Apple package isn’t discounted, so even the smallest financial savings might be value profiting from, and that is simply what we have now right here with the second-gen HomePod this Black Friday.
You may get the brand new HomePod 2nd Era for £289 at O2– a £10 saving on the standard RRP. Happily, you don’t want to enroll in a contract with them to benefit from this admittedly tiny low cost.
We had been pleasantly shocked by the unique HomePod in 2018, and its successor – formally nonetheless simply known as the HomePod – improved on it in numerous key methods. Most significantly it sounds even higher than earlier than to nab a What Hello-Fi? 2023 Award win: it’s tighter, extra partaking and higher organised, with extra flexibility by way of placement.
There’s quite a bit to suggest the HomePod 2. It is a good performer, with a pure, stable and energetic sound that basically works properly with voices. It is also spacious and three-dimensional to hearken to, particularly with Dolby Atmos-powered spatial audio tracks from Apple Music, whereas Siri stays a useful, clever companion (when used with iOS apps, after all).
Is there an alternate, although? The additionally 2023 Award-winning Sonos Period 300 is a more sensible choice if spatial audio is your precedence, and you actually must be a devoted Apple consumer to get probably the most out of the HomePod. It’s not simply that it requires an iOS system to set it up within the first place, but it surely solely actually works to its full potential if you happen to’re an Apple Music subscriber. Voice management through Siri doesn’t work with Spotify, Tidal et aland with solely restricted controls out there through the display screen on prime, that makes it a lot much less pleasing to make use of with non-Apple streaming providers.
The HomePod remains to be a splendidly made little bit of package, although, with black and white finishes out there, and a removable energy cable in case you could use an extended one. The HomePod 2 is barely discounted, however you will get a much bigger chunk of cash off with the implausible Period 300 – it is now £398 at Amazon on the time of writing, down from £449.
Those that aren’t Apple-obsessives, although, may properly favor the above Sonos Period 300 deal as an alternative. Whereas it would nonetheless be costlier than the HomePod even with £50 off at Amazon, it really nabbed the Product of the Yr Award over the HomePod 2 this yr for the wi-fi audio system class. That is not simply right down to Sonos being platform-agnostic and providing way more native assist for numerous streaming providers and apps, but it surely’s additionally for delivering probably the most convincing, immersive spatial audio efficiency we have heard all yr. Be warned, although that the Period 300 deal on Amazon is operating low on inventory – so that you higher hurry earlier than all discounted items are snapped up this weekend.
Both means, you will find yourself with an important speaker that has nice spatial audio capabilities, versatile streaming choices and nice sound for the worth. For those who love Apple and wish to stay inside its ecosystem, stick with a HomePod 2. However the Sonos’s ecosystem is extra versatile, whereas the Period 300’s spacious sound and further options make a robust case for itself.
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