Earlier quoted context omitted.
I’m sure you’ll offer a list of the thousands of amplifier and speaker designers who feel it’s not good audio?
Why thank you mr rhetorical... If you are interested go have a look for yourself i'm not a walking audio system design book. In fact, I challenge you to find the inverse instead - empirical proof that the amp specs the author is measuring actually correlate to better sound quality.
Apple HomePod – The Audiophile Perspective and Measurements
61–70 of 77 posts
Re: Apple HomePod – The Audiophile Perspective and Measurements
#62Even measurements on the paper looks great when we talk about how it actually sounds, this review explains it the best https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=12&v=uzbTRMIFL-4 That's the difference with "mainstream" companies (sony, panasonic, ...,apple?) and hifi one (rotel, nad, marantz, ...): sony will probably send the amp/speaker to production after it looks ok in measurements, while hifi companies always li…
For one, he makes the point that, for the price, you can get that amp, an Echo Dot, and build the speakers he put together... except that's the entire point. You'd have to build the speakers yourself (including soldering!), have 3 (technically, 4) distinct pieces of equipment to maintain, and you have to have that unsightly hardware and wires everywhere. The setup he shows in the video looks like complete crap to me and there's no way that I would put it out for display like that in my house. The HomePod isn't meant to be an alternative for that. It's meant to compete with other wireless speakers and, when compared against those, it's a significantly better product at a slightly higher price. It's like the "I can build a PC myself that's way better than an iMac for cheaper". Sure you can...but don't pretend like it's the same quality, form factor, ease of setup, or any multitude of reasons why the price differs from a DIY solution. That's not the point here.
The other thing that bothered me is that he tested it in a studio with sound insulation on the walls and then complains about the audio and balance, saying that it's very bass heavy. Again, this isn't what the HomePod was designed for. The mics and the processor are specifically meant to listen for acoustics and reflections and use those to set up the soundstage for the speaker. He's taken all that away and then complains that it's too bass-heavy. Of course it's too bass-heavy! He removed the entire mechanism by which the HomePod determines its output!
Now, I'm sure everyone will be quick to point out that he moved it into his bedroom as if that's a good example of his objectivity. I would agree except that he then doesn't objectively assess the HomePod. He, again, compares it (which he says he set up on his nightstand or table) to his custom-built speakers that are mounted to provide directionality to his sweet spot. He's starting from a non-neutral reference point, comparing to something that the HomePod is not even attempting to be a comparison to, and then pretending to make the objective assessment that it's lacking. Of course it's lacking! It's also lacking when compared to my home theatre setup. That's not really a fair assessment. If he had put an actual Echo on the same nightstand/table and then compared them, I'd find that fair.
Again... I think the HomePod is really just a wireless speaker that is significantly higher quality than what you'd normally get from a wireless speaker at a slightly higher price. As an audiophile, I like it much better than my Echo, my Sonos, or the little Bluetooth speaker that my wife has for obvious reasons. Of course I can build something that sounds better for that amount of money. That's not the point. I'm not going to be able to put together what they did in the package they did for that money without a ton of hassle. That's where the HomePod is worth it to me. YMMV.
Re: Apple HomePod – The Audiophile Perspective and Measurements
#63Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is part of what I don't understand; directionality of sound is a concept understood to be in reference to the listener (or point of measurement). So what exactly is the homepod doing? Since the listener could always be moving within the room is it dynamically tracking and adjusting? I assumed it just optimized the sound for the room in a more generalized sense (i.e eliminating weird reflections, dead spots, etc)
It uses beam forming to create a left right and center channel spread.
Re: Apple HomePod – The Audiophile Perspective and Measurements
#64Earlier quoted context omitted.
What $349 speaker will beat the HomePod and provide the same features? Omnidirectionality and built-in AirPlay have to be considered. The HomePod is a single speaker that can fill a room with no additional amp, receiver or subwoofer. Comparing the HomePod to a class A amplifier is nonsensical. Nobody is pretending it's competing with that segment.
> What $349 speaker will beat the HomePod and provide the same features? None, I'm not considering those features, only audio quality. > Comparing the HomePod to a class A amplifier is nonsensical. Nobody is pretending it's competing with that segment. The author is implicitly: > The HomePod is 100% an Audiophile grade Speaker Your absolutely right, it is nonsensical, it's _physically_ in a different class all togeth…
Re: Apple HomePod – The Audiophile Perspective and Measurements
#65Earlier quoted context omitted.
He was very open & clear I thought: "I also paid full price for this HomePod, with my own money. I paid for all the equipment to measure it with, and I own every speaker in featured in this review." This is very clear too: "Neither KEF, nor Apple is paying me to write this review, nor have they ever paid me in the past." This wasn't necessary, in my opinion, but again is very open: "At the same time, I’m a huge apple…
"He was very open & clear I thought:" It could be just to make the review feel more authentic, and also both advertisers and audience are getting smarter. This is not a statement about this particular reviewer, just my thoughts.
Re: Apple HomePod – The Audiophile Perspective and Measurements
#66I am a bit surprised, having received mine last Friday, I was very disappointed by the sound quality but even more with the actual features themselves. Of course this is highly subjective but I will keep my two Sonos Play:1 stereo and return the HomePod. I just wish Sonos Play:1 had a line-in or/and bluetooth connectivity...
Re: Apple HomePod – The Audiophile Perspective and Measurements
#67Earlier quoted context omitted.
> What $349 speaker will beat the HomePod and provide the same features? None, I'm not considering those features, only audio quality. > Comparing the HomePod to a class A amplifier is nonsensical. Nobody is pretending it's competing with that segment. The author is implicitly: > The HomePod is 100% an Audiophile grade Speaker Your absolutely right, it is nonsensical, it's _physically_ in a different class all togeth…
It is an audiophile grade speaker. For the class of device it is, it's the highest quality, best sounding speaker for the price. If you want a wireless speaker (whatever your reasons for wanting it), the HomePod is the best one, hands down.
Re: Apple HomePod – The Audiophile Perspective and Measurements
#68Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why thank you mr rhetorical... If you are interested go have a look for yourself i'm not a walking audio system design book. In fact, I challenge you to find the inverse instead - empirical proof that the amp specs the author is measuring actually correlate to better sound quality.
I’m satisfied that a significant number of audiophiles have said that they feel the HomePod produces good audio. The numbers seem to back that up.
I don't expect you to be convinced by me, but maybe one day you will experience some nice audio on a good system and then have a personal baseline to understand why calling something this small "audiophile quality" seems silly.
Re: Apple HomePod – The Audiophile Perspective and Measurements
#69Earlier quoted context omitted.
It is an audiophile grade speaker. For the class of device it is, it's the highest quality, best sounding speaker for the price. If you want a wireless speaker (whatever your reasons for wanting it), the HomePod is the best one, hands down.
That's like saying a £5 pair of headphones is "audiophile grade" for the price. While it doesn't have a strict definition it definitely doesn't mean good for the price.
Re: Apple HomePod – The Audiophile Perspective and Measurements
#70Earlier quoted context omitted.
https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/7t51a2/nda_is_u...
Looks like he got to play with it for an hour. TFA is his measurements from multiple hours of use at his house.