100% agree. I’m in the Apple ecosystem. I love Apple Music. HomePod 2 for me is an amazing speaker. Very rich and room filling sound. All the smart features with Siri work for me too. I’m still looking forward to future software updates on it.

Little known fact. You can add a subwoofer by using an Apple AirPort Express and a RCA to 3.5mm cable. Enable it in "Temporary Audi Output". I have mine hooked up to a Klipsch R-12SW and it sounds fantastic!

As the owner of 6 big HomePods I’m quite interested to see Atmos on these now they have upward firing speakers. I wouldn’t upgrade for music but maybe if that makes a big difference to spatial audio or Atmos for Apple TV pairing that would be interesting. I just gave up explaining the HomePod to none owners and just play it to people and then they stop chatting rubbish. The difference in internal design is exactly why you wouldn’t pair it with an old HomePod as that would sound terrible.

I'm still bitter for Spotify not implementing native support for Homepod :/ they were complaining for years and when Apple enabled third party streaming services, Spotify didn't do anything . Would love to be able to play from Spotify when asking Siri on homepod, just like it works on ios

Been within the Apple ecosystem for over 20 years now. Homepod is the only Apple product I have not purchased. Even though I would use it with Airplay most of the time, I would still want the ability to connect another non-apple bluetooth device. If it had the option to go bluetooth, I would buy two.

You hit the nail totally on the head with this. I don't understand why reviewers feel like they have to say something somewhat negative. It is a quest for perceived impartiality. You don't have to say something good and something bad for each review. If you love it, love it. If you hate it, hate it.

The WiFi argument is for those that use the HomePods as a HomeKit hub. When my Mini takes control as the main hub you can tell a difference in the stability of my smart home and video processing takes a hit. If I can make my Apple TVs as the main hub I have no issue with the HomePods having slower WiFi. If it’s just music then you have nothing to worry about, but if this is about of your smart home then speed and processing power is key. Especially if you have 10 plus cameras doing HKSV

People are so ignorant and the lack of common sense is a flower that doesn’t grow in everyone’s garden.

Upgraded my Bose home theater system for two HomePods and I don’t regret it

Great points! Products should be evaluated on whether they satisfy the consumers/ customer base that they were designed for and not against the entire market. For example, criticism of Siri ignores the fact that smart home/ digital assistants are still in their infancy. Target user group for the HomePod aren’t having conversations with their speakers. They just want a speaker that works with their Apple ecosystem

Got mine. Love it. Might get another so i can use as a stereo pair for my tv/ps5 combo. Sound pretty dang good to me.

You just earned a new subscriber with your transparency and candor. It”s quite refreshing. I’m a fan of apple products, and of the same mindset as yourself. Looking forward to more content.

I think adding a 3.5 mm headphone jack doesn't hurt and it shouldn't cost more than $2. and I think most of the reviewers are correct because there are people who would like to use the speaker for audio devices such as laptops, MacBook, or just some old mp3 players.

Reviewers almost always underestimate the power of the ecosystem

The fact that you have to defend Apple so hard is hilarious.

THIS. Thank you for saying the obvious parts out loud that it seems other reviewers just ignore.

Right on. I love my original HomePods i even have a pair as a sound system with Apple TV. When they stopped shipping them i tried a pair of the small ones mount just off the head board on my bed and that’s all they seem good for. Since i already have 5 it will be a while before i need another but when i do, I’m thankful they are making them again. Great sound and does exactly what i expect of them.

2:25 it is true, though. If you were an non-apple electronic user and thought it were just an apple branded high-end speaker that works like regular audio devices..then these reviews were extremely valuable.. and they all got it right you were just expecting regular folks know apple homepod is supposedly to work only within apple eco systems.. they don’t know because they are not in this monopolistic circle.

Bought me a homepod to replace my tv speakers in my bedroom and best decision ive made really thinking about getting another one

great points ! happy I discovered your channel... I've been enjoying the First Gen HomePods for years now and I have also have a couple of mini's , great audio in my opinion

Love this! Thank you

Seriously this product should have at least a current Wi-Fi protocol

Chris I like your channel a lot but I have to say I am not a fan of the Apple apologist direction it's headed towards. People have some gripes with this product and some of those gripes are valid.

Should I buy the gen 1 HomePod?? Will I regret it?Does it sound better? Sound quality, big rich full sound with deep bass is important to me.

Thank you! Got one, turned off Siri bc it’s it’s in my office where my iPhone phone, watch, and iPad are for 8+ Hours a day (WFH). I connected the office TV to it and I use it for music, conference calls, and TV speaker. It’s perfect.

I don’t really understand the issue. Most of the quotes given are saying it’s good IF you’re in the eco system. A lot of people aren’t super into tech and will benefit from being told that if they are researching what smart speaker to buy. They all seemed quite balanced and just stating facts.

Usually on board with your takes but the idea that people use HomePods for audio and not as a smart home speaker is just dead wrong in my experience. Siri sucking is a huge black mark on the Apple Ecosystem.

If I'm willing to spend that much money on the SPEAKER and it's locked to Apple ecosystem only That is definitely not okay, I should be able to connect the speaker to Bluetooth or aux. Since it's the speaker right?

Idk what's the fuss about wifi 4, what do you need wifi 6 on a speaker for? Downloading 4k HDR video to the speaker?

I agree I get so sick of folks complaining about Spotify not being compatible. EcoSystem customers for the most have Apple Music anyway. Apple has always been expensive, take your cheap *** to android . 🙄

Thank you… everything I’ve been thinking looking at these reviews… at nearly $500 here in AU they’re not cheap, especially as I want two of them to go with my Apple TV, but I’ll be saving up 😊

Ive been obsessed with the reviews but if your sound only the echo has some better sound metrics in things like volume and sub bass. And really this is about music streaming more than asking whats humidity in the room is which doesn’t usually matter

I liked you before but now i love you man!!! Best video with very excellent points!!!!!

criticism is good even for Apple I know the fanboy stuff is cool on the internet but I Appreciate some critique in order to make purchasing decisions. The Spotify omission even if it's Spotify's fault can't be ignored when reviewing a music speaker. SIRI shortcomings should also at least be mentioned on a 300 device(it's better than it used to be). I own mostly Apple hardware devices but I'm agnostic when it comes to the services I choose which should be ok. The Homepod is not for me but those reviews aren't saying it's bad for other people who are in the completely walled garden apple ecosystem, it's just not for those with one foot out like me.

Apple playing it too safe has the consumer in mind when it comes to security. The Apple eco-system is the most secure worldwide and their products last forever. Utilizing my Apple product for 7-10 years is why I pay for Apple products. I will suggest buying the 2-3 generation after the consumer upgrades and complaint are weeded out.

"the iPhone would be such a great smart phone if you could run something other than iOS on it. Thus, it is not for everyone."

My only complaint is that many people are saying the original HomePod sounds better than the new version. I would have liked if they had put the hardware in to make it sound at least the same if not better. Not a huge deal though and I understand that removing some of the hardware keeps prices down. Personal preference I guess.

I have a question for everyone.. I am having issues with apple music being alot quieter on the homepod 2. I played apple radio and the sound is amazing, but when I stream from apple music the sound at full volume does not compare to that of apple radio. Is anyone else experiencing this? Wondering if there are some settings that are limiting the homepod that im not aware of

Next they will be saying that the IPad Pro is too fast!

I need a good sounding speaker that has a thread radio to control my smart lights. Pretty much, HomePod was the only viable option. And when I come back home from university, I can use airplay for multi room audio with the Apple TV.

Great job, man! Exactly my thoughts! People just want to complain.

I bought two HomePod two speakers, and I just love them. I’m also a Sonos user and prefer my Apple speakers.

I agree with most of this.......until the wifi 4 part. It works sort of okay today but for how much longer? Planned obsolescence? Feels like Apple is nickle and diming us again. Should have had a better chip.

Great points very well made I also am confused by these reviews

This is why we can’t have nice things….except for us HomePod owners (OG or 2nd Gen). I’m 100 percent with Chris. Okay, going back to my HomePods now.

We love ours. It’s seamless, easy and just works with the Apple TVs

Bang on Chris and appreciate your take.

Thank you.

We live in such an entitlement driven tech market and it’s sad. Nobody can just enjoy anything. Or at least not in public, behind closed doors I’m sure it’s a different story.

About the whole "no pairing with 1st Gen" thing… Hi, I’m Jules and I am an acoustics aficionado. Here’s what’s up; there is a big difference between having 2 speakers playing the same thing at the same time and having two speakers being a stereo pair. You can have a 1st Gen and a 2nd Gen HomePod playing together trough AirPlay2 no problem, Apple doesn’t prevent that and it’s great 😊 but if you were to pair the two as a stereo pair (or even worst, pair a HomePod mini and a HomePod biggy together 😬), it would sound horrible since the left and right channel would not be playing with the same acoustic proprieties! Some acoustics knowledge is necessary to understand why it would not sound good and I don’t feel like going on an acoustics thesis here but there is a good reason why Apple prevents it and that reason is not "to sell more", I assure you. But a what lot of article get wrong (or at least doesn’t clearly say) is that you can have both generations of HomePods (or with the minis) playing at the same time, in the same house, together, happily, no problems 👌

Agree with all you said. I’m in the Apple ecosystem. I use Apple Music, don’t care about Spotify. I need all my apple devices to sync and work with each other.

I can’t love this video enough. Great content

100% agree with you. Apple is amazing at pug and play. If I wanted budget id buy crap

I have the original HomePod, and it’s great. I’m just a little disappointed the second generation doesn’t seem to really improve much from the first one. And didn’t the first one not do well? I’m confused why Apple is releasing a product that is pretty much the same as the previous one which failed. Thoughts on this?

If the sound coming from the HomePod 2 was identical to that of the OG, I would question why you couldn't do stereo pairing. But it's not. They have different sound profiles so it only makes sense that you can't do stereo pairing.

The only thing that did bug me was that I couldn't stereo pair with the old one. But my fat boy still works so I can't justify a new one just yet.

Why they don’t allow you just stereo pair the new one and the old one. Because they sound different and it would stand out like a sore thumb if you did that. Now I would buy more of them and use it as my TV speakers if they eventually add the HomePod minis to carry the back channel for surroundsound. Until then I bought one to replace the one under my massage table because it keeps disconnecting from the Internet because of closed doors and the router out of sight. Instead, I took it and one other speaker I had, and stereo paired to a friends Apple TV, which is in direct cite the lines of the router and the Wi-Fi.

Your the perfect Reviewer For The Apple User 🥰🥰🥰🥰

I’m deep into the Apple ecosystem along with having 4 HomePods 2 units and I’ve had nothing but issues. Sometimes music just stops playing, it’s choppy, if I’m on my phone , the same phone I’m playing music on and walking around my house the music play back gets affected or stops all together.. now Siri doesn’t even listen to me .. has anyone else this issue? I think for the price of shouldn’t be having these problems .. the sound, also not great. When I first got them I was shocked how loud they weren’t . I feel like I get more bang for my buck with the HomePod minis..

I think of no stereo pair between the first gen and second gen HomePods like this - Can you pair the left and right earbuds from the first and second gen Airpods Pro....? NO! It would be insanely hard to have them sound good together with different hardware that they have. Makes perfect sense why they same logic would apply to the HomePods.

3:02 at lease allow Bluetooth connection.

So essentially unite saying Apple often makes premium products that are usually built precisely for the Apple ecosystem. So if you want a device that will work much more outside the Apple ecosystem then choose the number of other options that do. A seemingly obvious statement but to so much of the tech reviewer world it is too difficult a concept to understand. One thing I disagree with, Siri. For what the vast majority of users use voice assistant for, Siri works well. If you start asking Siri to look questions up on the internet then it falls substantially.

I think everything in the Apple ecosystem is expensive. Not planning to buy HomePod now, but I’m all in in Apple with Apple Home, Apple TV, Apple Music, iPhone, iPad, HomePod mimi and iMac.

Great video Chris! I'm on the fence between getting 2x Homepod 2s or getting a sonos sub mini for my beam gen 2. I prefer the homepod's sound profile and the beam gen 2 sounds a bit flat without a sub I think. If someone has a pair of the new homepods paired with an apple tv 4k and using it for movies as well as music, please let me know.

I enjoy listen to this guy! I 100% agree.

Good for thought: a £/$/€ 400-500 “HomePod Pro” with either built in Wi-Fi 6/6e router that connects to other HomePods to create a mesh Wi-Fi system, or a 2-in-1 Apple TV and HomePod hybrid, with HDMI outputs.

Yes no Google home mini

Speaking as someone who searched frantically & nearly spunked £500 on 2X 1st Gen, I’m glad I waited… I have hearing difficulties & love atmos & spatial as it “fills in the blanks” for me, especially with spoken dialogue if it’s half as good as the AirPods Max I’ll be happy I have Siri on other products so I’m well aware of what I’m getting into The speaker aspect is the most important to me & it’ll sure beat a plastic run-of-the-mill soundbar I’ll take 2 HomePods please!! Apple TV 4K bumped up my tv fantastically & these will complete the setup (& cleanly too)

Well said. I don’t understand why people won’t let the HomePod be a HomePod. Because it’s greater at being an HomePod.

I agree. If some people don’t like Apple product, fine , there is Google,Samsung,etc… enjoy those instead. But I like Apple product , and I also like the fact that there alternative choices out there. Competition is always good

I wish I could love this video. THANK YOU!! Sheesh!

I personally do not plan on buying a new pair of HomePods as of yet as I am more than satisfied with the sound quality of my stereo setup of the OG HomePods. I will however consider buying them if Apple enabled the possibility of adding a extra pair as surround speakers I Will thus add them to the stereo setup of my OG connected to my AppleTV either as rear or as front speakers. Until then I will set this version out.

Exactly, I just want it to sound good with my iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and by itself, too.

I really like my pair of HomePod 2’s. I just can’t get handoff to work.

HomePod points make sense. But Siri is still dumb af. 😂 mkbhd has a great video about smart assistants. I think that Apple being really focused on privacy is hindering siris growth as a smart assistant.

i wish there was a $750 homepod... i'd buy two. u no it'll sound dope!

OMG!! Thank you! Listen, I’m all for looking for a deal but Apple products are not Amazon products! It’s like complaining that a Porsche is expensive. Yes, its a premium product just like Apple products. Top-notch materials and they work!!! Thank you again for keeping this stuff real. Not everyone is the target for an Apple product.

My first generation, HomePods keep popping from time to time, and apparently there is no fix. I hope these new HomePods have some updated power supply.

I love the speaker

Not every shopper is an Apple User deep into the Apple Eco System. Further, many Apple users are frustrated by the lack of Smart Home Options. HERE is the missed target: not the Audiophile market but the $500 to $700 Soundbar user. Right now Apple Music via Apple TV played through a good soundbar is quiet good. A nice package would be an Apple TV 4K 128GB plus a pair of HomePods for $700. But there's still the room shaking missing subwoofer. 🤨

I get it’s called a HomePod, but I would’ve bought this if it came with an internal battery this time. I would replace my Sonos move if that were the case

HomePod OG sounds markedly better than v2 period!

I agree.

Well said my man!

Bravo 👏🏾 Chris! I love the haters! I love my stereo pair of HomePods 2

It should at least have sounded as good as the former version.

I would love to be able to get an Apple AirPlay speaker for less than $300. And, naturally I'd be willing to lose the Dolby Atmos and the siri assistant. I'm aware of the Homepod mini but I doubt I could be happy with such a small speaker. I imagine to maintain the quality that the Homepod mini can't go above volume 7. Now, if I didn't care about AirPlay functionality then I would not give the HomePod a second look. So, you're the reviewer and I'm not. Which core feature, do you believe is the one that convinces a consumer to purchase Apple's Homepod 2? I doubt it's the hdmi ARC thing

Good for elevator music, but I dont think good for heavy metal music for many hours at high volume. Why are all modern speakers so tiny?

Personally, I think HP gen 1 sounds a little better. But, HP gen 2 is a little smarter. ... ... But, for me, the one feature I would really like is to be able to use the HomePods as a great quality Bluetooth Speaker(s) that work with both a PC and a Mac. ... So, if I have a PC on the desk in the office, and need some fun speakers, I can connect to these. But, if I have smart TV in the den, and want some fun speakers, I can connect to these. Of, if I'm in the back yard (or tail gaiting), and I want to connect to some fun speakers with my Cell, I can just connect to these.

yeah, it`s funny how the reviewers did the homepod... spot on, funny video

If it was £/$ 250, it might be much easier to buy, especially in stereo

I also fully agree. If ur not in the ecosystem, its not for u and it never was. But I can see how someone who has an old one would like to buy only one to get a stereo pair. What those ppl don't understand, is that those two would never be true stereo and sound awful. Apple would have to use some special software to account for the different soundstages. They don't sound the same, the never will. Thats probably why Apple decided: Nahh. We'd just get bad reviews for sound quality, and that'd be worse than not being backwards compatible...

That’s exactly why I’ve unsubscribed from most of the other tech review sites ……they mostly talk out of their mid body orifice rather than the one on their face, the one generally connected to their brain. You can often determine which ones they are from their doom and gloom thumbnails. Sad.

I’ve heard the sound is not better compared to the original

Enjoyable video. I’m all in on the Apple ecosystem but I think a pair of Sonos Ones which are Airplay compatible are a better investment. I had a pair of the OG HomePods but gave them to my daughter. I have a few minis.

Here's where your wrong though, and picking at low-hanging fruit. I've been a stereo HomePod 1 user for 3 years now and I LOVE them. I absolutely adore them. One of my favorite apple products ever. But these new Homepods? How can we consider it a premium product, meant to be sold at the same 300 price, when something similar (at most: marginally less functional and to some, better sounding) has existed for 5 years? Selling these at $300 is a slap in the face to innovation for us apple folks, and your awful video position is acting like this isn't a cash grab just because some non-apple users made a few criticisms

Just add Bluetooth and this wouldn’t be a conversation! It’s that simple! That’s it.

I always love and value your presentations, Chris. Also, thanks for never adding background soundtracks to distract from your clear and pleasant narration.

I guess the thinking behind these reviews is obvious: "I hate Apple as a brand, but this product X is actually excellent. Could someone please force Apple to make it work better with my non-Apple ecosystem?"

I buy Apple products for the premium experience, longevity with hardware & support. To me that brings value.