Apple airpod subwoofer. 13 of the best spatial audio tracks in Dolby Atmos on Apple Music

of the best spatial audio tracks in Dolby Atmos on Apple Music

Apple Music now has thousands of spatial audio tracks, but which ones showcase the technology at its best with compatible headphones and speakers?

As we said in our feature detailing everything you need to know about spatial audio when using the Apple Airpods Max, Apple’s spatial audio technology for movies and TV shows is superb. The whole presentation is very open, spacious and convincing, and the tracking is amazingly smooth and accurate as you move your head, we continued.

And although spatial audio for movies and TV is still an Apple device exclusive, the firm’s Apple Music proposition is definitely not limited to its Airpods or Beats headphones. Apple Music’s Dolby Atmos-powered spatial audio technology for music works with any headphones, streaming from both Android and iPhone devices. There’s also now compatibility with the HomePod 2 and HomePod mini Smart speakers and Sonos’s new dedicated Era 300 spatial audio wireless speaker.

So, the spatial audio music party is in full flow and you’re invited. But what should you stream? Have a gander at our selection, read why we chose them (or just scroll to the end for the playlist, we won’t be offended) and enjoy.

Weaver of Dreams by Freddie Hubbard (1961)

At its core, jazz is the interplay between musicians – the way the players and instruments weave around each other in direct reaction to what is being served. Here, Hubbard’s iconic trumpet continually toys with our left ear while drum strokes underpin everything he’s got to say in our right. Expect Blue Note saxophones plus keys behind you and a melancholy bass over by the kit; you’re right in the middle of the action here. Want to close your eyes and pretend you’re onstage at Birdland in the mid-70s? Go right ahead. You’ll have to sort your own Manhattan though.

Haule Haule by Sukhwinder Singh (2008)

As this slinky, tango-meets-Hindi Geet track evolves, voices, strings and an accordion surround you. If it feels like you’re being carried into the dance break of a raucous street party in a joyous Bollywood flick, good, because you are – the Hindi language song is part of the soundtrack to the Indian romantic comedy movie, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, composed by Salim–Sulaiman.

The message is uplifting (be patient, wait for love and good things will come), the time signatures are challenging, and for danceability as well as immersion, it’s a stone-cold 10.

Drive by R.E.M. (1992)

The lead single from R.E.M.’s eighth studio album Automatic For The People was apparently the first song Michael Stipe wrote on a computer, and it gets an emphatic new lease of life here.

The guitar in our left ear, the bass above our heads, Stipe wandering pensively around the studio and likely throwing a shape or two as the harmonica bursts in on our right; it’s a sad soundscape that now smacks even more of both David Essex’s Rock On and Queen’s musical stylings – both of which have been cited by the Band as inspirations behind the song.

Back in 2017, we visited Dolby Europe and had a word with Michael Stipe after he first heard the album in Dolby Atmos. Stipe said the effect was breathtaking – and we still agree.

Fancy by Amaarae (2020)

If Amaarae’s tracks were paintings, they’d be abstract. The Ghanaian-American vocalist continues to paint whatever she likes here, bending the sonic format in a marvellous sugar-sweet creation.

As one of the pioneers of alté (the alternative new African music genre hailing from Nigeria) the track is underpinned by a DIY, lo-fi feel, but join CKay, Moliy and others and sit up in the star’s big fat caddy. Now, nod along to the trap beat and enjoy the incredibly immersive ride.

Unholy by Sam Smith and Kim Petras (2023)

The ominous choral intro is what hits you first like a wall of sound. From a spatial audio-toting speaker like the Sonos Era 300, the amount of height channel you get is astonishing. The sound goes far beyond the confines of the speaker unit: it’s tall and wide and all-consuming. Then the sultry beat kicks in, slinking its way alongside Smith and Petras’ sumptuous vocals, with the large-scale, immersive effect making you feel very much like you’re in the hippest night club in town.

Flight from the City by Jóhann Jóhansson (2016)

Using Orpheus (the ancient Greek Hero endowed with superhuman musical skills) as his muse, award-winning Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhansson takes us on a minimal, serene, but dynamically delightful flight that sees us aim for greatness and soar above the dystopian distortion below us, continually looking for the light.

As close as you can get to flying without leaving the ground, CGI visuals or hallucinogens.

About Damn Time by Lizzo (2022)

It can be easy to get distracted by Dolby Atmos tracks that FOCUS more on the ‘spatial’ effect. But what’s more impressive is when a mix delivers on its immersive effect while still keeping the musical integrity intact. Lizzo’s sparkly energy, the groovy beat and her playful lyrics on About Damn Time is a great example. That tight, rhythmic cohesion that makes the song fun should never be sacrificed for some gimmicky effect without reason. And it isn’t here.

Blessings (feat. Drake) by Big Sean (2015)

Crisp, honest, raw vocals delivered right to your face. Stream it and the effect is as forceful as if you are Michelle Pfeiffer, and Big Sean is Coolio, sitting across the table eyeballing you and spitting lyrics just like in the video for Gangster’s Paradise.

When you keep company with Kanye West and Drake, you have to know how to make yourself heard, and Big Sean is very much in his element here.

Ocean Eyes by Billie Eilish (2017)

It’s nigh on impossible to believe that when Eilish first recorded this track from her bedroom, she was just 14. The vocal in this, her debut song (written and produced by her then 17-year-old brother) is mature, assured and yet ethereal in this re-recorded version.

It’s almost unnerving as extra, layered voices come at you from all directions. Then, as the track progresses and vocal stylings surround you, a percussion loop joins in on your right side, almost within touching distance – but always just beyond reach as it, too, starts to circle.

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds by The Beatles (1967)

A controversial one, this – you may hate it. The opening synth snakes between our ears in this remix, grazing our cerebellum en route. The rhythm guitar is more impactful on our left and the mix right before the chorus is altogether. different. The thing is, that’s just one of the beauties of spatial audio: extra pieces of information present themselves. Perhaps not all of them will be welcome, but it’s an eye-opener to learn that they were even there in the first place. Along with copious amounts of LSD.

Clash by Dave and Stormzy (2021)

This London hip-hop track in immersive spatial audio is tough to top, in all honesty. The intro alone drops you several storeys down into the thumping heart of a brooding Brixton-meets-Croydon scene – and into the domain of two leviathans of UK music. Step inside their world: key samples, beat loops, treatments and most of all, their considered annunciation. It’s important.

Die Walküre, Act III Ride of the Walkyries by Wagner (1851)

Want to pretend you’re Ben Gernon, conducting the London Philharmonic at Abbey Road Studios? Here you go. Turn your head to the left and direct the strings. Then, face forward for the omnipresent horns. Flutes and oboes are in front of them, closest to you, and off to the right you need the double basses to hold everything in check. And cutting through this intense wall of sound there’s a triangle – don’t forget that or the whole thing will be ruined. Spatial audio gets it so very right here. Glorious.

You Ain’t the Problem by Michael Kiwanuka (2019)

Kiwanuka told Apple Music, “‘You Ain’t the Problem is a celebration, me loving humans. We forget how amazing we are. Social media’s part of this – all these filters hiding things that we think people won’t like, things we think don’t quite fit in. I wanted to write a song saying, ‘You’re not the problem. You just have to continue being you more, go deeper within yourself.’ That’s where the magic comes – as opposed to cutting things away and trying to erode what really makes you.”

And remember, this is the man who was asked to join Kanye West’s Yeezus sessions but snuck out silently, suffering from a nasty bout of impostor syndrome. Here, the track is opened out to expose Kiwanuka’s very soul. There’s space between the crowd and la la la la la hook to give the vocal extra room to shine, and the effect is remarkable.

Ready to stream the entire playlist? Outstanding.

If you’ve got an Apple Music subscription, see the link below, or simply click the following text: What Hi-Fi?’s spatial audio on Apple Music playlist.

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Becky has been a full-time staff writer at What Hi-Fi? since March 2019. Prior to gaining her MA in Journalism in 2018, she freelanced as an arts critic alongside a 20-year career as a professional dancer and aerialist – any love of dance is of course tethered to a love of music. Becky has previously contributed to Stuff, FourFourTwo, This is Cabaret and The Stage. When not writing, she dances, spins in the air, drinks coffee, watches football or surfs in Cornwall with her other half – a football writer whose talent knows no bounds.

AirPod Speaker Hack: Does It Really Work?

We find out the truth behind the viral hack that claims to turn any pair of Airpods into a portable speaker.

If you’re a regular on TikTok, you may have already stumbled upon the viral AirPod speaker hack which has amassed almost 5 million views in just over four months of its release. This sparked several other videos claiming to do the same.

In fact, TikTok and SnapChat star Cam Casey quite famously tried this hack in one of his recent videos, causing equal parts curiosity and skepticism among his followers.

If you’re one of those who are questioning whether this actually works, worry no more! To save you some trouble, we’ve tested out the technique ourselves so you don’t have to. Plus, added a few tips and tricks you need to know about turning your Airpods into speakers.

How to Do the Viral AirPod Speaker Hack

Several videos have gone viral claiming to offer instructions on how you can turn your Airpods into a speaker using only the case they come in. As simple as this hack sounds, the different methods shown in these videos can contradict one another.

Among the methods that we tested, we found that the one demonstrated by Tiktok user shanrizwan, is the most convenient and perhaps the most effective.

We also tried the AirPod speaker hack of Tiktok user teckhackguy, also known as the “AirPod tripod hack”. Unfortunately, after countless tries and frustrations, we can’t even make our Airpods (both Airpods Gen 2 and Airpods Pro) stand the way theirs did. So we’ll save you the trouble!

It’s easy enough to try out yourself at home, so if you want to experience this method’s full benefits, we encourage you to follow along!

• Remove your Airpods from their case.
• Insert each of your Airpods to the opposite slot: Left Airpod goes into right slot, then the Right Airpod goes to the left slot.
• Plug your AirPod lightning charger, turn the volume to max, and press play.

So, Does the AirPod Speaker Hack Work?

Yes, the AirPod speaker hack technically does work, but not as well as some influencers claim.

While you can make your Airpods play music out loud with this quick trick, the audio will be muffled and tinny, unlike the quality of sound displayed in these viral videos.

Some influencers might actually be playing the sound from the speakers on their phones for exaggerated effect. You’d be better off just using the speakers built into your phone!

How to Turn Airpods Into Actual Speakers

While the method described above might not work as well as some influencers claim, there are two different methods you can use to turn your Airpods into speakers.

However, you will need to invest a little more time and resources in the speaker with this trick than with the one mentioned previously. The latter is even only recommended to be tried on an old pair of Airpods that you’re willing to risk breaking/discarding.

How to turn Airpods into speakers temporarily

Here’s the easy and less invasive method to temporarily turn Airpods into speakers. In fact, this can also work with any pair of earbuds.

This method works by increasing the surface area of the speakers inside the Airpods with the base of the paper cup. This simulates a larger speaker diaphragm, which means that the taut paper of the cup will vibrate with the sound waves coming out of your Airpods.

This larger diaphragm will be able to move more air as it vibrates, making the sound louder.

To turn your Airpods into a speaker, you should:

• Put one AirPod into each cup and tape it to the bottom so that the speaker is pressed against the paper.
• Attach the paper clips to the outside rim of the base of each cup and use them to make the makeshift speakers stand upright.
• Turn the volume to max and press play!

For this method to deliver full volume, you should turn off the volume limits and ear detection in your Airpods. You can also adjust the equalization (EQ) to boost the volume.

How to turn Airpods into speakers: The invasive approach

If you want something more permanent, there is a DIY method to turn your wireless earbuds into a functioning pair of speakers. However, this method can be challenging to successfully accomplish. Not to mention, the risk incurred in damaging your Airpods for good.

This method involves opening your Airpods, something that even professionals have trouble with and that will instantly void any warranty you have on your earbuds.

Airpods are not designed to be opened, and cutting into the plastic case in the wrong place can destroy the technology inside. It is also nearly impossible to put a pair of Airpods back together once you have taken them apart, so only try this out on a pair you’re willing to sacrifice.

However, despite these risks, this can be a great way to upcycle an old pair of Airpods and save a little money on buying a new speaker.

If you’re curious about this method, this video tutorial under the YouTube channel “DIY Perks” explains this technique.

Conclusion

Airpods that you can enjoy like a mini speaker? Who doesn’t want to get more for less?

And so, if you’re a devoted AirPod user looking to get more bang for the buck, we hope this article will have helped you make sense of the many different videos available on this speaker hack.

With the tips shared, we hope you’ll now be able to try it yourself and perhaps, even improve upon the process shared in our temporary method! Now you can hopefully play music out loud without having to buy a speaker.

Did we miss anything in this article? Do tell us how well these methods worked for you in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев below! Even better, if there’s a secret hack you tried that deserves a mention, share it with us.

Apple Airpods Max Wireless Headphones Reviewed

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When I think of Apple Airpods (buy at Amazon), I think of thoe small, straw-like earbuds that are so popular these days. The Airpods Max is nothing like the in-ear monitors after which it’s named. Rather, it’s a very sophisticated yet almost impossibly simple pair of wireless, over-the-ear headphones. At 549, the Apple Airpods Max is priced close to the top of the food chain in the highly competitive category of mainstream high-performanc headphones, but this pair brings a lot of unique tricks to the party.

What Makes the Apple Airpods Max Headphones Special?

• Even loyal Apple users like myself will tell you that the simplicity of the Apple Airpods Max is simply amazing. There is one button and one knob (known as the digital crown) on these headphones. That’s all you need to adjust volume, skip tracks, answer phone calls, etc.
• Pairing headphones with Apple products used to be a bit of a pain in the ass, but many companies have made big strides on this front. Still, Apple makes it the easiest. Your Apple devices will automatically detect when the Apple Airpods Max headphones are nearby and put a “connect” option on the screen. Done. Easy.
• The battery life on the Airpods Max is very good—somewhat comparable to the recently reviewed Bose Noise Canceling 700 headphones (379 retail) (buy at Amazon), which are less money and look great. I got to play with my seat-neighbor’s pair on a recent flight from Philadelphia)(buy at Crutchfield). When you use these headphones in conjunction with a MacBook Pro, you can click on the Bluetooth icon in the upper-right corner of the laptop’s screen and instantly see the remaining battery (percentage) for the Airpods Max, which I found very useful when travelling.
• Even with Jony Ive gone from Apple,the Airpods Max is a marvel of industrial design. Other headphones in this price class come across as plasticky (because they often are) and seem cheaper (many of them are actually less expensive), whereas the Airpods Max headphones present themselves as a much more robust and serious piece of technology. The headband is beyond cool. It is rigid yet very lightweight, which allows for some heft in the ear cups without making the headphones too heavy to wear.
• With microprocessors in short demand these days for many companies, the fact that the Apple Airpods Max has a chip in each ear cupexplains, in part, why the headphones are as expensive as they are. They support EQ, noise cancelation, and a form of faux surround sound (spatial audio) that can be very processor-intensive.
• Over the past few years, I’ve reviewed many of the best headphones in the premium, over-the-ear wireless category, and they all tend to have the same travel case. Apple thinks differently, offering a color-matched, lightweight, flexible Smart Case that allows you to travel safely with your Airpods Max without dealing with the bulk of a traditional case. I have an OXO oven mitt that oddly reminds me of the Apple case. It is a crazy design, unlike anything that I’ve seen in the consumer electronics world to date.
• The headphones are available infive color options: white, gray, light blue, a sweet metallic green, and the orange/salmon-colored version that I got to spend significant time with.
• I am not a voice activation guy, but Siri is on demand any time that you need her when using the Apple Airpods Max headphones. You can set up “Announce Notifications” and Siri will keep you informed of important communications via voice announcements.
• Like many headphones in the category today, the Airpods Max headphonesturn off for a second if you pull them off of your headto take a break. They resume playing quickly and easily when you put them back on.
• Of course, you can make phone calls with the Airpods Max, as they seamlessly integrate with an iPhone and have microphones built in. I didn’t test the Airpods Max with a Google or Samsung phone.
• Apple developed its own headphone driver, which is one of the benefits of being a gigantic corporation with massive design resources. The Apple driver can play deep and loud when called upon to do so. I will get into the sound in more detail in the Listening section.
• In my tests, I used the active noise cancelation almost constantly and found that it does an excellent job of shutting out the external distractions that can get between you and the music. I know ANC uses more battery, but the Airpods Max did better than most on the battery front. Transparency Mode allows you to hear the outside world when needed, and you activate it by pressing the single button on the Airpods Max. It’s a good safety feature if you are walking around town and need to hear a little bit of your surroundings so you don’t get run over by a UPS truck.

Some Things You Might Not Like About the Apple Airpods Max Headphones

The fit on my admittedly large head was somewhat tight. This is an advantage for better bass performance because it makes a better seal around the ears, but the tight fit would be somewhat physically fatiguing for me on, say, a cross-country flight. I also encountered this issue with the less sexy, slightly less expensive, but still audiophile-tastic Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones.

Listening To The Apple Airpods Max Wireless Headphones…

When listening to “Interstate Love Song” from Stone Temple Pilot’s 1994 album Purple (AIFF, CD quality) (buy at Amazon), I felt the urge to crank it up just a little higher with the Apple Airpods Max on. The overall presentation was pretty balanced, but what stood out to me was that the midrange sounded a bit congested compared to what I heard from the Bowers Wilkins Px7s S2, Sennheiser Momentum 4, and even the Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700. The bass was pretty good, and the highs lacked the excessive sizzle I heard from the Bose. It is more in the vocal region of the midrange where I wished things sounded clearer.

Apple’s HomePod Is a Good Smart Speaker. But the Mini Is Better for Most People.

We’ve added details on HomePod’s Sound Recognition ability to What to look forward to.

The Apple HomePod is back. Nearly two years after discontinuing the original HomePod, Apple has resurrected the Siri-based Smart speaker with minor improvements. Although the second-generation HomePod looks almost identical to the original, the formula was altered with some subtle design twists and new features, including temperature and humidity sensors, support for spatial audio, and integration of the new Matter Smart-home protocol. For most people who favor Siri and HomeKit, these upgrades don’t make it a must-own speaker—the smaller, lower-priced HomePod mini is the better choice. But for music lovers, the new HomePod competes sonically with other popular Smart speakers from Amazon and Sonos, even if it may be a matter of preference.

What you need to know

The HomePod uses five tweeters and a 4-inch woofer, it supports Atmos spatial audio, and it tunes the speaker to suit your room.

The HomePod is a Siri-based voice speaker that can serve as a HomeKit control hub. It supports the new Matter Smart-home protocol.

We measured the HomePod’s volume and bass abilities and compared it with the Amazon Echo Studio and Sonos One SL.

We also tested the responsiveness of Siri, Apple TV integration, basic HomeKit integration, temp and humidity controls, and more.

A good Smart speaker for Apple fans, but too pricey

The HomePod sounds good, responds well to voice commands, and supports new trends like spatial audio and Matter. But it’s really only suited for iOS users, and it costs a lot for the performance it delivers.

Buying Options

For music fans who are heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem, the HomePod (2nd generation) is Apple’s biggest, best-sounding Smart speaker—a step up sonically from the HomePod mini. It is roughly three times larger than the Mini, incorporates five tweeters and a 4-inch woofer, and includes a large LED control screen on top, as well as a detachable power cord. It’s no surprise that the HomePod can play louder than the HomePod mini and deliver more bass, and in our tests, its sound quality was competitive with the best-sounding Smart speakers we’ve tried. Through Siri voice control, you can play music from Apple Music and other linked streaming services, as well as your own iCloud-based music library. The speaker also supports room sensing (to automatically tailor the sound to your environment) and Atmos spatial audio (available on many tunes in Apple Music), and you can link two HomePods together to listen to music in stereo mode. For those who have embraced HomeKit as their Smart-home platform of choice, the new HomePod and the HomePod mini are equally good control hubs, but the HomePod adds support for the new Matter Smart-home protocol.

Unfortunately, the HomePod also has its share of potential downsides. Compared with Smart speakers from Amazon and Google, the HomePod isn’t nearly as versatile or affordable. It’s three times more expensive than the Amazon Echo (4th Gen) and Google’s Nest Audio, and 100 more than the Amazon Echo Studio, which we preferred the sound of in our tests. The HomePod requires you to already be an Apple user to some degree—since you need either an iPhone or iPad to set it up. It lacks Bluetooth (which all Echo and Nest speakers have) or a line-audio input (which is featured on some Echo speakers) to connect external audio devices; AirPlay is the only way to stream external music sources to it. From a voice control and Smart-home perspective, almost all the things we like about the 300 HomePod can be found in the 100 Mini, so its value is questionable.

But if you’re still on the fence about which HomePod (if either) you should buy, here’s a rundown of what the HomePod does well and what it doesn’t.

What we like about the HomePod

It sounds pretty good (for a Smart speaker)

No Smart speaker we’ve heard sounds as good as a decent pair of bookshelf speakers, but the new HomePod performs well sonically—although not really better than its top competitors in the Smart-speaker category.

We compared the HomePod directly with two of the better-sounding tabletop speakers that we’ve tested: the Amazon Echo Studio and the Sonos One SL, both of which usually sell for about 200. (The latter, though technically not a Smart speaker, is sonically identical to the Sonos One Smart speaker, which supports both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.) For our listening tests, we matched the volume within about 1 decibel, which is a barely noticeable difference and the best we could achieve given the relatively coarse volume adjustments on these speakers. We also made sure to play music from the same streaming service (either Spotify or Apple Music) on all of the speakers so we’d know we weren’t hearing different versions of a tune.

To our ears, all three speakers sounded good, but they definitely sounded different from one another. The HomePod’s most obvious sonic difference is that the middle bass frequencies sound pumped-up. It’s not the bloated, dull sound of, say, a bad car stereo system, but it does tend to increase the sense of punch in the range around 100 hertz, which hypes up the sounds of bass guitar, synth bass, and kick drum in a way that a lot of people will probably like. It really brought out the impact of the bass in tunes like Three Days Grace’s “Animal I Have Become” and Audrey Nuna’s “damn Right” without obscuring the vocals the way most bass-boosted speakers might. If you find the bass bump to be a bit much, the HomePod settings menu (in Apple’s Home app) has a switch to reduce the speaker’s bass output; you can easily switch it on and off during playback to see which level you prefer.

Apple seems to have balanced out that bass boost with an accompanying treble boost, which gives the speaker an initially exciting sound that works pretty well for most modern pop and hip-hop recordings. However, it can sound unnatural for genres such as folk, jazz, and older rock recordings. For example, it de-emphasized the guitars in “Animal I Have Become” and seemed to hype up the bass and vocals. It did the same for Toto’s “Rosanna”. which made the tune sound somewhat harsh.

In comparison, the Echo Studio had a much more balanced sound, with more-even reproduction of bass, midrange, and treble. In jazz-oriented recordings, such as Patricia Barber’s rendition of “Trouble Is a Man”. the Echo Studio let us hear more of the piano and more of the fundamental (aka lowest) tones of the double bass. The Sonos One SL also had a more balanced sound than the HomePod, but its bass response wasn’t quite as satisfying.

The HomePod’s tweeter design, with five of them around the top pointing in different directions, produced a pleasingly spacious sound, whether we listened to conventional stereo sound mixes or immersive, spatial audio mixes from Apple Music. It didn’t sound notably more spacious than the Echo Studio, though.

Overall, though we enjoyed the HomePod’s sound, it wasn’t a clear upgrade over what you get from the less expensive Amazon Echo Studio and Sonos One SL. It was just … different. Whether you like it comes down to personal preference. We preferred the balanced sound of the Echo Studio.

It’s a good listener

HomePod’s built-in Siri voice assistant is quick to recognize and respond to voice commands, even when you’re talking to it from across the room, jamming to loud music, or both. This 2nd-generation model actually has two fewer microphones than the original (cutting it from six to four), but we still found it detected our voice well and quickly responded to questions, music requests, and Smart-home commands. But Siri is also more likely than Alexa or Google Voice to direct you to the web for answers to complicated questions.

The only thing that slightly slowed the HomePod’s response was when we used two of them in stereo mode. Even in that situation, we only noticed a slight, split-second delay in getting answers to our questions.

Handoff is a convenient trick

If you want to send a song or podcast that’s playing on your iPhone over to the HomePod, you can simply bring your iPhone near the top of the speaker, and the song will transfer over. (You have to enable handoff in your iOS setup menu.) It’s more convenient than asking Siri to play the song from the beginning, and it’s easier than using AirPlay (if you’re near the device, at least). You can also transfer in reverse to move a song from the HomePod to your iPhone. Other iPhones on the same Wi-Fi network can use the feature, too.

Impressive temperature sensing (for a speaker)

Other Smart speakers have a built-in temperature sensor, but the Apple HomePod and the HomePod mini are the only ones with a humidity sensor. These features give you real-time feedback on the state of your room, which is especially helpful if you’ve set up a HomeKit-based automation that triggers a Smart thermostat or humidifier. Compared with the temperature sensor on the Amazon Echo (4th Gen), the HomePod’s sensor is much more responsive—we noticed that the Echo might lock on to the same temperature reading for a few days, while the HomePod’s would fluctuate at the same rate as our home thermostat.

Apple’s Home app also makes it easy to find home climate information, listing all temperature data that it’s getting from any HomePods or other Smart-home devices in your home at the top of the app. In comparison, the Amazon Alexa app makes it hard to find this data, burying it in settings pages, making it easily accessible only through automations.

Apple TV and multiroom audio integration

If you own an Apple TV streaming media player, any HomePods on the same network automatically appear as speaker options in the audio menu. You can set up a home theater audio system using one or two HomePods and play Atmos audio soundtracks from services that support the format.

Since the HomePod is an AirPlay 2 device, you can also incorporate it into a Wi-Fi-based multiroom audio system, along with the HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and any third-party AirPlay-2-enabled speakers. AirPlay 2 is also included in a lot of AV receivers and TVs. You can launch playback via Siri voice control, move audio around the house, and group speakers together. In our guide to multiroom wireless speaker systems, we like AirPlay 2, but only for people who are heavily invested in Apple devices.

What we don’t like about the HomePod

It’s not a sonic or bass powerhouse

We measured the HomePod’s maximum volume capabilities, just as we do for our guide to portable Bluetooth speakers—and it fell far short of the Amazon Echo Studio and the Sonos One SL. The Echo Studio hit 94.1 decibels, the One SL hit 89.6 dB, and the HomePod only reached 87.2 dB. So, although the HomePod can play loud enough to fill a large living room with music at a satisfying level, the Echo Studio can play loud enough to drown out conversation in that same room.

We also measured the speakers’ CTA-2010 maximum bass output, which we use to test subwoofers. Again, the Echo Studio outperformed the others, averaging 82.0 dB between 40 and 63 hertz. The One SL averaged 74.1 dB, and the HomePod managed only 71.5 dB. This is a big difference; the Echo Studio is definitely the choice if you want to play music with lots of deep bass. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering that the Echo Studio is about 66% larger by volume than the HomePod. But still, you get a lot more sound for a lot less money with the Echo Studio—and even the One SL, which is slightly smaller than the HomePod.

iOS required for setup

Unlike Sonos, Amazon, and Google Smart speakers that are set up via apps that work with both iOS and Android devices, the Apple HomePod requires an iPhone or iPad for setup (here are the system requirements). Once you power up the HomePod, simply bring your iOS device near it, and you should get a prompt on the screen to begin setup. However, Apple requires that your particular iOS device has the most up-to-date software version before it lets you proceed; so, if you haven’t been diligent with your updates, it’s going to bring the setup process to a grinding halt while you deal with that.

The good news is, once any pesky updates are out the way, the setup process becomes pretty straightforward—though, if the update process took awhile, you may have to wake the speaker up by pressing the top panel. Setup takes place entirely on the iOS screen to link the speaker to your existing Apple account. After the speaker is set up, you should be able to find it in Apple’s Home app, where you can tweak the settings, link additional music services, add the speaker to any HomeKit automations, and more.

Siri voice recognition is a mixed bag

Siri can learn to recognize up to six voices to access personal requests, like calendar events and text messages. During setup, you will be prompted to teach Siri to recognize your voice. People on our staff had different degrees of success with this. Some people only had to set it up once, and it worked fine—but for others, even after configuring voice recognition time and time again, we continued to get prompts that it needed to be set up.

Less compatibility across the board

Besides requiring an iPhone or iPad to set it up, the HomePod can only play music over Wi-Fi and AirPlay—you can’t use Bluetooth, and you don’t have the option to connect an external audio player via an auxiliary cable. Apple Music is the default streaming service for Siri; you can add other third-party services like Pandora, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio, but the HomePod does not integrate as many services as an Amazon or Google speaker.

Though not a complaint about the HomePod itself, it’s worth mentioning that HomeKit, Apple’s Smart-home platform, currently has the most limited list of compatible devices. The HomePod is set to work with Matter devices, though, so that should open Smart-home doors in the future.

No physical mute button

Most Smart speakers these days feature a button that allows you to physically turn off the microphones, and they usually have some sort of visual cue—like a red light—to alert you that voice control is disabled. Apple has skipped such a feature on the HomePod, which is surprising given how Apple usually touts itself as a security-focused brand. You can still switch Siri off of a HomePod, but you have to go into the Home app to do so. A manual switch would be easier, especially if multiple people live in your home and want to be able to control the microphones.

High price tag

At about 300, the HomePod isn’t cheap, especially when compared with other Smart speakers. It’s three times more expensive than the Amazon Echo (4th Gen) and Google’s Nest Audio, and 100 more than the Amazon Echo Studio, which we think sounds better. And though it’s easy to pair two HomePods to create a stereo pair, two of them would cost you 600. For that price, you could get better sound (and similar convenience) from a set of powered bookshelf speakers connected to an Amazon Echo Dot. Or you could get two Echo Studio speakers for about 400 and pair those.

How to decide between two HomePods or a Sonos system for a home theater

Upgrading your home theater speakers for a great movie experience is easy to do, but it can be hard to decide which route to take. Let’s look at the choice between a pair of HomePods and a dedicated Sonos system.

HomePods for home theater

Once Apple updated the HomePod line to support eARC (HDMI ARC) it became even more compelling to connect the wireless speakers to a TV.- you just need an Apple TV 4K (second generation) or later.

That means around 600 will get you a pair of new HomePods for your TV that support Spatial Audio (Dolby Atmos) without needing to mess with a receiver or connection cables.

Read from AppleInsider

Once you’re willing to spend 600, however, there is a question of whether you should be considering other wireless sound options.

Sonos is among the most popular options and offers a range of speakers that connect wirelessly, support AirPlay 2, and plenty of other compelling features to pair with a TV setup.

HomePods vs Sonos system. setup

Going with a wireless home theater system from Sonos will require a physical connection to your television in some way. The Arc and Beam soundbars can use HDMI or optical, while Ray is relegated to optical only.

Sonos Beam, Sub Mini, and two rear speakers

Once you have a Sonos soundbar connected, the rear speakers and subwoofer will be wirelessly connected, from wherever you place them in the room.

The second-generation Arc and Beam both support Dolby Atmos. Arc has two dedicated up-firing speakers to enhance the spatial audio technology.

Arc and Beam support voice control with their included microphones. Of course, all of the soundbar options also support listening to music, either through the Sonos app or AirPlay 2, while the TV is not being used.

While you can connect a single HomePod or HomePod mini to an Apple TV 4K for home theater audio, we’ll FOCUS on the HomePod stereo pair with a Apple TV 4K models that have support for other devices connected through the TV set with eARC.

Similarly, two HomePod minis might be sufficient for a small bedroom, but only the bigger HomePods support 5.1 surround, 7.1 surround, and Dolby Atmos.

A stereo pair of HomePods forgoes the wired connection to a TV, so there is a little more flexibility for the placement of the two speakers.

HomePods support Dolby Atmos, but they don’t have any up-firing speakers embedded within their cylindrical shape.

A stereo pair two HomePod speakers is also the most that can be linked to a home theater system. The setup does not support rear speakers or a subwoofer, yet.

That means while it’s powerful for a two-speaker configuration, it remains limited compared to Sonos’ options, which can be added to piecemeal at a later date.

For example, you can start with a Sonos soundbar and rear speakers first and then add a subwoofer later, if you want.

HomePods vs Sonos System. sound

From the entry-level Ray soundbar to Arc, each of the options provide compelling sound quality for different-sized rooms. We’ve tried each Sonos soundbars, and all delivered a much larger and fuller presence than their designs suggest.

Similarly, a pair of HomePods don’t occupy much physical space, but can fill large rooms with booming sounds.

Sonos supports a dialog mode for clearer speech and a night mode for reduced peaks during quiet times. We’ve found these sound features helpful over time.

HomePods can reduce loud sounds to avoid disturbing other people, through the Apple TV box, but there is no dedicated speech mode for more audible or boosted dialog.

In terms of volume and fullness, Sonos Ray and a single HomePod are close to equivalent. In our estimation, Beam didn’t quite match the two paired HomePods. Arc was able to exceed two HomePods for this type of comparison.

HomePods vs Sonos system. considerations

Some items to consider about using HomePods versus a Sonos system

• Sonos has apps for Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows. AirPlay doesn’t have the same compatibility.
• If you don’t have a capable Apple TV box, you’ll need to factor in that cost too.
• Sonos has its own voice assistant for audio functions.
• HomePod connects to Apple’s Home app for Smart home functionality.
• HomePod (second generation) has temperature and humidity sensors inside.

HomePods vs Sonos system. pricing

Sonos soundbars range from 279 to 899.- with a 449 option in the middle. A Sub Mini costs 429 and the bigger Sub costs 749.

The cheapest wireless rear speakers are the Ikea and Sonos Symfonisk line which starts at 119 each.

An entry-level Sonos home theater system with a Ray soundbar and two Symfonisk bookshelf speakers starts at 517.

This will save a little bit of money compared to two HomePods at 598. This could also provide more immersive sound around the room, but it won’t support Dolby Atmos.

A more complete home theater option, practical for an average-sized living room, is going to cost closer to 1,200 with a Beam, Sub Mini, and two One SLs. This configuration will trump a stereo pair of HomePods in every way, but for double the price.

The truth is there’s not really a good direct comparison between two HomePods used for a home theater setup and a Sonos system meant for the same purpose.

Hopefully, Apple adds additional speakers to the HomePod line with home theater in mind, in the future.

Here’s what you should buy

People seeking a home theater speaker system should consider Sonos speakers first. There is better compatibility for a wider range of TVs and home theater setups.

The ability to add wireless rear speakers, and even up to two Subs, is a tremendous benefit for a growing system in the future.

It’s an optimistic feeling to believe that Apple better supports home theater use with its speakers, and for the potential of future updates and releases, but there’s no guarantee that will come to fruition.

On the other end of the spectrum, someone who’s planning on having a new HomePod near their TV and doesn’t have a speaker system should entertain the idea of pairing a second HomePod to pair.

Going from one full-sized HomePod to a stereo pair sounds more substantial than simply going from one to two. The boost in bass and fidelity is impressive, and would be a good low-cost way of taking the step towards a better home theater setup.