Apple in mid-January announced HomePod (2nd generation), a powerful smart speaker that delivers next-level acoustics in a gorgeous, iconic design. Packed with Apple innovations and Siri intelligence, HomePod offers advanced computational audio for a groundbreaking listening experience, including support for immersive Spatial Audio tracks.
It has a wider, more open sound than the first, which already sounded great. It sounds more natural, somehow, with some tracks suddenly revealing tiny elements I’ve never heard before, often from surprising sources such as several Billy Joel tracks that sounded the best I’ve ever heard them.
There’s great detail to the way the HomePod sounds, rich and subtle with deft handling of every part of the music. There seems to be more bass this time, though an internal microphone tunes this as it goes to ensure it doesn’t drown out everything else.
Unlike the first HomePod, there’s compatibility with Spatial Audio now, and this is great, an all-encompassing sound that really works well, offering a seamless, immersive effect.
Stereo pairing of two HomePods, however, lifts the audio from great to stunning, with room-filling sound that is just amazing.
MacDailyNews Take: The original first generation HomePod is already stunning in stereo pairs, so kudos to Apple for improving on that high mark!
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When the cancellation of the original was announced, I immediately bought one to pair with the one I had. Absolutely love the sound!
I love the sound of my original paired HomePods and it’s pretty decent when hooked up to an AppleTV for movies. However, I don’t know if it’s how new content originators like Netflix are mixing their shows and movies but often I have to turn on subtitles as dialog is not articulate to break through the sound effects and background music.