With the HomePod and then the HomePod mini, as well as AirPod Pro & now AirPod Max Apple is starting to exercise its (as large as it would like) R & D budgets, and considerable software talent to push what can be done with DSP.
I’d guess they are at about the iPhone 4s evolutionary stage.
dave
I’d guess they are at about the iPhone 4s evolutionary stage.
dave
A lot of these devices are sold at a loss, with the intention of driving sales of other products.
For instance, I like the Homepod but I don't have an iPhone so I'd have to buy one to use it.
MiniDSP sells a microphone array, and just the mics are 75% as much as an entire functioning Amazon Echo:
USB Audio Streaming : UMA-8 USB mic array - V2.0
For instance, I like the Homepod but I don't have an iPhone so I'd have to buy one to use it.
MiniDSP sells a microphone array, and just the mics are 75% as much as an entire functioning Amazon Echo:
USB Audio Streaming : UMA-8 USB mic array - V2.0
With a couple of drivers within a 180 degree arc you can steer the beam more than 180 degrees around. You definitely do NOT want to steer the beam to the rear. That would made it much harder to set up a defined sound stage as it introduces a non-controlled variable which is the room. Projecting a sound stage that is perceived as behind the speakers of course does NOT require an actual driver pointed at the rear.
Actually, one of the hardest things in speaker design is limiting/controlling the rear radiation.
If you want to know more about how it is done, check out the Kii Three speaker. Beamsteering in that speaker keeps the speaker directional down to 80 Hz or so, which is no mean feat. As a result, it has one of the best soundstages of any speaker.
The above is valid for an HiFi speaker used for reproduction in a living room or other audio listening venue. This (Apple?) speaker is not meant for HiFi sound reproduction, but needs some effects to be attractive and easy to use, as well as being able to interpret external sounds. So comparison with a traditionally home HiFi speaker isn't useful.
Jan
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Have you listened to a stereo pair of HomePods? They most certainly project a "defined" soundstage while projecting sound to the rear and sides of the speakers. I think they sound like omni directional speakers without the placement issues in that the soundstage is stable across a large lateral listening area. I find listening to live stereo recordings through them especially rewarding. The sense of space and naturalness of the soundstage can be impressive. They do this by listening and correcting to the output. The DSP has an effect it wants to render and accounts for room reflections when it produces it.
With all of the processing these are certainly not purist speakers. but I think they are no less hi fi speakers than something like Ohm Walsh for example. My biggest gripe with them is that at lower volumes the music is Fletcher Munsoned to death. Despite the "loudness" curve supposedly making bass response more natural at low volumes it never sounds right and always sounds bass heavy. They also are not as detailed as better speakers but I do think the omni sound signature works against that. If you're patient you can get a pair of them for $500 and I think they are plenty hi fi at that price.
I think they are impressive but not enthralling like my main system. But at ten times the price my system better do something to earn its keep! In the end I doubt many DIY enthusiasts will flock to these but the tech is impressive.
Bingo. This is the core of Apple’s mantra: everything needs to be idiot proof (which trips up smart people
)Maybe in Apple’s surround sound intentions they are utilizing the driver array.
The patent they filed for using four Pods is interesting in this application is interesting.
Apple Patent from Denmark Reveals Future Quad HomePod Setup for Home Theater, Presence Detection and more - Patently Apple
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Bingo. This is the core of Apple’s mantra: everything needs to be idiot proof (which trips up smart people
Rarely trips me up.
dave
Bingo. This is the core of Apple’s mantra: everything needs to be idiot proof (which trips up smart people
Maybe in Apple’s surround sound intentions they are utilizing the driver array.
The patent they filed for using four Pods is interesting in this application is interesting.
Apple Patent from Denmark Reveals Future Quad HomePod Setup for Home Theater, Presence Detection and more - Patently Apple
I have not tried it yet but apparently they do a great job with ATMOS content despite only being 2 "speakers" in the front of the listener. I don't own the Apple TV 4K to try it out.
Have you actually listened to a HomePod? Better yet, have you listened to a stereo pair of HomePods? Best Buy used to have them on sale for $199 ($400/pair) last year. Even as it stands now at $299 or $600/pair, that's short money for the sound you get. How much did your amp cost, what about your preamp and interconnects? How much for your speakers? I get it, my stereo gear is more expensive than my HomePods, but the 2 HomePods take up much less room and deliver amazing sound for their price and size. I have 5 of them.
Unlike my regular speakers that have to be angled just right with me sitting in the middle for the sweet spot or one side seems louder, I don't have that problem with the HomePods. I can move left or right and the sound stage stays the same (unless I walk up to the left or right HomePod). I can close my eyes while listening to a John Denver concert and can pin point out the location of the instruments on stage with out having to be in the sweat spot like I do with my conventional speakers.
The bass and treble are definitely slightly over emphasized. I actually like that for the bass, but sometimes the treble is a bit over powering. They don't have tone controls.
My other speakers (Boston Acoustics VR-M90, VR-40, Ohm C2) sound fuller, can play louder, can fill up a larger room, etc, the HomePod is in my bedroom with my regular stereo. I don't listen to super loud music since I live with my parents. Even if I lived alone, the HomePod gets uncomfortably loud. It's also super easy to stream the lossless .aiff music files from my iPhone or iPad right to the HomePod and use Siri to pause or skip to the next track. I use an AirPort Express with my regular stereo.
I even have a stereo pair of HomePod minis ($99 per unit, $200/pair) They don't have any fancy technology, just a single wide range driver, but it sounds surprisingly good for it's baseball like size. It has a downward firing speaker driver with a waveguide to disperse sound 360 degrees and also doesn't seem to require a specific sweet spot like a traditional speaker setup does.
If you own an iPhone or iPad and listen to music on those devices, try out the regular HomePods as a stereo pair. You might not find them worth the price when you already have a superior setup, but I think you'll be impressed with what kind of sound stage you can get from a small 7" tall gadget.
These measurements are freaken' ridiculous. I've never seen a speaker where the off-axis performance and the on-axis performance is so close.
On top of that, the vertical polars are quite good too.