Apple HomePod: Is it worth the extra price? - Cavemen Radio Show

I know what most people say. Why would I buy a $349 Apple HomePod when I can get an Amazon Echo or Google Home for a fraction of the price? Who am I to argue, I’m a bargain shopper myself. That is to say I like a good deal, but I’ll also pay for quality and convenience, something the Apple HomePod offers both of. After a hard couple weeks strung together I needed a little retail therapy. I caught up all my bills, and a few extra bucks in my pocket, and like Donna Meagle and Tom Haverford would say it was time to “treat yo self” so I ended up at the Apple Store. Which i have to admit, I was just going in to look at new bands for my Apple Watch but I’m also a habitual browser.

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I was going to wait on getting the HomePod until the second generation because Apple always has the better options the second time around. I loved listening to music and playing it out of my laptop just wasn’t cutting it anymore. I needed something to sit outback by the pool or drown out my shower solos. There are plenty of options in terms of traditional stereos, but I didn’t want something I had to plug-in, or go through 7 steps just to link to my Bluetooth.

Now, I have family members who have the Google Echo or the Echo Dot and I’ve listened to them struggle to get Alexa to fulfill their commands. “Alexa, play music” to which is met frequently with “I’m sorry, I’m having trouble connecting to the internet.” It’s either that or the no response at all. Maybe I’m a little biased and like to rub it in, but while they’re waiting, I like to fire out a “Hey Siri, play (whatever music they requested) and it starts right up.

One of my favorite features is the hands free audio adjust. You can say stuff such as “Hey Siri, set the volume to 10”, or “Hey Siri, turn it up a little”, or my personal favorite “Hey Siri, max volume.” “That’s very loud, are you sure?”, “Yes!” and all the sudden we’re rockin’ out. The only thing that would make it better would be a smart ass response from Siri. “Okay, party mode activated.”

The audio quality on the HomePod is ahead of the pack if you’re a music lover. I’ve played with competitors speakers in store and they don’t even come close. Take for instance the Amazon Echo. Don’t get me wrong it’s loud and you can use it indoors and outside. However, the most notable difference is the Echo sounds like you’re listening to the speakers coming out of your old PC before smart phones were invented. The HomePod actually sounds like you’re listening to a stereo system.

If you’re an Apple user, or as non Apple users call them “fanboys” of course you can since your HomePod to all your devices. Be it the iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. If you think the $349 price tag is kind of high when you can by a competitor’s device for cheap, ask yourself this. How much would you pay for a good surround sound system? The lower end ones at Best Buy are a bargain at $150. If you invest a little more to get a really good one, you’re $300-$400+. With the Apple TV and HomePod you can sync your two devices and have surround sound quality with all the extra features that the HomePod offers. That alone ought to ease the sting of the ‘hefty’ price tag.

Maybe not all is rainbows and sunshine with the HomePod. More than one Apple device and your iPod might pick up when you say “Hey Siri” but a brief pop up and the two devices distinguish which you’d rather allow the command. Of course there’s the argument that the Echo and other devices can handle more commands but I’m sure Apple is working on an upgrade with their next iOS handling what they dub “shortcuts”. I know convincing all the non Apple “fanboys” that the HomePod is a much better quality speaker that has far less bugs is a tall order. However, witnessing the delay in Alexa’s response time and the rate in which it turns a request into an action is all too long for an assistant inspired device. I’ll take fewer features at launch with eventual upgrades over slow, buggy, or unresponsive any day of the week. Cheap may be better for your wallet but hey, you get what you pay for.[CMRickTwitter]