Apple’s new (big) HomePod is really good for that

On the occasion of the presentation of its new Mac models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chip, Apple also presented the second generation of its smart speaker HomePod.

This was already suspected in the rumor mill, but it is still interesting that this device exists at all. Because its predecessor, which came out in 2018, was not necessarily a blockbuster for the success-spoiled company.

This wasn’t down to the device itself: the first HomePod sounded excellent for a smart speaker, playing in a completely different class than Amazon’s Echo or Google Home.

Unfortunately, that also applied to the price: 350 francs (or 349 euros) was apparently too expensive for many, the sales figures remained marginal compared to those of Amazon and Google. In March 2021 – a year earlier Apple had presented the considerably better running HomePod Mini – the group definitively stopped selling the large HomePod.

So now you’re venturing back onto the market with a large model: it looks remarkably similar to its predecessor and the price is also the same. However, the boundary conditions have changed significantly – and a lot has happened in the device itself. We tested whether the new model has what it takes to be a hit.

What’s new in hardware?

If you put the first-generation HomePod next to its successor, you’ll have to look twice to see the differences. The new one is four millimeters smaller, but has a fully illuminated display at the top. It’s also a bit lighter – and the dark variety is no longer “Space Grey” but “Midnight”, ie a bit blacker.

Another welcome innovation is that the HomePod is now equipped with a detachable power cable, whereas the old one was permanently installed on the device. The cable is about 1.5 meters long, about 20 centimeters shorter than the predecessor.

If you were to open up the devices, the difference would be obvious, as Apple has thoroughly redesigned the new model: you get a 4-inch woofer that provides clear and rich bass. The number of tweeters has been reduced from seven to five and they now emit the sound at a slightly different angle.

The number of built-in microphones has also been reduced from six to four. There is now a special sensor in the device for this, which should recognize whether the reproduction is optimal or whether the sound needs to be adjusted.

It is not visible that instead of the A8 chip from the iPhone 6, the S7 chip has now been installed, which is also in the current generation of Apple Watches. It should ensure that music in the new HomePods is even better processed and optimized for the respective speaker environments.

The new HomePod can do more in other respects too – it offers support for the new smart home standard Matter. Also coming later this year (via update) will be a new sound detection that recognizes the alarm sound from smoke detectors or CO2 alarms and then alerts on the iPhone, allowing users to listen in at home and talk directly through the HomePod.

What about the smart home?

Smart home applications are slowly emerging from their niche. iPhone users who also use Apple Home for their smart devices have traditionally found it much easier to set up and control their devices – but so far the number of supported devices is also significantly lower.

With the new Matter smart home standard, that’s likely to change in the near future: all major carriers, including Amazon and Google, have committed to it, so the number of compatible devices is likely to grow by leaps and bounds.

Here he serves HomePod as a control center: It can establish the wireless connection to the devices – additional bridges or other equipment are not required for Matter (and for that matter all previous Apple Home devices).

In the test we combined smart lamps from Hue and Ikea (each with a bridge from the manufacturer) and Matter devices in different scenes. Controls worked with the iPhone with virtually no lag – of course, everything can also be voice controlled via Siri via the HomePod.

As with the HomePod Mini, you can hold your iPhone 11 or newer device close to the HomePod to instantly see what’s playing on it – or transfer the music currently playing on the smartphone to the speaker without further tapping : very practical in everyday life.

In addition, there is a chip in the new HomePod that measures humidity and temperature and can feed it directly into the home system – this can save you the smart thermometer.

How does the new one sound?

Now we come to the most important question: how do the smart speakers sound? The first thing you’ll notice here is that it’s audibly different from its predecessors. As mentioned earlier, the audio hardware in the speaker has also changed.

In a direct comparison from a short listening distance, it is striking that the tweeters of the old HomePods resolve high frequencies more clearly and accurately than those of the new device. Hi-hat hits sound more brilliant and clear, sharp consonants in vocals seem more accurate.

In the bass range, the two speakers aren’t much different – here they deliver rich and precise bass that never booms or booms. The midtones are a bit more present with the new HomePods, the old models have taken back a lot in this area.

But in the rarest of cases, you sit right in front of a HomePod and listen to music this way. The really exciting thing is how the smart speakers use the installation location (freestanding, on a shelf, in front of a wall, in the corner on the floor) and the space to fan out the sound. The HomePods make this their tool.

With constant feedback from the internal microphones and sonic magic like beamforming, the HomePod can be used to target the room and certain frequency ranges – such as those for vocals, for drums or guitars – can be positioned differently.

The old HomePods did that impressively well in their day, but compared to the new HomePods, their soundstage sounds downright flat and one-dimensional.

In the spatial sound – especially when two HomePods are connected to form a stereo pair – the sound impression changes significantly. In comparison, some songs suddenly sound overly sharp and high on the old speakers, while the new HomePods are softer and more harmonic.

It is also exciting to hear how the new HomePods in particular interpret music and emphasize certain aspects of the sound. Audio purists turn their noses up at this – for everyone else, many a familiar song becomes a new, enjoyable listening experience.

For whom is the purchase worthwhile?

With its second attempt, Apple’s HomePod now has a much better chance of success. On the one hand, the device offers an overall improved sound image and more power with new smart home options. At the same time, the market has also changed:

Smart home functionality is becoming increasingly important and more and more people are giving up their CDs in favor of streaming services, but still don’t want to do without good sound in the living room.

Anyone already in the cosmos of Apple devices will appreciate its deep integration into everyday life. On the other hand, if you don’t have at least one iPhone or iPad, you can’t do anything with the HomePods – you can’t set them up without them.

The following still applies: the HomePods are the premium version of a smart speaker. The second generation sounds better than, for example, Echo Studio or Google Nest Audio – but also costs considerably more.

For larger rooms and the full sound experience, you need to buy the HomePod in pairs. But then you proudly pay 600 francs (or 700 euros).

If you are an Apple and perhaps also a Smart Home user, but you don’t want to pay that much money, the HomePod Mini is a very good and affordable alternative. The street price of around 80 francs is very reasonable for the performance and sound on offer.

On the other hand, the devices are not for real hi-fi fans – they should suffer from the spatially designed sound and also the slight weakness in resolution in terms of overtones. But this target group often spends considerably more on their audio equipment.

The second generation Apple HomePod will be available from February 3 for CHF 299 (or EUR 349). According to Apple’s website, the delivery time is currently 4-5 weeks.

Sources

(t-online/dsc)