Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs HomePod 1st Gen - Unboxing, Sound Test & First Impressions

[@BrandonButch]

Are you planning to pickup a HomePod, or are you sticking with the mini's?

[@iiNavy]

no

[@BrandonButch]

​@@iiNavy got a mini?

[@lonelycake4114]

Yes. Two. As tv speakers.

[@sam_9228]

I literally just walked out of the Apple Store with one! I haven’t unboxed it yet.

[@JBaby_9783]

I’m upgrading my OGs. I had planned on getting white until I found out if midnight was going to be that terrible dark blue BS Apple has been doing with Watch and the wallet.

[@eraldway]

The OG HomePod supports spatial audio as well.

[@tparkerevans7165]

And also supports Dolby Atmos as well

[@eraldway]

@@tparkerevans7165 that’s how apple brands Dolby Atmos

[@Nhaja_R]

I think he was comparing it to the mini

[@johnstass]

@@Nhaja_R The mini has both as well. 🤷‍♂️

[@thisisbeastmusikk]

@@johnstass no it doesn’t not

[@seansull]

Interesting that you find the newer one noticeably better in audio considering they removed two of the tweeters. Thanks for the vid

[@nickvasios3650]

I have 4 minis with 2 of them being TV speakers and just picked up the new HomePod. I listened to music for 15 mins on it and immediately convinced myself to pick up a 2nd one to replace the minis as TV speakers. The sound difference is not just noticeable, but so so so much worth it. I'm not saying the price tag is justified, but if you have multiple minis already to set up your smart home, picking up a HomePod 2.0 is definitely worth it in terms of sound.

[@sappyhead]

Don’t give up on the OG! Mine did the same thing, so I just had it sitting on a shelf unplugged for about a year, until 2 weeks ago I decided to fool with it again…. After a few times of resetting it, it connected after prompting me to put in the 4 digit code….. after that it updated…. and has been brought back to life. No joke!

[@BrandonButch]

wow good to know!

[@sappyhead]

@@BrandonButch Yup yup. Just be patient lol

[@Jushwa]

Yup same thing happened to me, had mine plugged in just flashing and flashing for over a year. was surprised when my phone was asking me to set it up again, finally got it updated from 14.3 to 17, will see how long it lasts.

[@someguy8523]

I love my Gen 1 HomePods. I have 4 total in my place they sound amazing for me no need to upgrade.

[@wesleybeason7198]

Same here!

[@BrandonButch]

OG HomePod will always be great! Wish mine lived :(

[@mattjamesss1]

Should i get the mini brandon?

[@JFG127]

My OG HomePod had the same issue and there is no repair. Let’s hope these new one are not built the same way.

[@mattreanor0611]

I got my new HomePod 2 today plus 2 mini’s. I’m at work tonight so I’ll set them up tomorrow I was also thinking about replacing my old LG Sound Bar if I get a second HomePod to test it out.

[@jaimegpppz3552]

good night thanks for the video a question Will they be asked to connect in stereo to a television? yes the apple tv how many can be connected, even if it is not in stereo to a television thank you my best wishes James

[@matteyeux]

Great video ! Do you know the OS version that was chiped with the Homepod ?

[@aunkster]

I just got mine today , two midnight black and currently using them for music,, love them , connected to my smart tv with Apple TV , sounds excellent, my only problem is if I want to switch back to tv speakers it seems like a lot of steps . I may be doing something wrong there.. love your videos keep up the good work

[@epap1375]

What kind of tv do you have? You can usually use your tv remote to switch sound output from eArc/Arc output to TV speaker output

[@aunkster]

@@epap1375 I have a Sony Bravia

[@iManiac7]

What about voices on tv, most of the time action sounds have higher volume level comparing to voices, can you confirm that? I want to buy two homepods and use them as soundbar, but im not sure if voice/action volume will be better comparing to my tv

[@kenny2skinny07]

@@iManiac7 I can tell you as an OG HP owner using them as a stereo pair, there’s no comparison. I bought a new Sony tv and the speakers weren’t even an option for me. Immediately connected to my HomePods. The sound is unmatched from anything I’ve ever used. Not saying they are the best, but everyone always love to hear them and always want to know more about them but the price turns them off. It’s nice to be the only person in my circle to own them. Try it out. You won’t be disappointed.

[@TechyGamerVibeZ]

@@kenny2skinny07 are you talking about the HomePods 1 or 2?

[@Patrick76399]

If you got a Dyson fan blasting at a level of 8-10 can the microphones from the HomePod 2 still pick up your voice?

[@BrandonButch]

I'd think so. Haven't tested that specifically though

[@rev1775]

I would love to have one of these but and this is my biggest problem.. they don't do audible- audiobooks from what I have seen...If there's an easy workaround I would love to know about it

[@semino1101]

Hi, please can you have 4 homepod2 speakers and test it for possibly a multi channel 4.0 audio, similar to Sony HTA9???

[@reealiu]

Did you pair the two HomePods in the home app first? Why does it look like it was just the phone airplaying the audio to two HomePods( As you can control the volume for each HomePod individually)

[@RealJoseph123]

How does your OG HomePod just stop working midway in the video? Makes me want to stay clear from even getting one for now… 😂

[@nagelixin]

I've had 2 OG's die the same way. There was a known issue with the logic board and capacitors, and the OG's 'farting'. Given they were built like a tank it was near impossible to repair yourself, without paying for a refurb unit. From my comparison the original I feel is better. Everyone's home is different so it may differ

[@BrandonButch]

Yeah it was a known issue with them, I’m sure Apple has refined this one to ensure that doesn’t happen agajn

[@RoBiEsHoW]

Looks like the weaving changed from a horizontal orientation to a vertical one, prefer horizontal and hoe the lines meet on the top!

[@uliseshernandez1741]

I had that same issue with my first gen of HomePod it died I don’t know why it doesn’t respond 🙁

[@corybodiker6243]

Can you tell me are you able to pair it with a HomePod mini for surroundsound watching TV?

[@kenny2skinny07]

You cannot. Only two of a kind can pair. And the minis are not able to handle surround sound. They are more meant for small places like bedroom speakers or bathroom. I use them for my bedroom TV but they leave a lot to be desired. Although they are much better then tv speakers

[@corybodiker6243]

@@kenny2skinny07 that’s what I’m using it for I only have one mini and was getting another. I was thinking of getting the hp2 instead but if it doesn’t work then I’ll just get another mini. Thanks for the info.

[@kenny2skinny07]

@@corybodiker6243 anytime! The minis aren’t terrible. They certainly sound better as a pair though. I LOVE my OG pair. My favorite tech I believe ever. They are misunderstood.

[@Shafieiphone]

I think the home pod 2 mesh is thicker to make it durable when cleaning with feather duster or cloth . Less wear and tear.

[@XxShAdYxX08]

is it worth upgrading the OG homepods now?

[@monkey9299]

Dude you saw his OG dying in this video, their logic board is a mess.

[@RonaldBrown59]

The new HomePod 2 looks amazing. I might have to pick on up when they go on sale. Great video, thanks for sharing.

[@StonedNoob]

Would anyone recommend getting the HomePod minis? I wish these were Bluetooth though :l

[@justinTime077]

Ya we def need the HomePod to slip around! That’s what we need for our $300 speakers is for them to be easily spilled off a surface and onto the next surface below. Thank goodness.

[@TechnoFreak-IN]

been using homepod 1 since launch and the biggest problem with it is that you have to put it at a very specific place in your room to get the best sound out of it! I hate and also love the fact the its tweeters are placed in 360. To get the best sound out of it you have place it a little far from you, on a hard surface(wooden prefered) with no other object placed atleast 2 Metre from it and at atleast your waist level !

[@Anonyme09865]

True. But mine is placed near a corner of a wall, i find the bass better this way

[@TechnoFreak-IN]

@@Anonyme09865 that will work too !

[@auphilip86]

Since the GEN1 failed this isn’t a comparison video. Should change the title to include failed logic board. Not a comparison.

[@strugs]

Sorry, I agree!

[@InimitaPaul]

The only reason I have Siri at all is because it came with other products, I’m not going out of my way to spend money on the mini let alone the original. I’m honestly very happy swiping down control centre to control my devices, I’m not one for speaking to them. Edit: The HP2 white still leaves rings on surfaces apparently (MKBHD) Edit: A HP fail on camera, that’s got to be a video in and of itself, no?!

[@mustang607]

Hopefully they removed the brick-ability feature in the new HomePod.

[@JimGramze]

Just got a pair today, set them up as a stereo pair in my living room, and played some of my favorite music. All I wanted to do is turn up the bass, and I do not like bass heavy music. Definite emphasis on the higher end. These are not well balanced like my $1500 Sennheiser 800S headphones which do not emphasize any frequency area. The HomePod lacks bass and lower midrange providing a sterile sound, the opposite of consumer designed speakers.

[@seekingthetruth7047]

OG had better bass.

[@cavernadigitalpro]

One of my OG homepod died the same way

[@Kyrptum]

personally for me, id go for the homepod mini, as its small because theres only 2 iphones in my house, and the mini is cheaper than the reg homepod but then again, everythings expensive in australia.

[@KasePrince]

My only problem with the mini is that the sound isn't all that great!

[@theblackhand6485]

So actually you need two HomePods which doubles the price. Well what else can we buy for that money?

[@rondobrondo]

I just picked up one of these refurbed and I was honestly surprised and kind of amazed? Background real quick, I used to be a professional Mix Engineer for a recording studio, and did that sort of work, and still do a lil bit sometimes, for many years. So I know quite a bit about audio, speakers, playback, codecs, frequency response, linearity, compression, distortion, etc. blah blah nerd shit. For my casual relaxing, low effort speaker, I used an Apple Hifi Speaker from I think 2007 until this year, when It was either stolen by a mover or somehow I lost it in transit or left it at an old place. And so I was pretty skeptical of the HomePod and especially it's price tag of $300-$350, and ESPECIALLY because of its form factor and how small the outputs are, especially because it's basically just blasting sound omnidirectionally through clever engineering and speaker placement, which can cause many problems in speakers if you get this wrong. However, somehow it sounds amazing, and it's pretty loud too; you can even force it to go a fair bit louder than the max setting without damaging it. It's nice to look at, it's fast connecting and smooth to operate and quick to change songs or connections. It sounds almost as good as my mid-level monitors. It sounds as good or probably even a lil better than my JBL monitors, but obviously not quite as good as some of the higher tier stuff, like the various, beautiful Yamaha speaker series, or some Adams. But still, really really impressive and quality audio. It's not as clinical and precise as my full time studio monitors, but that's not what you want in a standalone speaker cluster like this. You want something that is fun and warm and full, even if done a lil artificially. But the default frequency response of the HomePod is excellent, and especially well suited to having EQs applied. It reacts well to being custom EQ'd. I think they are probably too pricy for what they are in some ways, but in other ways I think it's a great deal. Considering that you don't have to spend a bunch of money on cables or audio interfaces or media consoles or bluetooth dongles/receivers, etc. If you can get one for $250 or less, I think it's worth it.

[@wesleybeason7198]

The old one has spatial and Dolby Atmos, just FYI.

[@RaghavVijay]

Awesome Brandon,Nice comparison and unboxing!!.This new HomePod actually seems fairly good,Listening through the video it was decent for sure!!.Thanks Brandon for your high quality and unique videos-Keep it up!.

[@eyeDavid]

Mine came with 16.0 so def was sitting

[@dexterbrown]

So the og HomePod just went out for this video?

[@centraldakota]

Conveniently

[@cheuklinglau6409]

My original homepod died just after two years of purchase.😢 Hopefully this will last longer

[@cheuklinglau6409]

@Phillip Banes no

[@RoBiEsHoW]

They cheaped out in packaging, this time around.

[@Celisar1]

I was so looking forward the the HomePods but the new ones are clearly worse in sound.

[@nichols780]

Was the "Cord plugs in on this side instead of that side" a dad joke? Seemed like a dad joke... 😂

[@eyeDavid]

First video where I can see the blue in the black

[@joshuakolton9955]

As much as I'd like to get the new homepod, I have 2 of the og's that support the same software features so I think I'm good.

[@gospizana]

OG HomePod sounds better to my ears. OGs have better bass although 2nd Gen has crisper mids and highs.

[@slimpixel1999]

I was gonna leave a like but saw how many there was and said nah I'm good rn

[@speedfrx]

1st gen has much better hardware UI! Lit volume controls -- you see it when you need it. No BS lighting.. And it is much easier to clean dust from 1st gen lid. This is a rare case from Apple to take step back in every direction.

[@speedfrx]

@AM-Brandon_Butch spambot, go delete yourself

[@Cheiskxn]

Its still bluetooth audio (AAC) … cannot compare to HDMI-earc LDAC/Dolby Atmos … lol

[@VeloNippon]

It’s a low tech wireless device offering only BT 5.0 and Wi-Fi 4 which dates back 2009.

[@seekingthetruth7047]

it is not bluetooth controlled

[@torsteinv34]

Poor OG, it knew it was being replaced, and decided to take matters into its own hands and end its life. So sad....

[@TechyGamerVibeZ]

I want space grey 😢

[@LuckyAlternative]

I think Apple really tried to give you the same sound for less money than the OG, Building the OG in 2018 and selling for 350 bucks would be $417 adjusted for inflation today. So the fact that they made essentially the same product and is selling it for 300 is really a significant price difference between a 2018 350$ vs a 2023 300$. if they had built HomePod 2 in 2017 they could sell it for closer to $250. But inflation kinda killed that instead of 100$ decrease for essentially the same thing we only get to see a 50$. Rough estimate.

[@seekingthetruth7047]

Inflation is not the only driver to price. Introduction of any new technology or new product demands higher price too.

[@WhiteStripesFann]

I have a Vizio 5.1 system hooked up to my ATV 4K. Would a pair of these be better than my current set up?

[@centraldakota]

HomePods are great when paired with ATV and if you use Apple Music

[@thisisbeastmusikk]

Depends on what system you have exactly… I have a Vizio and it’s louder but an OG HomePod pair sounds better. If you use more than just an Apple TV like video games then stick with Vizio

[@kenny2skinny07]

@@thisisbeastmusikk you know you are able to use eArc on ATV. I use my PlayStation with the HomePods often so there’s no need for a soundbar. I thought the same thing until I realized my TV supposed eArc and gave the soundbar away. If your tv doesn’t have eArc then your setup is useful until you are able to get a new TV.

[@thisisbeastmusikk]

@@kenny2skinny07 I totally forgot about that, thanks for the reminder!

[@kenny2skinny07]

@@thisisbeastmusikk for sure! No problem.

[@neppie9665]

In europe the homepod still costs $349 very annoying

[@Mabeylater293]

12:33. That’s what the hell bass is suppose to do!!!!! IT’S SUPPOSE TO SHAKE THE WALLS!!!!! We don’t want the bass to be limited iff the speakers is in a corner. WE WANT THAT ROOM GAIN!!!!!

[@document6]

hmmm you are literally the only reviewer I've seen who said the new HomePod is better than the OG HomePod .. maybe your test was off? did you do a blind test? cause that's the only way to avoid the brain tricking itself into bias.......

[@kennybacchus1488]

Apple. HomePod 2nd. Gen. VS. HomePod. 1st Gen. unboxing

[@TechyGamerVibeZ]

The OG HomePod is still better

[@ictiandrodelacruzabreu100]

Anybody is youtuber today, he does not that the homepod 1 has spatial audio and dolby atmos etc hahaha

[@miguelkennedy9520]

I like watching videos by Brandon Butch :)

[@edgarmalesa2367]

Just a stupid thing to mention. After a point you can’t say fourteen. Rather one four. 4:50

[@306maxievo2]

Turned off as soon as he started talking about the smell…

[@Valay.]

The old HomePod is mad & jealous so he decided to brick itself

[@justinTime077]

6 inches shorter? What? The fuck?

[@JoeHorsey]

First

[@BerryStraw15]

OG has a richer sound, more “full” and has better bass and mids. Based on other comparisons online (Brian Tong). iJustine didn’t even notice any difference, saying sometimes she has the impression of the OG sounding better overall. I think your OG died too soon and before you could compare them properly.

[@Videogamepro1997-f1z]

First