
The Trouble with HomePod Reviews - robin_reala
https://mondaynote.com/the-trouble-with-homepod-reviews-585075add9d2
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headsoup
I think the biggest problem is that suddenly, testing and environment and tech
etc is of immense concern when reviewing these speakers, where all the many
product reviews before were taken at face value (by those likely complaining
now).

It's a consumer speaker, so why all of a sudden are people demanding full
audiophile/studio precision in speaker testing and reviewing?

I love how Apple's product messaging gets people debating the flaws evident in
the review and experiences of their product categories because Apple has
introduced terminology to people that they a) never cared about previously
(though already existing) and b) don't likely understand or appreciably
recognise going forward otherwise. Apple are very good at making people
suddenly aware of important things they had no idea about, would not
recognise/understand, or cared for previously...

~~~
Finch2192
It's pretty simple why people don't like it, and it's obvious why it's not
selling well.

The Homepod does not have an aux cord.

The Homepod does not allow you to use its onboard bluetooth 5.0 hardware to
play music from another device

The Homepod does not allow you to play spotify, unless you play it from an
airplay-equipped device (so not android without a workaround), which means you
cannot ask it to play spotify at all, or for that matter, play any other
service except their own.

Many reviews are reporting a lack of features in the homepod's Siri, as well
as poor performance of existing features.

I agree with you when you say apple is great at getting people to care about
things that nobody cared about before. Are you suggesting that those things
actually matter? Do you believe apple is getting people to care about these
things out of an abundance of compassion and drive to educate the masses? I
think it's more plausible that Apple will get their customers to care about
whatever leads them to purchase products from Apple.

It's a consumer speaker, priced on par with professional (albeit entry level,
but still professional) hardware. It's no wonder apple is offering these at
50% off to employees. That is the only reason there is one sitting at my house
right now, because at that price it's worth it as a speaker, despite the
shortcomings.

Just not worth it for almost everyone else.

~~~
e1ven
I'm just curious if sales figures have been announced, or why you're saying
it's not selling well?

~~~
Finch2192
Well, to tell you the truth, I pulled that out of my ass. I have no idea if
the Homepod is selling well. I am basing this on the fact that Apple allows
employees a 50% discount, something they do not do for any other product other
than the Apple Watch (as far as I know or can tell). This, in addition to the
litany of poor reviews, leads me to believe the Homepod isn't doing so well. I
can't be sure, though.

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anfilt
I will tell you the problem with it. It's 350 dollars, and at the point you
are getting into the entry price for a pair of studio monitors.

The thing has 7 tweeters and only one woofer to cover the mids and bass. So
you are not going to get a good left or right channel. Instead the left and
right will be mixed into one woofer, and the reduced by probably 3 db to
appear at the same volume.

This is no good for music.

~~~
pmilla1606
Interesting to hear you say this in light of all (at least all that I've read)
very positive reviews of the sound quality.

What are your thoughts on the positive reviews?

~~~
anfilt
You can also just buy single monitor, and it will sounds good. However, you
will loose the difference between the right and left audio channels especially
if you mix the two channels into one.

I am saying for the money you could get a pair of monitors that give you both
left and right audio channels and sounds good.

If your playing music, but not really setting up a listening environment why
buy a 350 dollar speaker. Let alone one that downmixes stero to mono channel.

~~~
voltagex_
Are you going to get bass out of those monitors, though?

~~~
anfilt
It's a studio monitor yes... They also often called reference monitors.

A studio/sound engineer needs to hear the full range of frequencies when
mixing and working on a track.

If you need more low end than what a set reference monitors can reproduce that
woofer in home pod is probably not going to do better.

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majormajor
For me the biggest problems with the HomePod are that (a) for the same price
you can have a stereo pair of Sonos Ones and (b) I haven't found a surround
sound or center channel story for the HomePod a la Sonos soundbar/base station
+ Sonos Ones.

Going from point source to multiple sources makes a very substantial
difference.

I'm very curious about just how much DSP magic the HomePod is doing (as
opposed to what's physical enclosure magic), since in playing with my Sonoses
I can't spot a huge effect from their TruePlay tuning in most configurations
I've tried out. It's there, but minor sounding for most typical arrangements -
perhaps it would be greater if I tried more and more sub-optimal placements,
but trying to sabotage my setup isn't my ultimate goal. ;)

If Apple let the DSP be shut off so it could be measured that would be
interesting from a technical perspective, but should it actually affect the
reviews? If anything, the HomePod makes reviews _better_ if now reviewers are
actively aware that they should think about what it'll sound like in the
user's room vs in an ideal layout.

~~~
threeseed
1\. The quality is better than a pair of Sonos One.

2\. AirPlay2 will support multiple units.

3\. All of the magic behind the HomePod is in the software. Otherwise it is
just a bunch of tweeters in a circular shape and a woofer. It's the software
that determines what each tweeter is going to output and the strength of the
woofer output.

4\. The reviews I've read have been careful about not just testing the HomePod
in ideal conditions. Since the ability to "just work" in non ideal conditions
is what the entire device is designed for.

Anyway all of this is moot. Sound quality is important but more so this is an
ecosystem play. HomePod reinforces investments in HomeKit and iOS.

~~~
majormajor
I've seen as many reviews contradicting your first point as supporting it.
Distributed source vs point source - the Sonos's have a huge advantage out of
the gate in terms of ambience and imaging, and adding additional units helps
with volume and quality as well.

I've seen a lot of talk about stereo AirPlay but not about _surround_. What
would you use as the center channel, another homepod? That would look awkward,
though sound fine.

The enclosure has always been a huge part of speaker design. The software
side, ever since the computing power got cheap enough to enable stuff like
Audyssey, has been a newer but not unheard-of part. Apple would be fools if
they didn't optimize the physical design of the speaker as much as the
software side.

Ecosystem lock in only works if you have a reason for me to buy a HomePod to
use with my iPad instead of a Sonos in the first place. Sonos+Alexa+iPad works
perfectly fine for me, so...

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rb808
I'm thinking of getting one. I have a nice stereo in the room but my wife
would rather use the crappy $20 Alexa puck because its easier just for 10
minutes of music. Drives me nuts. At least with a HomePod I wont have to
listen to tinny tunes.

~~~
brokenmachine
Why not spend your $350 on a device that can hook into the nice stereo in the
room that is easy for the wife to use? Then you get even better sound with
probably less money outlay.

One of those programmable universal remotes might help as well? So it's one
button to get to tunes.

~~~
rb808
Its the thing with these devices are always on and hands free. There is a big
difference between a voice command and one button. To me I'd push the button
every time, but to others these devices are preferred.

~~~
brokenmachine
Voice-controlled programmable remote? Do those exist?

A cheap Android phone plugged into the speakers? You can "OK google" that.

~~~
shoobedowop
HomePod works, requires no maintenance, and sounds great. No one has time to
dick around with custom one off solutions that require rebooting, tweaking,
and is less reliable except single guys who want to spend half the time fixing
something vs. using it.

a wife has no time nor tolerance for half ass home baked tech.

~~~
brokenmachine
_> a wife has no time nor tolerance for half ass home baked tech._

Apparently wives differ, because my partner has proved to be capable of
pressing a couple of buttons on a remote, and is rewarded with better quality
sound from better speakers.

Also that comes with the added bonus that I don't have to buy a $350 device
that is going to be _completely_ useless in a couple of years when Apple
decides it won't support the only proprietary, closed way to persuade it to
actually perform it's _sole function_ which is to emit music, so all the lucky
s̶h̶e̶e̶p customers are forced to purchase the next shiny disposable trinket.

Homepod is a completely throwaway product, something that embodies the worst
aspects of our society, a disposable object for a myopic consumer.

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gnicholas
I would love to buy a pair, but until they can be used with video, I'm staying
on the sidelines. Customers report noticeable audio delay that makes them
unsuitable for usage with videos. I watch TV (via laptop or laptop-to-TV) in
every room where I would consider buying a HomePod. I'm not going to drop
hundreds of dollars on a speaker for music if it can't also be used with
video.

~~~
jzoch
Airplay 1 currently has a built in delay of 2 seconds (its an old protocol).
Airplay 2 will be released later this year and will fix this problem. For
video it will not be suitable unless you use an apple tv which automatically
corrects teh latency.

~~~
gnicholas
Then on the sidelines I shall remain...unless perhaps Airfoil comes up with an
ingenious solution to this predicament! But given the ratings and relative
price of the Sonos—and their current compatibility with both audio and video,
from what my friends tell me—maybe I'll spring for a pair of Ones.

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tty7
i hired a kid to play sitar after me and the wife get up. its amazingly
soothing, i couldnt imagine using something like this to relax.

