vmarks

Andrew_OSU said:

vmarks said:

Zipp easily one-ups the HomePod on this front.

Using the small circular screen, you can tap to play/pause, use the arrows to go forward/back in your tracks, and even choose from one of five customizable favorites.

Zipp does NOT have a screen on the top of it. How does it one-up HomePod on this front? HomePod has a screen with a touch capacitive sense volume up/down control. Zipp has no screen and touch capacitive sense vol up/dn and track forward/back, with the mystery meat interface (not labeled controls are mystery meat - you don't know what you're going to get until you use them. Mystery meat here: tap to play/pause, 5 customizable other taps, and hover-the-hand for hush-not-mute.)

If the author is suggesting that Zipp is better because it has more controls on the top surface, fine, but he should say so directly, rather than tell us Zipp has a screen it hasn't got.

Smart speaker integration: You have to use Alexa, and you have to press a button on the top of the speaker to wake it, rather than use the wake word. It's essentially a glorified Echo Tap before Amazon allowed that device to use the wake word courtesy of a software update.

The reviewer didn't clarify well is whether the speaker is acting like a Google Chromecast in the way it fetches audio. When Chromecast gets music from Spotify, it is pulling that music directly to the Chromecast, and not using the phone in the middle. That is, the audio is not being routed from phone and then to the speaker, but the phone sends the speaker a URL, and the speaker fetches it directly. This means that if the phone powers off or the app quits, the music still goes on. I suspect Zipp is not doing this, because they can't do it for Bluetooth, and they want a consistent user experience - music works the same way for them over BT as over Wi-Fi.

Zipp is a Wi-Fi-equipped speaker, so it is capable of streaming Spotify, Tidal, or internet radio all on its own. No device necessary. Wi-Fi is not a requirement though. Music can also be played over Bluetooth or using the auxiliary audio port located on the back.

That suggests that music is routed like Chromecast Audio, but then confuses it by immediately saying Wi-Fi is not a requirement, when it is if you intend to stream directly to the speaker from one of those sources. Instead of making the audio routing more clear, the author makes it less clear.

Let's take a care of what is similar first.

'care' is a non-count noun in this use. The article 'a' doesn't belong here.

This was a silly comparison. Comparing a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi speaker with a button to prompt an assistant with a speaker that adjusts its audio, and has a vocal prompt for the assistant is a bad comparison. They both have AirPlay, but so does the very cheap and small Jam Voice speaker. Zipp sounds good, and it's battery-powered, but it's no HomePod, and it isn't meant to be. Alexa was grafted onto Zipp through an update, it wasn't released with it. Should we also compare a Logitech UE Boom with HomePod? It's just as absurd.

Lots to tackle here! Let's check it out!

So your first critique based on the controls of the unit. I still stick with my original description. It may not be the blurry colorful display of the HomePod, but it is still a display. It changes what it shows based on what you are doing (selecting a favorite vs controlling music, vs setting up a sound space, vs off). You also try to criticize the controls as "mystery meat" because you don't know what they are. Fact is, they are more labeled than the ones on the HomePod. HomePod has no identification on any button. Whether play/pause, prev/next, volume, Siri, etc. The Zipp shows you these controls during the setup so most should know how to use them. On top of that, the controls are extremely similar to the HomePod.

HomePod has basic controls, I think the Zipp has more controls, as well as additional features. Ones like "hush" are super useful. Favorites allow you to jump to your favorite stuff without your device. And Amazon Alexa subs in as the virtual assistant. Right now, yes, it requires a button press to activate Alexa. But just like Amazon did, this is something Libratone could change in the future.

As far as the audio goes, I believe this works solely on the speaker, not requiring your device. Wi-Fi is required for Spotify, Internet radio, and Tidal. But when you take it on the go and use Bluetooth, you'd have to stream it that way. So it uses Wi-Fi when available, and your phone when it's not. I think that is the best way to do it.

The comparison is still not absurd. They are both mid-range speakers, both have virtual assistants, and both are Wi-FI based and support AirPlay. Fact is, in my experience, it sounds better than HomePod, can be moved unlike HomePod, has a bunch of additional features lacking on HomePod (Aux input, Bluetooth input, battery, USB output, more controls, Spotify streaming, Tidal streaming, audio profiles, and more), and overall is a better device. It is a few bucks cheaper too.

I've used both quite a while and there are three areas that HomePod bests the Zipp. Setup/iOS integration. The ability to move your device near it to start setup is so nice. Siri/Apple Music support. I do like Siri, and would prefer to use Siri over Alexa. I also use Apple Music, so Spotify integration on the Zipp doesn't affect me, but that isn't the case for many users. Lastly, bass. Many people like the over-pronounced bass found on the HomePod. 

These products are extremely similar and aimed at a similar audience. It is perfectly apt to compare them.

Zipp easily one-ups the HomePod on this front.

Using the small circular screen, you can tap to play/pause, use the arrows to go forward/back in your tracks, and even choose from one of five customizable favorites.

Zipp does NOT have a screen on the top of it. How does it one-up HomePod on this front? HomePod has a screen with a touch capacitive sense volume up/down control. Zipp has no screen and touch capacitive sense vol up/dn and track forward/back, with the mystery meat interface (not labeled controls are mystery meat - you don't know what you're going to get until you use them. Mystery meat here: tap to play/pause, 5 customizable other taps, and hover-the-hand for hush-not-mute.)

If the author is suggesting that Zipp is better because it has more controls on the top surface, fine, but he should say so directly, rather than tell us Zipp has a screen it hasn't got.

Smart speaker integration: You have to use Alexa, and you have to press a button on the top of the speaker to wake it, rather than use the wake word. It's essentially a glorified Echo Tap before Amazon allowed that device to use the wake word courtesy of a software update.

The reviewer didn't clarify well is whether the speaker is acting like a Google Chromecast in the way it fetches audio. When Chromecast gets music from Spotify, it is pulling that music directly to the Chromecast, and not using the phone in the middle. That is, the audio is not being routed from phone and then to the speaker, but the phone sends the speaker a URL, and the speaker fetches it directly. This means that if the phone powers off or the app quits, the music still goes on. I suspect Zipp is not doing this, because they can't do it for Bluetooth, and they want a consistent user experience - music works the same way for them over BT as over Wi-Fi.

Zipp is a Wi-Fi-equipped speaker, so it is capable of streaming Spotify, Tidal, or internet radio all on its own. No device necessary. Wi-Fi is not a requirement though. Music can also be played over Bluetooth or using the auxiliary audio port located on the back.

Let's take a care of what is similar first.

This was a silly comparison. Comparing a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi speaker with a button to prompt an assistant with a speaker that adjusts its audio, and has a vocal prompt for the assistant is a bad comparison. They both have AirPlay, but so does the very cheap and small Jam Voice speaker. Zipp sounds good, and it's battery-powered, but it's no HomePod, and it isn't meant to be. Alexa was grafted onto Zipp through an update, it wasn't released with it. Should we also compare a Logitech UE Boom with HomePod? It's just as absurd.

analogjack said:

Regarding talking about the glass back and it sliding off your leg, are we all a nation of buffoons when it comes to phones?

No, we're a nation of fumble-fingers, whose phones slip from our hands and then get drop-kicked across a parking lot as we're walking away from the freshly parked car.

It happens. Put a case on it, so the damage hits the TPU or PC instead of the phone.

kingofsomewherehot said:

vmarks said:

 Dealing with a tiny metal plate that has be repeatedly removed

You're not supposed to remove the metal plate. You're supposed to leave it in the case with your phone when you use a mount like this. Or, get a case that has the metal plate integrated (Evutec.) 

Except if you leave the metal plate in place, then you can't use wireless charging. (The plate interferes.) ... not a big deal if you don't use wireless, but a very big deal if you use wireless at home, and want something like this for the car.