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What's the reason you haven't bought a HomePod? (Up to 3 choices)

  • No bluetooth input

    Votes: 20 18.2%
  • No auxiliary input jacks

    Votes: 21 19.1%
  • Siri isn't good enough

    Votes: 33 30.0%
  • Price (FYI it was just lowered to $299 MSRP)

    Votes: 58 52.7%
  • Apple's walled garden / lack of integration with third party apps

    Votes: 29 26.4%
  • Can't make phone calls with it

    Votes: 6 5.5%
  • Not enough physical controls/gestures

    Votes: 1 0.9%
  • Lack of repairability and/or high price of repair ($279)

    Votes: 3 2.7%
  • Other (explain in thread)

    Votes: 27 24.5%

  • Total voters
    110

mlody

macrumors 68000
Nov 11, 2012
1,625
1,236
Windy City
For me the HomePod fails at the very basic need i have - play live FM stations; that is i cant just say - siri play WTMX Chicago/101.9FM or siri play RMF FM. Unless those options are in place i am not interested in the device regardless of the price/deals.
 

Wizec

macrumors 6502a
Jun 30, 2019
680
778
For me the HomePod fails at the very basic need i have - play live FM stations; that is i cant just say - siri play WTMX Chicago/101.9FM or siri play RMF FM. Unless those options are in place i am not interested in the device regardless of the price/deals.

At WWDC in June, Apple said iOS 13 would bring live radio requests to Siri from iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and Radio.com, but it looks like that rollout is already underway ahead of the software's release in the fall.

https://www.macrumors.com/2019/07/01/siri-play-live-radio-working-in-germany/
 

rdowty

macrumors 6502a
Oct 5, 2008
675
118
I have more than my share of Apple gear but I never really got excited about the HomePod because I don't really listen to music at home much. While walking to lunch or in the car I do but at home not as much and I could just as easily do it on my Apple TV that's connected to a TV with a sound bar. If Apple had sold something like an Echo Dot I would probably have one in every room although now I have several of the Google Home Hub's. I've also changed over most of my home automation stuff to Nest and mostly given up on HomeKit.
 

mlody

macrumors 68000
Nov 11, 2012
1,625
1,236
Windy City

anthony13

macrumors 65816
Jul 1, 2012
1,055
1,203
I loved my HomePod before a software update changed the eq dramatically. Now I barely use it. Regardless of your preference in sound, the lack of control is mind boggling for such an expensive product. I love Apple but haven’t been this disappointed in one of their products in a long time.
 

Wizec

macrumors 6502a
Jun 30, 2019
680
778
I loved my HomePod before a software update changed the eq dramatically. Now I barely use it. Regardless of your preference in sound, the lack of control is mind boggling for such an expensive product. I love Apple but haven’t been this disappointed in one of their products in a long time.

What EQ change are you referring to? Have you tried the EQ presets in Settings->Music->EQ on your iOS device?
 

anthony13

macrumors 65816
Jul 1, 2012
1,055
1,203
What EQ change are you referring to? Have you tried the EQ presets in Settings->Music->EQ on your iOS device?
When HomePod updated to version 3 Apple drastically reduced the bass response. There are a large number of users who felt Apple had fundamentally changed a product they had already purchased. The iOS eq only does so much to make up for the adjusted curve and regardless I don’t typically play from my phone, I’m usually just speaking directly to Siri to play on HomePod
 

T'hain Esh Kelch

macrumors 603
Aug 5, 2001
6,485
7,459
Denmark
Still not available in my country. Will pick one up when it becomes available. But Apple is really taking its time this time around.
 

Hi Tek

macrumors regular
Sep 27, 2015
161
105
Canada, Hali
Parents bought me a JBL speaker with "Hey, Google" ... Love the sound, third party integration (I use Spotify).

If I used AM, I would more so consider a HomePod
 

Wizec

macrumors 6502a
Jun 30, 2019
680
778
When HomePod updated to version 3 Apple drastically reduced the bass response. There are a large number of users who felt Apple had fundamentally changed a product they had already purchased. The iOS eq only does so much to make up for the adjusted curve and regardless I don’t typically play from my phone, I’m usually just speaking directly to Siri to play on HomePod

Ah, ok. Good to know. Given the amount of bass I get out of it now on the Classical EQ (I have disabled Siri) I think I might not have liked it before.

As much of a bass aficionado as I am, there is such a thing as too much, my HomePod actually vibrates the floor a little with it mounted at eye level in a corner of my master bathroom. =-D
 

dotzero123

macrumors 6502a
Sep 3, 2018
528
498
Philadelphia Suburbs
I've got a couple of echos and use them for audio books, music and until recently home automation. (Turned off home automation when I realized that you need to consent to send them your information). Too expensive for me for what it offers. I've got a few decent speakers for music and wouldn't invest even at a discount at the current time. It doesn't do anything that is a "must have" for the price they're charging. JMHO though. If I had unlimited funds I might buy one for the novelty of it.
 

addictive

macrumors 6502
Jul 6, 2008
371
357
I’m committed to the Apple ecosystem. I like the Sonos Beam and i’m considering purchasing it but also tempted to buy the HomePod. I don’t use Siri at all. I would like to be able to hook up to a TV set using HDMI-ARC. It’s a shame the HomePod doesn’t have this input. I know it wasn’t designed for this but it’s a missed opportunity for Apple.
 
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Pipper99

macrumors 68040
Aug 14, 2010
3,823
3,772
Fort Worth, TX
I've tried the Homepod on two occasions and returned it because I found it to be somewhat annoying to use. If all that I wanted to do was say "Hey Siri" to listen to Apple Music playlists or get brief news or weather reports, it'd be fine, but I found that most of my usage involved using AirPlay to stream radio and podcasts. Also, my morning iPhone alarm would sound through the Homepod which was at the other end of the house, and I couldn't get it to stop doing that every morning without unplugging the Homepod the night before. When I listen to music, I skip around a lot, and using Hey Siri rather than tap a button got old.

For me, the sound was just ok: it was good for the size and type of the speaker, but not good enough for the price.
 

x-evil-x

macrumors 603
Jul 13, 2008
5,598
3,282
never saw the need for one. Im more of a full sound system kind of guy. I have a full atmos setup with discrete ceiling speakers in my main room and a 5.1 system in my bedroom. Two apple tv’s and airplay receiver(even though i never use it). No idea what id use one for. I have 40 bulbs and accessories for homekit and use my phone/watch to control them all. Yelling across the room doesnt seem appealing to me for it to maybe hear me correctly and play back on a small speaker seems rather pointless. Seems ok for the pool though if you have an outlet nearby but i have bluetooth speaker for that already.
 

ipedro

macrumors 603
Nov 30, 2004
6,335
8,856
Toronto, ON
I want something for my bedroom but the HomePod's price and power is overkill for a bedside table. I picked up a cheap Echo Show on sale to serve that purpose but a few days in, I'm kind of disappointed.

I've gotten so used to controlling my HomePod with natural language that when I added the Echo Show, its inability to understand natural language and the need to remember to say things in specific commands really threw me off. This is the most popular voice assistant?

Aside from its expandability through Skills, Alexa is nowhere close to as good as Siri where it counts. I'd put Google and Siri at about even with Google ahead on general knowledge pulled from its search engine but Alexa is way behind the pack. Siri is also expandable with Siri Shortcuts which is getting a lot of support in the year that it's been out so there goes Alexa's main advantage.

"Alexa, turn off the lights"
"Sorry, I didn't find a device named lights"


https://twitter.com/metromanto/status/1161007750543024130?s=12

This is just unacceptable in a smart home assistant.

HomePod and Siri are far better than they get credit for.
 
Last edited:

sargein

macrumors member
Oct 6, 2012
68
16
This. Such a big change forced upon users without giving the OPTION to customize the sound for a SPEAKER made sure I returned the one I bought and resolved to stay with Sonos, especially helped with Airplay 2 now being available on that.

When HomePod updated to version 3 Apple drastically reduced the bass response. There are a large number of users who felt Apple had fundamentally changed a product they had already purchased. The iOS eq only does so much to make up for the adjusted curve and regardless I don’t typically play from my phone, I’m usually just speaking directly to Siri to play on HomePod
 
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