Can Apple Reinvent Home Music With HomePod?

Apple believes that music begins at home.

That is why they are launching the HomePod, to bring you a new music experience in your living room or, for that matter, in any space you want.

HomePod will be available in early February. Apple claims it can definitely rock the house.

Don’t be confused. The HomePod is not an Amazon Echo or Google Home device in a different package. While it can serve as a home assistant, the difference is in the sound.

The tech giant says HomePod is the ultimate music authority. In fact, bring Apple Music and Siri together to “learn” your taste in music.

It is powered by a combination of Apple-designed audio technology and advanced software that is said to deliver the highest fidelity sound in the entire room.

The device features Apple’s A8 chip. The company claims it is the largest brain ever in a loudspeaker.

HomePod comes with seven beamforming tweeters designed with a precision acoustic horn that focuses sound for directional control. Sound will be consistent from anywhere in the room, no matter where you are sitting.

Those who love bass a lot will appreciate the high excursion woofer with a custom amp. HomePod uses an advanced algorithm that continuously analyzes music and dynamically tunes low frequencies for smooth sound.

The HomePod is just under seven inches tall. Wrapped in a seamless mesh fabric, Apple says it’s designed for both aesthetic and acoustic performance.

Available colors include white and space gray.

Apple claims setup is easy. Plug it in and your iOS device will detect it. The device is spatially aware to fit, giving you optimal sound no matter where you place it. You’ll even hear your requests from across the room while loud songs are playing.

If your room has acoustic problems, don’t worry. HomePod automatically analyzes acoustics, adjusts sound based on speaker placement, and then separates music into live and ambient sound.

Perhaps the most interesting feature of the device is that it includes Apple Music and Siri. You can select virtually any song with Apple Music and train Siri to learn your musical tastes. Listeners can tell Siri what they want to hear or let it make suggestions for you.

Your other Apple devices will also include your playlists as you compile them on HomePod. Those lists will automatically appear on your iPad or iPhone.

Have a party? Your friends can also connect to your Wi-Fi network and stream their music directly to your HomePod.

Of course, as a smart assistant, you can always ask the HomePod for live news, sports, weather, and traffic. You can even send voice messages or take a call on your iPhone and deliver it to HomePod.

Unfortunately, like other Apple products, there is no Bluetooth playback and no audio plug-in. The device will only work with the Apple ecosystem, so leave your Android devices in the drawer.

HomePod is much more expensive than Amazon Echo or Google Home. Pricing will start at $ 350.

In a side-by-side comparison, as detailed by techradar, http://www.techradar.com/reviews/apple-homepod, the device held up well against a Sonos One, Harman Karden Allure, and the latest version from Amazon. Echo.

Still, the Echo compared favorably on sound quality and offers more apps for about a third of the cost.

As with other Apple products, the quality of design and build make the HomePod stand out.

Apple fans will have to decide whether listening is believing and whether the audio experience and functionality are really worth it.