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HomePod Announced (Siri Speaker) Sonos meets Amazon Echo, $349
- Thread starter Muzy72
- Start date
Just_myles
Member
In Siri's defense. Echo uses bing for web search as well. It just does a much better job at parsing the query itself.
Google home all the way on this one.
Technosteve
Banned
Another echoing its quality over the play 3.
Play 1 is way better then the Play 3, a pair of Play 1 is better then the Play 3...
Apple needs to make something to compete with Play 5 because that's the next one i want...
I would also compare this speaker to this........
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOySstGCMRg&feature=youtu.be
I think maybe there will be a special event for tv in august or something. Or maybe in October. They said they have more to show with Apple TV and maybe it'll be around original content, homepod, and a tv service? The carpool karokee got delayed till August and no idea about planet of the apps is coming out.
Maybe they want to do a bigger launch at an event?
I don't know if they want to have a September event for iPhone, watch and then tv and homepod. They need more events. They can't squeeze everything in a couple of events a year now as they branch out to other things.
Sonos protocol is better than airplay 1. Of you just want to play from your device sonos can do that. You can also import iTunes Playlist.
Still gotta pay that Apple tax.
MercuryLS3
Junior Member
If it's a really good wifi speaker, $350 is reasonable.
rokkerkory
Member
$350? Hahaaaa
It's hard to take people saying the design looks "ugly as fuck" seriously.
I mean, these are its competitors:
Out of those and the HomePod, I would say the only one that is truly fugly is the Amazon Echo. The Sonos has the most appealing design to me, but it's only a speaker and not an assistant. The Google Home has a cutesy design and the top part with the "sliced" look is somewhat of an odd design feature but it's pretty cool to me. To me, the HomePod (Homepod?) is the most balanced design.
The pricing is a different issue, but a lot of people were expecting pricing between $299-$499 and this is on the lower end of that scale. I think $249-$299 would have been the sweet spot.
I mean, these are its competitors:
Out of those and the HomePod, I would say the only one that is truly fugly is the Amazon Echo. The Sonos has the most appealing design to me, but it's only a speaker and not an assistant. The Google Home has a cutesy design and the top part with the "sliced" look is somewhat of an odd design feature but it's pretty cool to me. To me, the HomePod (Homepod?) is the most balanced design.
The pricing is a different issue, but a lot of people were expecting pricing between $299-$499 and this is on the lower end of that scale. I think $249-$299 would have been the sweet spot.
Mr. Wonderful
Member
I'm intrigued on what they might be able to do with this after a couple of software updates.
Also would love for this to be a mesh network device.
Unless it has more features than announced, however, not really interested.
Also would love for this to be a mesh network device.
Unless it has more features than announced, however, not really interested.
This might be a bigger step in getting more mainstream people to buy new style expensive audio gear
Goodbye big receiver and wired speakers. Hello super expensive single, wireless, tied to music subscription speaker. One that can only be paired with speakers of the same maker. It's a new age!
Goodbye big receiver and wired speakers. Hello super expensive single, wireless, tied to music subscription speaker. One that can only be paired with speakers of the same maker. It's a new age!
Can't tell if satire
However I don't get the aesthetics complaints. They're all innocuous and inoffensive. The Alexa ring of light is garish but actually useful.
grap3fruitman
Banned
Is Siri not going to be ass for that price?
Yeah. Depends how good it is. I paid $800 for the speakers I have, well worth it. A high quality mini speaker with extra assistant functionality could be fair.
I automatically assumed. But I guess it needs tune in and Spotify and Pandora etc. no way will they exclude those...right?
It really is amazing, isn't it?
MercuryLS3
Junior Member
It's possible that they start with Apple music and open it up over time. I really hope I'm wrong with that and by the time December rolls around they announce that it works with 3rd party apps.
Souless_PJ
Banned
As far as I can tell it does Apple Music natively and everything else via AirPlay
if thats true thats stupid. The beauty of Sonos, and how i've demoed it to people that didnt know about it, was showing them starting music on my phone and then literally turning my phone off. They're usually like wait what, you're not playing from your phone?
BlastProcessing
Member
We don't know how AIrplay 2 works yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was more akin to how Google Cast and Sonos worked. The fact that the thing has a smartphone class chip in it suggests that it would handles streams on it's own.
thehypocrite
Member
But I thought Apple was a notorious tax dodger....
kitchenmotors
Banned
Exactly.
Try comparing this to stereo Play 1 setup, for $50 cheaper. When Sonos updates the Play 3 to gen 2, it'll blow this thing out of the water. Play 5 gen 2 is a marvel and only $150 more than the HomePod.
Also, not sure how much of a good audio comparison you can make on a demo floor.
jts
...hate me...
You can always Airplay any music streaming service from your iPhone I guess.
I wonder how Apple will handle the multiple "Hey siri" requests anyway. It's annoying enough as is now with just iPhone + Watch. Maybe should just automatically disable Hey Siri on devices when in the presence of home wifi. Also would be cool to assign new trigger keywords.
I wonder how Apple will handle the multiple "Hey siri" requests anyway. It's annoying enough as is now with just iPhone + Watch. Maybe should just automatically disable Hey Siri on devices when in the presence of home wifi. Also would be cool to assign new trigger keywords.
Zeyphersan
Banned
For a while now for me if multiple devices pick up my "hey Siri" the one who grabs it first, usually the closest one, takes over and the other things deactivate. I can reproduce this consistently using my watch, phone, and iPad. They must do some kind of Bluetooth packet thing to say "wait guys. I got this"
Of course this only becomes 100% useful if I can tell any device to do something on a different device "hey Siri set an alarm on my iPhone" so I hope that's in the pipeline
jts
...hate me...
Huh. For me more times than desirable when I raise my Apple Watch and say Hey Siri, both it and my iPhone will respond, if iPhone is nearby.
This with an iPhone 6s+. I don't know if that's the case but don't forget that previous devices don't answer to Hey Siri if they are not charging. That helps a bit.
vonStirlitz
Unconfirmed Member
Urgh. Its just HAL with a prettier voice.
I expect it to engage termination mode if you fail to agree to subscribe for Apple Music.
I expect it to engage termination mode if you fail to agree to subscribe for Apple Music.
Fast Forward
Member
I just don't get the branding here.
Of all of the possibilities, like Apple Home, or Siri Speaker, going with this name is baffling.
Of all of the possibilities, like Apple Home, or Siri Speaker, going with this name is baffling.
My thoughts exactly.
jts
...hate me...
The name is in the vein of the very recent (and successful) AirPods and is reminiscent of the iPod that was the big music product that basically turned around Apple.
They are marketing it as a music high quality speaker first and foremost, which also has Siri. Not the other way around. That's the big difference from Google Home and Echo.
Not that I love the name either, mind.
Markitron
Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
If the sound quality is as good as they say then I might be interested. I like the idea of it using my Apple Music account, so I won't have to mess around with my phone to play music.
How would a pair be similar to an Atmos setup?
How would a pair be similar to an Atmos setup?
Camper Van Beethoven
Banned
Who else has a high quality wifi speaker with an assistant?
What do you expect Apple to be doing? Who is innovating in tech?
Camper Van Beethoven
Banned
This is the issue. Ill wait on reviews but as someone with an iPad and iPhone and Apple Music this whole set up is appealing.
SteveMeister
Hang out with Steve.
The devices use spatial detection to figure out the shape of the room and beam forming to direct the sound optimally, and using two of them in concert gives you even better room filling sound, plus I'd assume more separation of discrete channels. This is similar to what a properly configured Atmos setup is supposed to do, particularly Atmos soundbars. However as far as I can tell there's no approximation of ceiling channels, so it's not exactly like Atmos.
Fuck if it wasn't for Steve jobs, this company would of been in trouble but thanks to Iphone, they can just produce all the crap they want even if becomes a failure. Just as long as they got the iphone cash coming in lol
Edit: Come to think of it, wasn't Apple in a bit of trouble after they let Steve go?
Edit: Come to think of it, wasn't Apple in a bit of trouble after they let Steve go?
Branding. It's a music device first and foremost, so they're branding it for that line of products. iPod, EarPod, AirPod, HomePod.
entremet
Member
I disagree since it doesn't even support 3rd party podcast players like Overcast or Pocketcast.
I love Sonos. And I'm still going to stay in that ecosystem, but I can't stand their app and slowass support for things like 3rd party podcast players.
Massive Nights
Member
D
Deleted member 1235
Unconfirmed Member
why not just get a sonos which is similar price, well established and absolutely awesome