First HomePod Orders Start Arriving to Customers in Australia and New Zealand

People preordered these...what interesting times we live in! ?

Congrats to the 15+ HomePod purchasers!!

I went into a Sydney Apple Store (Broadway) today without a preorder and picked up a Homepod. There was a new white Homepod on display but the store was too noisy to test it out properly. Surpisingly the Apple store didn't have any Homepod minis on display to test.

Aftering purchasing a unit and bringing it home the Homepod sounds good but I don't think it has the room filling audio power to replace a good quality TV soundbar. For new TV purchases I will be purchasing a soundbar rather than relying on two Homepods. I was listening to music on my new Homepod at full volume in an open plan living room and wasn't feeling like I needed to turn the volume down. Based on this, I don't think it has the same power as a Bose (or similar) good quality soundbar.

The staff in the Apple store however suggested that the Homepod sound quality is better than the Studio display speakers (for those who are using a Mac Studio display for a Mac Studio or Mac Mini)

Having looked at the white and black versions, I felt the black version looked better. The white Homepod is a very hospital white colour and I dont think it would look as good with white or cream coloured furniture as the black unit does.

You really need a stereo pair to get the best atmos sound and then they are truly great, and in my opinion properly placed give the best spatial separation which I much prefer to any Sonos or other soundbar I have used. Just wish Apple would allow two minis to be used also.

Congrats to the 15+ HomePod purchasers!!

Picking up two today at the local Apple Store. Excited and can't wait :D 16+ HomePod purchasers! ;)

People preordered these...what interesting times we live in! ?

The original was a great product with awesome sound quality. But it had reliability issues and failed. Lots of people snapped them up when they were cancelled, and loads of people have been paying above the old retail price for them after cancellation as they pop up from time to time. Certainly not for everyone, but I can imagine why people who loved the original and couldn’t get extras before stock ran out, or people who had failed items (and didn’t get so angry as to not want to give Apple any more money) might have jumped right on this.

I have 6 of the original and so am set. But 3 of those have already been replaced under warranty. I’m sure the day will come that some of these start dying.

Looking forward to the first real world verdicts in the wild on sound quality vs the OG HomePods - may relegate mine to a bedroom stereo pair and get a new pair for the lounge. Wish Apple would make some IP67 ones with batteries for the garden!

I honestly can’t see them sounding better. I’d speculate they have tried to get them to sound as good while using cheaper components to make more money (or sell for cheaper to move more products).

Unless your original HomePods are in the death throes, I’d stick with them.