From the first reveal of the HomePod at the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) in the Summer of 2017 I was a skeptic. Every word spoken from the stage dripped with the sound of a snake oil salesman. Pushing the super over-the-top specs, and downplaying it’s massive weak spots (ahem…Siri). The price point made it more expensive than the entry level Sonos speaker, which was on the same level for sound quality. So I stated quite plainly, “not interested”. Well, last week I had the opportunity to spend 4 days with the HomePod in my house, which caused nuance to enter my black and white perspective of this speaker. These are my first impressions…

It’s a High-End Speaker

When compared to any Amazon Echo, the HomePod blasts it out of the water. It just does. I’m no audiophile. I generally can’t tell much difference between a low-end speaker and a higher-end speaker. I’ve lived with the Echo in my house for over three years now, and I’ve been satisfied with the sound quality. I wondered if I’d even hear a difference between those and the HomePod. It only took one song to convince me that the Echo has pretty crappy sound WHEN COMPARED to the HomePod. So beware. If you compare, you will probably hear the difference too. Is that difference worth a price difference of $250??? That’s the question that haunts me, as I ponder a high-end speaker for my new house. But the jury is back, the skeptic is silenced. The HomePod has brilliant sound, good base, good sound distribution. Classical music is full and rich in a way the Echo has never been able to deliver. If that’s super important to you, the HomePod is a decent option. But before you drop the coin, read on.

It’s a Mediocre Assistant

I hate Siri. I really do. I have had iPhones for most of the last decade, and since she arrived on my phone I’ve tried to use her. I’ve done plenty of comparisons of her responses to questions compared to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant (and even Cortana), and she is consistently crappy. I’ve read some interesting articles about the failed strategies of Apple, which treated Siri like part of the overall UI, versus an app within the UI requiring more frequent updates and fixes. So for all these years Siri has been the broken assistant. And on the HomePod she’s still pretty broken. For running Apple Music she is GREAT! She is way better at hearing me at loud volumes from across the room, unlike the Echo which requires me to yell commands if the volume is past 8. Siri can answer the basic questions, set one timer (and only one timer at a time), give you news, give you weather reports, and that kind of stuff. Apple could easily make Siri way better just with software updates, so you probably don’t need to worry about the need to re-purchases a HomePod to get a smarter assistant. But for now, the Assistant is a Music DJ first and foremost, and does everything on a mediocre level at best.

It’s a Puzzle

I have struggled ever since I got my 4 days with the HomePod to figure out if it’s the right choice for my next speaker purchase. I have 7 Echo’s (1.0, 2.0, Spot, Dash, Tap, and 2 Dots) and I fully intend for Alexa to be my “home assistant”. Locking my doors, operating my lights, controlling my security system, and that sort of thing. But I have seen the “matrix” and cannot deny that the sound is sub-par. And I want the amazing sound of the HomePod (or similar speaker like Sonos). So does it make sense to have two assistants? One for home management and another just for music?

I am considering the Sonos One as well. A new model recently released contains the Alexa Assistant. A no-brainer, right? But here’s the trick. The Sonos One won’t integrate with my existing Echo system. It’s an island to itself. So I would still have two “networks” in the home, with the Sonos One taking the place of the HomePod as the music assistant. It’s also $150 cheaper than Apple’s speaker. I worry that the wake word could become a challenge with too many things listening for the Alexa command. Like the Sonos hearing “Alexa turn off the lights” and responding that it can’t do that currently, instead of the right speaker responding that could take action based on my command. Maybe it would just be easier to have Siri spinning the vinyl for me, within her walled disco club.

The Whole Cup Summed Up

As of this writing I am leaning towards the HomePod for my personal choice for high-end smart speaker. I am prioritizing the sound quality over the smart assistant with this choice. I have the advantage of having a slew of Amazon speakers to use throughout my house. If you’re in the game for a first smart speaker, I think the Echo is probably a better choice. But HomePod is still a good choice if you’re adding a “music speaker” to your smart home setup. This is a rare review where I can’t say “half full or half empty”, because it’s more complicated than that. So let’s take it in categories.

Form factor: Half Full

Smart Assistant: Half Empty

Sound Quality: Half Full

Price: Half Empty

This product truly exemplifies my love/hate relationship with Apple. I love how this speaker looks. It’s beautiful in a way the Sonos One and Amazon Echo are not. They prioritized sound and they hit it out of the park. But they de-prioritized the smart assistant, right when Alexa is being integrated into EVERYTHING and that seems like a mistake, and creates the first world problem I’m facing, as I debate between two expensive speakers. So set your priorities as you ponder this one, and choose wisely.

Here are a few other reviews to check out:

The Verge

BGR