Hands-On Experience of New HomePod Reveals 'Exquisite' Audio Quality

One of the first hands-on experiences with the new second-generation HomePod has offered new details on the latest smart speaker's quality and performance compared to the original ‌HomePod‌ launched in 2018.

HomePod 2023
TechRadar's Lance Ulanoff had the chance to listen to the new ‌HomePod‌ during a listening session by Apple for members of the media and shared his experience with the speaker.

According to Ulanoff, the new ‌HomePod‌ handles the separation of vocals, instruments, and tracks with "excellent" precision when listening to songs like "Everybody" by Ingrid Michaelson. "What I noticed immediately is, from a single ‌HomePod‌ 2, the excellent separation of acoustic instruments and her voice. I could clearly pick out a tambourine, guitar, and drum kit as distinct elements in the air," Ulanoff said.

One challenge often faced by typical speakers is that the louder the volume, the more distorted the audio can become. Ulanoff said that even with the volume at 90%, the new ‌HomePod‌ delivers "aural clarity" with no distortion. According to Ulanoff, the new ‌HomePod‌ has a sensor built into its design that can measure the internal temperature of the system and, if under ideal conditions, can "crank up the power even further."

Like the original ‌HomePod‌, the new model has spatial awareness, but with better performance thanks to advanced computational audio and improved hardware, like the S7 chip. With spatial audio, the new ‌HomePod‌, either alone or in a stereo pair, can offer an immersive 360-degree listening experience.

One of the interesting things about the new HomePod 2 is its spatial awareness. As I listened to music from a single and then stereo pair of HomePod 2 devices, I noticed how the sounds often didn't seem to be coming directly from the HomePods (thanks Spatial Audio!). Some were coming from the left, others from the right, and some (usually, but not always, vocals) from dead center. The most interesting sounds though, were the ones that almost seemed to wash over me; they were bouncing off the back wall (maybe a foot away from the HomePod 2) and then rising and, I'm guessing here, bouncing from the walls to the ceiling to my ears.

Ulanoff called a stereo pair of new HomePods "impressive," adding that certain songs felt as if they were "coming from behind and in front of me. The sound stage was so wide and deep that it didn't matter where I stood in the room." It's worth noting that first-generation HomePods can't be used in a stereo pair with the newer model, according to Apple.

HomePod 2023 Internals

Internals of the new second-generation ‌HomePod‌

Visually, the new ‌HomePod‌ looks a lot like the original smart speaker, but with a larger backlit touch interface and a slightly shorter design. Internally, the new model has two fewer tweeters and microphones than the original ‌HomePod‌, which was likely a cost-cutting decision. The tweeters and microphones are "tilted up to avoid any audio being distorted by reflections from whatever surface the speaker is sitting on," according to Ulanoff.

Like the original ‌HomePod‌, the new speaker can quickly analyze its placement in a room to adjust the audio accordingly in just 20 seconds, thanks to a combination of the four microphones and the S7 chip. A built-in accelerometer also detects movement to allow the speaker to readjust its room analysis.

The new ‌HomePod‌ comes around two years after Apple discontinued its original smart speaker. The first-generation ‌HomePod‌ failed to be the market success Apple was hoping for, because of its high $349 price at launch and limited integration with third-party services. We'll get a closer look at the new ‌HomePod‌ when media reviews are published in the days leading up to its launch on Friday, February 3.

Related Roundup: HomePod
Buyer's Guide: HomePod (Neutral)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
xiaomi apple ad india

Apple and Samsung Push Back Against Xiaomi's Bold India Ads

Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging." Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
iOS 18 on iPhone Arrow Down

Apple Preparing iOS 18.7 for iPhones as iOS 26 Release Date Nears

Sunday August 31, 2025 4:35 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.7 for compatible iPhone models, according to evidence of the update in the MacRumors visitor logs. We expect iOS 18.7 to be released in September, alongside iOS 26. The update will likely include fixes for security vulnerabilities, but little else. iOS 18.7 will be one of the final updates ever released for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR,...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 17's 'Awe Dropping' Accessories

Friday August 29, 2025 8:12 am PDT by
Following the announcement of Apple's upcoming "Awe dropping" event, on this week's episode of The MacRumors Show we talk through all of the new accessories rumored to debut alongside the iPhone 17 lineup. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos We take a closer look at Apple's invite for "Awe dropping;" the design could hint at the iPhone 17's new thermal system with ...

Top Rated Comments

haruhiko Avatar
34 months ago
What we want to know is how does it compare to the original HomePod?
Score: 63 Votes (Like | Disagree)
darthbane2k Avatar
34 months ago

What we want to know is how does it compare to the original HomePod?
I get the feeling Apple only invited journalists whose first experience of the HomePod line was the Mini.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Feek Avatar
34 months ago
This is good to hear, I'd like to see some more reviews as well.

Just because there are fewer speakers, that doesn't necessarily mean that the audio quality will be lower than the original HomePod. There have been many conclusions already jumped to since the announcement.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mebehere Avatar
34 months ago
Exquisite. I know there are other pretentious words, but I can’t think of any other ones right now. Exquisite. Just. Exquisite. Not good. Not great. Exquisite.

BARF ?
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
honglong1976 Avatar
34 months ago
This was all said about the original HomePod. I got one, and there was nothing Spacial about the audio at all.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
willyx Avatar
34 months ago
Apple only invites shilly journalists/youtubers/influencers. Once they stop being shilly, they are not invited anymore.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)