We never got it.

The original HomePod - Apple's first Siri-enabled smart speaker - it was never marketed here in New Zealand, most likely because at that time Siri was still struggling to understand our accent.

After all, it was way back in 2018. Five years is a long time in tech.

Somewhere along the way they must've figured it out because when the HomePod mini was released in 2020, Apple decided Kiwis were finally ready to incorporate smart speakers into their ecosystems - assuming they were already iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV users of course.

HomePod mini was indeed impressive; a big, clear even bassy sound from a surprisingly small device. This was indeed the speaker many Apple users had been waiting for - small enough and cheap enough to place all over the house if you really wanted to.

So now the question is... would you like to upsize?...

I can't really compare the 2nd generation HomePod with the original because I don't think I've ever even seen one in the wild - let alone listened to one. All I really know about them is what I've read. The general consensus seemed to be excellent sound quality with somewhat limited smart-home abilities, at a pretty steep price tag.

What I do have plenty of experience with is the HomePod mini - I've been using a couple of them for some time. Originally I had them set up in my living room as a stereo pair; there's nothing more satisfying than asking Siri to, "Play something I like," and for him to get it right every time. (I prefer a male-sounding voice for some reason - always feel a bit uncomfortable ordering a woman around) 

However lately, Apple has been getting a lot better at integrating with my IoT devices - lights, cameras, aircon, etc. In fact, in the race between the Big Three virtual assistants right now I feel like Siri really gets me. By that I mean when I make a natural request like, "Hey Siri, cool the room down," he understands I want my aircon on and makes it happen. This is partially due to Apple now supporting Matter - a relatively new universal protocol for better connecting smart home devices. It's also partly thanks to a recent software update that has activated built-in temperature and humidity sensors.

This has meant I've broken up my HomePod mini pair so I can have one in the bedroom to control my lights, set alarms and turn the heat on and off without me even having to roll over in bed.

So it was good timing to try out the new, full-size HomePod.

Like many Apple devices, the HomePod is heavier than it looks; 2.3kg - but there's a lot of cool gear packed inside, notably a 4-inch high-incursion woofer and a fistful of horn-loaded tweeters. This is all wrapped up in a soft, "sonically transparent" fabric mesh in either White or Midnight.

Unlike the mini, the new HomePod has a removable, figure-8 power cable which gives you a bit more flexibility when it comes to positioning it somewhere ideal, while the touch controls on top are pretty much unchanged - complete with a light-up display to signify things like volume and when Siri is listening.

The user experience is very much like that of the mini, only more so. And while you could use a pair of HomePod minis as a home theatre solution for your Apple TV, it would've been fairly underpowered compared to most half-decent soundbar options. On the other hand, for about the same price as a good soundbar, two nice, big, new HomePods do a brilliant job of your favourite Marvel Movie or the new season of Ted Lasso.

Thanks to the beamforming abilities of the new speakers, the Dolby Atmos effect is genuinely room-filling.

Best of all, as always, setting up the system this way is pretty much automatic; power up the speakers, hold your iPhone next to them and you'll be guided through the pain-free process in no time. You have to hand it to Apple, nobody handles this part of the equation better.

I genuinely rate the performance of the HomePod stereo pair as a home theatre - within its obvious limitations. With no option to pair rear speakers or a dedicated subwoofer you're not going to achieve a full-featured surround-sound experience, no matter how cleverly these new speakers manage to bounce sound off your walls and ceiling. I wonder if a clever software upgrade in the future could convert my HomePod minis into wireless rear speakers? Just a suggestion, Apple.

Meanwhile, a stereo pair of HomePods really is about the best way to enjoy Apple Music's selection of Spatial Audio offerings. As I listen to the The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights,' I'm hearing some elements of the track for the first time - not just how spooky and airy his vocals are but the constant bass drone that keeps pulsing through the whole track. Thanks to those beefy woofers this booms around my living room clear as day.

The same kind of thing happened with "Feel It Still" by Portugal. The Man. This is a song I've heard in all sorts of places about a million times but once it's set free in my lounge through the wonders of Spatial Audio and a set of HomePods, it's a whole new experience. It's a hard thing to describe but it's almost as if each instrument and vocal is completely separated out and given its own space somewhere in the room.

The effect is not only fascinating, I find it a much more aurally comfortable way to listen to music. There's a warmth and clarity to this extra space that means you can enjoy your favourite tracks at a lower volume and still get everything out of them. 

Not that you can't wind these babies up to 100 if you like - distortion free. To be honest, I was expecting a little more sheer volume from not one, but two HomePods, jam-packed with woofers and tweeters as they are. Not that I have had any reason to max them out other than for the purposes of this review - watching my silly sci-fi at about 50% is usually plenty. However, be aware these are probably not the ultimate sound solution for a warehouse rave.

That's not what they're meant to be, of course. Like the mini before it, the new HomePod truly impresses with the soundscape it produces, both by itself and as a stereo pair. There's plenty of bass when required and as I've described, the sense of space for every frequency being played is a bit of an audio miracle.

I do wish the Home app included an EQ option for the HomePod - but then Apple always has taken a "Don't let them tweak it, they might break it" approach to things. And to be fair, there's not much I would tweak about this speaker anyway. It's one of the best.

 

 

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Apple HomePod (2nd generation).