# Bought a HomePod



## used to be jwoodget (Aug 22, 2002)

During a visit to So Cal. Anyone else have one? It's a substantive piece of engineering and sounds remarkably good (for a single speaker).


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## WCraig (Jul 28, 2004)

I'm really tempted but it is a LOT of Canadian dollars. I think official support in Canada is not that far away. Will probably jump in then. Another 'problem' is that I am not sure where to put it: kitchen, master bedroom or office. I'd like upgraded music in all three but, again, $$$.

Craig


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## Paul82 (Sep 19, 2007)

I picked up two on a recent trip to Florida. I'd originally intended to sell the second one to help pay for mine but ended up deciding to keep both very shortly after I finished setting up the first one and hearing just how good they sound, can't wait to use them as a pair.

Note I use them primarily as airplay speakers and they sound fantastic. I've never had much use for siri personally beyond timers/alarms, weather, and homekit device control before now, but I've noticed I'm using her much more than I previously did/expected to.


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## used to be jwoodget (Aug 22, 2002)

My wife loves music and we have a pretty good sound system (NAD and PSB speakers). I went away for a couple of days after setting up the HomePod (which is ridiculously easy - although thats a good job because the writing on the tiny instruction leaflet is impossible to read). When I got back, there she is lounging on the couch with it playing. I LOVE THIS! she said. She's not a technophobe but doesn't like fiddling and the HomePod just works. She wants one for each room in the house... I should say I also set up an AppleMusic 3 month trial.


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## polywog (Aug 9, 2007)

used to be jwoodget said:


> My wife loves music and we have a pretty good sound system (NAD and PSB speakers). I went away for a couple of days after setting up the HomePod (which is ridiculously easy - although thats a good job because the writing on the tiny instruction leaflet is impossible to read). When I got back, there she is lounging on the couch with it playing. I LOVE THIS! she said. She's not a technophobe but doesn't like fiddling and the HomePod just works. She wants one for each room in the house... I should say I also set up an AppleMusic 3 month trial.


Curious how you feel it stacks up against PSBs? I have a room full of Image and Alphas from PSB, I've never considered replacing them.


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## wonderings (Jun 10, 2003)

used to be jwoodget said:


> I should say I also set up an AppleMusic 3 month trial.


I think the HomePod would be pretty much useless without AppleMusic no? The whole thing is geared around their music subscription as far as I can tell.


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## WCraig (Jul 28, 2004)

wonderings said:


> I think the HomePod would be pretty much useless without AppleMusic no? The whole thing is geared around their music subscription as far as I can tell.


HomePod works as an Airplay speaker, Homekit hub, and a voice assistant without Apple Music. iMore did a good job of summarizing the key features in various use scenarios:

https://www.imore.com/how-homepod-w...h-icloud-music-library-airplay-and-flac-files

Craig


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## used to be jwoodget (Aug 22, 2002)

polywog said:


> Curious how you feel it stacks up against PSBs? I have a room full of Image and Alphas from PSB, I've never considered replacing them.


In quality, the PSBs are significantly better but.... the sheer luxury of telling the dang thing to play what you want is amazing. No sorting out the CD/LP, loading it, pushing play, etc. I guess I could work out how to hook the PSBs as Airplay speakers but the HomePod is so dang easy and convenient. The quality is pretty good - and I've only one! Must say that the quality of my hearing has reduced over the years (tinnitus from listening to too many live concerts and loud music) so my audiophile sense is definitely diminished.

PSBs are great speakers. HomePod is a great music appliance. They are so different yet so similar in abject function.


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

> I _*guess I could work out how to hook the PSBs as Airplay speakers*_ but the HomePod is so dang easy and convenient.



Normally quite an easy task to do depending on actual equipment setup, and then have Siri give you some added help as well and be your butler.


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## used to be jwoodget (Aug 22, 2002)

pm-r said:


> Normally quite an easy task to do depending on actual equipment setup, and then have Siri give you some added help as well and be your butler.


Except, I'd have to work out a remote switch for the amplifier, etc. The thing is, there are workarounds but the HomePod is designed to be as simple as possible. Plug and play. And it uses some sophisticated tools to optimize sound in a given environment. And it's ridiculously portable. For me, there's the audiophile set up (in one room, optimized and suited for a specific purpose. And then there's HomePod which is flexible and facile. 

I've been experimenting with Apple Music and Siri commands. You can command a specific song by an artist. Or an album (which is them followed baby another album from the same artist if you leave it be). Or "play some Led Zeppelin". Or "Play some jazz". As you get less specific, the result is less predictable but more exploratory. I asked it to play "Young Marble Giants". This is a rather esoteric British electro band (with drum machine) from around 1980. I have one LP of theirs (I think there is that and a live album). It played in 2 seconds. 40 years never seemed so short.


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## polywog (Aug 9, 2007)

used to be jwoodget said:


> PSBs are great speakers. HomePod is a great music appliance. They are so different yet so similar in abject function.


Interesting. I've got Airplay everywhere, but I'm limited to streaming from my Mac to make use of it since Airplay 2 so far hasn't cut muster and I use multiroom streaming. Downside is I'm limited to using remote app so no Siri.

Then again, I suppose that would be no different with a HomePod thrown in the mix; it wouldn't be able to stream everywhere I need. Even once Airplay 2 is ready to deliver, I highly doubt all of my devices will be updated (sadly many are older Apple products) to take advantage.


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## Moscool (Jun 8, 2003)

I wouldn't hold my breath on Airplay2: I spent quite a bit of time in the Devialet flagship in Paris, listening to paired Phantoms (think HomePod x4 price and x3 quality) - there is definitely something missing in terms of stereo quality, especially when compared to a Devialet amp linked to good traditional speakers. On the other hand a single Devialet is an amazingly good foot-taping device.

I think I have found a decent setup for proper Hifi: I ripped all my CDs to Lossless, added Bitperfect and a decent DAC: this actually sounds better than the original CD in A/B comparisons (trust me on this one). So now I have the convenience of my computer/big hifi for proper listening and my phone/Siri for Wonderboom mono speakers dotted around the house.


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