As a music producer The HomePod 2 sounds the better in comparison. The frequencies are more balanced and you can hear each instrument like the hi-hats and the slap of the drums. That quality is really nice specially for songs that were produced with a lot of depth and quality in different instruments. But at the end of the day it’s a preference that depends on the person listening and what they like to hear. 🙏🏼
I completely agree. The clarity of HomePod 2 is so much better to my ears than the original HomePod. This makes bluegrass and vocal tracks sound very nice and balanced where all the instruments/vocals work together in perfect harmony.
Best review on UA-cam! As an audio engineer, the Gen2 sounds more "high-end", with an improved decrease amount of bass, and it's also deeper and cleaner.
When it came to the rock test the second HomePod sounds better to me, the fist sounds tinny and a bit muddy when it comes to instruments in the background, but the second gen had more of the instruments and voice speedster so you can hear more of it, and it sounded clearer.
Personally I really like the sound signature of the HomePod 2. I loved my original HomePod but I thought it made some things a bit more rumbly than they were intended to be, this new one has even better controlled bass and I can easily use it for listening to things like people talking, even at low volumes, without it being too rumbly and unintelligible. I really like the sparklier highs on the new one, but you can apply the "reduce treble" preset in the macOS music app to make it sound a bit more like the original.
You did a great job Max! I'm a sound engineer who owns the OG HomePod, and based on the tests you have presented I can be sure that the HomePod 2 has a better balance of the mids/hi-end , I love the sound of the original HomePod, but I always thought it needed more definition in the mid/hi-end , especially in the treble since the tweeters are tilted downwards the sharpness is lost a bit.
2023 HomePod vs HomePodMini vs HomePod 1 Original. Is it Really better? No! THIS is the MacBook Pro you should buy right now ➡ geni.us/lABHau geni.us/lABHaugeni.us/lABHau
We had a 1st gen Echo in our master bathroom for listening to music in the morning ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxABghAEkaIDGZfHRBH3D3rBrlraNmnC71 and while in the shower. I didn't realize how tinny and awful the sound output on the original Echo was until we replaced it with the Studio. It was a sonic upgrade far beyond what I was expecting. Just wow. I love it because it's like having speakers IN the shower. My friend likes it because the music is so loud that she can no longer hear me singing. So that's a win-win.
When listening to music in my (12x15x13 foot) home office, I use two HomePod minis as a stereo pair, 1 directly in front of me and 1 several feet behind me WITH 2 KRK Rokit 5 Monitors. It fills the room with great sound that doesn't travel far through the rest of the house. That setup cost as much as my HomePod 1. I tried the HomePod 1 in the office but it was both too much sound (bled through the walls) and not immersive enough. In the wide open expanse of my living room the HomePod 1 fills the space perfectly.
@@clintonlyon4830 less speakers, less tweeters, what you think you hear is a software update and some eq settings moved around buddy. This should be worth a lot less than 50$ off the original 😂
@@Andrew-pv8oz look ..someone who wants to tell me exactly what I experienced because my own opinion is clearly not valid ( right? ) I understand using tweaks like DSP can contribute to a change in sound. Also I’m listening through UA-cam and am not standing in front of the damn thing to experience a more genuine representation of how it sounds.. but thanks for you thoughts BUDDY
The 2nd gen HomePod has more separation. The highs and mids are slightly sharper but it should smoothen out after letting the tweeters break-in. I hope you guys can include tracks like jazz and classical to review how well the instruments are represented 😊
I’m very pleased with the new home pod 2. I used three songs: purple hat, I can’t tell you why, and you’re making’ me high to compare the OG to the 2 and although I did think the OG and home pod 2 both sound really good I felt the home pod 2 had a clearer sound especially in the high ranges. I was pretty amazed given that there are two less tweeters. I found the bass to be too similar to distinguish. I really hate the sound of the home pod minis because the bass just sucks. I do have one in the bedroom for ambient sounds and Siri requests. I’m going to sell my 4 OGs and upgrade to home pod 2s because I do like the temperature and humidity features.
The new one sounds a lot more digital. It is the accentuated highs and mids. If you’ve ever worked with analogue audio (tape or vinyl) you know what I mean. It’s more intelligible but less pleasant. I don’t like it.
As a rock/metal listener, I think the new HomePod actually sounded better than the OG. Tighter. From what I could hear over a video, it seemed to have more of the classic “V” eq where yes, you get more highs but also more bass and less mids. \m/
I actually have a HomePod mini. It is amazing the amount of sound output the little thing has. It is by no means a bad speaker, having good base and being decently loud. I would, however, say that the HomePod mini is better as a desk speaker or for smaller rooms. It does not quite fill up larger areas, especially in the way Apple thinks it does, so for that you should probably get a regular sized HomePod.
Agree on the HomePod mini as a pair and the sound is fabulous. Living in an apartment these are ideal for me as the larger HomePod would just be overkill for my living space and would also up set my neighbours. Here in the uk houses are built small and joining walls are like cardboard so am gonna stick with my mini pair and save myself some cash.
Max a quick tip from a recording engineer consider getting a measurement microphone for these types of tests and for your laptop speaker test. A Measurement microphone is completely flat microphone that will not color the sound in any way. Those shotgun mics and expensive mics all have an added color to the audio and aren't ideal for audio tests. You can find a measurement mic at almost any price point and they all do the same exact job. They range from the Behringer which is $35/40 and works perfectly fine up to something like the measurement microphone from earthworks which is about $1000. One isn't better than the other, you are paying for a name brand and build quality basically. Thanks for making all these videos that you and your team do, it is a huge help!!! Cheers!
Thanks for the video! I have two older HomePods set up in stereo to take advantage of the Dolby atmos when watching tv. I think my HomePods sound great and rarely turn the volume over 50% volume. Thanks for saving me money on trying to upgrade!
First the HomePod mini doesn’t suck. I have one. Just got the HomePod 2 for the living room and love the sound. High fidelity audio is better on the HomePod 2. It’s more room filling sound which is what I wanted!
Thanks for this review! I have owned a pair of the original HomePods since they came out and I love them! I have ten paired into a stereo set. They sound great listening to music and use them when listening to anything with my Apple TV! I have two HomePod Minis, but we don't use them much, they're good in a bedroom, but that is about it. Thanks Max!
Would love to see testing of audio lag when used as Mac speakers. Would buy a new set just for major reduction in lag for use as desk speakers. Currently using original Homepods in stereo, but can't use them with any form of audio or video communication apps due to the severe lag.
Thank you max tech for always comming up with the most relevent content. the content audience really waiting to see. The most curios comparison and ideal comparisons. I love you guys
2 HomePod mini just fine for me as I live in an apartment with joining walls the larger HomePod will only upset the neighbours also I still think the HomePods mini sound great for a small apartment. The volume I play at is about 70% and they sound great as a pair.
Agree 100%, I have seen many reviews on these but not tons of comparisons with the old HomePods. I would say thumbs up if you want to buy but not for upgrading.
Being a used original homepod its had more time to flex the drivers and mature them a bit. The newer homebod needs more time to loosen up a bit which could smooth out the highs a bit, there's also upcoming software updates. I'm Impressed so far. But competition will tell.
Appreciate the sound comparison! Exactly what I needed. All the other reviews just bash on the product and said their opinions as if consumers don't have their own opinions or something. Sometimes, we just need a video of products being used to help us decide on our purchase. Thanks again!
Put headphone accomodation on brightness and put the bar on strong also in settings scroll down to music and put that equaliser on loudness, Spotify settings put that equaliser on loudness and put audio normalisation on loud. Big difference 👌👍👍👌
As I’m getting older, I appreciate the higher mids and highs. On my phone and tablets, I’ve turned on some of the accessibility options and turned up the headphone accommodation for brightness to the middle. I’m thinking the 2nd gen is going to be the one I’ll probably buy.
How about doing a vid on 4k monitors for use with MBPs, ect? There are so many too choose from it's hard to know which one to get. I'm talking about the mid range ones for between $450-$500 from LG, Dell, ect. Not the high end LG one that Apple sells. thx
A stereo pair of original HomePods offers a superior experience than a single one. I originally had a single big HomePod with my 4k Apple TV then bought a second one to make the stereo pair. Much more immersive experience.
I think the OG homepod still sounds pretty good. The new one sounds great too but it seems to sound almost the same as the original but with just slightly boosted mids. The frequency analysis doesn’t seem to reflect that though.
Do the Home Pods support spatial audio? Can you use these as bluetooth speakers for your TV? Should do a broader video on why even get a Home Pod if it's just a smart speaker for your phone.
I understand it’s through UA-cam, but the consensus seems H2 is better and I would agree. Imaging and instrument separation on the H2 was much better and the H1 just sounds boomy.
A stereo pair of HomePod mini's sound great for desk set up and even bedrooms. A larger HomePod or stereo pair of HomePods are perfect for larger areas and home TV or theater situations.
I know this video is over a year old but I just purchased the Homepod for $250 from best buy, brand new. It sounds so damn good. I never had the first gen nor do I or have I ever owned the mini's. I only use my homepod for music so i only have the one. But watching this, to me the new one sounds clearer.
Thanks for making such informative and thorough reviews. It’s always a pleasure to watch Max Tech videos, even if I’m not a genuine buyer of most products, it’s still fascinating to watch. One thing I must add, PLEASE don’t take an early retirement! I definitely foresee myself still watching Max Tech in 30 years time. 👍❤️
Having had both, the HomePod 2 can almost always be described as "clearer". The original had amazing bass but it could bleed into the other frequencies sometimes and make things rumbly when they shouldn't be, with the new one, it has, in my opinion even slightly better bass *and* it's much better controlled, so the mids and highs are more distinct and clearer.
The mini's are 🔥 but I also understand that you cannot compare the two. They are entirely different. That is like comparing a marathon runner's finishing time to someone who is driving a car. They both get to the finish line but are not comparable. I guess it is fun to see the stats but nowhere would I think to compare them to one another.
Thanks very much for this comparison. Exactly what I was waiting for! After seeing the video I have to make an edit though… It would have been great if in these sound comparison videos if you had more variety of style, such as classical VS jazz blues VS rock VS electronic… And/or also some variety of sound, such as solo VS orchestral VS acoustic VS amplified…etc… or movie sound That would give a better possibility of observing qualities such as balance, clarity, etc… Still, many thanks for all the great content you have been producing!
It took me 30 minutes to setup two new HomePod 2s. That including unboxing, downloading 16.3, install 16.3 and configuring. I think the updates helped that a lot.
Thanks for the speakers review! Can you please tell me HomePod 2 will work well with Mac Mini / Mac Studio as desktop speakers? - After rebooting or shutting down the Mac Mini, will I need to manually turn on the HomePod 2 and connect the speakers to the Mac Mini each time? - Will there be a sound delay when watching videos on a Mac Mini?
HomePod 2 by a good margin for me, much richer sounds, can hear more details from all the layers. The mini sounds sounds very limited in comparaison in all scenarios. The HomePod 1 seems good for hip hop or electronic music or anything centered around a good "base". However, with the rock song involving multiple layers, definitely the HomePod 2 has the edge in terms of sound quality.
First off, thank you for playing Nine Lashes! Second, the amount of speakers can matter but it is about quality of speaker and the crossover and all the hardware processing. I definitely liked the New Home Pod much better in all of the scenarios. Music is really subjective and that will divide us. Thanks for the comparison.
I am so glad I watched this. You did an excellent comparison of all facets of the HomePods. I don't have any of them, but I'm going to get the HomePod 2. Sound is important for me. Thanks again!
In the even volume test, the new HomePod sounded crisper and tighter. In the test after that, the bass was more pronounced, maybe that's because the two missing tweeters, but it still feels a lot tighter. Overall I feel like the new HomePod just feels tighter and more clear, but that is also through UA-cam and also through Bluetooth to my AirPods Max. I felt like there was more going on with the original HomePod, but it felt a little bit more muddy, and both HomePods made the HomePod Mini sound bad in comparison, and I think the HomePod Mini sounds pretty decent as it is, so the HomePod is just that much better. Having the U1 chip and the extra sensors in it is also nice.
The two HomePod sounded pretty much the same on this YT, the Mini were okay at best. I think the Mini were designed just to be something to generate some background sound not be something for focused listening. I prefered the HomePod 2 in listening on this YT. My Amazon Echo is old and sound is dying so probably get a HomePod 2 to replace it with. I mainly listen to music in my practice room so just want a HomePod for some music in living room when kicking back or reading so they sound good enough for that.
Great review as always, i think the too bright highs and a little lacking in bass than the original one can be addressed with a software update, I’m pretty sure the next HomePod OS update or the one after that will balance things up, IMO.
I agree it is easy to notice the accentuated highs in the homepod 2. I own two originals and switch between reduced bass and normal bass fairly often depending on the music. I do like the sound of the original better but think the new one would be great for watching movies. The minis are great for the kitchen or second tv setup and bedrooms I think Apple are really pushing the new ones to be used for movies and as a stereo pair for the living area. Great comparison video as always!
HomePod 2 is the clear winner in every test, IMHO. The spectrum analyzer graphics show that the HomePod 2 has a slightly flatter (i.e., more accurate) response. Many listeners like hyped highs and lows, but as a project studio musician/enthusiast, flatter is better. The two little ones were flatter according to the video, but lacking in both lows and highs, so not really flat so much as "frowny." HomePod 2 FTW.
Overall, I would have to say the new one sounds best overall! Although the white one did sound good, I don’t know I guess just your preference you said something about AirPlay dropped it down or didn’t work. I have to listen to it again.
The HomePod 2 sounds someone took a graphic EQ from 1984 and arranged the bands into a V shape. The OG HomePod sounds most natural out of all of them because of the midrange.
Hi, Thx for this comparison. I own two original HomePod paired for stereo. I also had a chance to compare them to the HomePod mini and the second generation, and frankly I’ll keep my first generation. Their sound is much better. That brings me to a general comment. Apple is now mainly just focused on how to bring less quality (and no cutting edge on technology) at a higher price. We can see that with all their major products.
@@AVC.1111 I agree with you. But, what I quite misunderstand from Apple, is that because the OG HomePod was felt as being priced too high, hence its poor and undeserved market share, they now sells this new generation at an even higher price with no real progress in quality specs.?
People seem to think that the OG HomePods sounded better for music but I’ve not seen the same comparison done for Dolby Atmos. Any chance you could oblige?
My issue is that I sit next to some Sonos Moves and the HomePods 2 sound very clear but I miss the Punch, midtones…… they sound not bad, don’t get me wrong but the Sonos Move blow it away. I combined them 2 Pods with 2 Sonos and that was absolutely cool
For oldtime comparison, why not also compare the iPod Hi-Fi to all these setups? I should seriously put four minis, two OG HomePods, and two HomePod 2 units in a room, all with the Hi-Fi connected via S/PDIF to an AirPort Express to AirPlay to all of these speakers together at once! The iPod Hi-Fi can go louder than two OG units, I remember that, but with all this sound pressure, how many Db can we hit?
I just got a HomePod 2 on Saturday-it sounds incredible!!Well worth the money.The problem is-can I justify spending the same amount of cash again so I can have a stereo setup?😉😉💰💰💰🤪
You can’t close mic the HomePods since they use the room. That’s the advantage of the new one and the S7 chip. Much better algorithm for room sound adjustment.
I love the OG. The 1st Gen made for the best of the sound while the second they thought greatest sound quality is not priority now. But the difference is very subtle.
I have two HomePods minis and they sound okay… the og HomePod sounds great. The new HomePod sounds more clear and packs a bigger punch in base. The HomePod two with a mini sound AMAZING
Not surprising. Figures they'd change somethings. It also makes sense that Apple would find ways to maximize the sound out of the Home Pod. I don't if anyone will agree. Maybe the original Home Pod was too early to market?
@Max Tech, Do not compare between them because every single channel are doing the same comparison, make a video comparison of homepods 2(2 speakers with apple tv in ARC MODE plugged in your tv) VS regular soundbar(sony soundbar for example) connected trough ARC in the tv with a Video Console por example and see which one is the best sound, it's what the people wants to know in order to know which one to buy.
The new one sounds best, volume and sound quality. Mini's are low as hell. That being said, "For crying out loud, get a new freaking song to test apple speakers with." Why play the same song over and over again?
You should get some reference speaker like the Vifa Helsinki (or cheaper Earfun Uboom L) so we can actually have a fair comparison and sound check because Vifa sounds better than most "hifi" systems...
I'd like to know more about the sound-scaping and connectivity with non-Apple devices. Can we have 1xHP2 + 2xHP minis connected for home theatre or just 2xHP1/2s? I understand my new ATV can act as an HDMI gateway for HomePods but does this require the TV (switch) to have a specific HDMI variant?
I’ll wait until the price drops on the Homepod2, before I’ll buy one. The DSP in the HP2 seems to be tuned high mids. Too bad you can’t pair old and new….
As a music producer The HomePod 2 sounds the better in comparison. The frequencies are more balanced and you can hear each instrument like the hi-hats and the slap of the drums. That quality is really nice specially for songs that were produced with a lot of depth and quality in different instruments. But at the end of the day it’s a preference that depends on the person listening and what they like to hear. 🙏🏼
Night and day difference to me. 2 so much better. And i loved the 1's
Exactly, but people like more the v shape from the beats signature sound from 2011 haha
@@dotinsideacircle cones?
I completely agree. The clarity of HomePod 2 is so much better to my ears than the original HomePod. This makes bluegrass and vocal tracks sound very nice and balanced where all the instruments/vocals work together in perfect harmony.
HomePod as a music producer ? 😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 You really use HomePod ?
Best review on UA-cam! As an audio engineer, the Gen2 sounds more "high-end", with an improved decrease amount of bass, and it's also deeper and cleaner.
When it came to the rock test the second HomePod sounds better to me, the fist sounds tinny and a bit muddy when it comes to instruments in the background, but the second gen had more of the instruments and voice speedster so you can hear more of it, and it sounded clearer.
My thoughts exactly
Personally I really like the sound signature of the HomePod 2. I loved my original HomePod but I thought it made some things a bit more rumbly than they were intended to be, this new one has even better controlled bass and I can easily use it for listening to things like people talking, even at low volumes, without it being too rumbly and unintelligible. I really like the sparklier highs on the new one, but you can apply the "reduce treble" preset in the macOS music app to make it sound a bit more like the original.
There is a "reduce treble" toggle in the home app under the HomePod menu.
You did a great job Max! I'm a sound engineer who owns the OG HomePod, and based on the tests you have presented I can be sure that the HomePod 2 has a better balance of the mids/hi-end , I love the sound of the original HomePod, but I always thought it needed more definition in the mid/hi-end , especially in the treble since the tweeters are tilted downwards the sharpness is lost a bit.
2023 HomePod vs HomePodMini vs HomePod 1 Original. Is it Really better? No!
THIS is the MacBook Pro you should buy right now ➡ geni.us/lABHau geni.us/lABHaugeni.us/lABHau
We had a 1st gen Echo in our master bathroom for listening to music in the morning ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxABghAEkaIDGZfHRBH3D3rBrlraNmnC71 and while in the shower. I didn't realize how tinny and awful the sound output on the original Echo was until we replaced it with the Studio. It was a sonic upgrade far beyond what I was expecting. Just wow. I love it because it's like having speakers IN the shower. My friend likes it because the music is so loud that she can no longer hear me singing. So that's a win-win.
When listening to music in my (12x15x13 foot) home office, I use two HomePod minis as a stereo pair, 1 directly in front of me and 1 several feet behind me WITH 2 KRK Rokit 5 Monitors. It fills the room with great sound that doesn't travel far through the rest of the house. That setup cost as much as my HomePod 1. I tried the HomePod 1 in the office but it was both too much sound (bled through the walls) and not immersive enough. In the wide open expanse of my living room the HomePod 1 fills the space perfectly.
In these tests, Homepod 2 sounds better to my ears
Same. New one clearly better, though not by a lot
Same with me too.
Vocal clarity seems improved on gen 2
@@clintonlyon4830 less speakers, less tweeters, what you think you hear is a software update and some eq settings moved around buddy. This should be worth a lot less than 50$ off the original 😂
@@Andrew-pv8oz look ..someone who wants to tell me exactly what I experienced because my own opinion is clearly not valid ( right? ) I understand using tweaks like DSP can contribute to a change in sound. Also I’m listening through UA-cam and am not standing in front of the damn thing to experience a more genuine representation of how it sounds.. but thanks for you thoughts BUDDY
Got a stereo OG HomePod pair and I love their sound!
The 2nd gen HomePod has more separation.
The highs and mids are slightly sharper but it should smoothen out after letting the tweeters break-in.
I hope you guys can include tracks like jazz and classical to review how well the instruments are represented 😊
Great idea! I would also love a comparison for jazz and classical music! 😃👍
I actually liked the sound of the dual minis in the rock track. I liked them more than the Og homepod but the new one sounds brighter.
I’m very pleased with the new home pod 2. I used three songs: purple hat, I can’t tell you why, and you’re making’ me high to compare the OG to the 2 and although I did think the OG and home pod 2 both sound really good I felt the home pod 2 had a clearer sound especially in the high ranges. I was pretty amazed given that there are two less tweeters. I found the bass to be too similar to distinguish. I really hate the sound of the home pod minis because the bass just sucks. I do have one in the bedroom for ambient sounds and Siri requests. I’m going to sell my 4 OGs and upgrade to home pod 2s because I do like the temperature and humidity features.
The new one sounds a lot more digital. It is the accentuated highs and mids. If you’ve ever worked with analogue audio (tape or vinyl) you know what I mean. It’s more intelligible but less pleasant. I don’t like it.
As a rock/metal listener, I think the new HomePod actually sounded better than the OG. Tighter.
From what I could hear over a video, it seemed to have more of the classic “V” eq where yes, you get more highs but also more bass and less mids. \m/
I actually have a HomePod mini. It is amazing the amount of sound output the little thing has. It is by no means a bad speaker, having good base and being decently loud. I would, however, say that the HomePod mini is better as a desk speaker or for smaller rooms. It does not quite fill up larger areas, especially in the way Apple thinks it does, so for that you should probably get a regular sized HomePod.
Agree on the HomePod mini as a pair and the sound is fabulous. Living in an apartment these are ideal for me as the larger HomePod would just be overkill for my living space and would also up set my neighbours. Here in the uk houses are built small and joining walls are like cardboard so am gonna stick with my mini pair and save myself some cash.
Max a quick tip from a recording engineer consider getting a measurement microphone for these types of tests and for your laptop speaker test. A Measurement microphone is completely flat microphone that will not color the sound in any way. Those shotgun mics and expensive mics all have an added color to the audio and aren't ideal for audio tests. You can find a measurement mic at almost any price point and they all do the same exact job. They range from the Behringer which is $35/40 and works perfectly fine up to something like the measurement microphone from earthworks which is about $1000. One isn't better than the other, you are paying for a name brand and build quality basically. Thanks for making all these videos that you and your team do, it is a huge help!!! Cheers!
Thanks for the video! I have two older HomePods set up in stereo to take advantage of the Dolby atmos when watching tv. I think my HomePods sound great and rarely turn the volume over 50% volume. Thanks for saving me money on trying to upgrade!
Cool, I have 2 originals HP and now I know I am not missing much with the new HP2. Thanks!
First the HomePod mini doesn’t suck. I have one. Just got the HomePod 2 for the living room and love the sound. High fidelity audio is better on the HomePod 2. It’s more room filling sound which is what I wanted!
Thanks for this review! I have owned a pair of the original HomePods since they came out and I love them! I have ten paired into a stereo set. They sound great listening to music and use them when listening to anything with my Apple TV! I have two HomePod Minis, but we don't use them much, they're good in a bedroom, but that is about it. Thanks Max!
Would love to see testing of audio lag when used as Mac speakers. Would buy a new set just for major reduction in lag for use as desk speakers. Currently using original Homepods in stereo, but can't use them with any form of audio or video communication apps due to the severe lag.
Thank you max tech for always comming up with the most relevent content. the content audience really waiting to see. The most curios comparison and ideal comparisons. I love you guys
2 HomePod mini just fine for me as I live in an apartment with joining walls the larger HomePod will only upset the neighbours also I still think the HomePods mini sound great for a small apartment. The volume I play at is about 70% and they sound great as a pair.
Agree 100%, I have seen many reviews on these but not tons of comparisons with the old HomePods. I would say thumbs up if you want to buy but not for upgrading.
Being a used original homepod its had more time to flex the drivers and mature them a bit. The newer homebod needs more time to loosen up a bit which could smooth out the highs a bit, there's also upcoming software updates. I'm Impressed so far. But competition will tell.
This is an important point a lot of reviewers are failing to mention - new speakers need a little bit of time to breath and break in.
Appreciate the sound comparison! Exactly what I needed. All the other reviews just bash on the product and said their opinions as if consumers don't have their own opinions or something. Sometimes, we just need a video of products being used to help us decide on our purchase. Thanks again!
Put headphone accomodation on brightness and put the bar on strong also in settings scroll down to music and put that equaliser on loudness, Spotify settings put that equaliser on loudness and put audio normalisation on loud. Big difference 👌👍👍👌
As I’m getting older, I appreciate the higher mids and highs. On my phone and tablets, I’ve turned on some of the accessibility options and turned up the headphone accommodation for brightness to the middle. I’m thinking the 2nd gen is going to be the one I’ll probably buy.
How about doing a vid on 4k monitors for use with MBPs, ect? There are so many too choose from it's hard to know which one to get. I'm talking about the mid range ones for between $450-$500 from LG, Dell, ect. Not the high end LG one that Apple sells. thx
@MaxTech - have to admit, I'm watching you for 5 years already and still love this song!! :)
A stereo pair of original HomePods offers a superior experience than a single one. I originally had a single big HomePod with my 4k Apple TV then bought a second one to make the stereo pair. Much more immersive experience.
I would take the new hompod however I think the price is a little high in my opinion. But I do like seeing the tests. Thanks for the awesome videos.
I think the OG homepod still sounds pretty good. The new one sounds great too but it seems to sound almost the same as the original but with just slightly boosted mids. The frequency analysis doesn’t seem to reflect that though.
All of that comes from eq and software updates. Apple found a way to get people to pay more for less by knocking 50$ 😂😂😂😂😂
Do the Home Pods support spatial audio? Can you use these as bluetooth speakers for your TV? Should do a broader video on why even get a Home Pod if it's just a smart speaker for your phone.
I understand it’s through UA-cam, but the consensus seems H2 is better and I would agree. Imaging and instrument separation on the H2 was much better and the H1 just sounds boomy.
A stereo pair of HomePod mini's sound great for desk set up and even bedrooms. A larger HomePod or stereo pair of HomePods are perfect for larger areas and home TV or theater situations.
Value proposition of the Home Pod 2 is when you set up 2 of them as TV speakers. They're actually pretty great value when you do that.
I know this video is over a year old but I just purchased the Homepod for $250 from best buy, brand new. It sounds so damn good. I never had the first gen nor do I or have I ever owned the mini's. I only use my homepod for music so i only have the one. But watching this, to me the new one sounds clearer.
My brother has a home pod mini, but I am interested to see how good the other speakers are.
Thanks for making such informative and thorough reviews. It’s always a pleasure to watch Max Tech videos, even if I’m not a genuine buyer of most products, it’s still fascinating to watch. One thing I must add, PLEASE don’t take an early retirement! I definitely foresee myself still watching Max Tech in 30 years time. 👍❤️
Thank you so much for all the R&D and testing will watch out for these videos.
I actually thought the new homepod sounded a bit clearer on the last song. But that might be just the recording
Having had both, the HomePod 2 can almost always be described as "clearer". The original had amazing bass but it could bleed into the other frequencies sometimes and make things rumbly when they shouldn't be, with the new one, it has, in my opinion even slightly better bass *and* it's much better controlled, so the mids and highs are more distinct and clearer.
Thanks for proving another perspective video
I would have rather heard a stereo pair. Maybe the mini should have also been a single in this test. I really enjoy my OG HomePod pair.
Excellent video. Definitely appreciated the frequency test.
The mini's are 🔥 but I also understand that you cannot compare the two. They are entirely different. That is like comparing a marathon runner's finishing time to someone who is driving a car. They both get to the finish line but are not comparable.
I guess it is fun to see the stats but nowhere would I think to compare them to one another.
Thanks very much for this comparison. Exactly what I was waiting for!
After seeing the video I have to make an edit though…
It would have been great if in these sound comparison videos if you had more variety of style, such as classical VS jazz blues VS rock VS electronic…
And/or also some variety of sound, such as solo VS orchestral VS acoustic VS amplified…etc… or movie sound
That would give a better possibility of observing qualities such as balance, clarity, etc…
Still, many thanks for all the great content you have been producing!
They have to use all no copyright tracks, so it's hard to get a variety of good songs
I don't mean this in a bad way, but Apple's HomePod is probably one of the fewest devices I've never thought of getting from them😐.
It took me 30 minutes to setup two new HomePod 2s. That including unboxing, downloading 16.3, install 16.3 and configuring. I think the updates helped that a lot.
Thanks for the speakers review!
Can you please tell me HomePod 2 will work well with Mac Mini / Mac Studio as desktop speakers?
- After rebooting or shutting down the Mac Mini, will I need to manually turn on the HomePod 2 and connect the speakers to the Mac Mini each time?
- Will there be a sound delay when watching videos on a Mac Mini?
If you ask me i would prefer the mini. they might not be loud enough but the price tag is a huge factor of consideration.
HomePod 2 by a good margin for me, much richer sounds, can hear more details from all the layers. The mini sounds sounds very limited in comparaison in all scenarios. The HomePod 1 seems good for hip hop or electronic music or anything centered around a good "base". However, with the rock song involving multiple layers, definitely the HomePod 2 has the edge in terms of sound quality.
Homepod 2 FTW. Sounded more forward, cleaner, balanced.
lets get it on! i was waiting for this comparison from gen 1 and the mini! thanks guys.
First off, thank you for playing Nine Lashes! Second, the amount of speakers can matter but it is about quality of speaker and the crossover and all the hardware processing. I definitely liked the New Home Pod much better in all of the scenarios. Music is really subjective and that will divide us. Thanks for the comparison.
I have two original HomePods in black and white. Love the sound quality!
I am so glad I watched this. You did an excellent comparison of all facets of the HomePods. I don't have any of them, but I'm going to get the HomePod 2. Sound is important for me. Thanks again!
In the even volume test, the new HomePod sounded crisper and tighter. In the test after that, the bass was more pronounced, maybe that's because the two missing tweeters, but it still feels a lot tighter. Overall I feel like the new HomePod just feels tighter and more clear, but that is also through UA-cam and also through Bluetooth to my AirPods Max. I felt like there was more going on with the original HomePod, but it felt a little bit more muddy, and both HomePods made the HomePod Mini sound bad in comparison, and I think the HomePod Mini sounds pretty decent as it is, so the HomePod is just that much better. Having the U1 chip and the extra sensors in it is also nice.
The two HomePod sounded pretty much the same on this YT, the Mini were okay at best. I think the Mini were designed just to be something to generate some background sound not be something for focused listening. I prefered the HomePod 2 in listening on this YT. My Amazon Echo is old and sound is dying so probably get a HomePod 2 to replace it with. I mainly listen to music in my practice room so just want a HomePod for some music in living room when kicking back or reading so they sound good enough for that.
Great review as always, i think the too bright highs and a little lacking in bass than the original one can be addressed with a software update, I’m pretty sure the next HomePod OS update or the one after that will balance things up, IMO.
Max, you said sparkle on the top end. Reminds me of work lolol. My customers talk this way all the time when asking about tube rolling.
I agree it is easy to notice the accentuated highs in the homepod 2. I own two originals and switch between reduced bass and normal bass fairly often depending on the music.
I do like the sound of the original better but think the new one would be great for watching movies.
The minis are great for the kitchen or second tv setup and bedrooms
I think Apple are really pushing the new ones to be used for movies and as a stereo pair for the living area.
Great comparison video as always!
The homepods have a very natural sound to it, there isn't really a better way to describe it
That those speaker don’t have more noticeable distortion at max volume is really impressive
Whats better, two HomePod mini’s or the Toshiba TV M550 speakers you mentioned last month?
6:40 what is the red graph showing in comparison to the green graph?
Im gonna pass the HP2. I love my Genelecs 🇫🇮 and JBLs are my portable options
Me too! 8330A with 7360A sub. Completely diff level tho😎
HomePod 2 is the clear winner in every test, IMHO. The spectrum analyzer graphics show that the HomePod 2 has a slightly flatter (i.e., more accurate) response. Many listeners like hyped highs and lows, but as a project studio musician/enthusiast, flatter is better. The two little ones were flatter according to the video, but lacking in both lows and highs, so not really flat so much as "frowny."
HomePod 2 FTW.
Overall, I would have to say the new one sounds best overall!
Although the white one did sound good, I don’t know I guess just your preference you said something about AirPlay dropped it down or didn’t work. I have to listen to it again.
The HomePod 2 sounds someone took a graphic EQ from 1984 and arranged the bands into a V shape. The OG HomePod sounds most natural out of all of them because of the midrange.
I'm loving these comparison videos keep them coming... Good job
Hi,
Thx for this comparison.
I own two original HomePod paired for stereo.
I also had a chance to compare them to the HomePod mini and the second generation, and frankly I’ll keep my first generation. Their sound is much better.
That brings me to a general comment. Apple is now mainly just focused on how to bring less quality (and no cutting edge on technology) at a higher price. We can see that with all their major products.
Unfortunately that’s due mostly to customers. As everyone complained about the price of the OG HomePod despite its quality sound.
The original sounds better?? Nahhhh I think the new one gets louder which effects the balance of the base
@@AVC.1111 I agree with you. But, what I quite misunderstand from Apple, is that because the OG HomePod was felt as being priced too high, hence its poor and undeserved market share, they now sells this new generation at an even higher price with no real progress in quality specs.?
People seem to think that the OG HomePods sounded better for music but I’ve not seen the same comparison done for Dolby Atmos. Any chance you could oblige?
My issue is that I sit next to some Sonos Moves and the HomePods 2 sound very clear but I miss the Punch, midtones…… they sound not bad, don’t get me wrong but the Sonos Move blow it away. I combined them 2 Pods with 2 Sonos and that was absolutely cool
Always enjoy your reviews and breakdowns!
Love your videos. As always, you go into such comprehensive detail.
For oldtime comparison, why not also compare the iPod Hi-Fi to all these setups? I should seriously put four minis, two OG HomePods, and two HomePod 2 units in a room, all with the Hi-Fi connected via S/PDIF to an AirPort Express to AirPlay to all of these speakers together at once! The iPod Hi-Fi can go louder than two OG units, I remember that, but with all this sound pressure, how many Db can we hit?
I just got a HomePod 2 on Saturday-it sounds incredible!!Well worth the money.The problem is-can I justify spending the same amount of cash again so I can have a stereo setup?😉😉💰💰💰🤪
You can’t close mic the HomePods since they use the room. That’s the advantage of the new one and the S7 chip. Much better algorithm for room sound adjustment.
I love the OG. The 1st Gen made for the best of the sound while the second they thought greatest sound quality is not priority now. But the difference is very subtle.
I have two HomePods minis and they sound okay… the og HomePod sounds great. The new HomePod sounds more clear and packs a bigger punch in base. The HomePod two with a mini sound AMAZING
Not surprising.
Figures they'd change somethings. It also makes sense that Apple would find ways to maximize the sound out of the Home Pod.
I don't if anyone will agree. Maybe the original Home Pod was too early to market?
Great comparison! Thank you so much. I would like to see your review for Stereo Pair mode as well😊
Great content!! I’m getting so much info to help me decide what to purchase.
Thank you for this test!! Any chance you could tell me where you got that watch band from? Thank you!
I hear a noticeable improvement with the HomePod 2 personally.
Max, Yuri and the team Thanks for putting these out.
looking forward to see the comparison between Homepod 2 and Genelec G2🤑
Thank you for the in-depth comparison!
@Max Tech, Do not compare between them because every single channel are doing the same comparison, make a video comparison of homepods 2(2 speakers with apple tv in ARC MODE plugged in your tv) VS regular soundbar(sony soundbar for example) connected trough ARC in the tv with a Video Console por example and see which one is the best sound, it's what the people wants to know in order to know which one to buy.
HP2 stereo pair would be kickass I believe 🎉
I only have mini and satisfy with it but hearing HomePod 2 blows me out... Sounds are great... I should have waited little bit more to buy.
The new one sounds best, volume and sound quality. Mini's are low as hell. That being said, "For crying out loud, get a new freaking song to test apple speakers with." Why play the same song over and over again?
Agreed, the minis are way smaller and less expensive though, so it's to be expected.
I don’t think I will use Homepod for critical listening at all. For automation, I have HomePod mini and I am happy.
These guides makes it much easier to decide
You should get some reference speaker like the Vifa Helsinki (or cheaper Earfun Uboom L) so we can actually have a fair comparison and sound check because Vifa sounds better than most "hifi" systems...
Always loved you guys comparison videos. Really some of the best on the internet by far and really goes in depth ❤
I'd like to know more about the sound-scaping and connectivity with non-Apple devices. Can we have 1xHP2 + 2xHP minis connected for home theatre or just 2xHP1/2s? I understand my new ATV can act as an HDMI gateway for HomePods but does this require the TV (switch) to have a specific HDMI variant?
I’ll wait until the price drops on the Homepod2, before I’ll buy one. The DSP in the HP2 seems to be tuned high mids. Too bad you can’t pair old and new….