Apple HomePod 2 Vs Sonos One: Battle of the Smart Speakers

[@grizzlypaws461]

Yes. Please compare HomePod 2 in stereo pair with Apple TV 4K vs. Sonos Beam 2.

[@smarthomesounds]

We are looking to get this video done soon 👍

[@jonathanjuha2329]

I would be more interested in seeing it vs the Arc. I live in an apartment building so adding a sub is not an option. Looking for the best “standalone” experience.

[@richardbuckingham4329]

Also, please compare the HomePod 2 in stereo pair with Apple TV 4K vs Sonos Beam 2 with dual rear Sonos Ones

[@kingkiril]

I got the HomePod 2. I’m loving it. Rich audio and room filling sound you can feel. Also controls my lights. I like Siri. Apple Music is really great too.

[@ddroadkill]

I have 2 Sonos Ones, a Sonos Play 5 gen 2 and recently a Home pod mini, all in my kitchen dining room setup. I have the trio of smart assistants in that space, because they all have they're strengths and weaknesses. In 2019, I was originally debating between the original Homepod and Play 5 and I am very happy with my decision to go with the play 5. In the household, we all have iPhones and share an Apple music subscriptions, so that's not a deciding factor between Apple and Sonos. If I would have to start again this year, the Homepod is just too expensive for what it is and I would go with sonos ones. I'd even consider paying 100$ more than the Homepod and go with the Sonos Move, for the liberty of mobility. On another subject that isn't discussed much, the microphone array on the Homepod mini is impressive. When I'm washing dishes with both hands wet, that is when I use the voice assistants the most, and the Homepod mini is the farthest away from me and it consistently hears and understands me better then the Sonos Ones, even at normal speech with music at 70% volume. It also works the best with the other speakers. I often request the song on the Homopd Mini and then ask it "continue playing in the kitchen" to add the Sonos One in the kitchen and again in the diner. This is something that has never worked well with the Sonos Ones, (for me anyways) even with they're own Sonos voice assistant. Keep up the great work on your channel. Cheers from Montreal.

[@julianfp1952]

Interesting. Thanks. I think mic arrays are so overlooked sometimes. When using a smart assistant the quality of the mic array can have an absolutely massive impact on the user experience. Of all the smart assistants I like Google Assistant the best but sadly in my experience the Google/Nest devices have the worst mic array of all (HomePod, Echos, Nest devices). I have one room (my home office) where a Sonos One is my Google smart speaker and sadly even with the Sonos One being a way more expensive product than the Nest Audio it still can’t match my Echo (including Echo Mini) devices in terms of hearing me accurately when I talk softly or with some background noise. I don’t have any HomePods (I’m not particularly impressed with Siri vs Google Assistant) but I’m not surprised to hear that the mic array is good. I really wish there were 3rd party mic arrays that could be connected to a smart Assistant device of your choice. Within reason I would be willing to buy the best mic array I could get to enhance my user experience.

[@mattaky]

Would defo like to see a review of the HomePod 2’s verses Sonia Beam gen 2. And the connectivity for tvs. Even looking at possibilities to connect to record player….

[@smarthomesounds]

Hi Matt, 100% as lots of comments are asking for this. Stay tuned over the next few weeks.

[@evan]

I’m so interested to see your thoughts on the HomePod 2 vs the era 300’s when they come out. Hate the price of the 300’s but I’m excited for full Donny Atmos

[@smarthomesounds]

If the rumours are true, we will do that comparison as soon as its released.

[@Keza82]

Yes this is the only thing I’m interested in and where Sonos can finally destroy Apple on the sound quality

[@pauljenkins6877]

I got an email from Sonos, teasing a new product to be announced on Tuesday, March 7.

[@vgman94]

I’m in between the HomePod 2 and Sonos Move 2. But there’s no videos comparing the two. If anyone has bought both, how do they compare?

[@hard_23]

Also compare the new HomePod with the new Sonos Era 100 when it will hit the market

[@smarthomesounds]

If the rumours are true, we will do that comparison as soon as its released.

[@JensMüller33]

The HomePod sounds better but the Sonos has more features such as Spotify connect, better working stereo pairing and so on

[@rockablity_hound1716]

But Siri is still the worst smart home assistant. Plus Sonos can update the systems to include Spotify connect.

[@Anonyme09865]

What do you mean by better working stereo pairing? The hompod works great if not better with stereo and dolby atmos!

[@JensMüller33]

@@Anonyme09865 I don't think so. I had two HomePods and I couldn't even airplay music or videos from my Mac to a stereo pair but always only to one of them. If you pair two Sonos ones the Mac sees them as one speaker and you can airplay to a stereo pair. That was really important to me.

[@bodigames]

@@JensMüller33 you can only connect to stereo homepods with wifi. if you use cellular you are limited to one speaker. using wifi i got no issues at all with my stereohomepods.

[@JensMüller33]

@@bodigames cellular? What are you talking about? Airplay from Mac only works over Wifi

[@sempre_sid]

Pls do a comparison of Stereo HomePod 2 vs Sonos Five

[@sherazsiddiq]

Can you add HomePod as surround speakers to existing Sonos set up?

[@smarthomesounds]

No this is not possible.

[@nehumnome]

Did you know if sonia play 1 is capable to be added on HomeKit app? Thanks

[@perry9900]

How does the sonos connect to apple tv? The same as an HomePod?

[@richardbuckingham4329]

I would have thought you could connect to the ones via airplay, but you won’t be able to set the ones as the default Apple TV 4K output.

[@driver288]

I was waiting for this review to hear your opinion on the price vs sound difference. It would be intresting to compare HomePod pair to beam gen2. 2x HomePod is £598. You get a Beam for that prize and change to spare. But the real comparison is HomePod vs. sonos Five!

[@smarthomesounds]

We will be filming some other comparisons in the very near future.

[@bajacobson922]

Yes please on the video of two HomePods vs. a Beam (and bonus points for an Arc!)

[@ermo2004]

Nice review. Would like to see the HomePod compared to Sonos One stereopair & Bass unit.

[@budspencer7363]

I never really liked the old HomePod but I love the HomePod 2023 Version ♥️ The bass is rich but controlled 🔊and the highs are sweet and present 👼

[@budspencer7363]

It‘s just so much more fun to listen…

[@LuisLuLu98]

Honestly I’ve had to get rid of my Sonos Gen 2 because I’ve had enough of it’s ui and connectivity, I’ve been having so many issues. It’s just so much work and ag. Just ordered my HomePod 2. Hopefully my Apple HomePod 2 will be smoother and easier.

[@valdocx]

You can do this again with the sonos era 100 in a few weeks

[@smarthomesounds]

Yes that will come.

[@mtnbikerva1]

Lossless hi resolution audio? Are either capable?

[@aec6964]

why I have to stay for one speaker in apple ecosystem?

[@iramorales71]

Nice detailed review. Anyway, what's your take on Homepod 2 (pair/stereo) vs Sonos One (pair/stereo) with Sonos Sub-mini? Will still Homepod 2 (pair/stereo) better in overall experience? Thanks..

[@smarthomesounds]

Great question, the Sonos One’s with the Sub mini will over a better performance. Or 2 x Era 300’s if budget allows

[@iramorales71]

@@smarthomesounds Alright, thanks. So I'm going to purchase a Sonos Sub-mini for my existing pair of One SL. Anyway, I have the 1st version Apple HomePod. I still want to acquire another 1st gen Homepod to make it stereo, but it's not available anymore. So I'm thinking of buying a pair of HomePod 2 or just a Sonos Sub-mini for my existing Sonos One SLs (pair). That's the reason for my query.

[@BBushell]

Be prepared to review the new HomePod with the New Sonos Era 100. I rather suspect Sonos would have materially narrowed any sound quality differences with this new speaker.

[@smarthomesounds]

If the rumours are true, we will do that comparison as soon as its released.

[@sateg]

In my country PAIR of Sonos One (Gen 2) cost the same as 1x Homepod 2. Is Sonos pair better sounding than single Homepod 2 ? Thanks !

[@smarthomesounds]

On sound quality alone the HomePod wins, but there are a lot pro's for Sonos too depending on your requirements, music service etc.

[@_Paul_N]

I have the Sonos One and it sounds amazing, but I’m getting a HomePod 2 and will give my parents the Sonos 😄

[@nothingtoseehere6761]

Good review, as always. The problem it creates is knowing where the HomePod 2 fits in with various other smart / Bluetooth speakers you've reviewed. There's a plethora of them, and for anyone wanting to know how they are ranked purely on sound quality, there's no league table from you guys. Knowing what you guys think of the Beoplay P6 vs these two, as just one example, or the Beosound A1 2nd Gen vs Sonos Roam would be interesting. So if you can create a "chart" based on SQ, that would be great.

[@smarthomesounds]

Thanks for the comment, this is a great idea and something we should look at putting into place. Stay tuned 🔜 and thanks again.

[@deonh9303]

Great video 👍🏼. Would absolutely love a Homepod stereo pair vs Beam gen 2 comparison 🙏🏼. I have the Beam but have been on the fence on either getting the sub mini or 2 Homepods with my Apple tv 4K 😅

[@stevethomas2285]

If you like your Beam, just get the sub and enjoy.

[@deonh9303]

@@stevethomas2285 Thanks for the reply. The issue is that, to me, the Homepod sounds better than a Beam on its own - I had the Homepod OG before I got the Beam. I can either get the sub mini for my Beam or 2 new Homepods. I'm all in on  so no issue with the limitations, but I'm conflicted. The Sonos audio ecosystem is mature and granular which makes expansion over time a nice feature. We are building a new house with a smallish lounge / tv area so the Homepods would work, but I did go and listen to a Beam / Sub Mini combo over the weekend and that did sound very good! Will look out for a comparison video if you decide to do one :)

[@stevethomas2285]

@Deon H I have an Arc and Sub, I'm done - no videos haha. You didn't ask, but I'd say consider going with whichever one you think sounds best and live with whatever that one brings with it.

[@smarthomesounds]

Coming soon!

[@sidrict1000]

I would like a product for music and movies/tv with good sound. If with apple I need two HomePods and a Apple TV, it would be around 900€. With Sonos, would I have the same quality with a beam and and 2 sonos one (900€) ? Or with a sonos arc (1000€)? I only tested a sonos move and I guess the sound it’s a little bit metallic

[@pallettowngangster9297]

I’ve watched - and enjoyed - quite a lot of your videos in the hunt for my own smart speaker set up. I’ve noticed that a lot of your content is Sonos related. Could you confirm whether any content on this channel is sponsored by Sonos? Or is it just a preference?

[@smarthomesounds]

Hey, thanks for watching our videos, and thanks for leaving a comment, no this channel is not sponsored by sonos and we're not paid to make any content for them. We are an audio-visual e-commerce retailer for multiple brands, including sonos, but we create this content to help others decide which products are right for them, and get a lot of requests for sonos reviews.

[@pallettowngangster9297]

@@smarthomesounds Fantastic - thanks for the response!

[@mtnbikerva1]

Sonos play five? How does it sound compared?

[@smarthomesounds]

The Sonos Five is more powerful better sounding speaker by some way, and also has a line-in connection. However it is £200 more.

[@JeanMauriceB1C4RD]

With HomePod you can adjust your EQ with Apple Music in the app equalizer.

[@morells09]

Surprised you use Spotify Connect over AirPlay 2 as an Apple user…. Not sure why you would only want to listen to music on one speaker at a time with Spotify Connect as a Sonos user when AirPlay is a thing?

[@93Adris]

Well executed video! Love it

[@adammachin]

I liked this video, it’ll be interesting to see if Apple open up more support for direct streaming services over time. Are 2 HomePods a significant improvement over 1 as a stereo pair?

[@ermo2004]

One answer only: YES !! The difference is incredible

[@adammachin]

@@ermo2004 guess I’ll have to make the move at some point then!

[@NipponKiwi]

Great 👍 Video 📷 Mr Sounds! I Love Apple 🍏 Products! I Learnt Heaps 💡🧠! Thanx

[@Fant0me972]

I’ve been waiting for this

[@smarthomesounds]

🚀

[@ahmedihero]

Honestly! Sonos one sound better. My opinion. Bass and voice quality go towards sonos

[@Norbitek25]

Sonos for a hi-fi sound, HomePod for a boomy sound.

[@Dawiboom26]

Unfair battle homepod 2 has 5 driver compare to sonos has 2 driver.

[@tran29860]

Sonos One juste because spotify connect

[@JoyStickJester_]

Apple comes out with Homepod One and discontinued it just to come with exact same product in Homepod two. Sonos always innovate and improves. Apple can't even compete with Sonos.

[@Dando-1983]

Be interesting to see this review again but with the Era100 speaker which would make a fairer comparison #TeamSonos ^__*=

[@alexbonamy7511]

WHERE IS THE HEAPHONES !!! Heaphones that can connect to your actual system. Come on Sonos !!!

[@TCPUDPATM]

The Sonos One is now obsolete, replaced by the Sonos Era 100

[@halifax_plays]

HomePod is great but Siri does not compare to google nd Alexa it’s the worst out of the 3

[@nrikhy27]

Smart speakers have their limitations, you have to spend more to get an Apple subscription

[@Ashan360]

One is two ugly to place in a location that is visually exposed, so the comparison should be the HomePod vs the Sonos behind a standing picture frame or stack of books

[@westcatalex5936]

I own both Sonos and HomePods 2,and I totally disagree. More you are totally not addressing the quality of lossless streaming and only the Dolby atmos sound. That’s not professional at all. This is very disappointing and I don’t like the way you are making comparisons with forgetting most of the interest things. So I will unsubscribe. And in the future before writing your “articles” go over to real testers real musicians wit an ear and neutrals, go to what hifi!! A

[@smarthomesounds]

Hi there, thanks for your comment. Interestingly (and just so you are aware) the Sonos One (Gen 2) is capable of 24 Bit/48 kHz via Qobuz & Amazon Music - this is what we tested this speaker with. The HomePod 2 is also capable of this via Apple Music only - again what we used for testing. To address the lossless quality, the HomePod only supports Apple Music at this quality, while we expect Sonos will offer users more choice in this resolution (now and likely more in the future). Hope that helps :) P.s we checked out WhatHiFi's info on this and this is their quote on the topic - "Somewhat surprisingly, Hi-Res Lossless, which Apple classes as anything over 24-bit/48kHz, isn’t supported via HomePod."

[@liquid79]

You don't own Apple products, Apple products own you. Despise their closed off ecosystem.

[@TCPUDPATM]

Huh?

[@Krsnaloka333]

can you play sonos one with bose? almost all systems are ecosystems

[@liquid79]

@@Krsnaloka333 that's not an ecosystem. You can't compare speakers to Apple's ecosystem. Apple controls your phone , laptop, iPad, ipods, watch, homepod, tv for example. The Apple ecosystem Is designed to be hard to leave and they have complete control over both the software and the hardware. Bose, Sonos do not control nothing of the sort. They are not an ecosystem but speakers.

[@Drew-ql3gq]

Sonos is great hompod sucks

[@Willogs78]

The original homepod was a flop and this will be because of the lack of versatility, Sonos are all day long better, a true smart speaker that sounds great. Typical Apple overpriced and under equipped.

[@westcatalex5936]

In your opinion may be but give it a neutral listen by yourself and you will see Sonos as it really is….

[@C2Canada]

Apple sucks.

[@aryanvanderlouw]

If you want to be locked into apple buy a home pod.

[@Krsnaloka333]

I have 2 sonos beam2,4 sonos sl and gen3 and mini subs and I love my HomePod,iphone,mac pro ...I am not locked into apple, i'm open minded.

[@aryanvanderlouw]

@@Krsnaloka333 if you have everything you're not locked in.😂