Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
HomePod Is it worth buying a HomePod now in 2020?
- Thread starter kht410
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
No one knows, there are always rumours
Yes if it’s worth it to you
Completely subjective but if you like stereo yes
Well to start with I wouldn’t be without it. I don’t use it huge amount for music but when I do it works very well with my Apple Music subscription. It’s a little bit bass heavy but in all fairness to it I do have it on the wood unit which will no doubt amplify the bass. It works very well with HomeKit, in fact that’s its main use. If I didn’t have a full surround-sound system in my living room, I would have another one and set it up as a stereo-pair.
Thanks!
Have you had experience with the stereo feature? Is it really as amazing as many people here commented?
I’ve also read that it can have some connectivity issues such as audio lags with video and that one HomePod would stop working during stereo mode, etc. Has this been fixed in the latest update?
I would suggest, that you purchase a couple of these from Apple and then return them within whatever your return period is if it doesn’t work for you. At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter how well it works for other people, you need to try it for yourself.
I agree with what you're saying. However, my current place is pretty far from an Apple Store and it's been a very busy period for me.
Before I make a purchase decision I simply like to listen to people's experiences (if they're willing to share) so that I can try to empathise with them. I like to understand and learn on the usefulness of a product and get a mental image on how they apply into my life. If there is any issue, such as software bugs, it'd be good to hear it from people too so I can be more aware and see if they can work around it. I think it's nice to hear an objective point of view from other people before pulling the trigger on buying an expensive speaker like the HomePod, especially after all the hype has died down.
With that being said, I will eventually buy one and try it out myself like you suggested. I just want to hear more about it before doing so. Thanks.
My friend has one and it’s a lovely speaker. Sounds really nice and works well with Apple Music. I believe it works wih Spotify now after iOS14 but can’t confirm this as my friend has Apple Music. Not sure if anyone can confirm this as I think this would make it a better seller and something that should be pushed more.
I don't have or use Spotify, but I asked Siri to play a song on Spotify and it told me that it doesn't see an app for that and I would need to download it on my iPhone, so I am guessing it should work.
I have had my Homepod since they came out and I am very happy with it. I control my lights, leave music playing for the dogs when no one is home, get weather and a bunch of other things. Having the Apple Music subscription makes it all the better.
The HomePod has not updated to iOS 14 yet, so doesn't have third party audio available.
once it does update, the individual apps would still need to update.
Take a look at Sonos.
-they sound great
-they're cheaper ($179/$199 depending on if you want voice assistant or not, or the Ikea branded ones are $99)
-they work with more music streaming services
-the Muti-room audio works better
-you can control it from any device on your network. (if you start music on the HomePod from your phone, you can't control it from your Mac, you can do that with sonos. And if others have android, they'll be able to use them)
-you can get ones with HDMI inputs, which give you a better and more stable audio connection.
-You can get a pair and use them as surround speakers.
Airplay as a default audio out also tends to have issues. If you're planning to use hompods as the main speakers for your TV, You might want to re-think. I've seen several threads here where it just stops working, or requires some tinkering to get it working from time to time.
not sure if it's fixed yet, but you couldn't airplay to a stereo pair of HomePods from a Mac.
Well... it's going to be a bit difficult to objectively answer those subjective questions.
There are those who gladly pay full MSRP for multiple HomePods. Clearly for those people, the HomePod is terrific.
They appreciate the sound quality but also how it integrates with the rest of their Apple gear and services.
For me, I honestly would not take one if it were given to me for free. The sound quality is extremely nice. I'm impressed with how great they sound. The deal killer for me is that it is tied exclusively to Apple gear.
I'm generally not a fan of any smart/connected device that cannot be effectively used without that smart connection. It's the reason why I don't own any Sonos products either.
For me, two 12" IKEA Eneby speakers connected in a stereo configuration mounted to the wall produces a surprisingly rich sound experience. They're terrific.
But having said that, if you are in the Apple ecosystem and find the HomePod on sale, I suggest going for it.
I prefer the Sonos at every level, but your mileage may vary (I was able to get two Sonos One’s for the same price as I paid for my HomePod when it came out. I bought both (well, all three) devices at the same time when the HomePod originally launched).
iOS 14 will make the HomePod better and the sound is certainly great — but I wouldn’t/won’t buy a second one unless the capabilities and price are completely overhauled.
It’s just not a very flexible multi room speaker compared to Sonos, both for the services it supports and the ways you can connect it. Sonos supports AirPlay 2, so at least I can group them all together, but even with price cuts, I remain thoroughly unimpressed with the price/value/performance of the HomePod. And I live almost exclusively in the Apple ecosystem (I do subscribe to Spotify in addition to Apple Music).
And yeah, for me there have been software bugs. Most of them seem fixed, but nearly 3 years after buying it, it remains one of my biggest gadget regrets.
iOS 14 will make the HomePod better and the sound is certainly great — but I wouldn’t/won’t buy a second one unless the capabilities and price are completely overhauled.
It’s just not a very flexible multi room speaker compared to Sonos, both for the services it supports and the ways you can connect it. Sonos supports AirPlay 2, so at least I can group them all together, but even with price cuts, I remain thoroughly unimpressed with the price/value/performance of the HomePod. And I live almost exclusively in the Apple ecosystem (I do subscribe to Spotify in addition to Apple Music).
And yeah, for me there have been software bugs. Most of them seem fixed, but nearly 3 years after buying it, it remains one of my biggest gadget regrets.
If you like music, its great. We've got three in the house now and they're used all day every day to play streaming radio stations and Apple Music. The sound really is great... I think we paid RRP for the first one but picked up the other two second-hand on eBay. Multi-room is nice and when you use them as a stereo pair they're even better.
The Siri functionality they support, works well for us - turning lights on, the house alarm, timers etc - although it isn't perfect. There's still sometimes where it fails to find an album or playlist first time. They're also pretty idiot-proof so a good fit in our house where everyone has Apple devices.
The caveat is that there could be better options out there depending on what you want to do with them.
I could definitely see how a smaller, cheaper one would be a much better seller for them - I think its an expensive price when some people will just want a Siri assistant which can play music at a decent rather than great quality.
The Siri functionality they support, works well for us - turning lights on, the house alarm, timers etc - although it isn't perfect. There's still sometimes where it fails to find an album or playlist first time. They're also pretty idiot-proof so a good fit in our house where everyone has Apple devices.
The caveat is that there could be better options out there depending on what you want to do with them.
I could definitely see how a smaller, cheaper one would be a much better seller for them - I think its an expensive price when some people will just want a Siri assistant which can play music at a decent rather than great quality.