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Apple HomePod 2nd Generation

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Re: Apple HomePod 2nd Generation

#231

Post by layer8 »

Hippocrates wrote: post #137

I F'in LOVE the OG HomePods. The sound quality absolutely slaps for the money/size/convenience. I've got one for music in the kitchen and it fills the room like a setup 3x as large. The bass response even at low volumes is remarkable, and clarity through the whole volume range is near perfection. Many of my guests have sourced their own OGs after hearing it. I've got another hooked up to my Apple TV (mono) that repla…

One issue I have with the HomePod (mini) Siri is that it activates even when I’m in another room and want my iPhone or iPad in that room to react, but Siri answers from the HomePod in the other room where I can barely (or not at all) hear it.

Re: Apple HomePod 2nd Generation

#232

Post by layer8 »

brundolf wrote: post #173
Hippocrates wrote: post #137

I F'in LOVE the OG HomePods. The sound quality absolutely slaps for the money/size/convenience. I've got one for music in the kitchen and it fills the room like a setup 3x as large. The bass response even at low volumes is remarkable, and clarity through the whole volume range is near perfection. Many of my guests have sourced their own OGs after hearing it. I've got another hooked up to my Apple TV (mono) that repla…

One complaint about the original was that it was super locked into Apple's ecosystem, which seems valid to me. And the new one supports Matter, so that's an improvement

It’s still not straightforward to get audio in from a non-Apple approved source, like from a Windows PC. They would sell more HomePods if you could use it as a generic Bluetooth speaker and/or if it had an aux input.

Re: Apple HomePod 2nd Generation

#233

Post by nanidin »

MrJagil wrote: post #23

I live with my partner and I’m debating whether a homepod or two minis is the correct choice for our 3 room apartment. Seems cool you can have a mini in each room and just walk around and there’s music all over. But also seems a bit like a hastle having to link/unlink them depending whos where. My airpods already give me enough trouble connecting to my comp/ipad/iphone. 1 regular homepod might just be the simpler, be…

The homepod had too much bass for me to comfortably use it in my apartment. At a decent listening volume, the bass was overwhelming. EQ only worked for music streamed via Apple Music at the time. They have added a "Reduce Bass" to the settings for the homepod now, but I returned mine within the 14 day return policy around the time the original homepod came out.

I switched my Alexa devices over to homepod mini's after one too many "by the way" suggestions by Alexa. Homepod mini has decent audio but I wouldn't use it for my primary music listening.

If you care for music quality, buy a decent portable bluetooth speaker and carry it with you from room to room - there is a lot to be said for the flexibility, and you can also toss it in your luggage when traveling.

Re: Apple HomePod 2nd Generation

#234

Post by criddell »

jeffbee wrote: post #212
criddell wrote: post #195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my home office I have a little Onkyo (CR-N575) desktop receiver and it sounds okay at best. I keep wondering if replacing the default speakers would make much of a difference? I'm doubtful because the amp itself isn't great. I clearly don't know much about amplifiers, but the specs say "RMS output power: 20W+20W (1 kHz, 10% THD 6 ohm)" which is terrible, right? https://www.intl.onkyo.com/downloads/manuals/pdf/cs-n…

20W per channel at 10% distortion is pretty bad. The $350 powered speaker mentioned elsewhere in this subthread claims < 0.05% amplifier THD at 100W total power, and total distortion including the speaker of < 0.5% at 85dB SPL, which is an uncomfortably loud output.

On another line of the spec sheet I linked to, they say:

> 12W+12W (1kHz, 0.9%, T.H.D 6ohnm)

Which isn’t terrible. I have no idea how to read these spec sheets.

Re: Apple HomePod 2nd Generation

#235

Post by sneak »

brunoc wrote: post #67
sneak wrote: post #13

This is extremely exciting, given the audio quality of the HomePod 1. I had been buying new old stock of HomePod 1s off eBay to make sure I have 6 working ones (I use 3 different stereo pairs) for the foreseeable future. The only real downside of HomePods is that they don't function as bluetooth audio receivers (Apple proprietary AirPlay2 only) and that you need an Apple ID (as well as iCloud enabled on that Apple ID…

You can get a really, _really_ good pair of professional studio monitors for 2000$. I'll confess that I've never heard the HP1 but that is a bold claim!

I did qualify it with the "consumer" adjective, but I also have several pairs of expensive studio monitors and the HP1 sounds way better (though it lacks the "transparency" you need for mastering, but this is irrelevant as it doesn't even have an audio input anyway - lossy and latent AirPlay2 via Wi-Fi is the only way to get audio into them). They're somewhat of an engineering marvel.

Re: Apple HomePod 2nd Generation

#236

Post by jdminhbg »

daniel_reetz wrote: post #229
jdminhbg wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A suggestion to fix it isn’t “blaming the user.” I’ve had to retrain mine. It’s annoying that it failed and I had to do it, but I’m also glad I spent 20 seconds fixing it instead of worrying about blame.

With respect, I'd just like to add that this is the company that famously said "You're holding it wrong". Voice assistants fail in surprising and strange ways. Retraining might help, it might not.

I have no idea how what Steve Jobs said about the iPhone 4 over a decade ago is supposed to be related to a random HN poster's suggestion for fixing a HomePod.

Re: Apple HomePod 2nd Generation

#237

Post by epberry »

Hippocrates wrote: post #137

I F'in LOVE the OG HomePods. The sound quality absolutely slaps for the money/size/convenience. I've got one for music in the kitchen and it fills the room like a setup 3x as large. The bass response even at low volumes is remarkable, and clarity through the whole volume range is near perfection. Many of my guests have sourced their own OGs after hearing it. I've got another hooked up to my Apple TV (mono) that repla…

Absolutely agree with the love for the OG homepods. Great sound and I use it many times daily. Finally got my Hue lights hooked up with Homekit too so that is working well. Lastly it is my TV speaker for my Apple TV.

Re: Apple HomePod 2nd Generation

#238

Post by anotherman554 »

_hhkc wrote: post #221
anotherman554 wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you misread the parent post? Obviously if parent expects "text Mom" to call Mom, not Dad, then the poster has explicitly set one to Mom and the other to Dad.

It’s unclear if the parent post meant that they have two contacts named “Mom and Dad” or if they are two separate contacts appropriately named.

It might be unclear for an A.I.

But a human being can use their "theory of mind" and rule out any implausible interpretations of what a fellow human being means when they complain Siri is texting Dad, not Mom, when they say text Mom.

Re: Apple HomePod 2nd Generation

#239

Post by alexktz »

aug_aug wrote: post #166

Siri - 15% Alexa - 20% Google - 88% These are my success rates talking to home devices across brands in last 5 yrs. Yes - I am complaining, Siri is horrible. Can't believe I'm complimenting Google (Chromecast Audio, Stadia, that RSS thing) at the same time, but I am in the realm of voice recognition.

By the way... did you know...?

Re: Apple HomePod 2nd Generation

#240

Post by danbee »

AriaMinaei wrote: post #96

Speaking of smart speakers, I'm moving to a new flat and I'm looking for some good old dumb speaker setup. The smartest that I'd let it get would be a Bleutooth dongle. As a recovering Audiophile, I'm gonna stay away from r/audiophile lest they temp me to sell my kidney to afford that extra 5% in "acoustic fidelity." Seriously, I'm happy with the 95%. Now, how do I go about putting together that sound system? Or in A…

I love my AudioEngine A5's
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