They should enable setting with 2 homepods and 2 homepods mini for surround sound, i`m buying that easy setup and many possibilities but surround would be a cherry on top! Hopefully one day they enable that option, that wold be perfect bedroom setup
You can. That’s what I have in my living room. Only thing that is an inconvenience is that I have to add them to my HomePods when I turn on the Apple TV after it’s been off for awhile. So they don’t remember or can’t stay paired all 4 of them but two clicks links them back up
as someone who completely avoids apple ecosystem in my personal devices, I completely agree on the amazing quality of the Apple TV. My partner has one in their living room, and the os and interaction is so smooth and refined, as with all apple products, but it especially shines through on the apple tv. To me a smart tv box is a lifestyle device (as most tech is nowadays, but especially this product), so having an amazingly fluid experience when just trying to relax and watch a show is lovely. They have the generation that uses the touchpad remote, god I love the touch pad, adds to the smooth feel, and typing and scrubbing through video is better than any other remote.
My household switched to all Apple TVs and it makes everything so much easier. When my partner and I go out and we have a babysitter for the kids, there is no explanation on how the remote works or which remote. Same remote on every tv, no matter what the tv is, it doesn’t matter. As you said, it just makes things so easy and simple. It’s not required to have an Apple TV by any means, but you will enjoy it tremendously. I owned the first Apple TV, and that one didn’t float my boat. Waited a few year, and we currently have 3 of the current model and 1 of the last model. One other thing I love is, in case you mix up the controllers, you can easily connect another controller to the Apple TV. Also, it’s very easy to connect a PS4 or 5 controller. I’m not sure what a new model of Apple TV would even look like. It’s already so over powered for what it is used for. Of course there are always new features that come out every year, but none stand out that is imperative to a new Apple TV.
That wall looks like it would've been perfect for a projector! Though I can appreciate not wanting the screen to be the highlight of the room. Cool build!
I wish apple would set them up to work with 4 home pods and a center channel. We have two in our great room while facing the screen the left one is. Middle of left side the right one is off back right corner. Spreads the sound out quite nice.
Nice setup but you are setting off my ocd with that white thing on the left which is stopping symmetry and also blocking a bit of the telly. Also thanks for inspiring to build my first split keyboard.
Great video - thank you! I know I can't expect the same results, but I'm not very happy with our 10 month old Denon soundbar and have considered doing the same with HomePod minis.
I had wondered since I saw that advert how exactly this worked over ARC, Appreciate the explanation and loving the minimal setup, Great video, Many thanks!
Made the mistake of buying an era 300 thinking it would work like the homepod. But you need a soundbar too. Ended up getting two homepods with apple tv and couldnt be happier. For movies with dolby atmos the sound is amazing and they are surprisingly loud too. Better than a soundbar for sure. Wireless atmos and so simple to use. Speakers look great too.
@@xguy9999 ofcourse they can't compete with a full Sonos system but they are amazing on their own. I watched cocaine bear and there is a scene with so much going on music and action and it sounded incredible. Greyhound submarine movie was also another great experience. Dolby Atmos here is amazing
this looks great! i’ve been using the stereo homepods ones since they came out, and i’d recommend about 8in between the homepods and the walls, it looks like you have some space but 8in is the recommendation apple has for this type of set ups.
Very thorough build, looks smart! For reference there is absolutely no warranty issue with cutting off a moulded plug as long as the replacement plug is fitted correctly by a competent person. If the plug was to be damaged the last thing a manufacturer wants is someone using an unsafe plug because they are worried about replacing it.
I've been using two HomePods in a stereo pair since their launch, and I still highly recommend them to this day. They consistently deliver great sound, no matter where you're seated.
Really enjoyed this video, Ben. I guess we won’t avoid bass frequency standing waves electronically until there is beam forming of low frequencies using ultrasound
Unless I’ve missed something it looks like your HomePods are wired straight into the ring and are therefore on a 32A fuse. The solution would be to put a fused spur for each under the shelf. Very neat looking setup though,
The whole shelf is actually on a fused spur, the hole next to the double wall socket is a switched fused spur. Forgot to mention that was added by a professional for my first setup so I just added my new wire to that. That connects to the socket under the shelf which powers the TV and connects to the wires from HomePods.
Cool build! Have you considered the Sony HT-A9? I think they have a similar if not better size to performance ratio, and the front of the build would look very similar. The main challenge (and also kind of the point) is integrating the rear 2 speakers
Not sure if it's the same on the gallery series but I have an LG CX and I wanted to feed the power cable through the Bang & Olufsen floor stand I'm using; The power cable enters the TV through a small access panel seccured with a screw that can be removed which conceals a small connector that can be removed and re-attched if needs be; Not sure what the warranty implications are with this approach though.
Brilliant Video, I’m fully in the Apple ecosystem but have Sonos speakers. I would love this set up but HomePods don’t have line in for my turntable. Fantastic job.
Thanks! This is has got me wondering if there is some kind of line to hdmi dongle that would let you use your turntable as an ordinary input to the TV. Then it would go to the Apple TV/HomePods via eArc.
This is my gripe with HomePods. They sound amazing but are completely locked into the ecosystem. Am I going to give up a PlayStation just so I can use these speakers? Forget it.
What an excellent and insightful review of what I have to say are amazingly ballsy speakers for their size. It gets at Apple’s superpower - its uncanny knack for combining its now iconic aesthetics to products that define what we refer to as a “seamless user experience.”
this is an actual amazing video with accurate information, been looking to get this homepod setup for a while now and this video literally answered all my questions while being entertaining! Thanks dude.
Fantastic video. In regards to the base bouncing off the wall, have you thought about moving your sofa just a little more forward. Athough you'll get slightly less space you'll have better sound, bigger screen (closer to the tv) and apart from visually, you haven't lost out on anything space wise. There aren't activties you can now not do by moving the sofa just forward a little. You could cup up with some storage or even a bar table for you to rest something on (like cups of tea)
It would definitely solve the issue - the trouble is the gap we'd have to walk through would get really small as it's an L shape and the end of the L would be almost touching the other wall.
Thanks for sharing. Best thing I did was inset my tv into the wall. Have about 8cm depth and enough room underneath the tv for a large soundbar. It’s a wall that like yours you walk near the soft end so it doesn’t inhibit any movement.
Looks great. I do really like the minimalist style, even though it's the complete opposite to my overloaded maximalist clutter living room (and i don't even have a television). LOL
@@BenVallack yeah pretty good not sure if it was worth the money but too late now lol I use Apple Music and the music that’s in Dolby Atmos sounds amazing compared to normal streaming.
Can I ask why you didn’t go with an outlet behind the tv? I don’t think you’re in America. Our studs are 16” from center. 4” or so deep. Are your walls different? It’s clean and looks great. Just wondering
I'm wondering why you chose to go with black instead of white HomePods? Especially if you're going for an ultra minimal setup white would definitely look more "Appley" as well. I love how this turned out. Looks amazing and that LG tv looks amazing too.
I usually go for black, however, in this particular case would have gone with white. It’s a very lite colored room. Either way it looks amazing brother!!!!
Apple TV is needed to work with the HomePods - the Apple TV is the brains of the setup. Without it your TV won't be able to send any audio to the HomePods at all.
This is phenomenal! Well done. We have very similar design tastes. I have a DIY setup with an LG CX 65 OLED, and HomePod minis. Eventually I'll upgrade. All my cables are hidden behind the wall. I have mine floating over a beautiful minimalist style dresser with some amber lighting. It's the best!
This is a beautiful setup. Apple should sell your shelf. Or design it specifically for Apple HomePods and really work the wiring that it’s designed just right for mass production. God Bless you sir!
@@BenVallack I mean... Maybe a perfect solution would require such an extreme solution - but I would think that a soft absorbent material would have to be better for mitigating concussive bass than bare brick wall.
@@BenVallack 🤔 At the moment I have an acoustimass Bose 5.1 . But speakers are up on the ceiling for a “wife design problem” 😅. Suppose in the future will sell all and make your set up
IKEA :) by a massive margin the best value sofa of this size we could find! It’s definitely going to need a bit of extra stuffing before too long but otherwise it’s a nice size and shape and overall comfort is good. It was very low stock when we got it and had to phone and ask when they were coming in, and snapped it up as soon as it came on the website. This was last year; my wife was so pleased she said it was a Christmas miracle lol.
The only problem with this setup is when it comes time to upgrade... whether a new cable comes out, or you need to move the mount for a different shaped TV, or Apple discontinues use and support of HomePod and you want something else... Other than that, it's beautiful.
I have the same set up and a very similar sized and shaped lounge and sofa - and the bass standing waves drive me mad! Away from the walls it’s great, but borderline unlistenable near the walls. I have to turn ‘reduce bass’ on, which hobbles the bass entirely. It’s such a shame that Apple don’t have some kind of ‘pro’ tuning option, like Sonos Trueplay, which I have used with Sonos kit in the same room to totally solve the bass issue.
Thanks. They can work as a stereo pair but don't have any of the beam forming coolness of the big ones so no surround sound effect at all. But they do work with the Apple TV in the same way.
I considered it - but as fas as I can make out it doesn't have any kind of beam forming system to emulate surround channels. They try and upsell you to grab the surround speakers. And that the costs significantly more. I did demo one in a shop, hard to come up with any real conclusions in that environment but I was very underwhelmed by music reproduction. It also sounds like the Arc doesn't work with the latest Apple TV eARC configuration which is a serious issue! That's just from a quick search of Arc forums.
@@BenVallack It might not use beam forming because there are actual drivers pointing in multiple directions to bounce of the walls (and ceiling!) The general consescus is more similar to this: "I have one tv with an arc and I HAD one tv with two original HomePods. The arc is hilariously better. I switch the two HomePods out on my second tv to a Sonos beam gen 2 and even that is better." But nice to see that you are happy with the setup. And very clean install of course!
@@joostwestravery interesting and likewise glad you’re happy with your setup! I’ll definitely look to test one when I find someone with one I can play with.
Love it! Just wondering if you notice any image quality degradation watching from the Applet TV? I have a 4k Apple TV hooked up to my OLED Sony A80J and no matter what HDMI cable I use or however much I change the settings (apple tv or the TV), I can't get the image coming from the Apple TV to look as good (vibrant and popping off the TV realistic) as it does when using the TVs built in apps. I not only have image vibrancy issues, but pixelation in the all black areas of youtube videos. When watching my favourite LG demo reel (th-cam.com/video/njX2bu-_Vw4/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared) the Apple TV cannot produce a smooth black area surrounding the centre circle during the opening 6 seconds, no matter how long I let it buffer or replay it (hard wired or wi-fi), but the TV is smooth black everytime (wi-fi). I love the Apple TV user experience, and my family couldn't care less about image quality so we still use it, but I'm curious if Apple TV is degrading all OLED TV owners experience and they're not realizing it, or if it's just me and my A80J.
That sounds super strange - as far as I’m aware there’s no way the Apple TV could be degrading the image - it is capable of sending the proper signals to the TV and it’s all digital etc. It’s widely regarded as one of the best digital sources as far as I know. Having said that - it does have a whole bunch of different modes it can do in terms of how it passes through the signals so have a play in the settings on the Apple TV. Also have a look in the settings per source on the TV in case it’s doing something fancy on the built in apps that it isn’t doing on HDMI sources.
@@BenVallack Here's a video showing the pixelation issue with TH-cam th-cam.com/video/YK89laR90Ak/w-d-xo.html if you're interested. When I was doing this test I was looking at the settings again and noticed the Sony software updated and now has some "Calibrated" picture modes which look a bit duller and similar to Apple TV's output compared to Dolby Vision Bright mode. Maybe the Apple TV is doing some extra 'calibration' to the image which looks muted to my eyes. I'd be interested to hear if you or others notice any difference between the built-in apps vs Apple TV. I know it's widely regarded as the best, but I haven't seen any comparisons using some higher end OLED panels.
@@Ran-qb8vfhave you seen issues on other Apple TV apps or is just TH-cam? What model Apple TV is it? I know the older one didn’t support HDR content on TH-cam due to a bit of a format war between Apple and TH-cam so I’m wondering if what you’re seeing is TH-cam switching the content to a version it’s recoded to be compatible, I.e non HDR or this is some other issue resulting from trying play HDR on a setup where it’s not supported.
@@BenVallack I have Gen1 Apple TV 4K (A1842), you're right it didn't initially have HDR capability, can't seem to find a conclusive answer on the current status of that. In terms of issues, across all apps (disney+, Netflix, Prime) the image just doesn't look as vibrant. I tried taking some videos yesterday comparing a few live action and animated shows but it's tricky to get the lighting right, makes me appreciate your videos even more :) I was able to eliminate the pixelation from the youtube test I uploaded by turning on Match Content Range and Match Frame Rate, but then it seemed to add noise during other parts of the video (bubbles in the glass). Doing some searching this morning on the topic and one person suggested setting the Apple TV to SDR, then turn on match content (so it will go into HDR when available) and turn off Match Frame Rate (can't recall why). This seemed to really help, but now for some reason the Apple TV is much quieter than the TV (built in speakers). Finding all of these forums filled with people having similar struggles makes me feel better, and it looks like I've got a few more hours of digging into this ahead of me. Surprising that Apple TV settings aren't talked about more in all of the TV reviews out there. Thanks for the replies :)
I was very surprised when my wife asked me to set up our HomePod as surround sound and we both love it it sounds great and we use Siri to run our home a few years ago she refused to use any of the home automation and now all day long you hear her saying hay Siri turn the kitchen lights u; or turn the tv on in the living room or make the ac 73 degrees it’s amazing
We seem to getting a very high rate of it misunderstanding our requests these days. I'm sure it used to be more accurate! Very happy with the sound though considering the size.
Why didn't you put 7.1 in the ceiling? you could have just had the screen alone with no speakers or awkward shelf, not digging the trash can aesthetic of the mac speakers either. Thanks for sharing regardless!
Too bad it doesn’t work with DTS:X or any sort of disc player. Streaming is not my preferred way of watching movies so I can’t take advantage of the HomePods for it
Umm you clearly haven't seen Samsung's The Frame tv in person. The whole point of the Frame is for it to look like a piece of art when not in use. From any angle. Which it does amazingly well. That's literally one of its main strengths. So I'm not sure who or what made you believe the Frame tv doesn't have good viewing angles but you're wrong regardless. AND the Frame has this anti glare screen coating which is unlike anything else out there & perfect for rooms that are brightly lit or get a lot of sunlight. Like in your space, where you have to draw your blinds in the day for anything to be watchable on that super glossy oled. No such problem with the Frame. It handles glare and sunlight extremely well. AND it gets a lot brighter than your oled. Making it the perfect tv for your situation. Also, the 1-connect box is a lot more convenient with a single thin detachable cable running from TV to box. The cable the TV comes with is plenty long but even longer cables are available if needed. Making it a lot less cumbersome than your lg. You also mentioned something about the frame tv tech being "old"? FYI, Quantum dot produces higher color purity than oled. And they get a lot brighter than oleds. The tech in the Frame is perfect for its intended purpose. And lest I forget, the Frame actually mounts COMPLETELY flush. Heres the problem I have with your approach. On one hand, you don't mind the plethora of compromises you've had to make by choosing a dual Homepod setup. Any half decent stereo setup like a pair of Q Acoustics M20 HD active speakers (with or without a sub) would wipe the floor with those homepods. Yet you chose to go with the homepods. However, you decided to go with an oled for of its "better tech" & blacker blacks & didn't want any compromises with picture quality I presume? I'll tell you what, you've ended up with the worst of both worlds for your situation. All that hassle only to end up with a glossy TV with glare that doesn't get bright enough in a room with tall windows & an unremarkable sound system you'll end up wanting to replace soon enough. However, the work you've put in has turned out well in terms of aesthetics. Can't fault you there.
I certainly have seen the Frame in person and considered it very carefully. I agree the anti-glare is nice but not at the expense of viewing angle. Here is the objective data. www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/samsung/the-frame-2022-qled It can't hold a candle to the OLED. Colour washout at 29º instead of 68º on the LG. Brightness in real images isn't event close either - it can beat the OLED only when displaying a solid white screen where the OLED limits itself. In real images the OLED has brighter highlights in HDR content - and due to proper blacks an infinite contrast ratio, unlike the frame. (data from Rtings) Colour purity is better in the LG than the Frame too I'm afraid. 98.58% coverage of DCI-P3 compared to the Frame's 87.49%. (data taken from Rtings) I agree decent stereo speakers can easily beat the homepods in terms of music - but not for surround sound. I also agree the whole thing is a compromise from both a decent stereo setup and compared to a decent cinema setup - but the trade oft is minimal clutter and aesthetics and a great balanced ability for film and music.
An amazing demonstration in gentle restraint whilst tactfully answering to someone’s wholly different opinion on how you approached an area of your own careful consideration. Worth a sub for this reply alone!
Yes. Basically, you have three options, but either way the rug is too small and especially way too far away fron the sofa. Option a) would be to place the rug with just a few cm distance from the legs, but not under them. It‘s the hardest look to pull off right as it depends the most on good proportion, so probably skip to option b) and c) Option b): choose a rug big enough to fit under the front legs of both sides of the sectional. This anchors the sofa to the rug and makes the are feel like a unified „zone“. Additional lounge chairs, armchairs etc should equally be placed with their front legs on the rug, along its perimeter. Option c): choose a rug so big that the whole sofa will fit on it, including the back legs. The rug should stick out behind the back legs a few cm on both sides. This will make the room feel smaller, though, so it works best in a very large, open layout.
"I'm not sure how bad the lag is" 😅 did you bother to test anything? This level of analysis is not for me. You boast about the apple experience without really comparing it to anything. I'm not sure you've tried anything else because most set top boxes are okay these days. Apple may still have the edge in some ways but this video leaves a lot to be desired.
They should enable setting with 2 homepods and 2 homepods mini for surround sound, i`m buying that easy setup and many possibilities but surround would be a cherry on top! Hopefully one day they enable that option, that wold be perfect bedroom setup
You can. That’s what I have in my living room. Only thing that is an inconvenience is that I have to add them to my HomePods when I turn on the Apple TV after it’s been off for awhile. So they don’t remember or can’t stay paired all 4 of them but two clicks links them back up
@@TylerGniadekhow’s the sync when you do that? As good as just the 2?
@@TylerGniadeknever thought about that, but your right.
as someone who completely avoids apple ecosystem in my personal devices, I completely agree on the amazing quality of the Apple TV. My partner has one in their living room, and the os and interaction is so smooth and refined, as with all apple products, but it especially shines through on the apple tv. To me a smart tv box is a lifestyle device (as most tech is nowadays, but especially this product), so having an amazingly fluid experience when just trying to relax and watch a show is lovely. They have the generation that uses the touchpad remote, god I love the touch pad, adds to the smooth feel, and typing and scrubbing through video is better than any other remote.
My household switched to all Apple TVs and it makes everything so much easier. When my partner and I go out and we have a babysitter for the kids, there is no explanation on how the remote works or which remote. Same remote on every tv, no matter what the tv is, it doesn’t matter. As you said, it just makes things so easy and simple. It’s not required to have an Apple TV by any means, but you will enjoy it tremendously. I owned the first Apple TV, and that one didn’t float my boat. Waited a few year, and we currently have 3 of the current model and 1 of the last model. One other thing I love is, in case you mix up the controllers, you can easily connect another controller to the Apple TV. Also, it’s very easy to connect a PS4 or 5 controller. I’m not sure what a new model of Apple TV would even look like. It’s already so over powered for what it is used for. Of course there are always new features that come out every year, but none stand out that is imperative to a new Apple TV.
apple should make use of this opportunity to make a proper dolby atmos based HomePods with quad pairings and it'll be interesting ...
That wall looks like it would've been perfect for a projector! Though I can appreciate not wanting the screen to be the highlight of the room. Cool build!
NO He made the right choice
I wish apple would set them up to work with 4 home pods and a center channel. We have two in our great room while facing the screen the left one is. Middle of left side the right one is off back right corner. Spreads the sound out quite nice.
Already have a HomePod. Ordered my second one to setup my stereo pair. I can’t wait to try it when it arrives.
I was just, just talking about doing this. You inspired me to build a Keyball39, cuz trackball integration is great. Your videos are excellent!
Thanks so much!
Nice setup but you are setting off my ocd with that white thing on the left which is stopping symmetry and also blocking a bit of the telly. Also thanks for inspiring to build my first split keyboard.
Hah!
Great video - thank you! I know I can't expect the same results, but I'm not very happy with our 10 month old Denon soundbar and have considered doing the same with HomePod minis.
I had wondered since I saw that advert how exactly this worked over ARC, Appreciate the explanation and loving the minimal setup, Great video, Many thanks!
Thanks! Yeah eARC is such a game changer. Really amazing system.
Great work Ben, on completely redoing this wall, in order to meet your goal of having this minimalist setup. Love the setup though!
Made the mistake of buying an era 300 thinking it would work like the homepod. But you need a soundbar too. Ended up getting two homepods with apple tv and couldnt be happier. For movies with dolby atmos the sound is amazing and they are surprisingly loud too. Better than a soundbar for sure. Wireless atmos and so simple to use. Speakers look great too.
Arc , Sub Mini, two Era 300 and you are in the middle of outstanding sound.
Beam 2 with a mini sub and era 100 for the bedroom
I’m sure two HomePods sounds good, but it’s not beating a Sonos arc + big sub + 2 era 300s as surrounds.
@@xguy9999 ofcourse they can't compete with a full Sonos system but they are amazing on their own. I watched cocaine bear and there is a scene with so much going on music and action and it sounded incredible. Greyhound submarine movie was also another great experience. Dolby Atmos here is amazing
@@xguy9999 Well I would hope a setup that costs $2,500 would outperform a $600 setup lmfao
this looks great! i’ve been using the stereo homepods ones since they came out, and i’d recommend about 8in between the homepods and the walls, it looks like you have some space but 8in is the recommendation apple has for this type of set ups.
Yeah I can definitely see how that would improve things - just havn’t got that kind of space unfortunately!
Very thorough build, looks smart!
For reference there is absolutely no warranty issue with cutting off a moulded plug as long as the replacement plug is fitted correctly by a competent person. If the plug was to be damaged the last thing a manufacturer wants is someone using an unsafe plug because they are worried about replacing it.
That's good to know. Should have just cut it off then lol!
I've been using two HomePods in a stereo pair since their launch, and I still highly recommend them to this day. They consistently deliver great sound, no matter where you're seated.
Really enjoyed this video, Ben. I guess we won’t avoid bass frequency standing waves electronically until there is beam forming of low frequencies using ultrasound
Thanks so much. That sounds very interesting!
Unless I’ve missed something it looks like your HomePods are wired straight into the ring and are therefore on a 32A fuse. The solution would be to put a fused spur for each under the shelf.
Very neat looking setup though,
The whole shelf is actually on a fused spur, the hole next to the double wall socket is a switched fused spur. Forgot to mention that was added by a professional for my first setup so I just added my new wire to that. That connects to the socket under the shelf which powers the TV and connects to the wires from HomePods.
You can just see the fused spur box with switch by the corner of the sofa at 17:39 - edit: even better shot of it at 10:57
Cool build! Have you considered the Sony HT-A9? I think they have a similar if not better size to performance ratio, and the front of the build would look very similar. The main challenge (and also kind of the point) is integrating the rear 2 speakers
Yeah rear speaker placement is the issue but also huge cost.
Not sure if it's the same on the gallery series but I have an LG CX and I wanted to feed the power cable through the Bang & Olufsen floor stand I'm using; The power cable enters the TV through a small access panel seccured with a screw that can be removed which conceals a small connector that can be removed and re-attched if needs be; Not sure what the warranty implications are with this approach though.
Brilliant Video, I’m fully in the Apple ecosystem but have Sonos speakers. I would love this set up but HomePods don’t have line in for my turntable. Fantastic job.
Thanks! This is has got me wondering if there is some kind of line to hdmi dongle that would let you use your turntable as an ordinary input to the TV. Then it would go to the Apple TV/HomePods via eArc.
This is my gripe with HomePods. They sound amazing but are completely locked into the ecosystem. Am I going to give up a PlayStation just so I can use these speakers? Forget it.
What an excellent and insightful review of what I have to say are amazingly ballsy speakers for their size. It gets at Apple’s superpower - its uncanny knack for combining its now iconic aesthetics to products that define what we refer to as a “seamless user experience.”
Thanks! Yep exactly that.
I thought the LG G series sits closer to the wall?
this is an actual amazing video with accurate information, been looking to get this homepod setup for a while now and this video literally answered all my questions while being entertaining! Thanks dude.
looks awesome! what are the dimensions of the shelf?
This looks incredible and the attention to detail really paid off! Great work!
Fantastic video. In regards to the base bouncing off the wall, have you thought about moving your sofa just a little more forward. Athough you'll get slightly less space you'll have better sound, bigger screen (closer to the tv) and apart from visually, you haven't lost out on anything space wise. There aren't activties you can now not do by moving the sofa just forward a little. You could cup up with some storage or even a bar table for you to rest something on (like cups of tea)
It would definitely solve the issue - the trouble is the gap we'd have to walk through would get really small as it's an L shape and the end of the L would be almost touching the other wall.
@@BenVallack I guess it's time to buy a new sofa ;) I've just discovered your channel. Really enjoying it so far. Keep it up
Thanks for sharing. Best thing I did was inset my tv into the wall. Have about 8cm depth and enough room underneath the tv for a large soundbar. It’s a wall that like yours you walk near the soft end so it doesn’t inhibit any movement.
Awesome yeah I did think about that too. Might do it one day!
Looks great. I do really like the minimalist style, even though it's the complete opposite to my overloaded maximalist clutter living room (and i don't even have a television). LOL
Hello Ben, but are we stuck with Apple TV device? Can’t we use googleTV and Kodi with these 2 pods?
Correct. Apple TV is the heart of the system.
Hi,
Are you using the HomePod gen2s as part of your setup?
Yep these are HomePod 2.
Very nice setup. What is the size of the tv? Is it G3 model? Looks great with the homepods
55” - it’s the G2. Cheers!
@@BenVallack thanks looks great
I too have an LG Gallery OLED, Apple TV 4K & two HomePods
Sweet!
How are you finding the setup?
@@BenVallack yeah pretty good not sure if it was worth the money but too late now lol I use Apple Music and the music that’s in Dolby Atmos sounds amazing compared to normal streaming.
Ok i did not know the audio could pass through to other sources, that is a a game changer for me.
Can I ask why you didn’t go with an outlet behind the tv? I don’t think you’re in America. Our studs are 16” from center. 4” or so deep. Are your walls different? It’s clean and looks great. Just wondering
Yeah this wall is completely solid concrete block!
I'm wondering why you chose to go with black instead of white HomePods? Especially if you're going for an ultra minimal setup white would definitely look more "Appley" as well. I love how this turned out. Looks amazing and that LG tv looks amazing too.
I think my wife and I both agreed that black would shrink away more than white - which might look more office/techy. cheers!
I usually go for black, however, in this particular case would have gone with white. It’s a very lite colored room. Either way it looks amazing brother!!!!
Will the home pod minis work the same
You can use them as stereo speakers for the Apple TV but they don't have any surround sound ability.
@@BenVallack so it’s best to get the home pod 2nd generation?
Enjoyed this video pal as someone flirting with doing exactly what you’ve done! 👌🏼 good hustle
Why do I need appleTV when having a smartTV in this setup?
Apple TV is needed to work with the HomePods - the Apple TV is the brains of the setup. Without it your TV won't be able to send any audio to the HomePods at all.
what kind of couch is that?
IKEA 😀 cheap and cheerful but it’s a nice design!
This is phenomenal! Well done. We have very similar design tastes. I have a DIY setup with an LG CX 65 OLED, and HomePod minis. Eventually I'll upgrade. All my cables are hidden behind the wall. I have mine floating over a beautiful minimalist style dresser with some amber lighting. It's the best!
Wires r the worst. I think this looks amazing. But I lack the tools, knowledge, skill, ability, etc.
I love HomePods stereo pair but my Sonos arc sounds way better for movies and tv still love the HomePods for music and home controls tho.
This is a beautiful setup. Apple should sell your shelf. Or design it specifically for Apple HomePods and really work the wiring that it’s designed just right for mass production. God Bless you sir!
A couple HomePods is cool but I went for a Sonos Arc, Sonos Sub & 2 Sonos Era 300’s as my theater system
Couldn't you hang some sort of patterned material or rug on the wall behind you to absorb the bass??
IIRC, to deal with those frequencies would need a sound trap something like 18 inches thick!
@@BenVallack I mean... Maybe a perfect solution would require such an extreme solution - but I would think that a soft absorbent material would have to be better for mitigating concussive bass than bare brick wall.
Hi. Tanks for the video 👍🏻. Wich distance do you have from the Tv and the position of your head on the couch? Tanks
2.8 Meters
@@BenVallack Tanks. The same have I
It's within THX recommended viewing distance for 4K which is interesting.
@@BenVallack 🤔 At the moment I have an acoustimass Bose 5.1 . But speakers are up on the ceiling for a “wife design problem” 😅. Suppose in the future will sell all and make your set up
Nice couch, where did you buy it? (if i may lol)
IKEA :) by a massive margin the best value sofa of this size we could find! It’s definitely going to need a bit of extra stuffing before too long but otherwise it’s a nice size and shape and overall comfort is good. It was very low stock when we got it and had to phone and ask when they were coming in, and snapped it up as soon as it came on the website. This was last year; my wife was so pleased she said it was a Christmas miracle lol.
Very beautiful set up! That’s a lot of work! This must have required a lot of careful planning and design. 👌
Thanks!
Great Video
The only problem with this setup is when it comes time to upgrade... whether a new cable comes out, or you need to move the mount for a different shaped TV, or Apple discontinues use and support of HomePod and you want something else... Other than that, it's beautiful.
Hopefully these will have a long enough run that I won’t mind a bit of rebuilding if/when the time comes!
I have the same set up and a very similar sized and shaped lounge and sofa - and the bass standing waves drive me mad! Away from the walls it’s great, but borderline unlistenable near the walls. I have to turn ‘reduce bass’ on, which hobbles the bass entirely. It’s such a shame that Apple don’t have some kind of ‘pro’ tuning option, like Sonos Trueplay, which I have used with Sonos kit in the same room to totally solve the bass issue.
Really glad I'm not the only one noticing this! Also very interesting to hear that Sonos tuning can solve it.
Fascinating video!! Think HomePod minis would also work?
Thanks. They can work as a stereo pair but don't have any of the beam forming coolness of the big ones so no surround sound effect at all. But they do work with the Apple TV in the same way.
Sony makes a much better wireless speaker set that adapts to position, but it costs more.
Of course taste is subjective. But to me it sounds that a Sonos Arc might be a better solution for your use case.
I considered it - but as fas as I can make out it doesn't have any kind of beam forming system to emulate surround channels. They try and upsell you to grab the surround speakers. And that the costs significantly more. I did demo one in a shop, hard to come up with any real conclusions in that environment but I was very underwhelmed by music reproduction. It also sounds like the Arc doesn't work with the latest Apple TV eARC configuration which is a serious issue! That's just from a quick search of Arc forums.
@@BenVallack It might not use beam forming because there are actual drivers pointing in multiple directions to bounce of the walls (and ceiling!)
The general consescus is more similar to this:
"I have one tv with an arc and I HAD one tv with two original HomePods. The arc is hilariously better. I switch the two HomePods out on my second tv to a Sonos beam gen 2 and even that is better."
But nice to see that you are happy with the setup. And very clean install of course!
@@joostwestravery interesting and likewise glad you’re happy with your setup! I’ll definitely look to test one when I find someone with one I can play with.
Great video!
Love it!
Just wondering if you notice any image quality degradation watching from the Applet TV?
I have a 4k Apple TV hooked up to my OLED Sony A80J and no matter what HDMI cable I use or however much I change the settings (apple tv or the TV), I can't get the image coming from the Apple TV to look as good (vibrant and popping off the TV realistic) as it does when using the TVs built in apps.
I not only have image vibrancy issues, but pixelation in the all black areas of youtube videos. When watching my favourite LG demo reel (th-cam.com/video/njX2bu-_Vw4/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared) the Apple TV cannot produce a smooth black area surrounding the centre circle during the opening 6 seconds, no matter how long I let it buffer or replay it (hard wired or wi-fi), but the TV is smooth black everytime (wi-fi).
I love the Apple TV user experience, and my family couldn't care less about image quality so we still use it, but I'm curious if Apple TV is degrading all OLED TV owners experience and they're not realizing it, or if it's just me and my A80J.
That sounds super strange - as far as I’m aware there’s no way the Apple TV could be degrading the image - it is capable of sending the proper signals to the TV and it’s all digital etc. It’s widely regarded as one of the best digital sources as far as I know. Having said that - it does have a whole bunch of different modes it can do in terms of how it passes through the signals so have a play in the settings on the Apple TV. Also have a look in the settings per source on the TV in case it’s doing something fancy on the built in apps that it isn’t doing on HDMI sources.
@@BenVallack Here's a video showing the pixelation issue with TH-cam th-cam.com/video/YK89laR90Ak/w-d-xo.html if you're interested.
When I was doing this test I was looking at the settings again and noticed the Sony software updated and now has some "Calibrated" picture modes which look a bit duller and similar to Apple TV's output compared to Dolby Vision Bright mode. Maybe the Apple TV is doing some extra 'calibration' to the image which looks muted to my eyes.
I'd be interested to hear if you or others notice any difference between the built-in apps vs Apple TV. I know it's widely regarded as the best, but I haven't seen any comparisons using some higher end OLED panels.
@@Ran-qb8vfhave you seen issues on other Apple TV apps or is just TH-cam? What model Apple TV is it? I know the older one didn’t support HDR content on TH-cam due to a bit of a format war between Apple and TH-cam so I’m wondering if what you’re seeing is TH-cam switching the content to a version it’s recoded to be compatible, I.e non HDR or this is some other issue resulting from trying play HDR on a setup where it’s not supported.
@@BenVallack I have Gen1 Apple TV 4K (A1842), you're right it didn't initially have HDR capability, can't seem to find a conclusive answer on the current status of that. In terms of issues, across all apps (disney+, Netflix, Prime) the image just doesn't look as vibrant. I tried taking some videos yesterday comparing a few live action and animated shows but it's tricky to get the lighting right, makes me appreciate your videos even more :)
I was able to eliminate the pixelation from the youtube test I uploaded by turning on Match Content Range and
Match Frame Rate, but then it seemed to add noise during other parts of the video (bubbles in the glass).
Doing some searching this morning on the topic and one person suggested setting the Apple TV to SDR, then turn on match content (so it will go into HDR when available) and turn off Match Frame Rate (can't recall why). This seemed to really help, but now for some reason the Apple TV is much quieter than the TV (built in speakers). Finding all of these forums filled with people having similar struggles makes me feel better, and it looks like I've got a few more hours of digging into this ahead of me. Surprising that Apple TV settings aren't talked about more in all of the TV reviews out there. Thanks for the replies :)
I have an A80J and was contemplating an appletv as well. Thanks for sharing your experience!
I was very surprised when my wife asked me to set up our HomePod as surround sound and we both love it it sounds great and we use Siri to run our home a few years ago she refused to use any of the home automation and now all day long you hear her saying hay Siri turn the kitchen lights u; or turn the tv on in the living room or make the ac 73 degrees it’s amazing
We seem to getting a very high rate of it misunderstanding our requests these days. I'm sure it used to be more accurate! Very happy with the sound though considering the size.
legend
10:25 you can’t setup HomePods without and iPhone or iPad
Ah good catch! Ok so once it's setup you can live with it without any dependence on it.
I had them and gave them away. Bought the Sonos system. Arc, mini sub, Era 300 for the rear. Wow, it’s mind blowing good
Why didn't you put 7.1 in the ceiling? you could have just had the screen alone with no speakers or awkward shelf, not digging the trash can aesthetic of the mac speakers either. Thanks for sharing regardless!
Too bad it doesn’t work with DTS:X or any sort of disc player. Streaming is not my preferred way of watching movies so I can’t take advantage of the HomePods for it
Yeah that works via eARC - that's why it's such an amazing setup.
Removing the factory moulded plug will not impact a warranty claim. There's English case law that established this.
Great to know thanks!
Those HomePods are decent for a bedroom but not a living room. I bought a pair and returned for a Sonos ARC
Hey what is your room size, mine is 14x16 and wondering if they’ll sound good
The single plant in front of the tv throwing off the whole symmetry... why?
Sonos Arc Ultra
Good bit more money and a lot less 'neat' looking imo
Ahahaha, you could just install a simple power socket near the mounting bracket, not to cut the shelf 😂😂😂
No visible sockets in this build!
All that work to setup a minimal experience...... next to a huge radiator 😂
You sir, have clearly never seen a huge radiator 😂
TV too small, need 10" larger!
:) th-cam.com/video/vO8omPP9TU0/w-d-xo.html
7.1 surround sound This is apparently for the poor. The rich think differently...
You’ve lost me!
Umm you clearly haven't seen Samsung's The Frame tv in person. The whole point of the Frame is for it to look like a piece of art when not in use. From any angle. Which it does amazingly well. That's literally one of its main strengths. So I'm not sure who or what made you believe the Frame tv doesn't have good viewing angles but you're wrong regardless.
AND the Frame has this anti glare screen coating which is unlike anything else out there & perfect for rooms that are brightly lit or get a lot of sunlight. Like in your space, where you have to draw your blinds in the day for anything to be watchable on that super glossy oled. No such problem with the Frame. It handles glare and sunlight extremely well. AND it gets a lot brighter than your oled. Making it the perfect tv for your situation.
Also, the 1-connect box is a lot more convenient with a single thin detachable cable running from TV to box. The cable the TV comes with is plenty long but even longer cables are available if needed. Making it a lot less cumbersome than your lg.
You also mentioned something about the frame tv tech being "old"? FYI, Quantum dot produces higher color purity than oled. And they get a lot brighter than oleds. The tech in the Frame is perfect for its intended purpose. And lest I forget, the Frame actually mounts COMPLETELY flush.
Heres the problem I have with your approach. On one hand, you don't mind the plethora of compromises you've had to make by choosing a dual Homepod setup. Any half decent stereo setup like a pair of Q Acoustics M20 HD active speakers (with or without a sub) would wipe the floor with those homepods. Yet you chose to go with the homepods. However, you decided to go with an oled for of its "better tech" & blacker blacks & didn't want any compromises with picture quality I presume? I'll tell you what, you've ended up with the worst of both worlds for your situation. All that hassle only to end up with a glossy TV with glare that doesn't get bright enough in a room with tall windows & an unremarkable sound system you'll end up wanting to replace soon enough.
However, the work you've put in has turned out well in terms of aesthetics. Can't fault you there.
I certainly have seen the Frame in person and considered it very carefully. I agree the anti-glare is nice but not at the expense of viewing angle. Here is the objective data. www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/samsung/the-frame-2022-qled It can't hold a candle to the OLED. Colour washout at 29º instead of 68º on the LG.
Brightness in real images isn't event close either - it can beat the OLED only when displaying a solid white screen where the OLED limits itself. In real images the OLED has brighter highlights in HDR content - and due to proper blacks an infinite contrast ratio, unlike the frame. (data from Rtings)
Colour purity is better in the LG than the Frame too I'm afraid. 98.58% coverage of DCI-P3 compared to the Frame's 87.49%. (data taken from Rtings)
I agree decent stereo speakers can easily beat the homepods in terms of music - but not for surround sound. I also agree the whole thing is a compromise from both a decent stereo setup and compared to a decent cinema setup - but the trade oft is minimal clutter and aesthetics and a great balanced ability for film and music.
An amazing demonstration in gentle restraint whilst tactfully answering to someone’s wholly different opinion on how you approached an area of your own careful consideration. Worth a sub for this reply alone!
next project: The carpet is way too small for the sofa. its a design no-go. look it up. architect and industrial designer here.
Very interesting thanks!
Should it go under the sofa a bit then?
Yes. Basically, you have three options, but either way the rug is too small and especially way too far away fron the sofa.
Option a) would be to place the rug with just a few cm distance from the legs, but not under them. It‘s the hardest look to pull off right as it depends the most on good proportion, so probably skip to option b) and c)
Option b): choose a rug big enough to fit under the front legs of both sides of the sectional. This anchors the sofa to the rug and makes the are feel like a unified „zone“. Additional lounge chairs, armchairs etc should equally be placed with their front legs on the rug, along its perimeter.
Option c): choose a rug so big that the whole sofa will fit on it, including the back legs. The rug should stick out behind the back legs a few cm on both sides. This will make the room feel smaller, though, so it works best in a very large, open layout.
@@VictorRiley Awesome thanks!
The tv screen is too small for that viewing distance.. doesnt have that overwhelming experience… 😂
It counld definitely be larger without pixels becoming visible but the goal here is something not too intrusive in the room.
"I'm not sure how bad the lag is" 😅 did you bother to test anything? This level of analysis is not for me. You boast about the apple experience without really comparing it to anything. I'm not sure you've tried anything else because most set top boxes are okay these days. Apple may still have the edge in some ways but this video leaves a lot to be desired.
My point is that for the family life setup I talk about in the video, the lag is not perceivable so is not relevant.