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The HomePod - at least in its current first software iteration - seems to be targeted at a very specific audience. As Gruber and a few other reviewers clearly p

by _ph_ 9y ago

The HomePod - at least in its current first software iteration - seems to be targeted at a very specific audience. As Gruber and a few other reviewers clearly point out, it currently makes sense mainly if you are using Apple Music or the iCloud Music library. In that respect, it mirrors the roll-out of the Apple Watch. That has not stopped the Apple Watch to be successfull - and I know a few first-day adopters which were extremely happy with their Apple Watch. Because despite of its limitations, it did exactly what they needed it to do. With the HomePod, it seems to be a similar story. I am eagerly awaiting the HomePod becoming available in Germany, because I am fufilling the criteria listed above. For me, the sound quality is the relevant thing, and that seems to be there. For expanding the possible user base, Apple has of course to continue working on the software and enable more sources for the music played on the HomePod.

bardworx 9y ago
I watched a YouTube review that paired HomePod with Spotify via airplay and you could change songs and increase volume via Siri. A lot of folks keep mentioning Apple Music but I don’t believe they understand that’s not the only option
- _ph_ 9y ago
  Right, you can use any audio source via AirPlay. But with more limitations to Siri interaction than Apple Music and of course requiring the device to stream from. Which to me is acceptable too, but it is important to point out in a review.
  - michelb 9y ago
    Curious to know how the intended market for Homepod use/play music. I'd problably buy the Homepod for the audio quality, I don't use Siri. I would open Spotify on one of my macs or iPhone/iPad and Airplay to the Homepod. I personally cannot imagine myself asking Siri(or alexa/google) to play music because I usually don't know what I want to listen to while working, so I need to find it, visually, play some bits, and then settle on something. Ofcourse, N=1, but that would be my use-case.
jrs95 9y ago
It seems to fit into a strategy of getting more money out of an ecosystem built around the iPhone now that there's not room left in the market for them to continue rapidly growing iPhone sales.
thirdsun 9y ago
As a fellow german I also didn't have the chance to listen to a HomePod yet so this is speculation, but as an audio enthusiast I'm baffled by the idea of using it for its sound quality. Aren't there countless better options? Entry level bookshelfs like Dali's Zensor series or Elac's Debut B5/B6 come to mind. Don't get me wrong - I'm confident that Apple made a great speaker...for its size. And that's my concern - it seemed they have created a 4 inch speaker that sounds like a 6 or 7 inch speaker, which is impressive, but there's already a wide range of affordable, great speakers operating in true stereo in that category. I can understand that effort if it was a mobile speaker, but it's not and I simply don't see the value of the slightly smaller footprint compared to a traditional bookshelf speaker, which is still rather small, when used at home in a fixed position. I would have liked them to put that effort into a larger speaker and see if they can really give much more expansive options a run for their money.
- criddell 9y ago
  Do you think the processing of room acoustics might make a big enough difference that the speaker sounds as good as or better than more expensive options? I'm wondering if it's a similar situation to the iPhone camera? The iPhone's camera sensor (AFAIK) isn't exceptional. It's their software that holds the magic. Could that be the case here - the speaker isn't exceptional, but the processing is?
  - thirdsun 9y ago
    > Do you think the processing of room acoustics might make a big enough difference that the speaker sounds as good as or better than more expensive options? That's the important question, which I obviously can't answer yet. However judging by early reports, even by audio enthusiasts, it seems to be an incredible speaker for its size and DSP is indeed one of the features that can really make difference in modern speaker design. But then again it's a 4 inch speaker and I'm wondering if they have limited their potential with such a small form factor. If it sounds as good as other, slightly larger, yet affordable bookshelf speakers that's impressive, but those speakers have been widely available (and work with any source) for a long time. So to stay with your analogy, I worry that Apple has managed to turn a needlessly small sensor into a competetive camera and wonder what they could have done if they used a decently sized, already competetive sensor with the same software magic.

by _ph_ 9y ago

bardworx 9y ago

I watched a YouTube review that paired HomePod with Spotify via airplay and you could change songs and increase volume via Siri. A lot of folks keep mentioning Apple Music but I don’t believe they understand that’s not the only option

_ph_ 9y ago
Right, you can use any audio source via AirPlay. But with more limitations to Siri interaction than Apple Music and of course requiring the device to stream from. Which to me is acceptable too, but it is important to point out in a review.
- michelb 9y ago
  Curious to know how the intended market for Homepod use/play music. I'd problably buy the Homepod for the audio quality, I don't use Siri. I would open Spotify on one of my macs or iPhone/iPad and Airplay to the Homepod. I personally cannot imagine myself asking Siri(or alexa/google) to play music because I usually don't know what I want to listen to while working, so I need to find it, visually, play some bits, and then settle on something. Ofcourse, N=1, but that would be my use-case.

jrs95 9y ago

It seems to fit into a strategy of getting more money out of an ecosystem built around the iPhone now that there's not room left in the market for them to continue rapidly growing iPhone sales.

thirdsun 9y ago

As a fellow german I also didn't have the chance to listen to a HomePod yet so this is speculation, but as an audio enthusiast I'm baffled by the idea of using it for its sound quality. Aren't there countless better options? Entry level bookshelfs like Dali's Zensor series or Elac's Debut B5/B6 come to mind. Don't get me wrong - I'm confident that Apple made a great speaker...for its size. And that's my concern - it seemed they have created a 4 inch speaker that sounds like a 6 or 7 inch speaker, which is impressive, but there's already a wide range of affordable, great speakers operating in true stereo in that category. I can understand that effort if it was a mobile speaker, but it's not and I simply don't see the value of the slightly smaller footprint compared to a traditional bookshelf speaker, which is still rather small, when used at home in a fixed position. I would have liked them to put that effort into a larger speaker and see if they can really give much more expansive options a run for their money.

criddell 9y ago
Do you think the processing of room acoustics might make a big enough difference that the speaker sounds as good as or better than more expensive options? I'm wondering if it's a similar situation to the iPhone camera? The iPhone's camera sensor (AFAIK) isn't exceptional. It's their software that holds the magic. Could that be the case here - the speaker isn't exceptional, but the processing is?
- thirdsun 9y ago
  > Do you think the processing of room acoustics might make a big enough difference that the speaker sounds as good as or better than more expensive options? That's the important question, which I obviously can't answer yet. However judging by early reports, even by audio enthusiasts, it seems to be an incredible speaker for its size and DSP is indeed one of the features that can really make difference in modern speaker design. But then again it's a 4 inch speaker and I'm wondering if they have limited their potential with such a small form factor. If it sounds as good as other, slightly larger, yet affordable bookshelf speakers that's impressive, but those speakers have been widely available (and work with any source) for a long time. So to stay with your analogy, I worry that Apple has managed to turn a needlessly small sensor into a competetive camera and wonder what they could have done if they used a decently sized, already competetive sensor with the same software magic.