Apple HomePod 2 Review: I'm Confused

[@ColinCreighton]

In a hilarious turn of events, I think Microsoft should make a smart speaker running a version of ChatGPT and some voice recognition software.

[@kanomee]

that would be such a gamechanger. like really, you can now not only use ChatGPT through chats (which is the main idea), but to integrate it with voice recognition? I reckon someone would marry their speaker in the future no cap

[@cestlavieeee]

this is so obvious to absolutely destroy the smart speaker market. What is microsoft thinking? is this how large companies are, slow? ITS SO CLEARLY OBVIOUS!!!

[@paperstars9078]

I agree, would also make it somewhat easy to miss the bullshit it spits out from time to time. Yeah, it would definetly be hilarious.

[@RealJoseph123]

Microsoft will MDK Google. Bixby, Alexa, and Siri is going down with it. Microsoft has a advantage but they won’t use it. They aren’t that smart, we need new leadership.

[@emmanuelnicholas7998]

What if Microsoft makes cortana 2.0 with capabilities of chatgpt?

[@geebster.]

Wow the improvement in the way it stains wooden tables is amazing!! That's some Apple engineering right there. Now you can tell what model of Homepod someone has just by looking at their tables.

[@iflyrcmike]

I would buy it just for the upgrade in staining ability.

[@jisnukalita]

Yaa Imagine contana saying now ignore me

[@JezzaTheChamp]

Soon they’ll start selling “non-staining Apple tables for $5,000”

[@MisterSixty]

😂 😂 😂 😂 😂

[@Drewgulbas]

seriously. Jony Ive's neck must hurt from shaking his head w the last 2 years of Apple product launch flops

[@tayzonday]

It looks like a candle - but it burns money instead of wax.

[@KayJay01]

chocolate rain

[@andrewehyang]

Burns a rubber ring on your table too

[@brocinco]

Perfect! Lol

[@Rexx0rz]

😂

[@chair_smesh]

🍫 🌧️

[@wynos0]

It’s quite a different story here in Finland, because Siri is the ONLY virtual assistant that understands Finnish. So the HomePod is by far the best smart speaker that is available here in Finland 😄

[@niimoallotey]

Interesting!

[@faithblack3851]

Great insight...never occurred to me that there would be language barriers with the home assistant. I guess R&D need to immerse with language and dialect...huh.

[@tharedpotatowwhale]

Hydrolic press

[@ZachAgape]

hahaha xD

[@da3v1ls93]

Perrrrrrrkeeellleee

[@stiggy8322]

An other good effect is that now suddenly 1st gen Homepods can be found way cheaper, as a month ago they were still selling for almost retail price... Now I'll be able to find an used one to pair it with mine and have a very good stereo speaker system for my bedroom !

[@KazeHorse]

Yeah I sold mine like 4 months ago for retail. Feel a bit bad for the buyer but I legit had no idea they would copy the exact same product… Sound is insane from these though.

[@coffeevie]

That’s my plan as well

[@allentastic]

I don’t think you can stereo pair the old with the new, just a heads up

[@obamtl]

Yup! I paid £200 ($250) for the OG second hand last month.

[@stiggy8322]

@@allentastic it’s not what I want to do. I’ll find an OG one for a better price now.

[@yadielrivera1740]

Got me at “If you want to hear how bad Siri is in cristal clear high definition then this is for you” 😂😂

[@SouvikDas123]

same here

[@bamabaso]

Great summary 😂

[@fenrirOZ]

Same here

[@sleeksilver]

Siri is such shit. No idea why anyone would buy this...

[@asadfarraj]

Dolby Atmos, even.

[@coasterman0197]

“Steve still loves me, Steve still loves me…” That intro was awesome lol!

[@dielikeag0d]

I've been trying to figure out my Bluetooth latency issues and ive been having so much trouble finding a KZbinr that spoke clearly and made it easy to read lips and you're the only person I've found that enunciates everything so clearly that you can literally see every word you're saying. Amazing. Thank you

[@alanschmitt9865]

"Maybe we were too early". I think that's bang on. $300 was a lot to ask of people for their first Apple smart speaker. Now that the Mini has been out a while and done well, I bet there are quite a few Mini owners out there who have been softened up enough to drop the cash on an "improved" version of that.

[@jamest6504]

Yep I agree with this. I have a few minis and I honestly would consider adding a couple of these. Previously I never considered the original HomePod.

[@Antto]

No. This is just overpriced junk BT speaker. If you have the Mini why would you pay for this speaker also. Makes no sense. If you care about sound quality you will buy proper speakers and not this box with 1 woofer and 5 tweeters.

[@AponTechy]

I didn't think that

[@JackieWelles]

$300 its still too much, $249 would be perfect, but ofc Apple taxes apply so.

[@gracjackVEVO]

@@Antto BT speaker?

[@movsesnersisyan1153]

I currently am still rocking two of the first gen homepods using them in stereo, i will say if you do have earc on your tv you can use these speakers for you gaming and just regularly watching tv and it does sound fantastic. I was thinking about upgraded but now after watching, its more like downgrading lol. Thanks for the video.

[@stevenswall]

What does EARC have to do with these speakers? Do they have an HDMI connection? Apple keeps telling me (lying to me I think) that they use EARC but I swear they actually mean the Apple TV does.

[@00SNIVY00]

I will wonder about a direct comparison in terms of sound, because it's possible to get a better sound out of fewer speakers, though spatial wise it might have slightly less specificity. A newer processor may help compensate.

[@b0rme]

How do you connect them to your tv?

[@stevenswall]

@@b0rme You don't. You connect them to the Apple TV wirelessly, and then the Apple TV can use them for audio or can play audio from your TV.

[@NithinJune]

?? what

[@olliebelt9486]

I still have my original HomePod OG’s - I picked them up back last year along with a 2nd gen ATV 4K. I would have never paid the original price, but managed to get 2 in mint condition for $150 ($75 each). Still work perfectly and amazing when used as a stereo pair.

[@DaviAreias]

Mine suffered from deathfarts after 1 year and that's why I'm never buying another one ever again.

[@Demipurr]

Where did you get yours?

[@RefurbNoob]

@Shawna it is a real therm tho 😂 I repair the og HomePods daily

[@RefurbNoob]

@Shawna Well if it is actually a real term technicaly prob not 🤣 but let say its used for that very common haha

[@Austinfdp]

fell bad for you stuck in mid apple eco system

[@13Maverik]

Bought a discounted HomePod back in 2021. It sounds loads better than the mini. I wasn’t impressed at how it sounded at the Apple Store but at home it’s amazing! The bass frequencies are crazy good. I hope this gen can get more appreciation.

[@TylerPoppe]

I got a bunch when Best Buy sold the originals on clearance for $150 and I love them, fantastic when setup as a TV speaker that also works for music and siri (even if she's bad).

[@peterwolanyk3428]

Ah shit that was smart. I should've done that.

[@TylerPoppe]

@@peterwolanyk3428 yeah I started off with one just out of curiosity. Now I have a pair for each TV and then whole house sound with music when I want. I wish they would have done these at $200. Would have sold like hot cakes.

[@bub9587]

Not gonna lie, I didn’t even know what a HomePod was until I watched this video. I thought it was Amazon Alexa variation. This really shows how much this product flopped.

[@Fredd00007]

Only if u only have Apple products lying around. It doesn't make sense to have speakers that only work with Apple devices.

[@TylerPoppe]

@@Fredd00007 That's true. But I knew that going in and so it's not a problem.

[@MrGamelover23]

That intro was gold, we need more of that kind of stuff on this channel. I see he's been taking notes from LTT intros.

[@RealJoseph123]

Yeah, I was expecting a cinematic style intro. Wasn’t expecting the team to put together that “skit”.

[@ak_hoops]

truly GOLDEN

[@mattieboombatti]

It's so unexpected, but the QUALITY

[@Romafood]

Vero👏

[@casmatt99]

A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one!

[@TheAlfredo1018]

I have that setup with an LG TV (around $500) and two 1st gen HomePods. They’re just amazing! I literally stopped looking for audio bars after this and they are importantly compact to me because I’ve been moving a lot in the past few years. And even better now, if the old fail I can now replace them!!

[@Katatonya]

How do you hook them up if they only connect to ios devices though ?

[@amauryd]

i think OP has apple tv, pairs them via airplay

[@jjsjohnson1]

I assume you can only use them through Apple TV right?

[@lucasbim]

I have bad news for you, if one fails.. you have to buy two of the new one. AFAIK, they don't pair and old + new one. :(

[@TheAlfredo1018]

@@lucasbim yep, I’m mentally prepared for that. Now I need to be financially prepared… but still I think I’d buy them again.

[@omgneal7016]

I use 2 OG HomePods for my home theater set up and it sounds fantastic. No plans to upgrade but the threading feature is nice.

[@drgin22]

Same, I use two minis as my home theater speakers and it’s just enough. This bigger HomePod just seems unnecessary.

[@scorpa106]

That's an expensive set up

[@MikoEZK]

thats cap

[@apexerman1]

@@drgin22 - You might reconsider. I like my Minis too, but even one HomePod offers quite the dynamic punch for its size. It's actually remarkable how much very deep bass response occurs at low to mid-volumes. It also supports spatial enhancement from Dolby Atmos.

[@jasonsturek6510]

I think it has a chance this time because the $99 mini buyers might upgrade if they've had a good experience. I have the original and have had heard a few minis playing together at the same time and I'd say that without a doubt one HomePod beats out 4-5 minis playing together. That's an odd value proposition there, but nonetheless true.

[@LuisMartinsmw]

Same. I had to race to get two of the originals when they were discontinued and I’m still very happy with them. I would prefer to see this relaunch be something more affirmatively something to stay. It does feel like it will probably flop again.

[@stavrocoumanidis1199]

@@LuisMartinsmw why not make these wirelesss? apple missed a trick there

[@pr3ttysus922]

Literally me haha, I have a blue mini and considering buying a regular for more sound. Not that the mini sounds bad, I just want more bass and volume.

[@LuisMartinsmw]

@@pr3ttysus922 I have a few minis as well. There’s no comparison. The original sounds worlds better

[@LuisMartinsmw]

@@stavrocoumanidis1199 what do you mean? They are already wireless

[@sergiodelarosa612]

Honestly, I think the rerelease is coming out now because many users that passed on the Gen1 and snagged the mini now see the capabilities of having an automated home. I speak from personal experiences, I passed on the gen1 due to price, but the mini was reasonable enough to be able to try out. I’m actually thinking of grabbing this one and rearrange the minis together into other rooms.

[@tiagomaqz]

Exactly what I just said. MKHB is great but he’s too bias on his reviews.

[@CJ-ct2mu]

@@tiagomaqz Every reviewer is "bias". Plus it's not like he doesn't give reasons why he thinks what he thinks. He also has the luxury of being able to try out any electronics that he desires. So in comparison to other smart speakers, this one isn't the best option. Nothing wrong with that.

[@randocalrissian9217]

The used HomePod market heated up for a bit. I was never able to snag a black HomePod at a decent price after they were discontinued.

[@rventura101699rv]

We have the original HomePod in all the rooms in our house. Super happy with the audio quality. Love the fact that we can play the same music in all the rooms, or just in certain rooms. Funny we’ve got comments from people who haven’t even experienced the full sized HomePod. So glad Apple decided to bring it back. Will be purchasing a few of these for our other place. Find it funny they the reviewer said “People don’t pay a premium for just the sound quality” - seriously- why do people buy speakers then?hello Devialet 😂😂😂

[@keaton718]

Anyone remember Apple's official iPod dock, that was a huge and very heavy hifi quality speaker? I feel like Steve Jobs was behind that and wanted a dock that he personally would want to listen to music through. And that Jobs would have been proud of the HomePod 1 and 2.

[@rph_redacted]

It sounded VERY good actually

[@sobeautifulsrilanka]

Had the original HomePod. It sounded like crap compared to the Google Home Max and my stereo system. No midrange. Just thump and tizzle sound, as audiophiles say. I sold mine.

[@nixl3518]

@@sobeautifulsrilanka Who cares? What's a GHMax? Sounds like a vacuum cleaner, rather than a speaker name! Typical reaction non-Apple-ite w/ a shoulder-full of chips having being shorn away!!

[@jamescassar5348]

If Steve jobs was alive today he would be rolling in his grave

[@sobeautifulsrilanka]

@@nixl3518 Actually, I’m almost all in on Apple. Use a Mac, iPhone, iPad. But the HomePod was very disappointing. It has crap sound , to those who know what good sound sounds like.

[@apexerman1]

This is a fair and honest review. Siri wasn't even a consideration for me. I purchased the original HomePods primarily as high fidelity audio components that mesh with my Apple ecosystem. So far, they haven't disappointed. And when Apply finally supported home theater with Apple TV 4K, their function expanded considerably. The sound reproduction coupled with Dolby Atmos is remarkable... room-filled spatial sound with impressive deep bass performance. It may not compare to the highest home theater setups, but it'll do a phenomenal job for the price. Even one HomePod could suffice. Whether HomePod 2.0 will succeed is another story. Home Theater capability could give it life if it's recognized by enough people. To the Apple TV owners considering an upgrade, do it. You'll be amazed. :)

[@ToriZealot]

You cannot compare this to any serious Hifi equipment. It may sound nice on your desk however

[@IceBlueLugia]

@@ToriZealotWrong, it matches the quality of any hi-fi setup. Apple did a great job

[@ToriZealot]

@@IceBlueLugia How old are you? How many serious Hi-Fi- configurations have you tested? What is your favorite Membran material?

[@heroninja1125]

@@ToriZealot Oh man, the master gatekeeper himself is speaking. Quiet guys, if we listen carefully enough we may even hear the snake oil merchant as well!!

[@ToriZealot]

@@heroninja1125 I recently discovered a 120 Dollar phone that beats 50000 Dollar Studio equipment. Must be true or you are a gatekeeper. Should I also update my own posts?

[@IGmeanwell]

I waited until I could find the OG HomePods for under $250 and have a stereo pair for music. They have been solid for me, if I didn’t already have dedicated sound in the livingroom I would use them for the projector. I really enjoy them I just want them to support the use of two other HomePods for a surround setup. Just waiting on that Apple.

[@FreemanLinde]

"At least Siri sucks seamlessly on a smart speaker that sounds sweet..." is a brilliant piece of alliteration and deserves more credit than it's getting. 👏🏻

[@oskarvnz]

It is not that serious.

[@waheeddoesstuff]

@@oskarvnz let it slide

[@timmannchicken]

I was literally coming here to quote that same phrase. LOL.

[@carstenb23]

@@waheeddoesstuff he's adding to the alliteration

[@waheeddoesstuff]

@@carstenb23 haha

[@davidmarsham]

I think the key with this one is the higher adoption of the mini. I can see people who ignored this the first time, but eventually ended up getting a mini and enjoying it, wanting to add an upgrade to their setup now that they’re in the Apple smart speaker ecosystem. So to me it kind of makes sense. Maybe…?

[@arafatrahmanshihab5268]

Yeah

[@hubear_]

If it was $200-$250 max. For $300, this is a hard sell as purely a sound upgrade to the Mini.

[@lovetheblue6659]

This *does* make sense as this is exactly what we're doing! In fact, we're buying two for use with our Apple TV box in the Den. BOTTOM LINE: If you're married to the iOS ecosystem and you subscribe to iTunes Music (we have a "all-in-one" family service pack which includes Arcade, expanded Cloud Storage, TV+, and News+) then this is THE smart speaker!

[@sexyshyscorpio]

Yeah I agree. I definitely skipped the first HomePod but have 3 minis in our bedrooms. I would love a HomePod for my living room and I’m debating one for our basement/family room set up. I might go 2 minis for the basement tho.

[@anthonywall1228]

I have 6 minis and love them. Can’t see spending more money just to get a bigger product and a better sound. The minis are a great product.

[@sammy_sam_leonardo]

I had the original homepod, and after 18months it inexplicably stopped working despite being on- after no luck at the Apple Store I did some online research and this was a massive issue that had no fix! I bought a mini to replace it and it’s worked perfectly since. I would imagine the original homepod had some kind of fundamental issue combined with not selling well equalled discontinuing it…

[@SebastianWerner82]

The microphones could hear you not just across the room but actually across the whole floor, around a few corners. Also, in several countries the first home pod was not available for over a year. Personally I prefer the HomePod over the HomePod mini. One thing you should note that’s kind of a bummer: You can not use HomePods as Speakers for Macs. You can do video and music, but not games or system sound or anything else that can not be pre-cached for the matter.

[@manlish11]

That’s bummer! I was thinking to buy it as permanent speaker for the Mac

[@morpheus9394]

Loved that intro, very funny and very clever. You and the team just keep getting better and better, original too.

[@prayagsuthar9856]

OMG yesss!!! The intro is _hilarious,_ I could totally watch it again 😆

[@GamesForNoobs]

at first it was weird but it was funny

[@nchia]

Fact that this video already has almost 1.5M views, and counting, shows many are at least still very interested in this product. The only issue I have with this is the price. When the original was on run out, it was a no brainer. In any case, I’m really happy with mine - as additional to my surround speakers, and for the bedroom, and very happy it’s “back”.

[@RetrobeeJordans]

I trust your reviews and love even more that my son has someone like you as a model for what he wants to do in life! Thank. You.

[@sorvex9]

is he also black

[@rahulreek]

​@@sorvex9bro 💀

[@cbini15]

I would love to see this in comparison with a Sonos Ray or Sonos One. Same price point as the Ray and both are advertised for use with Airplay 2. I'm actually looking for a speaker for my smaller living room and am now holding off on getting the Ray until I see what this thing is capable of.

[@TylerBR97]

Sonos in general is amazing. I have one in every room. They’re so good

[@hughmark8785]

@@TylerBR97 Naim Muso is the way, sound kicks ass

[@gagesaenz3864]

The Ray isn't going to compete head to head with one Homepod for "room audio", it isn't 360 degree sound and doesn't have a large enough woofer to compete on the low end. It will be a better TV soundbar because it will create better separation as a "stereo" L,C,R speaker. Where the Sonos ecosystem shines is you can get a Ray now, and then purchase a Sub Mini in the future and that 2 piece setup will be significantly better audio than something Apple can create with just Homepods. Separate subwoofer from your speaker will simply result in better audio.

[@sinjb6206]

If you are exclusively going to pair it with an iPhone or iPad then the apple speaker is better . Compare to the sonos one it definitely sounds better but it is extremely limited for everything else so apple speaker if you are planning to only use it with an apple product forever lol

[@Drewgulbas]

You'll need two HomePods to get same room filling sound as Sonos Ray. for the same price ($600), get the Ray surround package (Ray soundbar + 2 Sonos 1 surround speakers)

[@mikuqt2622]

A comparison with other premium smart speakers like the Bose Smart Speaker 500 would be great

[@modenaman]

Bose wins hands down. I tried both.

[@annenominous7220]

@@modenaman Bose, LOL

[@Mr.BobsDog]

The Bose is brilliant!

[@ElCeeKaa]

I use the HK citation 200, must say that one stands above the latter.

[@keoganlarademusic918]

I feel like the target market for this is people who bought homepod minis, like them, and now feel like this would be a great addition to their existing setup. I don’t know anyone whose first google speaker was the home max, most people bought the mini, or the normal google home, and then decided to get the max

[@SamsonKilanko]

I kinda agree with Marques on this one. Homepods are great, and sound great, but they're still a tad too expensive and quite limited. Personally, I'm pretty invested in Apple's eco-system but when it came to whole-house audio, I chose Sonos. It's not cheap but, frankly, it's not a whole lot more expensive than buying multiple Homepods. Speaking of which, MKBHD, I've never seen you review Sonos products. 🤔 Is there a reason for that? Hands down, IMHO, I still think Sonos offers the best multi-room audio system on the market today. You need to check it out.

[@CB-wi3vc]

Great review! As far as TV speakers go.. I opted for Sonos. Not a "smart" speaker but has incredible audio quality and bass. I use my HomePod (1st one) in my house for Apple Music and Siri. I also like the Mini's as a stereo pair I use in my music room. The humidity feature (now "released") lets me know if my room humidity is good for my guitars. Keep up the great work here!

[@MrBasti1008]

I have the Sonos one and HomePod mini. With Apple Music the sound quality is better on the HomePod So I guess I will buy the Pod.

[@Drewgulbas]

​@@MrBasti1008 depends on use case. have both original HomePod & Sonos 1. Homepod does sound better, and would probably go that route just using a single smart speaker. but sonos in a whole home set up is light years ahead.

[@gagesaenz3864]

Some of the Sonos soundbars are "smart" though, and the ability to link a smart home theater with the rest of your room speakers is incredible.

[@Drewgulbas]

​@@gagesaenz3864 exactly. i dont use the built-in Sonos voice control. my iphones airplay2 does a better job w voice commanding the 6 Sonos speakers in the house

[@Jaylou88]

I was debating getting the Sonos arc for my LG C1. Now, I’m debating on maybe trying two of these HomePods and save $300 🤔

[@padmo1531]

The intros just keeps getting better and better. At this point, I don't have a favorite one. They are all so damn good!😍😍😍

[@RussDnB]

I use 2 original HomePods in the HDMI ARC setup, and they sound phenomenal in our living room. All working with consoles too. Yes there's a tiiiiny bit of latency, especially for games that use fast and sharp sounds, but these speakers either side of the TV with no sound bar come across wonderful. And yeah, I'm one of the handful of crazies that have them around the home too. Nothing I love more than playing my music at a semi-low level all around the home and being able to just walk around doing what I'm doing with my music all around, and sounding nice and full in every room.

[@mrclaytontodd]

How did you do the HDMI ARC setup? I stereo paired the originals with the latest AppleTV just via AirPlay & they drop CONSTANTLY.

[@joshualockett6912]

@@mrclaytontodd most likely your home network setup. Do you use the stock router provided by your ISP by any chance?

[@mrclaytontodd]

@@joshualockett6912 we have eero router and just bought our own modem too

[@thighhigh423]

@@mrclaytontodd we had to get one of the “newer” 4k Apple TVs for it to work. Sold the other to a friend. Make sure yours has ARC support

[@joshualockett6912]

@@mrclaytontodd Interesting. I’ve got an eero setup too. I use a mini stereo pair for the bedroom TV (Apple TV 4K 3rd gen WiFi) with no problems whatsoever.

[@drthirteen5786]

😂 That 600$ speakers reference to 300$ tv was actually so true

[@ErikVeland]

Not sure why this was even mentioned. You'd rather want to put in money for good audio anytime over the tiny deltas in visual acuity between TVs these days.

[@drthirteen5786]

@@ErikVeland 😂 did you even go to school?

[@teapouter]

@@ErikVeland $300 TV is noticeably worse than say a $1000 42" LG C2

[@mrowe1204]

He’s not wrong 😂🤷🏻‍♀️😂

[@majesticzak2390]

@@ErikVelandthat’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard

[@iGageit]

That was the best intro I have ever seen from MKBHD Team! well done! I also do use 2 OG HomePods as my TV speakers. would recommend.

[@custardtart1312]

I came here to see if some bellend would sycophantically comment on the intro. I’m actually embarrassed for you. Pathetic.

[@johnvest4216]

Really interested to know if the new one sounds noticeably better than the old. That'd be a tough feat since the old one sounds so good ... so not sure how much they can squeeze out of new hardware, chip and signal processing.

[@isaacoz4730]

I haven’t heard the sound quality myself but from what Marques said, it seems like the quality is nearly identical.

[@lifeofmisschar]

Bass is improved

[@AOqueso]

He says it still sounds great. Honestly 7 tweeters was overkill and I have no doubt this new one still sounds very good.

[@zappyhaxpro]

It sounds about the same which is a big deal considering it has 2 less tweeters and some other things which he mentioned while having a bit lower price tag

[@acousticriff7579]

Own both. Its negligible if at all. They both sound excellent.

[@RishabhDesairf7627]

After the Homepod was discontinued, it became one of the most coveted item, and used homepods were going for more than their MSRP. I remember that at one point, StockX was selling Homepods for $900. This was because people realised that while the homepod was not great value as a smart speaker, it was amazing product as a quality wireless speaker. So Apple decided to monetise on it by reintorducing it as a "second generation homepod". The same as when Nike monetizes the "collectibility" and rarity of Jordans.

[@pcefulpolarbear]

Not at all

[@donaldwang7538]

Yep. I was thinking about getting a Homepod last year, but resale prices were insane. Ended up getting a Sonos 5 instead.

[@AdamNicholsMusic]

what is wrong with the world

[@AFreeThinkingDawg09]

In regards to any wireless speaker, it’s amazing. Siri is still dumb but the quality is amazing for what it is. Better than any other wireless speakers

[@Akosa117]

It’s not wireless

[@k1n1ami18]

I was one of the engineers working on it, the only thing we changed was the core, the audio speaks are just "renewed" version of the last one the are produced by the same company using the same methods.

[@syesepoh]

Would love to know what two of these sound like compared to two Sonos Play One speakers. Good thing about the Sonos is that you can buy two for £336 here in the UK.

[@sh4rp1337]

Yes, prices of those are the only downside. I use a pair of 1gen with my Apple TV more than 3 years now… no regrets!

[@lackokalman]

I had a pair of HomePods (first gen), and while it sounded fairly good, I just couldn't justify the price tag, so I went for a Sonos Beam instead. It was so much better and useful, that ended up buying 2 Sonos One (for surround) and a Sub to have the full setup. No regrets at all. (I had a full Sony/Cambridge Audio Atmos setup before that)

[@syesepoh]

@@lackokalman exactly what I’ve got in the front room. Phenomenal sound bud 👌🏽

[@sh4rp1337]

@@lackokalman I bet that setup sounds better but also cost 2 times more and takie more space ( my living room isn't the biggest one) compare to pair of HomePods.

[@andyb9664]

two play one, got you

[@thejake1337]

On the question about this being successful or not, I think it will be. I view the original HomePod as a test run, it didn’t really work out as expected, but when the HomePod mini came out, the ecosystem started to be established. I think that the new HomePod will be successful as there is now a “market” for these things now.

[@kas4751]

Yea I’m having the same thought as u. First one was a proof of concept but people weren’t prepared to spend that much money on a smart speaker. Then they released the minis and that served as their barrier breaking HomePod. Now that people are acquainted to the idea of HomePods, they now have the option to get the big one again for better sound quality, if that’s what they want.

[@carstenb23]

That's a really good prediction. I didn't think about that

[@zoruaboy]

I use 2 HomePod Minis as a theater setup for my room, it’s honestly super underrated that they support the surround sound feature on gaming consoles like Switch and PlayStation, they convert it to kind of Atmos, and it works really well! On Xbox they straight up work with Atmos already

[@legolasfanboy6712]

are you able to do this without and apple tv 4k second gen, or do you use that too?

[@wmosleycr7]

@@legolasfanboy6712 need the 4K Apple TVs that have ARC built into them.

[@innocentgilbert435]

How good is its bass ?

[@zoruaboy]

@@innocentgilbert435 pretty good actually, though I don't have anything else to compare it to, massive upgrade from my old Google Home Mini if that helps :P

[@innocentgilbert435]

@@zoruaboy am thinking of getting one but am torn between it and a Bose Mini yet my main focus is better bass

[@jacobmaz8157]

I was watching another review of this product, I stopped 2 min in to watch your review instead, BECAUSE I wanted a quality video, the intro, the edits, the facts, the shots, I got what I came for, thank you.

[@tony86082]

just to clarify for us audio pro's, true Atmos sound is 7.1.2 (left, center, right, 4 rear surrounds, sub and 2 overheads), the best you'll get with multiple HomePods is stereo. And if you add more than 2, it'll be summed to the same mono signal in each speaker, no separation. Which will not give you the experience the sound mixers intended (with very specific information moving through the surrounds and overheads). in case anyone cares. haha

[@Chris_Hruska]

each tweeter can blast out different audio channels. its better than mono or stereo like you said. it'll probably sound better than 5.1 systems that have a sounder and woofer and two rear speakers for sure.

[@BenJ.G]

Unfortunately there’s a bit more gray area than that. You’ve listed minimum requirements for true multichannel Atmos, but a setup can truly be however many speakers you’d like, or it can just be binaural (headphones plus an HRTF). Then there’s the fact that a HomePod is not just a mono speaker - there are five theaters within that intelligently project sound in different directions. Is it a true Atmos experience? Technically not. But is the experience as simple as mono or stereo? Also no.

[@andyb9664]

The closing note, he almost lost it 🤣 That was gold.

[@TheBigNegative-PhotoChannel]

Now we can hear Siri suck at the highes possible audio quality. 😂

[@nixl3518]

Sounds like another negative from a -big-Negative... giving us a positive review!! If your ears suck, you can hardly blame the speaker!! 🤣

[@TheBigNegative-PhotoChannel]

@@nixl3518 The speaker in the thing will be top notch. I'm only happy when I activate a home scene "go to sleep" and siri can't execute the command because I don't have a running app. Because I said "go". Or the next time I want to calculate 22x32 and siri shows me "20 two multiplied by..." I use Siri every day and I wonder how the heck this can still be so bad when we have something like chat GPT next to it?

[@afite1]

I think the problem with original HomePod was that it was missing the mini option. A $350 cost of entry just to try out an Apple speaker is a big ask. Now that there’s a HomePod mini and people can try a lower risk and lower investment to see if they even like HomePod they’ll be more open to paying up to get a better HomePod experience. Arguably the HomePod mini should have been Apple’s first smart speaker product and then followed by the more premium HomePod. While still expensive, I think the new HomePod will do better with the HomePod mini around. No one would have bought Alexa/Google speakers if the first and only options had cost $350 dollars.

[@luciussander8217]

You think people buy one lower price product to see if they'll like it and then buy thehighter price one as well. That's dumb theory.

[@EddieOWright]

I have a couple of the original versions set up as a stereo pair and use it with an Apple TV as a speaker and absolutely love it. Glad to see they brought back the big one again.

[@benniewalker312]

You got me Marquise, as soon as you said the magic words my original HomePods OG told me the temp lol. For the record I love my original HomePods, but I was never going to pay $350 each for a stereo pair. But when Best Buy put them out for $199. I bought 2. Great purchase at that price.

[@brianbarajas2948]

Same here. That's when i got a pair as well

[@christopheranderson5803]

Plug this into your TV as a soundbar replacement. I did and let me tell you, the sound quality increases significantly with just my two minis paired. But then I have four minis total around the apartment and it's truly amazing how the music and football game comes through. Also, Siri's strong point may never be smarts, but giving it simple directions always works better like playing a particular song or movie. Asking it simple questions like what time does the LA Lakers play tonight. Learning the simple commands and questions work so much better. But still the same old Siri, can't handle anything complex. Thanks Marques Brownlee for the review. I just ordered one!

[@PunkIAm]

You must not have watched the whole review

[@morbly]

The only way you can plug this into your TV is if you have Apple TV. It's useless otherwise.

[@Thirst_TV]

Connecting to the homepod mini sometimes is frustrating

[@MillennialGeriatrico]

I freaking love your honesty. Thank you for another awesome review Marques!

[@LosEspookys]

honesty? lol he’s talking about a speaker

[@roeI]

@@LosEspookys and he does so very honestly.

[@LosEspookys]

@@roeI i would hope 😂

[@jessewilliams875]

Always appreciate your honest reviews. Super helpful.

[@brianduffytube]

I’ve got two of the OGs as my TV speakers and it’s been a fantastic experience. Way better than most sound bars I’ve heard and also great for playing music in the living room.

[@chrisyue]

do you think it's as good as a surround sound system?

[@gromenteal2133]

@@chrisyue It’s absolutely NOT.

[@brianduffytube]

@@chrisyue A surround sound speaker setup would definitely be superior. The Dolby Atmos feature sounds way better than regular stereo content, but it can’t magically put sound behind you. However, if you’re committed to the Apple ecosystem, have an AppleTV as your primary streaming box, and you listen to a lot of music in the same room as you watch movies/shows, it’s an easy pick over a soundbar. One of the biggest selling points for me is simplicity. Between airplay, the apple remote widget in iOS, and Siri, it’s an almost friction free experience for shows/movies/music. I do not want to fuss with a receiver, switching inputs, Bluetooth, the Sonos app, etc. I want it all to “just work”, and that’s what I’ve got.

[@p3rrypm]

They don’t have the top end of the Bose 900 or Sonos arc, so I wouldn’t even consider them for movies and TV. I was hoping apple fixed that in Gen 2, but they didn’t.

[@itslucakoala]

yes. agree on every point. no bluetooth no audio jack is insane. siri + apple music comically bad app and rec engine … really wanted for the sound quality when not running my big setup. too bad

[@SteveGoodwinAuthor]

Taking it to the next level, Marques allowing a device to permanent stain his table.

[@gezeo750]

That's dedication there.

[@devonkennedy1386]

@@gezeo750 What exactly do you mean?

[@devonkennedy1386]

This comment makes no sense, you have no proof that isn’t just a wood table that he pulled out of a junkyard for the demo. In fact in his previous vids, he dsnt have a wood table anywhere inside the studio

[@_richardaustin]

@@devonkennedy1386 chill out Devon, it’s not that deep

[@SteveGoodwinAuthor]

@@devonkennedy1386 😁😆😂

[@randocalrissian9217]

I have that home theater HomePod set up with eARC Apple TV. I run my PS5 audio through those speakers and it’s sounds great. I’m sure it introduces latency but after watching Linus’ wifi crippled by Sony wireless speakers, I find my stereo HomePods working great lately.

[@-smellerbee-]

Soundbars exist specifically for gaming

[@randocalrissian9217]

@@-smellerbee- sure but when I bought my HomePod pair I was more interested in the HomePods sound quality and room analysis. eARC Apple TV landed way after I bought them.

[@vvvvwwvvvv8843]

I bought a ton of these when they were $199 at Best Buy. They sound AMAZING in a stereo pair. Siri is a dumb as a bag of rocks, but sound quality was my priority, and I'm very satisfied. Glad to see Apple is re-launching the product. Even if its not a top seller, it provides a lot of value to a specific niche within the Apple ecosystem that I hope Apple continues to serve.

[@IAmCjcj11]

My Fiance got me one whenever they had that sale, and I've been looking at getting a second one again ever since. It was so painful to see apple discontinue it and then watch all the used homepods essentially selling for MSRP. Definitely not a big enough jump for me to want to buy the new one, especially at 300, but I'm really hoping maybe I can pick up a used one around that 200 mark again to have the stereo pair

[@pedrator69]

It'll be interesting to see whether consumers will buy into this one now that they've had the experience with iPod mini. Maybe it's a build-up/upgrade strategy.

[@callum8184]

I have two of the old original HomePod in the lounge set up in stereo. They sound great and work very well for surround sound in a smaller room. The updated version just refines the old HomePod and brings it up to date with thread etc. Glad that Apple have brought it back as a option

[@victordobo]

I’ve bought a pair of the previous gen on marketplace before they were discontinued for super cheap. It’s an amazing stereo setup, but I wouldn’t pay retail for this.

[@KanwarAnand]

Yes suggest you wait for buyers remorse to kick in and then get a 4 month used one for way less.

[@luke.warm.freelance]

I have 2 HomePod minis that I use for my Apple TV speakers. They sound really good imo, and were super easy to set up. Cheaper than any good sound bars and wireless with seamless pairing. I set up my stereo pair in the same room as my AppleTV and it immediately asked if I wanted to use them as my tv speakers. Super convenient and easy.

[@iShaymus]

100% this is where they make the most sense from a cost perspective. They smash absolutely demolish anything in their price range as a sound bar and with the eARC feature can be used a speakers for anything attached to the TV

[@steampunkwhale2280]

I have the same set up. For $200 I’m happy.

[@jelmerschmidt]

You can probably avoid the stains on your table just by wiping it off first. I don’t know why but a very powerful solvent smell came from the HomePod box. I wiped the bottom clean and no marking on the wood.

[@cynic5581]

I got a good deal on a HomePod from and a friends and I loved it so much I bought another to make the stereo pair. They just sound soooooo good. I heard the term “room filling sound” and now that makes sense. I’ll often have it playing and in another room it sounds too loud (I live in a condo with neighbors I don’t want to bother) but when I come into the room with the HomePod it’s not loud at all the sound just carries without that “hotspot” near the speaker. I’m happy to see Apple bring it back.

[@gelfie2208]

Its that the bass, which is all the HomePod has, travels through the walls easily.

[@dBsdecibels]

They updated the internal processing as well. Speculating that maybe they have some new product or capability that will improve its value proposition? Certainly hope so! I actually DO have one of the old ones. Was a really good sale as they were dying out, and the audio quality was worth the smaller entry price ($150 IIRC). Has been great for music, smart home commands, timers (it's near the kitchen) and basic tasks like that. Don't regret the purchase at that price point.

[@g33xzi11a]

Yeah. I’m speculating OpenAI x Siri or their own real answer to OpenAI. I would buy one tomorrow if it had OpenAI-level natural language processing available to it. I don’t care about screens. They also need to revamp the ability to make it a bluetooth speaker and expand access to non-apple devices. You can’t sell a closed off speaker. Not even AirPods or Beats are apple only even if their best features are apple only. Plus if they ever release their own tv capable of generating its own subwoofer through the screen itself (technology we know they’re already very very good at) then this would be really great accessory device.

[@AJimenez45]

“We know Siri sucks… but at least Siri sucks seamlessly on a smart speaker that sounds pretty sweet” 😂

[@juancruz3755]

When he said “Hey siri what’s the temperature outside” my HomePod Siri also activated and surprised me 🤣

[@c8h8r8i8s8]

If the sound is competitive with Sonos or Bose sound bars, I think these in stereo would also be price competitive.

[@MTM358]

Honestly I have a Bose 900 soundbar with a subwoofer and while it gets much louder, I still prefer the sound and integration of my paired OG HomePods on my other TV.

[@antonmartinsson]

Somewhat important note: The fact that you can't set Spotify as as your default music service is a hundred percent on Spotify nowadays. They've had something like two or three years to add support for this, but just won't do it (probably because it'll hurt their image in their legal battles against Apple).

[@auliamate]

Spotify probably wants to jump on the "Apple has a monopoly on their own products" bandwagon and adding support to the HomePod would mean they CHOSE not to, and people are already a little done with Spotify as a company.

[@ProductManagementUniversity]

Or maybe Spotify doesn’t want to allocate resources to support a device with low sales. That’s why people didn’t develop apps for Windows Phone or post-2013 BlackBerry.

[@antonmartinsson]

@@ProductManagementUniversity Maybe! Although I’m pretty sure they also haven’t implemented support for AirPlay 2 (which is supported by pretty much every other hardware and software product ever) yet, so I feel like it’s the former personally :)

[@Neo.555]

It's not just Spotify though... You cannot choose the default music streaming service if I understand it correctly

[@Frannyboy5]

When Marques asked Siri the temperature, my homepod Mini responded hahaha

[@quique420]

I had the original HomePod. When the mini came out I bought 3 to have around the house. Day after I bought them the HomePod stopped working.

[@JFalido]

Damn, the quality on your reviews is unmatched. Love your work man, catch you on the next one.

[@XP9724]

This might be the best review I've watched on here in a while, that skit at the beginning and back handed compliments throughout the video were golden 😂😂😂.

[@rodrigojds]

really? this was the best review youve watched here in a while? really?

[@romangrishin8209]

@@rodrigojds he probably first time on youtube

[@XP9724]

@@romangrishin8209 I've been subbed for years, I guess me complimenting the video is a problem with u snowflakes

[@XP9724]

@@rodrigojds really?

[@rodrigojds]

@@XP9724 how does pointing out your stupid comment make us a snowflake? complimenting is great but why do you feel the need to exaggerate like that? Do you think he'll like your comment if you do?

[@99cya]

i bought the homepod first gen and liked it because it did exactly what i need. controlling my lights from inside as well as from outside my home. playing music in good sound quality. when the mini came out I bought a ton of them. 2 for stereo with my tv and 1 in every room. i cannot complain. they do their job very well. i dont ask much of a digital assistand anyways.

[@JustinCachopo]

Can you do a studio pair with the new HomePod but also use 2 minis as surround sound behind?

[@pippovaveloce]

So good to hear honest reviews, sometimes good, sometimes bad, just as it should be

[@Mayolatradez]

I think a critical point missing is that what the mini did that the larger speaker couldn’t do is provide access to the ecosystem at a better price point. And for those who are within the ecosystem probably left with more to be desired regarding sound quality. This is that product. Kind of like buying a luxury belt at a lower price only to buy a more suit later on. There’s an element aspiration attached. 2ndly if you enjoyed the mini. And now want bigger sound this is the most obvious chose.

[@CamilaArrate]

Spot on

[@greylawson6352]

My only issue with the original HomePod now is long latency and how it always takes 5-7 seconds to connect to my phone or play or pause when I use voice commands or skip a song on my phone. Is this issue fixed with the S7 chip in the new HomePod?

[@pskyvideo]

Thanks for the speakers review !) Can you please tell me HomePod 2 will work well with Mac Mini / Mac Studio as desktop speakers? - After rebooting or shutting down the Mac Mini, will I need to manually turn on the HomePod 2 and connect the speakers to the Mac Mini each time? - Will there be a sound delay when watching videos on a Mac Mini?

[@VR-jg3sp]

I've got 2 of the OGs linked together and have been enjoying their sound AND their easy (kinda) setup for the past 4 years (the Home app is NOT really an intuitive set up engine). And after 4 years one of the speakers recently "stopped responding" and needed to be reset. THAT was W A Y harder (via the Home app) than it should have been - (NEVER told me that my phone needed to have bluetooth running for the reset!) but aside from that *hiccup* I have ADORED my white speakers. I'll likely buy a pair of the new ones for my upstairs family room.

[@Bish_OP]

I'd be interested how this compares sound wise with the Sonos One speaker which is another natural choice for Apple users.

[@mekhig.9350]

@Garett W true, had bought the sound bar and paired it with the play:one, very buggy at times.

[@Bish_OP]

I've certainly found the software can be buggy with Sonos i.e. pairing timeouts. I'm not sure if that is more down to Sonos or more down to Airplay as I don't have anything to compare it to. I'd be interested to know about the sound quality difference between the Sonos One and the Homepod as my main use case is music and audio books. I much prefer the Wi-Fi connectivity (Airplay) over blue tooth for the range, reliability and battery improvements which is why I went for the Sonos (Homepod was discontinued when I bought the Sonos). I need 2 more speakers to have one in each room and wondering whether to go Homepod or Sonos. Another pro for the Homepod is I believe they act as an additional hub for devices such as Eve smart plugs.

[@kefkapalazzo1]

I’m happy this is back. I was sad I waited too long for the first one

[@GradythaStudips]

6:45 They actually had a testing room in the new york apple cube store. was super cool

[@sophiaisabelle027]

Marques never disappoints. His tech reviews are always precise and informative,

[@georgejungle138]

Is your pfp unironic or not

[@takoflame4948]

he actually leaves a lot of stuff out.

[@ClaxtonBay123]

@@takoflame4948 No he doesn't. He calls garbage when he sees it.

[@justaguyfromreddit]

Nah, he has good quality but he is too detached from reality. Like when he said the best economic setup for students was like everything flagship. No shit, of course it will work good, but the whole setup was like 5 grand

[@anferliner]

Old homepad had a big percentage of malfunctioning and unrepairable ones. So it’s good they made a new one without this issue. Such great sound from big homepod

[@sly2792004]

That we know of

[@DUNHaiti]

My favorite part of this review starts at 9:14 "if you are such a fan of apple products and sound quality, that you want to see how bad Siri is in crystal clear high definition, Dolby Atmos even, then this speaker is for you!" MKBHD

[@Denecio1000]

I am looking to buy the HomePod 2 and I would like to know if I can have 4 HomePod 2 playing at once with my Apple TV 4K?

[@garyhall1]

Wow! Best opening ever. Genuinely entertaining! You guys are truly changing the game. Nice!

[@geekdomo]

4:05 - Thanks for getting my ipad, apple watch and phone to all reply at same time. Great job MB ;)

[@briank.6482]

I have 2 of the origional home pods that I use in pair mode - together they are absolutely the best speakers I have ever had. They seem to come to life when you use more than 1. The Mini's I use in bedrooms and the sound is weak at best. Full size are amazing. I bet 2.0 is even better

[@cinder7258]

It has less

[@anothercoda3403]

In a sublime moment, Marques is asking Siri what the temperature outside is-and my iPhone currently casting this video to my tv via airplay responds, showing the full temperature outside *my* house on my tv…before seamlessly replaying the video with no intervention required on my part. Excellent Siri demo Marques 😂

[@CorsairMaverick]

It would have been interesting to hear some details on the audio lag using this device with an Apple TV or a Mac

[@diegovr86]

zero lag on a 1st gen pair...

[@clariceperry93]

1st gen definitely have lag in controlling (like pause/start) on a Mac

[@cvm6854]

I’ve never experienced any lag with mine

[@kevinolive]

I have 2 1st gen in a stereo pair for my bedroom apple tv. not only do they lag, they sometimes struggle with maintaining the stereo sound. I frequently get sound from just one speaker. It corrects itself but it is annoying.

[@Want300]

I have Sonos speakers all over my house, plus some homepods strategically placed throughout for voice commands with lights and starting apple music. It all works together pretty well. I love to audio quality on it, so I am fine with the premium price. I also like the mini too, nice for option for my kids. For the general consumer though, this needs to be $200... or at least $250 with times where it is discounted to $200 or so.

[@GK-ee7mw]

Sonos is where it’s at. Also was able to try my whole house being Google setup and Alexa setup with the same speakers and decide which I like better (went with Alexa cause I can’t stand Google responding “ok I turned the lights on” every time I ask it)

[@alexanderstephenevi733]

I’m thinking of selling my old Hifi for a couple of Sonos or HomePods, which ones do you suggest? Quality is my main concern.

[@Want300]

@@alexanderstephenevi733 The Sonos Five's are absolutely amazing and the One's sound pretty good too. The homepod is definetely better than the One in terms of audio quality though. My whole family is in the Apple Eco system so I like have Homepods as part of the system. At some point the Homepod will hit the $200-$250 point during a sale, making them a better deal over the Sonos One. Here is what I did: I put the Homepods in bedrooms, since they were larger and more likely to use voice commands for lights and such. I put a five in both my basement and kitchen. Than I have some Sonos one's spread to other rooms, like my bathroom, office, and work area. I have an arc with the sub on the tv in my living room and a Sonos Move to carry around the last areas that aren't covered, like my deck or garage. I have all the rooms set up in the Home app on my iphone so Siri can control all of the speakers through airplay 2... allowing me to pick which rooms I want music played in pretty easily with voice commands.

[@Want300]

@@GK-ee7mw My wife doesn't trust Alexa... so Siri it is for us (not that its any more private, but I will take it)

[@OJIULUIJO]

@@alexanderstephenevi733 sonos is better as far as multiroom and building your own system. If its a smaller space then homepod and minis would be cheaper and easier

[@jonsutubechannel]

I think it should be the mini at $99 and they should make a great looking sound bar for the price of this homepod.

[@2397-x6v]

A sound bar is big and bulky they would have to design something truly unique. right now I have multiple home pod minis they sound awesome when they're all synced up.

[@weekendgamer6515]

Hey Marques! Could you probably also do a small comparison video of speakers available for $300 to put Homepod 2.0 into perspective?

[@DA-zi6eq]

Thank you for being brutally honest!!!! More ppl should act like you, not just being an apple fanboy, but a honest review for us the consumers!!!! 👍👍

[@javtimestwo]

i know i appreciated it as well. not at all surprised by his summary. after watching this video i am more convinced that the value is in the HomePod mini for only $99 and getting two of those runs $200

[@wanderingcameraguy]

I struggled to find a decent used homepod cause I wanted a better mini. Super excited that apple decided to bring the full size version back. Got it on day one.

[@TylerBR97]

I recommend Sonos instead. Move and One are great and support airplay

[@yadavom734]

9:47 i was literally drinking milk and that just came out from my nose after listening that 😂

[@LiveWireBT]

I have the Nest Audio and use them primarily as desktop stereo speakers. They have a delay which I have to adjust and they disconnect at least once a day. Would I be tempted to buy these expensive Apple speakers if they are an improvement? Well, yeah. Until you described all their short comings. Half or three quarters of the price with reliable Bluetooth, I would buy them, but I guess I would be the only one.