I have one next to my bed and it keeps asking my phone to connect to it. Hope it gets fixed.
you can disable the handoff fuction in the iphone settings if it keeps annoying you
@@Baris_yz72 Bro thank you so much! I thought it was a bug, you’re a life saver. Definitely should’ve googled this beforehand.
They might as well try compete with Sony for surround sound. They just seem confused by what they want it to be… it’s too expensive for a home assistant but probably wants to be a big speaker for good sound
That outro... straight heat
Bought 2 of the 2nd gen HomePods along with a 3rd gen Apple TV for my bedroom, and the Dolby atmos is RIDICULOUSLY GOOD. On par if not better than the high end sound bars out there
At least this time you can use HomePod as your TV speakers with the Apple TV eARC feature. So now it’s useful for TV viewers unlike last time where it was uselsss…
Lets overthink the homepod 😂
That outro though! 💪🏾😎
It shows you guys didn't go to the end!! Wow! A masterpiece lmfao 😭😭😭😂😂
I think apple was just trying to cut the price of HP1. 2018 350$ would be 420$ today so for them to bring out HP2 at a 300$ price point basically required them to cut 120$ off production to get there.
Why I put HardDrive platters beneath my HomePods, to eliminate staining, especially if I cannot see it...
Gotta be honest I bought a HomePod 2 and the sound isn’t as great as I thought it would be. I have a lot of sonos speakers. I compared the homepod2 to the one and the move. And both speakers sounded a lot better to my ears. I don’t know if there are settings adjustments I could make HomePod 2’s sound.
Really need a stereo pair for it to sound great
I think they don’t get how many people wanted the HomePods for everything the mini offers but with a much better sound.
And the Sonos system is considerably more expensive then 2 HomePods that offer a great sound.
unpopular opinion i want a larger version 😂
I don’t see how the mini is so convincing compared to the new home pod to you guys. In my opinion, granted it isn’t worth much, it’s just a sonos competitor for the main room to tie it into the Apple home eco system. A colleague of mine changed his Sonos system for a mini in every room and a HomePod in the living room. With handoff and stand-alone Apple Music playing I’d be convinced myself if I didn’t just buy a Sonos.
Tldr, I think it’s meant as a Sonos competitor for the Apple smart home ecosystem.
The resell price of the OG homepod was climbing up, so there is a market for it
Guys, what if you stop looking at what Apple wants to get and start looking at what Apple doesn't want to lose. Affluent customers within the Apple ecosystem who wanted a better sounded smart speakers had to go to Sonos after discontinuing Homepod. When these customers buy a single speaker from Sonos, they also buy other products, and the Apple ecosystem starts to be the Sonos ecosystem. They were losing affluent customers to other brands, which is something other than what Apple can allow. Even if they lose money on Homepod, it is a wise investment.
I got so tired of using Bluetooth for music not on Spotify w Alexa. Got a HomePod mini and a couple of the ikea Sonos speakers, all $100 each. Got a great sounding multiroom thing goin on w airplay, it’s great
bought 2 and they're paired with my apple tv 4k. They work perfectly and the sound quality is amazing, worth every penny.
i have like 2 echo dots and 3 google homes, all of which cost less than $15 each or free depending on if i did Amazon Prime deal.
I have a dozen homepods... But literally can't just ask it to play music directly lol. Nothing works with it except for apple music, which I definitely don't have.
Pushing AirPlay manually.
This is the second video you’ve made about the HomePod,,, just say you hate it! You think it’s stupid and you hate it…. It’s like your terrified to say what you really mean 😂
not every product it meant to or supposed to sell in volume or gain market share.
don't know if you guys pay attention to your comment section, but it seems most people who bought it, did so for the sound quality.
I would guess they're still selling a lot of 2019 Mac Pro's. It's most likely the last chance to get a fully upgradable pro mac tower. The next gen will be crazy fast and power-efficient. But it probably wont be nearly as modular.
I'm planning to buy a 1st gen HomePod because you can find it for $200 on eBay now
Only way id ever buy this is if they make it so the mini’s can act as rear speaks as the bigger homepods act as the left and right speakers for the front
You can also ask Rolex the same question. Is Rolex 2/3x better than Omega or JLC? It also comes down to individual preferences.
You can also pair cheap smart speakers with decent speakers over Bluetooth. I have one Google home mini in my kitchen, paired to old, but badass stereo speakers. Save your money, by avoiding Homepod and Sonos and get a cheap smart speaker and some very good second hand speakers and a £30 Bluetooth amp. Plus you can feel good about saving some tech from the junk yard
The google home mini doesn’t sound as good its cheap for a reason
@@SergioCorona960919 when I ask Google Home Mini to play Spotify tunes, it plays on my Bluetooth speakers by default, rather than locally. At least you have an option to get a cheap mini and spend the difference on nice speakers
It’s simple. The mini sold well, and a lot of people who got them that never got the original one now want a bigger one. The mini is the gateway drug that the original one never had
I would like the reason why I would get the old ones or the new ones is because I want to tie it in my Apple TV box and have theater sound quality in my living room on my den
They should combine it with the Apple TV.
We recently renovated. Upgraded from a 1080P to 4K Samsung Frame. My Marantz AV receiver was obsolete and I am DONE with poorly mixed surround. My entire setup is now the Frame, an Apple TV 4K and two HomePods. This has a much smaller footprint than the AV receiver, the sub woofer and all those speakers. Buying a new Marantz alone is the cost of two HomePods. Now our AV is virtually invisible. Aesthetics and design are a big part of the discussion and my wife is thrilled that the ugly bulky equipment is history. A good sound bar is in the same price range as two HomePods and many of them are also butt ugly. Music should never be played on AV equipment (or wireless speakers) so that was not a factor.
Spotify can play on home pod 2 by airplay
The sound is more important to me. I don’t understand why people bad mouth a good sounding speaker. The HomePod is a speaker. If I buy a speaker I want the best sounding speaker I can get. If Apple would come out with a sub for the Homepod or mini for your TV and music. I think they would be hands down the best speakers.
Agree. When I buy headphones I don’t care if they are heavy or other things. I care about sound quality. I can put up with the minor annoyances as long as I’m pleased with the audio quality.
In the market for a smart speaker. What does google and Alexa do that is useful that Siri can’t do?
The voice assistants are much better in terms of responsiveness and answering questions and shit like that. Siri is dumber, but doesn’t collect your voice data like google and Alexa do, if you are into privacy. I also think the sound quality is better on HomePods personally. Alexa and google are more compatible with third party stuff, but again, HomeKit is more privacy focused. Google and Alexa support Spotify natively whereas homepod is Apple Music.
I’d say if you want a super smart assistant, you could always get HomePods for sound and a tiny 20 dollar google nest or whatever if you need a super smart assistant. I honestly don’t use them for anything other than turning on the lights though, lol
The mini’s Thread implementation is busted arse. I’m having an absolute nightmare with my thread enabled smart lights and it’s the mini’s ‘hub’ that’s causing it. If I disconnect all the minis, the lights work fine.
If you have stained furniture and you’re worried about the finish why would you put anything on it without testing it first? You might as well put a glass of ice water on it while you’re at it.
I would love to be all in on the Apple ecosystem, but the big HomePod has always just been too expensive. If the minis had come out 3 years earlier I’d probably have 7 of them throughout my house despite them costing 2x what echo dots/nest minis cost. But Apple was late and I’d already bought a bunch of echos and changing over isn’t worth it unless there is a major leap in smart speaker tech. But Apple has continually been late in this area so I don’t see any new innovation coming from them first anyways.
In the 16+ minutes I listened to this video I counted how many times these guys said "like". 530 times
8:48 that’s actually SIBILANCE and not alliteration, well it is but for words that start with S its called sibilance for some reason💀… Lol
Nice 👍 ending.
I’m puzzled that you find that the main quality of a speaker is … the sound quality!
you could use the $300 to buy 3 HomePod minis and have a pretty dope surround sound system.
I think smart speakers are a tech savvy person thing. Most iPhone owners aren’t tech savvy so maybe that’s why
🎁 Google home pod 2 mini 🇨🇦📦🛫🛫
I got 8 HPM + 2 NEW HPs. For the sound quality.
I’m definitely more likely to buy the mini
They should of put iPad mini on it
There was no chip shortage in 2018.
I watched this clip weeks ago
My homepods ,3 years old are just too fussy to play anything. My Bose soundtouch portable , 6 years old, plays as good, as it was on day one ,and now it has airplay support .
The Homepods 2 should have been £50 cheaper that price could be justified.
Spotify is a massive one and I don’t even use Spotify! The speaker needs to be compared more to Sonos than a smart speaker, if you’re going to buy a Sonos one, might as well get the HomePod
My echo dot only lasted about 10 months until it started getting very tin-e sounding. My HomePod mini has lasted me a year and a half. Alexa might be better than Siri, but Apple has better build quality
I’ve been waiting for a legit HomePod subwoofer, or new minis with a magnetic charger base, or Apple battery bases to make minis semi-portable around the house…
There are a bunch of people/company’s building a portable battery to make the mini portable.
@@snoksI rather meant an Apple battery base with magnetic charging for something like wireless minis with a MagSafe bottom. Thinking more on that, it would actually be better to have a small battery inside said minis. That way one could move speakers around their home to existing MagSafe chargers all while media continues playing.
On the subject of current battery bases for HomePod mini, I’ve only ever seen two, of which, the Mission seems the only dependable offering.
@@itsfonk look at Sonos roam or Sonos move… they also sound better. And no, minis with a battery inside would be bad for sound weight and everything else and wireless charging sucks because you loose a lot of the energy… cable is always the best.
The HomePod supports multiple timers.
is that... a framework's chromebook laptop? goddamn
Great discussion! I have to say I really do not prefer the Sonos sound at all! 👎
I’ve been using my HomePods with a PC by only using iTunes in it so I think is something apple just can release for every device but they just don’t want to 😢
Whats with the confusion here? Literally ALL the other manufacturers have multiple models at different price points.
Pay your money and take your choice... and Apple MUST give HomePod users at least 2 models - catering the cheaper low end for people who dont care too much about audio quality - and then the higher end giving people who want a HomePod with better sound something to buy.
To me it was bizarre that there was ONLY the mini for a long time.
Amazon sell the dot, the standard echo, and the studio - thats 3 tiers of price and quality.
Apple are simply doing the same.
I bought a Google nest hub, second generation for less than $50 and I got a Google nest mini for free.
First viewer with swollen hemorrhoids