Actually, I don’t do parades, but I did do the Bacchus ball for years. Several buddies riding in Bacchus trying to talk me into it, but holding out so far. Trying to get me car ready to race next weekend!
I hate to say but I think your a bit misinformed about the presenter. He's one of the older YouTubers from the earliest days. Big Apple proponent but he's not blind loyalist. In the beginning of the video he was parodying some of the YouTubers that do "reviews" by opening the box (iJustine) and say "wow, great packaging and Apple. Must be great!". That might've been lost on you if you found him "annoying". Quinn has been around since his late teens (late 2000s) doing drop tests with is iPhone 4, etc, talking bout old Apple products, reviewing each new iteration of the iPhone. His snark towards the HomePod is not unwarranted, in my opinion. The more comprehensive reviews I have read do bear out that HomePod is half-baked and really does not warrant its price tag, even with the Apple tax that comes with it. You're mileage my vary... This dude has way less viewers but he does a deep dive on the sound quality of the HomePod, which, given how Apple is saying it's "not a competitor for Amazon Echo or Google Home" is the only other real use for this device is as a speaker. His review is not unique from others I have seen.
Sorry, but he is misinformed saying that the power cord is not detachable, and it is EQ on a V, and it sounds great with vocals and Jazz but has suppressed mids. As him being annoying, I don’t care who he is parodying (yes iJustine is silly) but his entire mannerism was annoying to me to the point that I didn’t watch till the end. That doesn’t make me misinformed on him, I just didn’t enjoy his schtik. There will be plenty of folks that will dis the HomePod just as they did the EarPods, iPhone X, Watch and others. Not a big deal. I enjoy reading a lot of the reviews on both sides, but some try to get too cute. I tend to hand out longer in th3 Apple threads than others because it is amusing how many trolls that never have anything to say about any other subject rush over any time there is an Apple oriented thread to get their say. See it some on SHMF, but it’s really fun to wat h on MacRumors where I always wonder why the trolls are hanging out there. Would be like a video enthusiast hanging out here for the sole purpose of ripping the idiots who buy gear that does nothing but play music! Or even more like all the vintage guys that rush in to every thread on AK to tell anyone that that buys modern audio that they are fools for not seeking out that Sansui unicorn that is 1000x better.
I have a pair of audio engine small speakers ($250 or set) on my desk. They are actually pointed away from me towards the open room and I use only while I’m working for the most part. I have a real vinyl rig upstairs and a vintage w JBL 100s in this open office when I’m playing CDs. The home pod might be perfect over the audio engines because they are more Omni directional. Maybe down the road this would be a good option for me.
HomePod’s non-removable cable can be repaired for $29 USD through Apple He’s right, it isn’t detachable.
If you have a home with multiple users, I would recommend turning these features off (which can be done when you set up the HomePod). However, they can only be accessed when your iPhone is home. I am not aware of anyone being able to securely protect your data by just using voice commands. As some have mentioned, Alexa added multiuser use, but it is intangled with setting them on the website, adding passwords, and specifically requesting a user change. It is clunky to say the least and (as was pointed out) saying a password out loud is not secure. Concerning privacy vs the competition, I added an article with several links and excerpts that explain it better than I.
I am just surprised by how well this thing sounds. Throwing all kinds of music I've listened to and have been well familiar with for years at it, hearing little details here and there step forward from the mix that I've never noticed before. Vocals cut through the mix a bit more, guitars ring a little more, basslines are a bit easier to follow, bass drums have kick and snare drums have a bit more crack. Even just playing the intro of AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long – a song I've heard at least a thousand times – the guitars ring out with a little more clarity and definition. It's a subtle effect, but it's definitely present. Audio trickery or not, it sounds great and it makes you wonder how the heck they managed to squeeze out the little added detail.
Can't tell if you're being sarcastic? Jeff's review hits all the points, highs, and lows. He's pretty good at reviews in general.
Well this fellow is knowledgable about audio in general. But is it appropriate to compare the HomePod to some DIY speakers + amp (that would have zero WAF in a kitchen/den/bedroom)? He says the midrange is "pumped up", yet another reviewer says the tonal quality is "V-shaped". Which is it? To my ears, it's just fine, especially considering it sounds good if you're 8 feet away, or 18 feet away, from either far left or far right. It's still a fun listen. Sorry to repeat this theme, but the more I listen the more it rings true: Apple just made everyone step up their game for a kitchen/bedroom/den/secondary speaker system. Even if you lived in a door or small apartment, you could do much worse as your sole source for audio playback. Is it perfect? Heck no. Do I wish it only cost $199? Yes! But everyone from my wife to my kids seem to enjoy the sound and functionality that Siri provides. And when voice control + sound quality hits "just right", it's worth every penny. I have a literal pile of speakers and voice control assistants that didn't make the cut over the past few years. And I'm happy to stuff them all in a closet.
I won’t be trying this until we see a lot more people doing it, but that is great news. Having a long cord is great, if you need it. However, if you have it on a kitchen counter, chances are that it is a lot more cord than you need.
Dude...I guess in that scenario yes it's surely removable. By that measure, I can yank my arm off and call it "removable". It doesn't mean it's meant to be, though.
If you like it, who am I to talk you out of it. I like the marketplace being full of options. I just happen to think that other products perform the same functions and are more affordable. I say that as a loyal Apple customer. I was only passing along some contrarian viewpoints on the product for those that might want to see them. If it makes you happy – enjoy!
It’s pretty obvious that Apple doesn’t want you to remove the cord, but it is in fact removable. I’m betting it’s that way to facilitate overseas plugs, but it does mean that it can be replaced if my dog eats it ( very possible, he eats everything in the house and has a particular taste for Audioquest speaker cables ). My problem with the statement in the review is that I really detest reviewers using FUD rather than facts in a review. Many of us here just disagree that we have seen better options that are more affordable. Yes there are better voice recognition assistants and there are better speakers, better or not is a personal opinion. Kinda like saying one phone is better because it has a better camera, or the other is better because it has a headphone jack. Well neither necessarily makes it a better phone if the owner doesn’t take pictures or use the headphone jack. Everything is a preference and if rare that that preference is not a compromise. One thing I really like about Apple stuff though is the aftermarket support. Yes everyone likes to tout the Closed Garden for both good and bad, but I learned early on when I bought an MP3 player that was “just as good as iPod” - Creative Nomad at th3 time, but it wasn’t, not because it wasn’t as good, but I couldn’t get a car interface, or a case, or another charger or whatever. That has gotten better, but nothing has th3 aftermarket support (and licensing fees!) that Apple does. My biggest dislike on the HomePod is the fabric covering, but I feel confident that someone will create a solution for it, and maybe the crazy long cord as well.
It’s pretty ridiculous that they require you to ship the whole unit back to them to yank that cord out. Hopefully that’s going to change now that someone was brave enough to do it, and post a video on YouTube.
But, it's not meant to be removed – is it? Does the literature provided in the box show it as being detachable? Genuine question – I don't know. My point is, Apple doesn't intend for the user to remove the cable.
