“One of the claims Apple makes about its new HomePod smart speaker is that music played through it sounds pretty much the same, no matter where in the room you happen to be standing or sitting. Apple also says that the HomePod will create pretty much the same sound in the room regardless of where it is placed,” Mark Sullivan reports for Fast Company. “We’ve heard plenty of opinions on the HomePod’s general sound quality, so it’s a good time to measure the consistency of the HomePod’s sound distribution using some professional-grade acoustic analysis tools.”
“For that we turned to NTi Audio AG, the Liechtenstein-based company that makes all kinds of acoustics testing gear and software,” Sullivan reports. “The company was kind enough to loan us a testing device, software, and a special microphone so that we could test the HomePod in a real-life natural habitat–my living room. The company’s Brian MacMillan coached me on how to do the tests, then he and some other NTi people analyzed (and helped me understand) the results.”
“After measuring the the full frequency spectrum (6.3Hz through 20,000Hz) of the HomePod’s sound output from each location, we compared each sound profile to see how much they changed from location to location in the room,” Sullivan reports. “The HomePod’s profile changed very little. The average variance for all audible frequency bands was less than a decibel–0.95 decibel. My NTi friends said humans can’t really detect changes in sound below a decibel.”
“How does the HomePod pull off such magic?” Sullivan reports. “Through some very sophisticated audio processing algorithms.”
Read more in the full article – recommended – here.
MacDailyNews Take: Plus, dogs can’t stop cocking their heads – tilt left, tilt right – and staring while listening to HomePods.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. — Arthur C. Clarke
SEE ALSO:
Magazine dedicated to comparing vacuum cleaners for geriatrics can’t hear Apple’s HomePod’s quality sound – February 13, 2018
Steve Crandall: Apple’s HomePod is the next big step in home audio – February 13, 2018
Apple HomePod: The audiophile perspective plus 8 1/2 hours of measurements; HomePod is 100% an audiophile-grade speaker – February 12, 2018
Apple’s HomePod is actually a steal at $349 – January 26, 2018
Digital Trends previews Apple’s HomePod: Impressive sound coupled with strong privacy – January 26, 2018
Hands on with Apple’s HomePod: Attractive, ultra-high-quality speaker, an excellent Siri ambassador – January 26, 2018