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djr7572

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 29, 2011
434
82
Being completely entrenched in Apple's ecosystem, I've been considering a HomePod to replace my Google Home speaker. This hasn't been the most popular product, I think everyone can agree on that (comparing price, features, etc) ... do you think it's worth it at this point to buy one, thinking Apple will continue to improve on it, or do you think it may be discontinued down the road and don't bother?

Just looking for some opinions.
 

Itinj24

Contributor
Nov 8, 2017
4,480
2,562
New York
Something is worth only what someone is willing to pay. That’s different for everyone. That said, I bought seven of them since Black Friday sales of 2019 at the $200 price. I personally wouldn’t pay more than that though. I’ll probably pick up two more on the next sales. I think they’re great for picking up/reading or making calls/texts when the hands are tied. Controlling HomeKit accessories and light listening. Getting ETA to work and setting timers. At the original $350 price, they should’ve had some sort of screen.

Would love to see a HomePod mini to add in places where a regular HomePod would be overkill, like a half bathroom or large closet/storage space.
 
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pup

macrumors 6502a
Dec 31, 2009
506
493
I think at the $200 price point, it’s a good buy. Anything more and you’ve paid too much. The latest Homepod update seems to have improved HomePod connectivity, though I haven’t used it enough to really say for sure. But if the connection issues have been fixed, then I’d rate it as subjectively equal overall to a Sonos One, with personal taste being the differentiator. I do think that the HomePod has the capability of producing better sound, but since it lacks tone adjustment, it might not fit your taste or work with the room it’s in. Unfortunately, there‘s no way of knowing how any of these speakers sound until you buy one, which is why I think it’s ridiculous that Apple doesn’t at least have basic tone controls for the HomePod. Also if your WiFi isn’t strong, you might prefer a speaker with ethernet capability.

I wouldn’t worry about whether apple continues to develop it or not. At the end of the day, it’s an airport speaker, just like any other, so there’s little risk of it becoming obsolete anytime soon. The only risk of buying one now is really the opposite - if Apple are going to continue with the line, then they’ll likely have an upgrade as soon as they’re able to clear out inventory of the initial batch, so you might find yourself with an old generation model sooner than you want.
 
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djr7572

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 29, 2011
434
82
I think at the $200 price point, it’s a good buy. Anything more and you’ve paid too much. The latest Homepod update seems to have improved HomePod connectivity, though I haven’t used it enough to really say for sure. But if the connection issues have been fixed, then I’d rate it as subjectively equal overall to a Sonos One, with personal taste being the differentiator. I do think that the HomePod has the capability of producing better sound, but since it lacks tone adjustment, it might not fit your taste or work with the room it’s in. Unfortunately, there‘s no way of knowing how any of these speakers sound until you buy one, which is why I think it’s ridiculous that Apple doesn’t at least have basic tone controls for the HomePod. Also if your WiFi isn’t strong, you might prefer a speaker with ethernet capability.

I wouldn’t worry about whether apple continues to develop it or not. At the end of the day, it’s an airport speaker, just like any other, so there’s little risk of it becoming obsolete anytime soon. The only risk of buying one now is really the opposite - if Apple are going to continue with the line, then they’ll likely have an upgrade as soon as they’re able to clear out inventory of the initial batch, so you might find yourself with an old generation model sooner than you want.

I wish I had taken advantage of Black Friday sale last year when I had the opportunity. Now is not a good time to drop $300 on a HomePod. Just hard to justify that right now.
 

pup

macrumors 6502a
Dec 31, 2009
506
493
The latest Homepod update seems to have improved HomePod connectivity, though I haven’t used it enough to really say for sure.
It looks like the play/pause bug still exists when playing from iTunes - it's fine if you listen to a playlist from start to finish, but if you pause or switch songs, the HomePod just keeps playing whatever is in its buffer until it runs out.
 

boltjames

macrumors 601
May 2, 2010
4,876
2,851
Being completely entrenched in Apple's ecosystem, I've been considering a HomePod to replace my Google Home speaker. This hasn't been the most popular product, I think everyone can agree on that

It's a $1 BILLION dollar a year business. It is bigger than the entire Sonos corporation, and it is doing so as a single product. It is amazingly popular. Don't believe the fake news coming from the Alexa, Google, and Sonos camps. They have an agenda.

do you think it's worth it at this point to buy one, thinking Apple will continue to improve on it, or do you think it may be discontinued down the road and don't bother?

Buy one? I now own 5 of them. If you're an Apple Music subscriber it's a must-have. If you're an audiophile who has given up completely on physical and downloaded media, it's a must-have. Fantastic sound quality, the best in a bookshelf speaker form factor, and so easy to use with all your other Apple products. I have two that I use with my Apple TV as a hub, puts music in 3 rooms on the main floor of my home. I have one upstairs in the master bath, hands full of shaving cream, I can ask for any song or playlist. I bring one to our beach house, no setup required, just plug it in and say "play uptempo summer songs" and on comes 12 hours of non-stop music, I don't have to play Dad the DJ anymore.

Apple has no reason to discontinue or upgrade the HomePod as it's one of their biggest successes and revenue generators in the past 5 years. It's a safe purchase. They go on sale at $199 every now and then. Keep an eye out and buy 2, either as a stereo pair or in different rooms.
 

Craig Toh

macrumors newbie
Feb 15, 2020
2
3
I recently got a HomePod from Macsales and loved the sound quality, not anything near my KEF LS50W but it’s good enough for use at my bike trainer area, and just bought 2 more for the bedroom and kitchen of my new place. Siri’s not that smart yet but that’s not what I got the homepods for anyway. I’m just gonna use it for music and controlling smart lights/curtains/appliances.
 

V_Man

Cancelled
Aug 1, 2013
654
1,122
I recently got a HomePod from Macsales and loved the sound quality, not anything near my KEF LS50W but it’s good enough for use at my bike trainer area, and just bought 2 more for the bedroom and kitchen of my new place. Siri’s not that smart yet but that’s not what I got the homepods for anyway. I’m just gonna use it for music and controlling smart lights/curtains/appliances.
That’s what they are perfect for. General background listening
 

Craig Toh

macrumors newbie
Feb 15, 2020
2
3
Did anyone get those HomePod base/coasters, or have any issues with the HomePod staining furniture?
 

Phil77354

macrumors 68000
Jun 22, 2014
1,922
2,029
Pacific Northwest, U.S.
I have four HomePods, purchased when they first were released. At the current frequent sale pricing I think they are a very good value. I've been very satisfied with the sound quality, and as others have mentioned they are very functional for having access to Siri in various locations. I have two in my office for stereo sound with my computer, and one each in two other rooms in my house. I've been very tempted to purchase one or two more.
 

V_Man

Cancelled
Aug 1, 2013
654
1,122
Did anyone get those HomePod base/coasters, or have any issues with the HomePod staining furniture?
I got some cheap silicone ones off amazon for like $10 each. Not even sure if I need them. Just gives me a base to them down on
 
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IscariotJ

macrumors 6502a
Jan 13, 2004
637
66
UK
I bought one for my daughter last Christmas, and she loves it for listening to music and audiobooks ( seriously, how is native audiobook support still missing!?! ), and must admit, it sounds utterly awesome. Thinking of picking up a couple for a stereo pair in the office, though maybe hanging on for a supposed a mini pair would be better for that, as my desk isn't that big. Would love a HomePod equivalent to the Sonos Move, though....
 

jbachandouris

macrumors 603
Aug 18, 2009
5,806
2,945
Upstate NY
I have one in the living room that I bought at $199. Siri is beyond worthless on it. I want another just to have a pair, but our house is small and the wife whines about it being too loud as it is....now that we are home ALL the time....

As for improvements, I would love to see Apple do SOMETHING but they haven't really done anything to make the software better at all on this in the 2 years (?) it's been out.
 

boltjames

macrumors 601
May 2, 2010
4,876
2,851
I have one in the living room that I bought at $199. Siri is beyond worthless on it. I want another just to have a pair, but our house is small and the wife whines about it being too loud as it is....now that we are home ALL the time....

As for improvements, I would love to see Apple do SOMETHING but they haven't really done anything to make the software better at all on this in the 2 years (?) it's been out.

I have 5 HomePod’s and they all work flawlessly. 99% of the HomePod Siri issues are related to weak wi-fi.
 

boltjames

macrumors 601
May 2, 2010
4,876
2,851
Bull. My homepod is right next to the router. I can't count how many times Siri says she can't do that on wifi.

Working with a wireless device too close to the router can have a detrimental affect on performance. The signal may be too strong and distorted causing data corruption and retransmissions which will slow down the performance considerably.

If your device is immediately above or below the wireless router it may actually be in an area of weak signal. This is a phenomenon caused by the positioning of the antennas in the router.

Move your HomePod away from your router. You may be surprised at what you find.
 

jbachandouris

macrumors 603
Aug 18, 2009
5,806
2,945
Upstate NY
Working with a wireless device too close to the router can have a detrimental affect on performance. The signal may be too strong and distorted causing data corruption and retransmissions which will slow down the performance considerably.

If your device is immediately above or below the wireless router it may actually be in an area of weak signal. This is a phenomenon caused by the positioning of the antennas in the router.

Move your HomePod away from your router. You may be surprised at what you find.
Again, house is TOO small there is nowhere to move either. The router is about 12'+ away and it is an Airport Extreme. And I would be surprised if Siri as EVER a useless piece of garbage.
 

boltjames

macrumors 601
May 2, 2010
4,876
2,851
Again, house is TOO small there is nowhere to move either. The router is about 12'+ away and it is an Airport Extreme. And I would be surprised if Siri as EVER a useless piece of garbage.

Airport Extreme was discontinued in 2018 and is outdated. You perhaps are susceptible to neighbors signals causing interference if also in close proximity. Suggest you get a MESH wi-fi router as it will likely solve your problems. I recently converted to a Google Nest MESH and its range and speed is amazing compared to what I had. HomePod and Siri are rock-solid.
 

pup

macrumors 6502a
Dec 31, 2009
506
493
Airport Extremes are much more reliable than HomePods in my experience. There are just too many reports of HomePod wifi issues to believe that they don't have inherent connection problems. Hopefully the new one will have better antennas or otherwise fix whatever the problem is.
 

jbachandouris

macrumors 603
Aug 18, 2009
5,806
2,945
Upstate NY
Airport Extreme was discontinued in 2018 and is outdated. You perhaps are susceptible to neighbors signals causing interference if also in close proximity. Suggest you get a MESH wi-fi router as it will likely solve your problems. I recently converted to a Google Nest MESH and its range and speed is amazing compared to what I had. HomePod and Siri are rock-solid.
I am not replacing my router for an overpriced MESH. The ONLY device ALLEGEDLY having problems is the HomePod. My son's Amazon Echo has ZERO problems. I'm not interested in anymore fanboy responses. I love all my Apple products, but Siri is trash, plain and simple!
 

V_Man

Cancelled
Aug 1, 2013
654
1,122
I am not replacing my router for an overpriced MESH. The ONLY device ALLEGEDLY having problems is the HomePod. My son's Amazon Echo has ZERO problems. I'm not interested in anymore fanboy responses. I love all my Apple products, but Siri is trash, plain and simple!
Sshhh. Don’t let facts get in the way of logic. Of course it’s the HomePod. I would try and get it replaced if you still can.

If everything else works perfect. It can only be one thing.
 

iAssimilated

Contributor
Apr 29, 2018
1,239
6,126
the PNW
I, too, believe it is your Homepod and it probably needs replaced (if possible). I have an Airport Extreme with four Homepods and I have no issues with connectivity. Mind you, I do not use Siri, so that might be the reason. Although, I have six to ten wireless devices that connect to the Airport Extreme at any given time and have never had any issues. So, it is hard for me to believe the problem is the Airport Extreme.

Is your Homepod fully up-to-date?
 

jbachandouris

macrumors 603
Aug 18, 2009
5,806
2,945
Upstate NY
I, too, believe it is your Homepod and it probably needs replaced (if possible). I have an Airport Extreme with four Homepods and I have no issues with connectivity. Mind you, I do not use Siri, so that might be the reason. Although, I have six to ten wireless devices that connect to the Airport Extreme at any given time and have never had any issues. So, it is hard for me to believe the problem is the Airport Extreme.

Is your Homepod fully up-to-date?
I have NO problem with connectivity. V-man keeps asserting that Siri is having issues because of internet connectivity, whereas my argument is that Siri just sucks. We aren't going to be in agreement on this one. The HomePod is over a year old. The only 'issue' is SIRI and replacing it won't change that!
 
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V_Man

Cancelled
Aug 1, 2013
654
1,122
I have NO problem with connectivity. V-man keeps asserting that Siri is having issues because of internet connectivity, whereas my argument is that Siri just sucks. We aren't going to be in agreement on this one. The HomePod is over a year old. The only 'issue' is SIRI and replacing it won't change that!
Not me that’s boltjames.
 
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