So, what commands are you using on these other devices that makes them more useful. I’m really curious here. I’ve seen lots of claims but no proof. In fact when Siri has been compared I feel it is more useful in real use situations.
A few examples that Google Home gets right and all other smart devices (including Alexa) fail:
Me: Hey Google play my Morning Tunes playlist Google Home: Plays _my_ Spotify Morning Tunes playlist
Me: (while Spotify is playing) Hey Google add this song to my library Google Home: Ok, I added that song to your Spotify music library
My Girlfriend: Hey Google play my Morning Tunes playlist Google Home: Plays _her_ Spotify Morning Tunes playlist
Me: Hey Google what's on my calendar today? Google Home: What's on _my_ personal calendar
My Girlfriend: Hey Google what's on my calendar today? Google Home: What's on _her_ personal calendar
I could keep going... but I don't need to. Apple completely forgot that many people in this world are not single people living by themselves. They also completely forgot that _Millions_ of people like Spotify...
Vadim, Thanks for the comparison. Maybe the following questions/items could generate other video reviews.
1. I would greatly appreciate it if you could do this comparison with both a Play 3 (which is still less than the HomePod) and the Play 5 (which costs more but gives you a aux 3.5 mm in port)
2. All the reviews have focused on using these products through either Apple Music or Spotify. Are they playing MP3s or LossLess music? Could you test playing FLAC files either from a PC or iPhone?
3. Also I have not seen how well the HomePod and Sonos One handle a heavy, busy network or just operating on only either the 2.4 GHz or 5.0 GHz bands.
HP seems like a revolutionary product. But the revolutionary work isn't over on it. Apple still has lots to deliver and we are yet to see how well they have been able to patent it.
I agree. Why compare HomePod with the entry-level Sonos speaker. Instead, compare it with Play:5 and see which one is better.
I think Apple simply made a decision to get the product to market as soon as possible knowing that it lacks many of the key features of its competitors. Sound quality being the one redeeming value right now. Having already missed the 2017 holiday window, by getting the product out now, they can take some amount of time getting key missing features added by the 2018 holiday season. By then you might even see them discounting the product to $299...
Vadim, Thanks for the comparison. Maybe the following questions/items could generate other video reviews.
1. I would greatly appreciate it if you could do this comparison with both a Play 3 (which is still less than the HomePod) and the Play 5 (which costs more but gives you a aux 3.5 mm in port)
2. All the reviews have focused on using these products through either Apple Music or Spotify. Are they playing MP3s or LossLess music? Could you test playing FLAC files either from a PC or iPhone?
3. Also I have not seen how well the HomePod and Sonos One handle a heavy, busy network or just operating on only either the 2.4 GHz or 5.0 GHz bands.
HP seems like a revolutionary product. But the revolutionary work isn't over on it. Apple still has lots to deliver and we are yet to see how well they have been able to patent it.
I agree. Why compare HomePod with the entry-level Sonos speaker. Instead, compare it with Play:5 and see which one is better.
Personally, I'd say that's an unfair test since the Sonos Play:5 isn't a smart speaker, just a wireless speaker, but since the most rapid Apple fanatics where the largest blinkers keep telling me the HomePod isn't really suppose to compete with smart speakers and that you're primary suppose to use your iPhone to wirelessly tether and manually access apps, then they've opened it up every wireless speaker on the market, not to mention all the expensive wired speaker systems people already have where you can already connect via a simple Echo Dot via BT to get the same result with much better. To those fanatics, be careful what you argue for.
I think Apple simply made a decision to get the product to market as soon as possible knowing that it lacks many of the key features of its competitors. Sound quality being the one redeeming value right now. Having already missed the 2017 holiday window, by getting the product out now, they can take some amount of time getting key missing features added by the 2018 holiday season. By then you might even see them discounting the product to $299…
At this point I don't see it that way. As the reviews show, especially the AI reviews, it's a great… for a 5lb, single unit device if you want to play Apple's music with Siri commands. Those caveats aren't going to make people dump their 5.1 and 7.1 systems with or without Echos or Google Homes attached.
I hoping that Apple's reason for getting this out now is so that they can show some amazing things for "podOS," PodKit, and an upcoming App Store for the HomePod that will make the HomePod an amazing contender later this year. Think about how far iOS has come since it's initial launch in 2007. WWDC should be the first week of June.
I don’t get the idea of comparing sound at full volume as realistic. Who would try to trash speakers at full volume all the time? I would imagine that would typically be too loud, but if not then surely they should be buying bigger, more expensive, more efficient speakers that will be able to produce higher volume at much less than 10 on the dial? It’s my view a more normal everyday volume is no higher than 50%.
I don’t get the idea of comparing sound at full volume as realistic. Who would try to trash speakers at full volume all the time? I would imagine that would typically be too loud, but if not then surely they should be buying bigger, more expensive, more efficient speakers that will be able to produce higher volume at much less than 10 on the dial? It’s my view a more normal everyday volume is no higher than 50%.
I don’t think it’s about “all the time” and AI has been great about comparing multiple volume levels and comparative volume levels in their tests.
a good system will be able to play at max volume without sounding bad. If it does, like with the Google Home Max, then the customer will need to calibrate themselves to know that, say, 85% is the max volume they can reasonably achieve with their system.
So, what commands are you using on these other devices that makes them more useful. I’m really curious here. I’ve seen lots of claims but no proof. In fact when Siri has been compared I feel it is more useful in real use situations.
Spotify Tidal All other music services All internet protocol's Phone calls NAS syncing etc...
So, what commands are you using on these other devices that makes them more useful. I’m really curious here. I’ve seen lots of claims but no proof. In fact when Siri has been compared I feel it is more useful in real use situations.
Spotify Tida All other music services All internet protocol's Phone calls NAS syncing etc...
I have assume that direct BT support is coming (not just what it does for pairing and syncing like with AirPods), but I can’t figure out why this would be held back. One of the best features for the Echos is being able to easily pair an Apple device with a simple audible command to the Echo.
AirPlay 2 stuff I understand being an issue and being able to issue commands to the HomePod to control your Apple TV without having to press the Siri button on the Apple TV’s Remote Control, but I thought BT was wellworn tech.
Vadim, Thanks for the comparison. Maybe the following questions/items could generate other video reviews.
1. I would greatly appreciate it if you could do this comparison with both a Play 3 (which is still less than the HomePod) and the Play 5 (which costs more but gives you a aux 3.5 mm in port)
2. All the reviews have focused on using these products through either Apple Music or Spotify. Are they playing MP3s or LossLess music? Could you test playing FLAC files either from a PC or iPhone?
3. Also I have not seen how well the HomePod and Sonos One handle a heavy, busy network or just operating on only either the 2.4 GHz or 5.0 GHz bands.
HP seems like a revolutionary product. But the revolutionary work isn't over on it. Apple still has lots to deliver and we are yet to see how well they have been able to patent it.
I agree. Why compare HomePod with the entry-level Sonos speaker. Instead, compare it with Play:5 and see which one is better.
Personally, I'd say that's an unfair test since the Sonos Play:5 isn't a smart speaker, just a wireless speaker, but since the most rapid Apple fanatics where the largest blinkers keep telling me the HomePod isn't really suppose to compete with smart speakers and that you're primary suppose to use your iPhone to wirelessly tether and manually access apps, then they've opened it up every wireless speaker on the market, not to mention all the expensive wired speaker systems people already have where you can already connect via a simple Echo Dot via BT to get the same result with much better. To those fanatics, be careful what you argue for.
This is what surprises me the most - why we only get comparisons with Home Max and Sonos One when people who are buying the HomePod for sound, not Siri, are really making a decision between HomePod and every powered/unpowered bookshelf speaker that could be connected to a ChromeCast or as you say, Dot. I liked the idea of the HomePod, even though I'm an Android user, but once it came out, I'm thinking my hifi+ChromeCast+Mini likely gives me better sound, better assistant, and more streaming options. I don't really understand why people flock to HomePod yet appear to have never bothered investing in a basic home stereo before.
The test again is not complete, you are basically handicaping the Homepod by testing the Sonos on its home field.
Why not walk around the room, put it in places with crappy acoustic like halways, man, it's basically always the same test, a living room static test, a use case people have been moving away from for more than a decade.
If people could sit in front of speakers in their living room, they'd have kept their stereo and they would not need either the Sonos or the Hopepod.
Where are you going to put your two sonos in the kitchen, bathroom, halway, room, are you going to be listening to them sitting on the island?
It's like a complete divorce from actual differentiating use case.
Vadim, Thanks for the comparison. Maybe the following questions/items could generate other video reviews.
1. I would greatly appreciate it if you could do this comparison with both a Play 3 (which is still less than the HomePod) and the Play 5 (which costs more but gives you a aux 3.5 mm in port)
2. All the reviews have focused on using these products through either Apple Music or Spotify. Are they playing MP3s or LossLess music? Could you test playing FLAC files either from a PC or iPhone?
3. Also I have not seen how well the HomePod and Sonos One handle a heavy, busy network or just operating on only either the 2.4 GHz or 5.0 GHz bands.
HP seems like a revolutionary product. But the revolutionary work isn't over on it. Apple still has lots to deliver and we are yet to see how well they have been able to patent it.
I agree. Why compare HomePod with the entry-level Sonos speaker. Instead, compare it with Play:5 and see which one is better.
Some people already have and it's seemingly better than the Sonos 5, but not by much and it depends on usage IF YOU ARE IN THE SWEET SPOT OF THE SONOS 5.
That's the thing, the comparaison is often meaningless because this speaker is selling something else than other speakers.
What I find “fall short” is distribution. Why won’t Apple release it all over the world, with Siri in all supported countries & without in unsupported?
Anybody an idea when the next batch of countries will get the HomePod? Will it be weeks or months... Or do I have to make friends with someone in the US to ship 1 or 2
A better test of audio quality would be doing a blind test so the testers didn't know what speaker they were listening to, and using a dB meter to ensure the sound volume from both speakers is as close as you can get them as loudness also influences people's opinion.
HiFi audio is full of snakeoil and there are plenty of examples of listeners being subconsciously influenced by the brand name or price tag into thinking that the sound must be better, and the difference disappears when they don't know what they are listening to.
@genovelle ;Here's one real life example: My wife tends to turn her volume all the way down on her phone. No matter how often I ask her not to since it makes it very hard to get hold of her she says it's her phone. Well, she's correct of course.
So on the way to work last week I found that construction had (finally!) started on a railroad crossing on my route. It took 10-15 minutes of detour to get around it, time I could have saved by just taking a different way to begin with. My wife uses that same route about a half hour later in the morning and I wanted to warn her about the closure. OF COURSE her phone was turned all the way down. Again.
No problem tho: Using my cellphone I said "Hey Google Broadcast the railroad crossing is closed". What did that do? It sent the announcement "the railroad crossing is closed" in my voice to every one of my Google Home units at the house miles away. She heard it, and saved herself from aggravation and being late to work.
Did you ever try “Find my iPhone?” Apple should have called this feature “Ping my wife”. This is the only way I can speak on the cell phone with my wife. I stopped calling her years ago because she never answers. I ping her phone via “Find my iPhone” and she calls me back within a few seconds.
Her phone is registered to her rather than under my name. She can't access my private account, nor can I access hers, so without making a minor change to 2-factor authentication and adding myself to the chain, and trying to remember her password... HEY, another use for "Remember".
A better test of audio quality would be doing a blind test so the testers didn't know what speaker they were listening to, and using a dB meter to ensure the sound volume from both speakers is as close as you can get them as loudness also influences people's opinion.
HiFi audio is full of snakeoil and there are plenty of examples of listeners being subconsciously influenced by the brand name or price tag into thinking that the sound must be better, and the difference disappears when they don't know what they are listening to.
A better test of audio quality would be doing a blind test so the testers didn't know what speaker they were listening to, and using a dB meter to ensure the sound volume from both speakers is as close as you can get them as loudness also influences people's opinion.
HiFi audio is full of snakeoil and there are plenty of examples of listeners being subconsciously influenced by the brand name or price tag into thinking that the sound must be better, and the difference disappears when they don't know what they are listening to.
Yeah, that's a better test, however AFAIK it could be made even more rigorous so the listeners don't even know if they are listening to speaker A, B, C etc. and just score or rate each sample of music. Also all listeners appeared to be in the room together so it is possible one listener could influence others as to their preference. All this is quite complex and time consuming to do properly.
So, what commands are you using on these other devices that makes them more useful. I’m really curious here. I’ve seen lots of claims but no proof. In fact when Siri has been compared I feel it is more useful in real use situations.
A few examples that Google Home gets right and all other smart devices (including Alexa) fail:
Me: Hey Google play my Morning Tunes playlist Google Home: Plays _my_ Spotify Morning Tunes playlist
Me: (while Spotify is playing) Hey Google add this song to my library Google Home: Ok, I added that song to your Spotify music library
My Girlfriend: Hey Google play my Morning Tunes playlist Google Home: Plays _her_ Spotify Morning Tunes playlist
Me: Hey Google what's on my calendar today? Google Home: What's on _my_ personal calendar
My Girlfriend: Hey Google what's on my calendar today? Google Home: What's on _her_ personal calendar
I could keep going... but I don't need to. Apple completely forgot that many people in this world are not single people living by themselves. They also completely forgot that _Millions_ of people like Spotify...
Now that you reminded them, I'm sure they'll fix it in the next update. Unless, Apple didn't "forget" those things at all.
Remember is another of those simple yet really helpful commands. "Remember I put the spare spring in the top drawer of the old toolbox". I can ask "Where did I put the spare spring" months from now, and it will remember and tell me.
That's a cool example, but I expect that 99% of the time it wouldn't work in practice. First you have to remember to ask your device to remember every random thing (which personally I would be very unlikely to do) and then you have to phrase things the same way you will "months from now."
No it does NOT need to be phrased exactly the same way. I just tried it with testing two similar "remembers". One was "Remember I keep my wife's spare key in my pocket". The second was "Remember there's a spare office key in the blue bag". When I then asked "where is the spare key?" Home replied "here's what you told me" and repeated both of them even tho neither was worded exactly the same as my "Remember" command. So far my success rate is 100%, a bit off from your 1% prediction, altho I've only tried maybe a half dozen "Remembers" up until this morning. I'll probably use it more often now as I've gotten a better understanding of its usefulness.
I've found Google Home to be fairly flexible in responding to different phrasing to initiate searches and /or commands, but not always. Home control is one of those areas where the wording needs to be a bit more precise.
The bigger question is what is up with Apple? No mic mute? No security and anyone can get you last text message? Sonos and Google Home Max have better sound. Then on top the HomePod has worse margins. It is like opposite day with Apple. The old Apple addressed all the details and brought something to market that was just better and then had the best margins in the market.
Comments
Apple didn’t forget it. Apple made Siri and HomePod for Tim and his friends.
I hoping that Apple's reason for getting this out now is so that they can show some amazing things for "podOS," PodKit, and an upcoming App Store for the HomePod that will make the HomePod an amazing contender later this year. Think about how far iOS has come since it's initial launch in 2007. WWDC should be the first week of June.
a good system will be able to play at max volume without sounding bad. If it does, like with the Google Home Max, then the customer will need to calibrate themselves to know that, say, 85% is the max volume they can reasonably achieve with their system.
Tidal
All other music services
All internet protocol's
Phone calls
NAS syncing
etc...
AirPlay 2 stuff I understand being an issue and being able to issue commands to the HomePod to control your Apple TV without having to press the Siri button on the Apple TV’s Remote Control, but I thought BT was wellworn tech.
Why not walk around the room, put it in places with crappy acoustic like halways, man, it's basically always the same test, a living room static test, a use case people have been moving away from for more than a decade.
If people could sit in front of speakers in their living room, they'd have kept their stereo and they would not need either the Sonos or the Hopepod.
Where are you going to put your two sonos in the kitchen, bathroom, halway, room, are you going to be listening to them sitting on the island?
It's like a complete divorce from actual differentiating use case.
That's the thing, the comparaison is often meaningless because this speaker is selling something else than other speakers.
Or do I have to make friends with someone in the US to ship 1 or 2
HiFi audio is full of snakeoil and there are plenty of examples of listeners being subconsciously influenced by the brand name or price tag into thinking that the sound must be better, and the difference disappears when they don't know what they are listening to.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/head-head-apple-homepod-really-sound-best-160346138.html
I've found Google Home to be fairly flexible in responding to different phrasing to initiate searches and /or commands, but not always. Home control is one of those areas where the wording needs to be a bit more precise.