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zachlegomaniac

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 20, 2008
806
370
Hello all,

I'm a music lover without any real home audio, and need some suggestions. Currently I am using a Bose portable speaker with a 20 pin iPod connector hooked up to my television so that I can dictate to Siri and listen to movie audio, etc., through anything but the television speakers. Just before the HomePod was announced I was going to jump into the Sonos ecosystem, and was excited with the prospect of having a hugely improved audio system that I could build on over time. Unfortunately, I don't have the cash to drop a ton of money on a system up front - so I thought simply starting with a couple of Sonos speakers might be the way to go.

Clearly, I'm not a tech-savvy audiophile regardless of my preference to listen to music or podcasts over TV or movies. For this reason the HomePod seemed like it was worth holding out for simply for the convenience factor and and my entrenchment in the Apple ecosystem (which I would actually start to move away from if I felt I could find a viable alternative).

A few notes on that: I am currently an Apple Music subscriber, have 2 macs, an iPhone (as does my wife), Apple TV 4 and two iPads plus a CarPlay head unit (where I get my best listening experience, aside from headphones, due to a decent amp and speakers).

Should I hold out for the HomePod, start with Sonos, or go with a completely different setup in your opinion(s)? Will the HomePod simply feel outdated in 5 years? I remember growing up my folks having a receiver, an amp and two beautiful speakers and I listened to music on that from the time I could turn it on until the time I moved out of their home. There are so many options and I'm not sure where all of this tech, when it comes to speakers, is going. Any recommendations from folks with some experience and insight would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

ZLM
 

vipergts2207

Suspended
Apr 7, 2009
4,414
9,884
Columbus, OH
It sounds like you're pairing the speakers with the TV? If that's the case, the best way to go is a receiver and a pair of bookshelves to start out with. Then you can expand from there as personal desire and funds allow. Personally I stopped at 5.1 because my living room won't really support a larger setup than that aside from adding Atmos, but I'm not a huge movie buff so at present I'm opting not to do that.
 
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zachlegomaniac

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 20, 2008
806
370
Thanks @vipergts2207 . I would like to pair the speakers with the TV. Do you have a recommendation for a specific brand of speaker? Do you think smart speakers are the way to go based on what I stated, above? I've seen a lot of articles like this one written for Engaget, lately, and a fair amount of folks in the tech industry seem skeptical.
 

BrianBaughn

macrumors G3
Feb 13, 2011
9,821
2,493
Baltimore, Maryland
What were you thinking of spending?

I'm with vipergts2207 on getting a pair of speakers...either the receiver/speaker setup or a couple of powered monitors.

Does your TV have a variable audio output jack (level controlled by TV remote)?
 

ShadowJade

macrumors regular
Jul 12, 2014
127
167
dude, if you are still looking to figure this out, reach out to me. I am a diehard Apple guy, buy every product on day/date of release...but because of my Sonos setup, did not buy a homepod. I have 5 Apple TVs in the house, 4 iPhones, 4 iPads, 4 Apple watches...10 Play:1s, 1 Sub, and 2 Playbars.
 
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