We made an Apple home theatre. It was bad

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The HomePod is back! At a new starting price of $299, it has some upgrades, some downgrades, and a price cut which isn't really a price cut. So, is it worth it?
Buy 2nd Gen Apple HomePods: lmg.gg/xpLKV
Buy an Apple TV 4K: lmg.gg/IXT1B
Buy Edifier S2000MKIII Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers: geni.us/ATzMl4Z
Buy a Fire TV Stick 4K Max: geni.us/qXJZL
Buy a Belkin SoundForm Connect AirPlay 2 Adapter & Receiver: geni.us/lfqOu
Buy an Echo Studio Speaker: geni.us/VOrNbaU
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CHAPTERS
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0:00 Intro
1:02 The new stuff!
1:48 Getting set up
2:35 It just works!... or does it?
3:35 Thanks War Thunder
4:05 How are the HomePods for music?
4:57 They sound... different
5:37 Let's talk about another option! option...option... (it's the Echo)
6:42 The competition isn't that bad!
7:30 Let's investigate the new HomePods
9:10 Disappointing discoveries, but there are more choices!
10:24 Making a great alternative better
10:58 Who is the HomePod for?

[@macaddress]

Which speakers would you buy (or which are you currently using) for your home theatre setup? Let us know! Buy 2nd Gen Apple HomePods: lmg.gg/xpLKV Buy an Apple TV 4K: lmg.gg/IXT1B Buy Edifier S2000MKIII Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers: geni.us/ATzMl4Z Buy a Fire TV Stick 4K Max: geni.us/qXJZL Buy a Belkin SoundForm Connect AirPlay 2 Adapter & Receiver: geni.us/lfqOu Buy an Echo Studio Speaker: geni.us/VOrNbaU Purchases made through some store links may provide some compensation to Linus Media Group.

[@FinePilot]

$50 dollars one

[@Doug-mu2ev]

I actually did the same exact experiment as you. Tried the Homepod 2 x2 home theater, found it lacking. Then bought the Amazon Studio pair + subwoofer (still saving hundreds of $$) and I’m liking it much better (put the echo sub behind my couch for some rumbly in my bumbly). Can you test gaming audio between the two solutions? Also, how was Amazon’s Atmos in your opinion?

[@mgkleym]

I run a 3.0 setup with elac debut 2.0s 6.2b bookshelf's for the main speakers and a 5.2c for the center. If I wanted active speakers I would have gone with a pair of edifiers and I have setup up family members with them in place of a speaker bar. It's been a few years but my 3 passave speakers and referb Denon receiver were in the same ballpark pricewise as the homepod setup my. The receiver has built in music streaming and home assistant integration but I just use streaming apps on the tv or Bluetooth off my phone.

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

Sound bar probably

[@devlatyan1312]

I have the Amazon setup and I am pretty satisfied with it. I would suggest it to anyone who can deal with software and technical stuff.

[@andrewm6716]

Using multidirectional speakers for traditionally fixed use cases is likely the major issue here. No amount of smart wall bouncing can outdo purposely facing the driver at you.

[@per-olamjomark7452]

Mac Address just addressed this issue in the comments. A large space would be detrimental to simulating spatial audio. But the "living room" they shot in is just a set; the actual use of the speakers was done in several different rooms of varying sizes, from a small bedroom-like setting, to a wide open living space.

[@AaronShenghao]

​@@per-olamjomark7452let's be realistic, apple products target people who have large spaces... Otherwise you can't afford them...

[@CarlosKTCosta]

If you are going to spend money on sound just go all out and get those sound panels that come with art printed on them and treat your room for sound

[@bigcwastaken2112]

And one of those weird minimalist people doesn’t know this so they waste their money

[@michaelmaasen872]

Correct

[@devlatyan1312]

One thing is, Amazon recommends that the echo studio should be placed at least 6 feet from the wall. I’ve placed both my studios on each side of my couch. It really makes a difference as no speaker is being blocked.

[@DasDoeni]

It’s not really just speakers being blocked, but the reflections of the wall interfering with the sound. You shouldn’t place any speaker to close to a wall, especially not a 360 degree one. But even with classical speakers it can make a difference, especially with walls next to it

[@woodylog5555]

another thing to add to the amazon bit is the fact, at least in the UK, we have the "FIRE TV CUBE" which has an HDMI in etc, e-arc support just like the apple tv...

[@jamesorrell7462]

I think that's kind of a downside on Amazon's behalf. If I placed the echo studio 6 feet away from the wall, it would only be 5 feet away from the opposing wall

[@4879daniel]

None of my furnitre is 6ft from the wall. May as well just get proper speakers on proper stands if they're that fussy.

[@JB-fh1bb]

Huh. I’m apparently so deeply conditioned by “classic home theatre” that I never even considered putting the 360 speakers close to the seats. Makes a lot of sense actually.

[@arondyte318]

I just grabbed my first HomePod 2 a few weeks ago and I was honestly blown away by the sound so I’m planning on grabbing a 2nd one a few months down the road along with an Apple TV 4K. I never really owned one of the OG ones so I don’t have really have the problem of nitpicking between the 2. I also prefer a speaker that can do double duty of being moved around the house instead of just being anchored to a stationary TV sound system set-up.

[@marcusborderlands6177]

@@wisdomyaw03 i think you missed like, 1/3rd of the video lol. the processing is way better yes, but the hardware has weird bumps

[@bencecsik8758]

I think for a full picture you should’ve compared against sonos as well. They support AirPlay and their room tuning is said to be really good

[@Pockyball]

The only issue is Sonos doesn’t advertise their price competitor (Sonos One) when talking about the full “ home theater experience”

[@ocelotxp]

Nah

[@donalexey]

@@Pockyball Beam (or Arc) + 2 Sonos Ones. Still ehhh sound

[@darioordonez9426]

But the one can’t be connected to the tv by themselves.

[@mikefung9145]

@@Pockyball They certainly do when advertising the surround pairing

[@JeffreyOlsson]

I live in an apartment, and use two apple home pods with my 4K Apple TV. It works really well and doesn’t bother my neighbours. I have listened to a lot of speaker “experts” on KZbin and find that so many of the audiophiles who do this type of analysis often miss the point of this type of speaker. 1. They do “just work” and 2. For movies they really do sound excellent, you basically said so your self in this video. 3. I generally do not “crank” it up very loud in any circumstance. I am living my life, cooking, cleaning, crafting, reading with the kids, while the speakers play our favourite songs and the music seems to come from everywhere all at once. I have no problem with you making a value proposition/comparison, but with the speakers being a one wire connection means I don’t have ugly wires running all over the place, and that makes them worth much more than audiophile speakers you show in this video. I can add a mini in an adjacent room and still enjoy the bass from the bigger home HomePods in the living room. (Tried it, love it) It really is a wonderful system. I don’t do the audiophile thing, where I sit and hold my chin trying to figure out if the orchestra is really in my pants. I listen to my music from odd angles, not centered in front of the tv or speakers, and from this perspective they sound even better than the audiophile system. -my opinion. Thanks

[@wakeupcall2665]

I totally agree! The simplistic of the set up and what you get is excellent.

[@DrAnimePhD]

You can already tell it's gonna be a really good video if the thumbnail has Jonathan giving his "I am dead inside" face that he had in the refurbished iMac vid.

[@jorgelozadamusic]

I actually like the look of the boxy speakers! Gives the setup more character!

[@HearMeLearn]

Yeah I like how he kept saying the HomePods looked better but honestly the normal speakers looked way better. They give you an actual home movie theater look

[@blackfalcon1324]

It just depends on what you want. Apple is all about minimalism. Its like tesla, some think it looks modern but they can also look bland.

[@KC-bi9jw]

10:33 I have that Belkin Airplay device. I got it hooked up to my 90's era stereo stack. The biggest complaint I have is that it adds a fade in at the start of every audio, if they could fix that, this thing would be a hit.

[@gupdaddy]

Buy a wiim instead

[@TheJ_G]

I have the first gen dual HomePod setup, and it’s amazing for home theater application. Way better sounding than anything at comparable price. Punching way above its price. I also think it takes little time for it to adjust to different rooms.

[@rtk05]

I've found that the best setup for me is a traditional AVR and speakers. If you primarily use an apple TV, you can use a homepod mini to control the whole thing as long as you specify to do it on the TV (Hey siri, play this song on the apple TV). You get all the sound of good speakers and a fair bit of the smarts from a smart speaker.

[@hammereddulcimer]

Yeah, AVR + speakers all the way. 🙂 I just bought an Apple TV in an attempt to get away from my Nvidia Shield. It's lovely, but it doesn't support lossless Atmos playback, which is an absolute deal-breaker for me. In every other aspect, it's great though. Hopefully Apple will address this in an update or revision.

[@radugrigoras]

Why do you need a HomePod Mini if you already have an AppleTV and presumably an IPhone? Just so you don’t have to pull out your phone or grab the Apple Remote?

[@spooforbrains]

This is the setup I have but with a Fire TV Cube. Works fine for me

[@TheJohn8765]

I've had various traditional surround systems since the mid 90's and they absolutely curb stomp any smart speaker setups I've heard. I can see the appeal of the simple setup of these systems but a dedicated surround system is popular amongst high end audio people for a reason-- audio performance.

[@zybch]

Having an AVR and speaker sis the best solution for 99% of people. Apple pushing their inferior products based on looks alone only appeals to people that are so easily led they'll believe whatever a company says and base purchases off that (ahem BOSE).

[@michaelbabiuk8758]

I have the original HomePod speakers and have been using them as a stereo pair in an Apple TV 4K home theater arrangement since "day one". However, I noticed that when I placed them on free standing speaker pedestals that the sound scape improved dramatically as opposed to the way they were placed on a shelf away from the wall mounted HDTV as shown in the video. (An arrangement that was very similar to the way I initially installed and placed my HomePods. I don't know why that would make a sound difference - but it did.

[@adamfrisk956]

The wall proximity stayed the same?

[@michaelbabiuk8758]

@@adamfrisk956 Hello Adam. This is one time that I wish KZbin would allow attaching a photo since a picture would illustrate far better than these words alone. But, here goes. My original HomePod speaker placements were directly in front of my large screen HDTV (which was placed on a glass topped TV console stand. There was only about 7" of clearance between the HomePod speaker and the front edge of the HDTV. Also, since the HomePods were placed on top of the glass HDTV stand-as the HDTV was-it would be as if the HomePods were placed "on the floor" in a way. Now the HomePods are placed on slim speaker stands where the top of the speaker stands are actually slightly smaller than the base of the HomePod. And the HomePods are spaced further apart from each other.by about two feet then they were before and they are away from a back wall by about 18" - as opposed to about 7" away from the HDTV as previously stated. Finally,, since the HomePods are now on speaker stands, they are about 7" higher from my living room floor than they were placed on that HDTV glass console top and the effect is if HomePods are "floating in air" rather than sitting on top of a surface. Even though the HomePods have an omnidirectional speaker arrangement design, perhaps in the original placement on top of that HDTV glass console top, they now have more "free space" for their sound to propagate throughout the room now that they have been placed on speaker stands away from any other living room element which seems to result in a better overall "soundscape".

[@adamr4198]

Apple’s AirPort Express can be found for $50 or less and supports Airplay 2. You can use it to either connect non-Apple speakers or use it to connect a subwoofer with a pair of HomePod (minis) for a fuller sound experience.

[@folteaiustindaniel4099]

The dolby atmos is something that works differently for most audio devices. For some it does make the vocals distant, leaving a hole in the mids, for some it keeps the voice in the centre while expanding everything else. And OF COURSE that you'll get the sound to float around you only in between the homepods, but it's normal. Every 2.0 or 2.1 system is lile that.

[@Carolyne_games]

I live in a small apartment and a HomePod mini really gets the job done most of the time. I think the way HomePods are designed make them a really good “single-speaker” option, but for more complicated multi-speaker setups they don’t seem quite there yet 🧐

[@Errcyco]

Seriously. That’s what I had and people even mentioned the sound was amazing and that they wanted one. And it was a bigger apartment. It worked crazy good for the size. But I use an iPhone and MacBook and AirPods.. so it made sense.

[@TJWasiuk]

I always get compliments from guests when they come over and I have music playing or a movie going on my dual OG HomePods. I also have mine more spaced out and not sitting in front of the TV. I find that it works better for the room I have them in.

[@jackdominiak445]

I get the same with my Home Pod 2 😊

[@TJWasiuk]

@@jackdominiak445 heck yeah!

[@maduroheintz8640]

Yes, i changed my Teufel 5.1 to two HP2 - and the only thing i am missing is the surround behind me. But thats ok. if i look a movie, besides the phenomenal music sound, i missing nothing. Only to turn the bass a little bit down ;) For those who have problems or think two connected with a apple tv 4k with ARC does not sound correct, try to move the speakers where they stand left/right or more front or back. Mine are on two cupboards left and right of my tv and are ca. 1,2 meters from the TV away to fill the room and the point where i am sitting. And after experiment with the placement on the boards, one is more to wall as the other, i have a perfect center sound at speech and the effects or music on movies are nearly perfect half surround. So after 10 years with 5.1 i am happy so far and so is my wife, cause all the speakers, 10 meters of cable and the big Dolby Receiver is gone from cupboard where the TV stands. ;))) And remember measure is one thing, but everybody hears differently and i dont give a thing on measurements. I only decide what i like and hear in my ears! And if Apple in the future get the ass up and do expand Airplay to connect two HPMinis as Surround Speakers and maybe one as real center, that would be perfect :)))

[@soyluismanueltea]

Stop inviting them. They are guests and they are complaining at YOUR home? Not nice.

[@AdamsBrew78]

@@jackdominiak445 same here. HP 2 stereo pair have been phenomenal.

[@nestornieves23]

I've been considering the Amazon speakers. Wish you would've used the accompanying subwoofers they sell for em. I've read decent things online for it

This was excellent. I would love to see similar for a Sonos vs traditional 5.1 hometheater. Why from MA, you ask? Because Jonathan seems to have solved the form / functionality balance equation.

[@Pastronomer69]

I'd love a proper home theatre setup, but for my little rented apartment, a Sonos Beam, two Ones and the Sub Mini is a fantastic setup

[@jackdominiak445]

Get a Sony A90J Bravia or later, you won't need a sound bar 😊

[@Hypnodog_]

@@jackdominiak445 I have an A90K and while it's better than most TVs of similar thinness, my Sonos Beam completely decimates it and I consider it a must have. My cheap 10 yr old LG CS560 had better speakers than the A90K tbh.

[@thenullco]

Sonos Ones are very good for TV. Front firing rather than multidirectional like the Homepod.

[@hadouken2123]

Thanks for the video. Good idea to throw in a „traditional“ speaker set into the comparison. But as you mentioned, they are quite big. KEF LSX ii is also a very interesting alternative but quite expensive.

[@DavidMalcolm]

I think it's worth noting that the environment you were listening to them in probably didn't help. It looked like there was a big open space behind you, which would explain why you didn't feel like you were getting a sense of spacial audio since there wasn't enough nearby walls for it to feel like the sound was reflecting back on you. I don't have the HomePods second gen, just the OG but I'm often surprised by how strong the spacial effect can feel in my apartment. I also suspect one of the reasons you like the echos more for music is because the HomePods made the 'bold' choice to go with force-cancelling woofers. Basically if you live in an apartment, your neighbours won't hate you because your bass isn't shaking the whole building, at the same time because your spleen isn't shaking the same way it is when you get in your buddy Skooter's Camero and he blasts Katy Perry's 'I Kissed a Girl' like back in the day, you may be inclined to think that they don't sound as good because you're not feeling it in your bones. Interestingly though, if you wanted to use the dumb speakers with AirPlay you didn't even need an adapter if you've got them hooked up to the Apple TV, granted it'll turn on the TV if the audio is going out of a TV, but I used to have my gen 3 Apple TV connected to a Onkyo reciever and it'd do just audio when I AirPlayed, so if you did get a receiver you could do that. (Though realistically if you're gonna get a receiver these days there's a good chance it'll have AirPlay built in.) Anyway, I love my OG HomePods, don't have cash to kill on a second gen, but I suspect they still sound pretty good in an ideal environment. Also for a listening test, you might want to try having somebody pick out songs you haven't heard before for the tests so that you don't have the bias of, 'how close is this to what I expect' vs 'does this sound good'.

[@SquintyGears]

The space where they film the shots isn't where the testing happens... They don't shoot a video and it goes straight to KZbin all in a day's work. The last video was 2 weeks ago.

[@macaddress]

Thanks for the comment, because you're entirely correct! A large space would be detrimental to simulating spatial audio. For clarity though, the "living room" we shot in is just a set; our actual use of the speakers was done in several different rooms of varying sizes, from a small bedroom-like setting, to a wide open living space.

[@jackdominiak445]

@@macaddress In other words, u spin it, into whatever u want it to be 😏

[@DavidMalcolm]

@@macaddress Dude, how am I supposed to schill for Apple if you respond in a reasonable manner? How dare you! Seriously though, that sucks that you have to be so close to hear it. In my living room (apartment sized, shaped like an L with door ways open to a hallway and a kitchen) when I'm between the HomePods but back against a wall in my recliner it really feels like I'm enveloped in sound. But again I do have the OG HomePods... this conversation makes me almost want to blow a ton of money on new homepods just to see if they're worse than what I have :P

[@schmoogen]

It’s videos like this that make me wonder why lmg didn’t just make an ecosystem channel with different flavors of video. Because I’d love to see this with the nest speakers and googletv, or Samsungs connectivity in smartthings to phones etc. Like videos for apple, Samsung, google, etc with specific hosts, but each getting the focused treatment on nuances and deficits of each hardware stack.

[@AdamMckeithan]

I pick up two OG home pods for $150 each a few years back. Use them as my living room tv speakers. Still haven’t heard a system that sounds better for total of 300.

[@LaurenGlenn]

Great video. I also want to give kudos for the in-app ad as it was seamlessly inserted enough to where it almost felt like it wasn't one. That was pretty nicely done.

[@loonylauren90]

We went with an LG Soundbar with eARC (that also happens to have Bluetooth capabilities) and it’s been working well. With having it attached to an LG Smart TV with Magic Remote, we do still have assistant functionality if we want it, but don’t really ever use it. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@Kyuukai]

I got the Edifier S2000MKIII in 2020 for $319 on an early black friday deal and couldn't be happier. The sound quality is spectacular and sounds very full for my theatre setup and has enough inputs and bluetooth connectivity that I never felt I needed them to be smarter. Although, I also have a Google Home Max that I got before they discontinued it for $150 and that fills all of my normal music and smart speaker needs. I do turn on the Edifiers for music if I want a little bigger or more room filling sound though.

[@TheBikemaster94]

I'm your distant relative😅 I use a google nest speaker that I paid $35 for and an Insignia 5.1 W/8" sub when watching blurays or when I really want a party in my room with sound I can feel 😊

[@cinobro6393]

Was great seeing Sam from the labs, I know this is edited very differently from LTT videos and it probably won't be possible every time but it would be great to see more people from the labs talking about their data and not just showing the graphs with someone else's narration.

[@bliekp]

Jonathan, again a great video. I myself love my AppleTV 4K but stick to my “complicated” Marantz AV-receiver and Focal front speakers (and a Focal center speaker, a sub and two surround speakers) for movies and music. My setup ain’t smart but sounds amazing. That counts, to me.

[@Galgomite]

My living room setup is the Belkin device connected to my stereo plus a HomePod to control it. If I were to do it over again, I would get a HomePod mini instead. You then place both your stereo and HomePod in one room in the home app and you can control your stereo that way. (I rarely use this setup for TV, though- I’m actually fine with my TV’s speakers most of the time 😂)

[@krystofpavlis4407]

I think a comparison with some of Sonos' solutions would have fit in - they fill that space of apple-like designed, high quality speakers, and integrate well into the whole ecosystem.

[@auspiex]

I use similar edifier speakers on my pc, but it also has a sub. Living room I got a sonos arc, sub and 2 300s

[@NickGapp]

Your comedy style is on point and perfect for the theme of this channel. Bravo!

[@Morkminster]

I have my OG pair setup as TV speakers via eARC and love them!

[@1_ekul]

On my tv, I have 2 HomePod minis in a stereo pair and they sound really good imo. They look great, sound great, and we’re easy to set up. I use all apple (when I have the choice) so they fit in great

[@bedast]

I would have loved a comparison with the Homepod Mini in a stereo pair. I know it’s not going to be better and will actually be worse, but this is something that I use currently because it’s actually better than my cheap soundbar. I’ve been considering upgrading to the 2nd gen Homepods but before I drop $600 on a pair I want to know what kind of upgrade it wold be. As of now, I’m still on the fence and probably just going to go for an Atmos sondbar or speaker arrangement.

[@bedast]

@@Moody_Blues_ This is actually really good feedback. I like that you note the 500 euro sweet spot for “good enough”. I’ve seen a few “just sound bars” around this (ie: Bose) but they tend to be noted as having weak bass so I’ve been looking around for something that includes a sub, at this point. Polk has a setup that I’m eyeing that’s just south of $500 that seems well reviewed. I might just go with this until and unless I want significantly more and have the bigger budget for it.

[@palles1972]

AirPort Express 802.11n (2nd Generation) Adding the AirPort Express Base Station A1392 model to your network is super easy, and allows you to use AirPlay 2 with anything plugged into its headphone port. It's pretty dang good at driving a line level sound source as well,

[@alfredzanini]

From my understanding / listening to ATP, it would seem that the thing missing from this testing is more crowded rooms / suboptimal setups, as it is where the computational audio is able to use its smarts to compensate, unlike the traditional speakers. Would have been interesting to have that addressed in this mac address! As always, good job on this video!

[@Simalacrum]

Quick feedback regarding the graphs comparing Homepods 1 + 2, the red and green lines are VERY hard to see on a mobile screen - maybe make them thicker or brighter?

[@jameslees7103]

Side note have you ever been tested for colour blindness? I’m watching on a phone and the lines were clear as day to me

[@hyranity8040]

Watching Mac Address is like watching a drama on tech.

[@erichagele]

Great video! I bought two HomePods and used them for this exact setup. It sounded pretty good but not as good as my Bose 900 soundbar. I also found the HomePods to be buggy. For instance, every time I try to adjust volume on my TV after initially powering my TV on, it would not respond for several seconds being a noticeable delay. I also experienced other bugs as well. They are genuinely the most buggy Apple product I’ve ever used. I returned them and stuck with the Bose. My TV is the A95K.

[@aberdeenmeadows]

Appreciate the in-depth. I was considering getting these speakers, but you truly have to be invested in them because if you can only pair like-speakers from the same generation. Since I already had a home-pod mini, I decided to buy one more, pair those up for my TV and actually it does so well for the small space that we have. The only reason to go with Apple is for the simple fact that your phone and other apple devices just "works" and plays well. But if you are an audiophile - it's hard to justify since you want to control the bass and treble. Even for my minis, it's frustrating that I can't make those adjustments.

[@kane3681]

You can put HomePod in any other places other than below your TV. I have seen people putting them on the sides of their couch ( in like a coffee table setup) where they can play music by handoff through iPhone, Tv sounds much closer to them.. You may want to try that as the sound profile would be better that way and you can’t do that with those chunky classic home theatre setups.

[@tronam]

Funny, I always found the original HomePod to sound a bit boomy and muddy, so I prefer the clearer upper midrange of the 2nd gen. It's totally subjective of course, but I quite like a bit of a "smile" curve that emphasizes bass and treble over the lower mids. It's pretty much what the loudness button used to do on old hi-fi receivers.

[@wisdomyaw03]

Exactly my experience as well as other audiophile reviewers. The 2nd Gen sounds more spacious. It's subjective indeed.

[@ctyoung0271]

V shape enjoyer

[@rssimmons]

I wish I could hear the stereo pair HP2 in my room for myself before I buy.

[@tronam]

@@rssimmons Buy a pair from Apple and try them for 2 weeks, then return if unappealing.

[@esteban5628]

Always nice seeing you posted

[@denton8047]

Being able to airplay from a mac to the homepods, such as sitting with a macbook nearby is a useful feature. But, the HomePod(big) is still pricy for that. I have some mini's setup sitting on opposite sides of a room for separation (an upside of wireless) that work for now, but eventually they'll be replaced by a proper home theater setup and possibly dedicated speakers for music that sounds, better. I could see for around like $400 or so the bigger homepods would be a neat area speaker, but for $600 I could have homepod minis and some reasonable speakers setup. The mids are a bit disappointing however, even just a simple 5 band eq to nudge it might have helped. Siri is useful, kind of. Too many and they all start messing with each other and I have to whisper to my phone to prevent from having timers set all across the building.

[@ItsGerYT]

I won’t lie as someone who has been using the homepod 1st gen for over 4 years now as my main tv speakers they have been great! I love the sound that comes out of them and how small they are! I was looking into maybe getting a sonos arc but seeing how big it is i just can’t find a spot for it, so riding my HomePod till they die🫡

[@bene_eins1308]

I use a kinda dual speaker setup. For music from Vinyl I only use my shelf speakers. For movies I also activate my Towers. They get much deeper while the shelf speakers are more pronounced overall.

[@humancannonball3827]

My condo setup means I had to mount my TV, and a sound bar was the only thing that made sense. I returned a smaller Samsung sound bar that was very unimpressive and went with the Sonos Arc. I’ve loved it and it has provided the kind of audio quality I thought I would have to get larger bookshelf or tower speakers for.

[@ShooterQ]

10:30 - The Airport Express A1392 can do this job as well, supporting 3.5mm/Mini-TOSLINK out for digital or analog. However, they are long since discontinued, who knows how long they'll still be supported, and you have to compete with people on ebay for them. I like mine though for multiroom Airplay 2 and compatibility with your speakers or AVR of choice.

[@avgeekguy]

Probably if you put two more speakers in the back of the room, it probably would sound better or placed the two speakers in the center of the room. I’m guessing might make a sound a little bit better if you want to keep using that as your normal set up!

[@normyd]

Yeah, when apple figures out how to do that.

[@wisdomyaw03]

Sound they say is subject indeed. Other audiophile reviewers said the 2nd Gen HomePod is better in sound compared to the 1st Gen. And from what I've heard myself, the 2nd Gen sounds more spacious and clearer.

[@ironhide0]

I have the first gen version of this setup. It was a significant upgrade over my old soundbar and works great. Tbh the only smart function i use is ‘find my’.

[@darincarvalho]

I was considering a twin echo studio setup for home theater recently, as it would be cheaper than a JBL/Bose/Yamaha Dolby Atmos enabled soundbar, but at the time very few people had tried the same and documented it so I was apprehensive

[@lonster3000]

I really wish Apple would come out with a sound bar with an Apple TV built in, and that you could then pair with a couple HomePods or Homepod minis. Or better yet an actual TV running TVOS, either their own brand or team up with Samsung or LG.

[@eraldway]

Mine works pretty good. Im shocked at how good they sound with my TV. There is no delay even when watching over the air TV.

[@wekkimeif7720]

I have KRK Rokit RP10-3 G4 as speaker and they for sure have phenomenal audio :D Yes they have interference noise too as they are cheaper 3-way monitors but ignoring that the audio quality beats any 2-way stereos

[@ElectroMikeBirch]

I just use a pair of Echo 4th Gens and some RCA to mono 1/8" cables to take the analog output from my TV into the Echos. Volume control has to be done through the Alexa app but it's a small price to pay for being able to have great sound in my home theater without having to pay extra for a soundbar. Already had the Echos, and they sound fantastic overall.

[@damienlobb85]

It's refreshing to see an honest review from a genuine Apple fan.

[@choahjinhuay]

This is why MacAddress is great. He’s no biased like other Apple FanBois

[@iamcbride]

Speaker wire/amplifier really isn’t so bad. Someday speakers like this will catch up but not yet.

[@dexopaw]

Speaker wire + amp is a significantly less attractive setup to me, having an extra box and wires everywhere is not appealing.

[@RaiseDennis]

@@dexopaw and it’s way more expensive

[@reformtheo]

I use homepod mini's connected in the same way to my apple tv. They are locked to stereo, so there are no issues with atmos. Mine are mounted in outlets, so the sound is really spread out. The most recent apple tv update messed up arc/earc with my TV in some way. But my TV is about 6 years old. If you have two minis, give it a try and see how you like it.

[@neethology]

the background music.... i feel like i'm watching Sims doing a youtube video

[@vizender]

My parents have a setup with 2 1st gen speakers under their TVs. I’ve tried adding 2 of my HomePods mini on each sides of the couch when I went to their house during a vacation. And that makes a huge difference by having those small speakers bringing back the higher end noises that are sometimes lost in the bases of the HomePods (especially when someone is talking and the microphone they used is subpar)

[@hidingmyrealname]

Holy shit yall apple guys do too much instead of just buying non apple speakers.

[@vizender]

@@hidingmyrealname i mean that just somewhat replicate a real surround sound system

[@kamilzawadzki4971]

@@vizender how is it possible? If you have to homepods OG, paired as stereo to your Apple TV and then you will just add homepod minis in the back duplicating the original sound from TV, then you won't have surround. Minis will play everything, not only sounds that should come from back... If you will have 5 speakers and 1 sub all playing the same sound in the same time independently it won't be 5.1 system...

[@vizender]

@@kamilzawadzki4971 yes, but because the are much smaller, they bring back up slightly the high to mid that can be lost in the bass of the larger HomePods. That’s exactly why did not say it’s a surround. But the 2 larger HomePods still make the majority of the sound and they are the one making the heavy lifting for the stereo

[@cheapme1850]

I had a similar experience but on a different scale. I'm an Apple diehard and wanted to use my HomePod Minis as speakers for my MacBook and external monitor. Turns out it was much cheaper, easier and it sounded better by just getting a Bluetooth sound bar.

[@matthewmccall551]

I’ve got some old Klipsch Belle’s hooked into a Bluetooth AVR. It’s everything I want, which is pretty much just home theater + bluetooth. Smart setups are awesome, but that’s not the vibe I’d want with a theater setup

[@JamesTKelly]

We’ve got a 1st gen HomePod pair and an Apple TV 4K. It definitely has its limitations, but it really is the simplest solution for a small space. We want hands-free control of Apple Music and we want decent sound for our TV. There are undoubtedly better solutions for both, but I would have to spend more and have more devices cluttering my surfaces. The compromise of using HomePods for home theatre isn’t really that painful for us.

[@arjunt973]

same i’m 19 in a small room and my grandmas in the room next to me. i have atv 4k 3rd gen and homepods were a no brained for me. sound great for me plus i use apple music heavily and the seamlessness is amazing

[@jayreid1780]

You left your apple id in the last minute. Not sure if you're interested in taking that out (given recent events) but just wanted to give a heads-up.

[@macaddress]

Have you considered a career in baseball? Cause that was a good catch. Blurred now, thanks!

[@Uncagedpaul86]

I have 2 homepod gen 2 in stereo connected to my mac mini m2 pro over airplay. Sounds amazing to me, but would like a few features like bass/vocal adjustments. Also, sound quality varies on what type of surface you have them on.

[@gwaddles]

You also need dedicated speaker stands. I bought some for my HomePod 1s and it made a big difference

[@bigbadslimee]

Great to see LTT labs being put to use for once

[@randomchullz7548]

4:05 When it comes to music in Dolby Atmos , it’s not so much that the HomePod doesn’t do a good job of playing it, but it’s more that Dolby mixes are not quite there yet. I use AirPods Pro and the dolby mix of any record sounds dull or to spacy. Some instruments sound louder or quieter than others. When you change it to Stereo (Dolby off) like in the video, it sounds way way better.

[@TheParot161]

Got myself a Samsung q990 wireless soundbar. Super easy set up. Great sound with movies and video streaming. Love it. Doesn’t do as well with music streaming for some reason. And like you, I did not like the Atmos for music. So I play my music through a traditional receiver.

[@anthonyk1020]

Amazing review! For some reason I was expecting that you'd somehow connect another set of HomePod (maybe minis) to make a true Home Theater Surround setup and see how that sounded lol.

[@hugoknapp]

Instead of the Belkin you can use an old Apple AirPort Express router instead - £12

[@brianmiller1077]

OMG I forgot I have one of those

[@jt5029]

I have them and honestly i was dissaointed a little. It doesnt feed as loud as a home theatre could be, and there’s a lack of bass without a subwoofer. I think if i could attach a subwoofer, it would be much better

[@niko1even]

It's kind of expected. Even a really good pair of speakers still needs a subwoofer. The drivers are simply not designed to produce that much subbass.

[@jt5029]

@@niko1even returning to this to say since ive had the speakers a while, the bass is okay. it can be loud sometimes, i was actually surprised when i was in the other room and i could hear it bumping through the walls. its hard to say theyre really good or worth the money, but there have been some instances where they have really impressed me. for instance, i was sleeping in the other room and i was listening to music while i fell asleep and it literally sounded like someone was sitting in the other room playing the piano in real life. the audio quality seems to be very very good, albiet not the best bass. sometimes i feel like they dont get loud enough but ive found it entirely depends on the quality of the audio of the video/music im consuming. some movies and shows its very loud, other shows i have to turn them all the way up to hear the dialogue. overall i would reccommend these for a small living room or the master bed, if you have a very big living room dont even bother.

[@ak_hoops]

Pretty sre this is the first Mac Address video I've ever watched...LOVE it!

[@GTO20122012]

Glad I have a pair of the first Gens love them and sounds is amazing 😎

[@Neoxon619]

I’m actually surprised that Apple wasn’t capping I thought the sound quality being about the same despite the cutbacks.

[@SaveMeAzathoth]

It was strange to hear the appearance of the traditional speakers given as their primary downside. I'd say that they look a lot better than either of the smart speakers in this video. "They look like speakers." Yes! Good!

[@serqetry]

People are weird these days. I like real speakers that look like speakers, none of this smart speaker or soundbar crap. I only wish I had a way to talk to Siri on my AppleTV without needing my TV on and my Siri remote. If Apple put a line out jack on the Homepod so I could use real speakers, I might have bought one.

[@torstonvodesil6709]

Love the style of MAC address, great video

[@djdksf1]

I have 3 of the OGs w/ 2 as my Apple TV home theater setup. They're straight up brilliant for both music and Dolby Atmos, etc. Really glad I got in on the first wave.

[@BKnight7z]

There’s no way you didn’t mention Sonos in this video lol. Great audio, ease of setup for an apple user and play1s are like the same price as the HomePod

[@evildude109]

Sonos is in the business of selling you a hardware subscription, soon whatever you have from them will be bricked and you won't even be able to use it as a dumb speaker. Garbage company.

[@BKnight7z]

@@evildude109 talking about hardware subscriptions on an apple HomePod for surround sound video on a mac channel lol come on now man. Obviously so is isn’t the best solution but Sonos might seriously fit this market for the type of person who would want 2 home pods as tv speakers lol think about it. 2 good sounding speakers that are easy to setup and also function as a smart speaker (w google assistant that we all know is miles better than Siri or Alexa)

[@evildude109]

@@BKnight7z The difference is that Apple has a history of supporting their products a long damn time, Sonos less so. I dislike Apple's behavior as much as the next guy but Sonos is a different tier of insane.

[@BKnight7z]

@@evildude109 while I agree with you I think if anyone would be interested in Sonos given all their pitfalls it would be the person who would want to buy 2 HomePods as speakers. Also including it in the video would be a good opportunity to talk about the pitfalls w the company and help people decide if Sonos would be worth it for them or not. Even if it wasn’t the recommended alternative option at the end

[@TheRetroPitstop]

I have two of the first gen ones in my master. They work great for a space where you don't want a soundbar with all the extra speakers. Though TBF I picked them up second hand and not at full price. Very disappointed these aren't just as good or better. Kinda wanted some for my office/gameroom. Still debating it since I don't care about music just movies and games and it seems to be okay for that.

[@wrightworldwide]

Frick! I just sold my OG HomePod pair i used and loved as a theater setup in the living room, intending on moving to the new ones. Wish i saw this first.

[@jellyg0at9]

I can't believe you genuinely like the look of any of those smart home speakers over the traditional speakers. The actual speakers look way more attractive, although they are larger. I don't understand why "gray blobs" are the aesthetic so many companies are aiming for now. If you place them where they make sense, real speakers look great.

[@TMM6900]

I wouldn't sub to any channel dedicated to apple products. But i broke the rule because Jon is so good

[@jackdominiak445]

This is an anti Apple dedicated Chanel 🤣

[@user-sc6zb5ms8e]

I do love my HomePods mini and use them as TV speakers, sounds really good!

[@rdboston7866]

Just hooked them up in my house and they sound wonderful. Bass is great and hearing all of the movies is great

[@Gunner7674]

Sony tv is the best

[@yypsamc5]

No Samsung is the best

[@Sachygraal]

hell nah

[@niko1even]

Lol LG makes OLED panels for Sony and other companies like samsung. LG OLED TVs rule.

[@warw]

Bruh just buy whatever rtings says

[@terronmclaren8367]

@@niko1even I don’t know about LG tvs though. Every LG product I’ve ever owned (especially the TVs) ended breaking down or overall sucking. I usually go for Samsung or Sony. Maybe that’s just me.

[@DestructiveBurn]

0:19 damn that's some nice options on the back of the amp. I hate Denon though but it's just missing pre-outs and that would be the all-around best one to have before professional grade systems.

[@steveo3336]

Fantastic and very relevant video! Loved it

[@chrissjogren6843]

I have been using 1gen HomePods in stereo pair for about 2 years. I care a lot about decorating my in away that tech don’t stand out so much. What I can say about the audio is that I like it for what I use it for, I know that an sonos arc would be the better choice, but the HomePods is sounding good and loud for my apartment. Also when I moved to another apartment I noticed a difference in the sound. What I am tho worried about is the software support and pray that it will always be able to connect to any Apple TV I use. But I have my doubts…

[@jadahulley5519]

I’m surprised you didn’t use Sonos as a comparison. It’s a great sounding wifi smart speaker system with two voice assistant options, and it’s expandable.

[@brentsmithline3423]

For my home theater set up I have a Sony multi channel AV receiver STR-DH550 with bose 5.1 cube speakers that have served me well for many years.

[@somebodysomeone23]

If you want a 2.0 convenience set up with good sound, some upgrade/expansion path- kef lsx is a great option. No smart assistant stuff tho. IMHO, tiny smart s-eskers like the dot or mini are way better to place and use as voice assistants.

[@jbparkroad]

I have 3 original home pods as my surround sound and I love it 😍

[@MrBenbunch]

For my setup in my bedroom I have two HomePod minis and an Apple TV 4th gen (not 4k) and I love the way it sounds. I have the speakers back by my rather than in front of the tv. So it might sound dumb “placing your head between them for optimal sound,” I do believe that having them back by where you are listening does achieve good atmos sound. And can be done with older models of Apple TVs but you have to use Apple TV apps and occasionally have to reconnect speakers to the Apple TV through the audio output settings. I also would like to see a comparison to Sonos speakers since they do support airplay and have really good Dolby Atmos sound. I’m also curious if you can add 4 HomePods (2 large and 2 minis) and seeing how that sounds. Also I did love the sound comparison between the two generations. I have had a traditional 1st gen I have used for years and it still sounds great audio wise. I was thinking about getting a new one but sounds like it’s not as nice of a speaker.

[@Oscar_Myk]

Would be great to get a comparison of music apps on the Apple 4k - tested Apple Music, Spotify and Tidal on Sony HT-A9's and Spotify came out sounding the best (which wasn't what I was expecting) - not sure if like spatial audio there's settings to switch off on Apple Music.

[@Potatofarmer1898]

I have an old school home theater setup at my house. I put a HomePod mini in each room to have ambient music and smart home functionality and they do the trick nicely. The HomePod mini spanks this out of the house with no doubt.

[@quaaam]

Would love to have a direct comparison to Sonos One, wonder if HomePods will be better or just the same, considering they are almost on the same price point.

[@Blueyzachary]

Atmos on my little Yamaha receiver setup in my bedroom for Apple Music actually sounds really good!