We just got Apple's new HomePod Mini's so we compared them to the OG HomePod. Not surprisingly, the HomePod mini can't deliver the audio quality that the larger HomePod can. The HomePod Mini is the cheapest way to start and you also get a great sounding speaker to boot. I just find it hard to believe that Apple is just exiting the high end sound space completely. Jeff Dunn - Feb 12, 2018 6:46 pm UTC I’ve only used Alexa and Siri. We’ll have our full review soon. The HomePod Mini is Apple’s latest smart speaker that puts Siri in a more compact design. Apple. An audiophile on Reddit has extensively tested the smart speaker, and the speaker’s sound quality left him “speechless.” Watch the Latest Apple Technology News Below Reddit user Fouzan Alam, or /u/WinterCharm, tested the HomePod for eight … CNMN Collection The quality and feel is at the usual high Apple standards and set up with HomeKit was very easy. For my needs Siri has outperformed Alexa especially when grouping Sonos speakers. The photo is just showing the size difference between the mini and move. You can group your HomePod and your Sonos speakers into one room and have them play the same music. © 2021 Condé Nast. But it is certainly cheap enough, and to me, sounds better than smart speakers in its class (Echo 4th gen, Nest Audio). I just recently bought a HomePod from Kijiji and its a great way to use Siri to play music throughout the house. 'You vs the ex-boyfriend she tells you not to worry about. I was sceptical about what the sound quality would be like, given the speaker is about the size of a pomegranate, but the HomePod Mini was a really pleasant surprise. Sound quality is, by far, the original HomePod’s best asset. Sign up or login to join the discussions! It should do everything that the regular-sized HomePod can do regarding smarthome things like controlling smart lights and asking Siri questions. I have a house full of Sonos for that. By analyzing the music you’re listening to, the speaker tweaks the equalizer for a better listening experience. It’s also a great way to set the same volume for all of your speakers in that room. For now, I'd say the HomePod is certainly impressive given its natural restrictions, but I wouldn't call it an audiophile dream machine. But exactly how good does the HomePod sound? - Feb 12, 2018 6:46 pm UTC. The driver is held by a suspension system to reduce distortion, and it’s flanked by two passive radiators designed to help create a bigger, weightier sound. Well, if one goes by the numbers and testing done by a Reddit user, then the HomePod sound better than the KEF X300A — a Hi-Fi speaker with a $999 price tag. In most cases, I had no trouble getting it to respond when sitting a … If the HomePod is anything to go by, the HomePod mini will pack a serious punch. The HomePod Mini is powered by Apple's S5 processor, so you won't get the room-sensing tech of the HomePod in the Mini. I’m not buying them for sound quality. Last week, KTLA tech reporter Rich DeMuro tested the sound quality of the HomePod mini and Google's Nest Audio speakers, both priced at … But having some proper measurements is important. Both use Siri so why is HomePod better? The drivers for a $99 HomePod mini definitely won't match up to a $299 HomePod, but the audio quality is still fantastic, considering the price point. It’s difficult to say what your ears will hear from a speaker until you actually use it. The original HomePod was the most audio-focused of any of the original smart speakers. People are already selling them on Kijiji? Reddit user WinterCharm, whose real name is Fouzan Alam, has made just that in a truly massive review for the site’s “r/audiophile” sub. For me - its all about privacy. However, it's very good for its size, and at $99, the HomePod mini … What’s more, Alam’s measurements found the HomePod to provide a “near-perfectly flat frequency response,” meaning it stays accurate to a given track without pushing the treble, mids, or bass to an unnatural degree. Apple’s HomePod mini is a $99 smart speaker that can fit almost anywhere in your home. Reddit audiophiles test HomePod, say it sounds better than $1,000 speaker In-depth test says $350 speaker has a "near-perfectly flat frequency response." To be transparent: I’m in the process of reviewing the HomePod for Ars, and my testing hasn’t entirely lined up with Alam’s results. The HomePod mini does not have all the same features of the original HomePod, either. Both the HomePod mini and new Amazon Echo are spherical speakers, the former standing 3.5 inches tall and the latter measuring 5.7 inches. But without even having Sonos and HomeKit, setup, my research is telling me that I’m getting a few home pod mini’s and a small iPad to use with my Sonos system. The HomePod mini's audio quality is absolutely incredible for its size, and is really good for its price. A lot of people are excited for cheap HomeKit support and value their privacy. I’m now planning on buying a couple of minis (one for the basement and one for upstairs) to do the same thing. How do you think the quality sound will be? A Digital Trends article comparing the two devices recommends the Mini as a great entry-level option for those new to the world of smart speakers while also acknowledging the bigger HomePod’s superior sound quality. ', Someone needs to recreate that meme with several large moves surrounding the HomePod min, After having owned several homepods I have no interest in the mini as clearly the sound output on them is good but Siri is awful. It uses the same computational audio technology as Apple’s larger smart speaker. It features a single driver and dual passive radiators of. The HomePod mini lacks the size to pack the same level of audio … The final third of the HomePod mini is the loudest one. The middle third of the HomePod mini: empty space, heatsink, and dual passive radiators. Standing a mere 3.3-inches tall, the HomePod mini promises to deliver exceptional sound quality. Join the Ars Orbital Transmission mailing list to get weekly updates delivered to your inbox. After spending some time with HomePod mini, I can tell you that it sounds alright. The testing outlet says that the “Very Good” rating awarded to the HomePod puts it ahead of many other smart speakers, but that the Songs One and Google Home Max receive audio … In fact I think I use Siri 95% of the time to play music on my Sonos system. Your California Privacy Rights | Do Not Sell My Personal Information Why not just get more Sonos speakers which are better quality than the HomePod mini and use Alexa devices for voice control (if your sonos speakers don’t already have it / you want better functionality) since Alexa devices are cheaper and work better than Siri anyway. I should mention that I’m all in on HomeKit too and the HomePod is a much better way to trigger my smart home than using my phone. I do have all Apple products everywhere else, moreover, Alexa has been a pain in the ass & trying Siri/Apple environment (with friends HomePod) in place of Alexa has been much better! Everything we know about the more affordable Apple smart speaker and how it could … Cupertino, California — Apple today unveiled HomePod mini, the newest addition to the HomePod family that delivers impressive sound, the intelligence of Siri to get things done, and a smart home experience that offers comfort and convenience without complexity.At just 3.3 inches tall, HomePod mini is packed with innovative technologies and advanced software that together enable … Sound quality. Honestly though I don't see the appeal of a device like this when Siri is arguably the weakest of the voice assistants, fails to have basic connectivity like an Aux out and costs twice as much as its competitors in an already mature market. I used Apple AR to place it beside the move. At the same time as the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple has opened pre-orders for the HomePod mini, its pint-sized smart speaker, with … All rights reserved. Sonos & HomePod (mini) Are any of you planning on buying HomePod minis as a way to Airplay 2 music to your Sonos system? Last week, KTLA tech reporter Rich DeMuro tested the sound quality of the HomePod mini and Google's Nest Audio speakers, both priced at $99. HomePod Mini is Apple's smaller, smarter, $99 smart speaker. Still, Alam’s testing does put in the work, and the HomePod is undeniably strong—at least when it comes to sound. And if his results are to be believed, those early reviews may be underselling the HomePod’s sonic abilities. Why do you say HomePod is a much better way to trigger your smart home than your phone? I have all sonos, but nothing with AirPlay. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 1/1/20) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated 1/1/20) and Ars Technica Addendum (effective 8/21/2018). The ‌HomePod mini‌ has been praised for its high-quality sound at its price point, so we thought we'd compare it to Google's Nest Audio and Amazon's Echo to see how it … As expected, the HomePod mini works exceptionally well with other Apple devices. Apple can do some pretty amazing things but they're not magic. Apple promotes the HomePod mini as the ultimate smart speaker that delivers a ton of Apple innovation at an affordable price. WIRED Media Group For it's weight I imagine it's going to sound pretty great but at the end of the day it's a 3" orb weighing 345g. The HomePod Mini is a pretty tiny thing. Without giving too much away, it’s largely balanced and certainly rich for its size, but the new speaker doesn’t fall into that flat category, let alone “perfectly flat.” My ears hear a slight lift in the low midrange and some missing detail in the treble, as if it’s somewhat veiled. Those, along with the passive radiators, give the mini its 360-degree sound … How do you group HomePod and Sonos? While the video is a rather trivial way of comparing audio, many users who commented on the video believed the HomePod mini was the better sounding of the two. Measuring around half the size of the HomePod, the smaller model offers a spherical design and computational audio … Make no mistake, the full-sized HomePod sounds … I just recently bought a HomePod from Kijiji and its a great way to use Siri to play music throughout the house. Apple’s HomePod adjusts its audio on the fly to give you the best sound quality possible based on where you place it in a room. Ars may earn compensation on sales from links on this site. HomePod mini is certainly not the cheapest (Echo Dot, Nest Mini) and most people would agree that Siri is not as robust as Alexa and Google Assistant. Are any of you planning on buying HomePod minis as a way to Airplay 2 music to your Sonos system? The HomePod mini is much smaller and more compact than the regular HomePod, weighs less, and is a fraction of the price. Within the HomePod Mini’s spherical, mesh-covered frame is a single, Apple-designed full-range driver that fires sound downwards and out of the 360-degree waveguide around the bottom. Consumer Reports says it has had similar results, though its testers found the Sonos One to be better, and I generally disagree with that conclusion. Ad Choices, Apple clarifies which audio sources are supported on HomePod speakers. The HomePod mini is a smaller companion to the original HomePod speaker. After a series of tests with a calibrated microphone in an untreated room, Alam found the HomePod to sound better than the KEF X300A, a generally well-regarded bookshelf speaker that retails as a pair for $999. You must login or create an account to comment. The fact that it can't yet do stereo pairing with another HomePod doesn't help. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. The HomePod mini can more often than not pick up commands from across the room, even with the sound cranked up. The HomePod mini costs $99—a third the price of the HomePod—and offers notably lower sound quality. Just curious if there are other Sonos fans that use the HomePod. Next, canning the 1st gen HomePod before the March even allows them to clear inventory at full price rather than having to sell them at a discount. The takeaway from all this? New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, A place for all Sonos users to hang out and discuss hardware, software, installation, ideas and troubleshooting, Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. Honestly I've had so much annoyance with Sonos, that if HomePod did Plex playback, I'd switch. I went all in on Alexa, I have an echo show and several dots and plan on purchasing Sonos in the next week or two. The downward-firing speaker sits right above the cone-shaped sound guide. The review has plenty of terminology that’ll go over the head of casual readers—it’s r/audiophile, after all—but it’s certainly worth a read for any audio lovers interested in Apple’s latest. The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. You can group your HomePod and your Sonos speakers into one room and have them play the same music. Nope I recently bought the HomePod (not mini) on Kijiji for $200 less than retail price. HomePod Mini sound quality. Read our affiliate link policy. But most of those reviews seem to have avoided making precise measurements of the HomePod’s audio output, instead relying on personal experience to give generalized impressions. Spotify will be included soon but I’m an Apple Music guy so I’m not bothered that it is not currently included. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. “The HomePod is 100% an audiophile grade speaker,” he writes. Apple released its much-hyped HomePod speaker to the masses last week, and the general consensus among early reviews is that it sounds superb for a relatively small device. It’s coming from Apple so it should be fine, if not, why to buy this even if Spotify doesn’t work with it and the new Amazon echo is “incredibly” similar to this? But make no mistake — the Mini is still no slouch in the audio department. He concludes that the digital signal processing tech the HomePod uses to “self-calibrate” its sound to its surroundings allows it to impress at all volumes and in tricky environments. I’m confused what the advantage to this approach is, but maybe I’m missing something? There are, however, some limitations that could impact how it sounds. Source: Reddit. Just having the mini leaves an odd gap in their branding. Big sound in a small body. Jeff Dunn Apple managed to maintain the high bar of audio quality it set with the original HomePod, but brought it to a $99 package. Every review of the HomePod so far has praised it for its music quality.

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