Apple HomePod 2 review

Apple discontinued the unique HomePod in 2021 after launching it two years prior. We don’t actually know why however now there’s a brand new HomePod, and it appears nearly an identical.

Obtained it? OK. It’s bizarre that Apple did it, and all of the extra in order that little has modified, nevertheless it doesn’t change the actual fact the HomePod is again in shops and Apple clearly thinks it has a purpose to be.

I examined two second-generation HomePods in my lounge to see if these material coated blobs are price your money and time. One will set you again $299/£299/€349, inserting it firmly in opposition to established house audio manufacturers resembling Sonos.  

Design & construct

The HomePod 2 is available in both black or white material, a design that appears odd at first however makes lots of sense. It’s a 360 diploma design, so why not cowl it with the mesh you’d discover on the entrance of a conventional hi-fi speaker?

On the highest is a flat round sort-of display nevertheless it doesn’t show any textual content or info. As a substitute, it lights up with the Siri glowing orb whenever you speak to the HomePod, and has plus and minus symbols printed on it that are everlasting quantity buttons.

I just like the look of the HomePod, significantly within the white color. Each colors look clear and the design feels very thought of regardless of its simplicity, which jogs my memory of outdated, basic Apple design values.

The ability twine matches the color of the ‘Pod and is removable so you’ll be able to feed the cable by way of small holes at the back of TV cupboard or the like, however there’s no line in port for connecting to audio sources by way of cable.

Construct high quality is great with an actual premium weight to the speaker, a lot in order that one weighs a substantial 2.3kg, so that you’ll want to put on a sturdy floor. In contrast to the first-gen HomePod, I had no challenge with both color leaving a mark on a wood floor.

There are additionally recycled supplies within the development with 100% of the uncommon earth parts within the speaker magnet, gold within the plating of a number of printed circuit boards and plastic within the Midnight mesh material. Sadly, it’s solely 30% of the white color mesh.

Sensible options

Apple’s advertising for the HomePod pushes it as a music-first Bluetooth speaker regardless of its Siri smarts, and I can perceive why. In comparison with Google Assistant, I’ve discovered Siri annoying to make use of, usually misunderstanding instructions.

It’s fast on the draw for easy queries like asking the climate forecast or your native information bulletin of alternative, and issues run easily on Apple’s S7 chipset.

However try to get it to play particular tunes and it’s a way more irritating expertise at instances.

The HomePod is designed for voice-first use with Apple audio apps. It’s an amorphous mesh blob with no show! A number of instances I requested Siri to play a particular observe or album and it’d hear me incorrect and play one thing utterly completely different or play an obscure stay model of a track when it ought to clearly default to the well-known studio model.

You may management music utilizing your iPhone or iPad both by way of the Apple Music or Residence apps, nevertheless it’s just a little delayed generally find the HomePod and you need to manually choose it so it doesn’t simply play out of your cellphone. You’ll want an iPhone 8 or later – older iPhones received’t work.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Handoff works rather well utilizing iPhones with a U1 chip (iPhone 11, 12, 13, and 14) the place you’re taking part in by way of Apple Music in your cellphone and easily hovering your cellphone over the HomePod will switch the music to it.

In comparison with the first-gen HomePod, this newer mannequin has built-in temperature and humidity sensors. I discovered this precisely gave me readings for each, which you’ll be able to view within the Residence app or ask Siri about. In case you have sensible blinds, for instance, you’ll be able to set Siri to shut them if the room will get too scorching. It’s fairly sensible.

Sensible too is how the HomePods rapidly hyperlink to make a stereo pair, and the way a community by way of a bigger home of a number of HomePods, together with the first-gen or the HomePod mini, can be utilized for options like Apple’s Intercom that allows you to ship fast audio messages to particular rooms or play audio from all or particular HomePods.

There’s additionally new sound recognition for issues like hearth alarms, so if yours sounds if you end up not in, HomePod can warn you to it so you’ll be able to examine additional.

Connectivity

There are solely two methods to play audio by way of the HomePod. Route one is utilizing Siri and Apple Music or Apple Podcasts in the best way described above, that means you have to have an Apple Music subscription and an iPhone or iPad to completely get pleasure from all of the product’s performance.

For audio from every other app, together with Spotify, you need to use Apple’s AirPlay 2 wi-fi audio tech. There’s no manner to hook up with the HomePod utilizing simply the Bluetooth menu in your cellphone or pill, and neither is there an auxiliary enter, that means you’ll be able to’t connect with audio sources resembling vinyl turntables.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

You’ll solely be capable to use a HomePod if in case you have an iPhone or iPad, however if in case you have an Apple TV field you should use two HomePods as stereo audio system to your house leisure system. This might properly be my favorite use, because the audio improve from my TV’s horrible audio system to the encompass sound stereo bass enhance afforded by the HomePods is evening and day.

It really works with any app utilizing an Apple TV, but when your TV is suitable with the ARC customary it’s also possible to route the audio from different {hardware} resembling a video games console. Shopping for two prices loads, so that you may need to merely purchase a soundbar as an alternative. You can also’t create a stereo pair with the first-gen HomePod or the HomePod mini – you need to get two second-gen models. Maddening.

Sound high quality

So, to the primary occasion. The HomePod isn’t the neatest (or platform-inclusive) of sensible audio system nevertheless it’s actually among the finest sounding with a 4in woofer accompanied by 5 tweeters.

Apple has achieved an outstanding job making a well-rounded soundstage and the HomePod 2 tends in the direction of very bass-heavy character, although it’s much less bassy than the first-gen HomePod.

It means the second-gen HomePod is excellent for internet hosting a raucous home celebration (as if I’d have a type of!) but additionally means at low volumes the good rumble of the low finish can audibly drown out some element in the remainder of the combo.

That is significantly evident on rap and hip-hop tracks the place the bass is distinguished. On the plus aspect, I heard synth and bass sounds in songs I didn’t know had been there. You simply may get some complaints from the neighbours on the similar time.

Utilizing the HomePod with Apple Music means you’ll be able to benefit from full Dolby Atmos assist with hundreds of tracks out there within the in style digital encompass sound customary.

I’m a white British male so I predictably and uninterestingly love The Beatles – however taking part in Come Collectively by way of two HomePods sounds excellent certainly, with the mic impact on John Lennon’s voice crystal clear and devices properly positioned.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The HomePods are round, however Apple has fitted proximity sensors to allow them to inform when they’re positioned in opposition to a wall or close to to different objects. The audio system then modify for this so they’re directing sound into the room.

The bass wins out once more when taking part in Love Sick by Bob Dylan, however the copy was nearly too trebly. It’s not that the treble and mids are piercing however the bass is so good at instances that it could overpower the opposite frequencies. I discovered transferring two HomePods in a stereo pair just a little additional aside, at a distance of no less than two metres from one another, helped to steadiness the sound within the room.

Taboo by Gabriels rumbles and creeps with the meant taught menace of the artist because of the deep rumble of drums that lesser audio system merely can’t reproduce.

However whenever you play tracks that Apple Music has in Dolby Atmos with Spatial Audio, the HomePods kick up a gear. Thriller by Turnstile sounds completely huge, the audio system producing echo and reverb merely not potential on any headphones.

The tightly compressed observe has extra room to breathe with its Dolby Atmos therapy. Guitar jumps out of the audio system with the stereo set-up, nevertheless it even sounded well-rounded after I listened with only one.

It will be nice to manage the frequency response however Apple additionally limits your management over the EQ settings – there mainly aren’t any. The Residence app has a ‘Cut back bass’ toggle hidden in a settings menu, which does simply that. In case you are utilizing your voice to play songs, you’ll hear it how Apple meant.

You may change the EQ of the Apple Music app’s output (within the settings menu in your iPhone or iPad, confusingly), so in the event you choose to play music utilizing AirPlay then it displays that alternative, however by and huge, you’ll be able to’t management EQ right here.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

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The HomePod 2 additionally sounds excellent with classical music, Glenn Gould’s recordings of Bach’s Goldberg Variations sounding significantly full of life. Jazz can also be properly represented because of the expansive soundstage and good dealing with of frequencies.

There’s little question the HomePod is a greater music speaker than any sensible speaker from Google or Amazon – bar the discontinued Google Residence Max – it’s extra one to think about as an alternative of the perfect Sonos audio system on the market.

The HomePod 2 can also be one of many few Apple audio units that may truly playback Apple Music tracks in top quality lossless format. You see that ‘Lossless’ tag in your track in Apple Music? No AirPods available on the market can truly play these again at true lossless high quality. That is off by default and the toggle to show it on is buried within the Residence app settings.

Value & availability

The HomePod 2 prices $299/£299/€349, placing it on the pricier finish of the sensible speaker scale.

You should buy it direct from Apple.

It’s comparable in sound and options to the $199/£219 Amazon Echo Studio, although that’s now lengthy within the tooth having launched in 2019 and is out of inventory within the US on the time of writing.

The HomePod 2’s principal competitor is the Sonos One, excellent in sound and worth at $219/£199/€229. It hyperlinks collectively to completely different Sonos audio system simply and performs a lot nicer with Spotify, plus you’ll be able to select between Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

Keep in mind Sonos has additionally launched the brand new Sonos Period 100 at $249/£249. When you don’t want the oomph, you could possibly go for a $99/£99 HomePod mini or two.

Verdict

The HomePod 2 is a superb speaker for music, with superb bass response and, when paired with Apple Music, can sound phenomenally good.

Spatial audio and Dolby Atmos assist together with intelligent impediment detection assist create a satisfying, room-filling sound – although one HomePod will at all times sound higher as half of a stereo pair, that means you need to spend $600/£600/€750 to really get the perfect HomePod expertise.

Achieve this paired with an Apple TV and a suitable TV they usually act as premium TV audio system too, at lower than the price of some soundbars.

Downsides are the reducing out of sensible features if you wish to use Spotify, and Siri continues to be not intelligent sufficient to depend on as a voice assistant, although it has some helpful options.

When you stay in Apple’s walled backyard and don’t plan to go away, the HomePod 2 is an effective alternative for a sensible speaker. For everybody else, there’s the Sonos One at two-thirds the value.

Specs

• Apple S7 chipset
• 4in woofer
• 5x tweeters
• Room sensing
• Spatial audio with Dolby Atmos
• 4 mic for Siri
• Multiroom audio
• AirPlay 2
• Contact management sensor
• Sound recognition
• Temperature and humidity sensors
• Accelerometer
• 802.11n Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 5.0
• Apple U1 suitable
• 168 x 142mm
• 2.3kg
• Midnight or white color