Apple's press release for the HomePod mini 2 last month touted "rich sound" and "advanced computational audio," but it did not explicitly mention if the second-generation model has better sound compared to the original. A few early reviews of the speaker, however, said that audio quality has in fact improved.
Apple's tech specs pages for both the HomePod mini 2 and the original HomePod mini mention a "full-range driver" and "dual passive radiators for deep bass and crisp high frequencies," so the core speaker hardware is seemingly unchanged. However, the HomePod mini 2 is equipped with a much newer S10 chip that could use advanced algorithms to optimize sound in an improved manner compared to the S5 chip in the original model.
CNET's Tyler Lacoma said the HomePod mini 2 has "much better sound" than the original model.
From his article:
Playing the same audio at the same volume on each speaker, I repeatedly switched between them while streaming Apple Lossless audio via Apple Music. The results were always the same: The new Mini 2 had significantly greater range and louder, clearer audio than the first HomePod Mini. It wasn't just noticeable: It was a big enough difference to completely change my mind about a speaker that didn't seem worth it on paper. If you want sound that can actually fill a room without losing quality, the HomePod Mini 2 is by far the preferable pick.
Cult of Mac's Ed Hardy said likewise:
To my ears, the second-gen version sounds noticeably better. Especially the stronger bass. I did a side-by-side comparison with HomePod mini 2 and my original model, and the new model definitely came out ahead.
Another benefit of the S10 chip that Apple did not emphasize: Siri is apparently much faster for basic requests such as playing a song and smart home commands, according to The Verge's Jennifer Pattison Tuohy. However, this is based on what Apple now calls Siri Classic, as the more intelligent and personalized Siri AI will not be available on the HomePod mini 2 until a future software update, according to Apple.
From her article:
The Mini 2 is so much faster than the first-gen Mini, playing music in a few seconds and responding to smart home commands just as quickly. If you're fed up with standing over your HomePod waiting for it to finally do what you asked, then that alone is worth the upgrade.
The new HomePod mini was released last week, with U.S. pricing set at $149.
