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Why not spend your $350 on a device that can hook into the nice stereo in the room that is easy for the wife to use? Then you get even better sound with probabl

Why not spend your $350 on a device that can hook into the nice stereo in the room that is easy for the wife to use? Then you get even better sound with probably less money outlay. One of those programmable universal remotes might help as well? So it's one button to get to tunes.

rb808 9y ago
Its the thing with these devices are always on and hands free. There is a big difference between a voice command and one button. To me I'd push the button every time, but to others these devices are preferred.
- brokenmachine 9y ago
  Voice-controlled programmable remote? Do those exist? A cheap Android phone plugged into the speakers? You can "OK google" that.
  - shoobedowop 9y ago
    HomePod works, requires no maintenance, and sounds great. No one has time to dick around with custom one off solutions that require rebooting, tweaking, and is less reliable except single guys who want to spend half the time fixing something vs. using it. a wife has no time nor tolerance for half ass home baked tech.
    - rb808 9y ago
      > a wife has no time nor tolerance for half ass home baked tech. Lol, another experienced married man on hn! :)
    - brokenmachine 9y ago
      > a wife has no time nor tolerance for half ass home baked tech. Apparently wives differ, because my partner has proved to be capable of pressing a couple of buttons on a remote, and is rewarded with better quality sound from better speakers. Also that comes with the added bonus that I don't have to buy a $350 device that is going to be completely useless in a couple of years when Apple decides it won't support the only proprietary, closed way to persuade it to actually perform it's sole function which is to emit music, so all the lucky s̶h̶e̶e̶p customers are forced to purchase the next shiny disposable trinket. Homepod is a completely throwaway product, something that embodies the worst aspects of our society, a disposable object for a myopic consumer.
gehwartzen 9y ago
You wold be amazed how the tiniest amount of UX friction can eliminate that as an option. My wife agrees that the speakers and amp in the living room sound way better but would choose a home pod (if we had one) even though she only has to press two buttons. I think of the home pod much like air pods just serve a different function. Sure there are better sounding headphones for 160$ but I personally still use them all the time over my studio headphones because of the better usability, form factor, and aesthetics.

rb808 9y ago

Its the thing with these devices are always on and hands free. There is a big difference between a voice command and one button. To me I'd push the button every time, but to others these devices are preferred.

brokenmachine 9y ago
Voice-controlled programmable remote? Do those exist? A cheap Android phone plugged into the speakers? You can "OK google" that.
- shoobedowop 9y ago
  HomePod works, requires no maintenance, and sounds great. No one has time to dick around with custom one off solutions that require rebooting, tweaking, and is less reliable except single guys who want to spend half the time fixing something vs. using it. a wife has no time nor tolerance for half ass home baked tech.
  - rb808 9y ago
    > a wife has no time nor tolerance for half ass home baked tech. Lol, another experienced married man on hn! :)
  - brokenmachine 9y ago
    > a wife has no time nor tolerance for half ass home baked tech. Apparently wives differ, because my partner has proved to be capable of pressing a couple of buttons on a remote, and is rewarded with better quality sound from better speakers. Also that comes with the added bonus that I don't have to buy a $350 device that is going to be completely useless in a couple of years when Apple decides it won't support the only proprietary, closed way to persuade it to actually perform it's sole function which is to emit music, so all the lucky s̶h̶e̶e̶p customers are forced to purchase the next shiny disposable trinket. Homepod is a completely throwaway product, something that embodies the worst aspects of our society, a disposable object for a myopic consumer.

gehwartzen 9y ago

You wold be amazed how the tiniest amount of UX friction can eliminate that as an option. My wife agrees that the speakers and amp in the living room sound way better but would choose a home pod (if we had one) even though she only has to press two buttons. I think of the home pod much like air pods just serve a different function. Sure there are better sounding headphones for 160$ but I personally still use them all the time over my studio headphones because of the better usability, form factor, and aesthetics.