SoundGuys Weekly: Why I’m an avid Spotify user despite dubious audio quality

Our weekly dive into the best mobile audio gear - 07/04/2020 [SoundGuys]( SoundGuys Weekly - published Saturday, July 4, 2020 [Why I’m an avid Spotify user despite dubious audio quality]( Spotify keeps listeners listening by making music social and making new music accessible. Being called a “jack of all trades” is seldom a compliment, but it’s that precise generalist approach that keeps me subscribed to Spotify. Whether you’re a music fanatic or casual listener, Spotify will work for you. Audio quality may not be the best, but I don’t prioritize that on a daily basis. Instead, I’m championing Spotify for its social, intuitive, and cross-platform functionality... [Read all about it]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Expand your audio knowledge: - [Shure AONIC 50 vs. Sony WH-1000XM3]( - [Apple AirPods vs Powerbeats Pro: which should you buy?]( - [Apple AirPods vs. Google Pixel Buds (2020)]( - [AirPods Pro vs. Beats Powerbeats Pro]( - [Apple AirPods Pro vs. Sony WF-1000XM3]( --------------------------------------------------------------- New and updated reviews: [Shure SM58 review]( Tried and true, rugged and reliable. The Shure SM58 has made a reputation for itself among musicians. This mic is the whole package: it’s durable, affordable, and reliable. In fact, there’s little this vocal microphone can’t do. Time to find out if this 15-year-old piece of hardware can keep pace with today’s competition. [Read the full review]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Anker Soundcore Spirit X2 true wireless earbuds review]( Better than Beats. At this point when someone brings up the brand Anker I no longer think of charging cables and battery packs. What comes to mind now are a handful of some of the best bang for your buck products we’ve used over the last few years. The Soundcore Flare is still one of my favorite affordable Bluetooth speakers and the Anker Liberty Air 2 recently got a glowing review from my colleague Lily Katz. Anker has been putting in work in the true wireless market, and the Soundcore Sprint X2 are the next pair of earbuds it’s hoping you’ll consider. While the Liberty Air 2 and the Soundcore Liberty Pro were aimed more for everyday use there is no mistaking what the Soundcore Spirit X2 is geared towards: fitness. [Read the full review]( --------------------------------------------------------------- From around our network: - [Android Authority:]([Poco F2 Pro vs Poco F1: Worth the upgrade?]( - [Drone Rush:]([Apps that provide LAANC authorization]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Apple HomePod review]( Hey, Siri! I hear you're planning to support Spotify soon. The HomePod has a simple silhouette that allows it to blend into any setting. One of the more exciting new categories in audio comes in the form of smart speakers . After the surprise hit that was the Amazon Echo it seemed that every company was trying to put a speaker in your home, but they didn’t always sound good. The original Google Home was like the Echo in that it wasn’t exactly built for listening to music, it was made to be the central hub of your smart home (assuming you installed smart door locks, thermostats, and light bulbs). But now we’re seeing the transition from helpful kitchen assistant to the center of attention when you listen to music. We already looked at the Google Home Max , but there is also the Apple HomePod to consider. Unlike the Home Max, the Apple HomePod is pretty small and has a few significant limitations. But does that even matter? Let’s find out in our full Apple HomePod review. Editor’s note: this Apple HomePod review was updated on July 2nd, 2020, to include third-party music service support and make note of the new $199 price tag at Best Buy. Who’s it for Someone who owns Apple hardware (iPhone, iPad, Mac). Actually, this part is mandatory. It’s usually easier to get the most out of an Apple product if you already have another Apple product. Just look at Airdrop as an example. But in the case of the Apple HomePod, having another Apple device is basically mandatory. Without a Mac, iPhone, or iPad, the HomePod can’t be used. Apple Music subscribers. If you’re an Apple Music subscriber, this speaker is perfect for you. You can ask Siri to play everything from that new Miley Cyrus song to jock jams and it’ll oblige seamlessly. Anyone that doesn’t want Google tracking them, but won’t mind Apple doing it.  If you’re not too happy about the fact that Google has a record of everything you ask the Google Home, then the added privacy of the Apple HomePod might just be the deciding factor for you. Of course, it’s only a little better. They’re still recording you, but your inquiries are assigned a random ID instead of being associated with your account. Also, the legal implications of having something in your home that’s always listening are still being debated. We spoke about this topic extensively in our podcast episode titled, “Smart Speakers, A New Legal Frontier” so make sure to give that a listen if you’re interested in learning more about the subject. How do you connect to the Apple HomePod? Up top is a touch-sensitive pad for controls that also lights up when you say the hotword. The Apple HomePod is a smart speaker, which means you have to connect it to your WiFi if you want it to work. Once you plug it in you’ll need a device running iOS 8 or higher in order to set it up. Go into the Home app on your phone and simply follow the instructions to get it up and running. If you’re doing this on an iPhone or iPad, the process is seamless and you’ll be done within minutes. But if you’re an Android user or don’t have any device running iOS 8 or newer: then you’re up a creek without a paddle. Unlike Google’s Home Max which doesn’t really care what phone you have, the Apple HomePod requires another Apple device to get it up and running. (Pro tip: If you manage to get the HomePod set up with an iOS device but want to use an Android phone as your primary source device, you can try this app that will let the HomePod show up in Spotify connect.) Once you sign into Apple Music, you’re good to go—just ask it to play a song and it’ll oblige. Does the Apple HomePod work with Spotify? As WWDC it was revealed that the Apple HomePod will support third-party music services like Spotify and Pandora in a future update. Previously, it only pulled music from Apple Music service natively so the fact hat it will eventually be supported by Apple is a big deal in terms of the overall value of this speaker. Although an update to iOS 13 allowed Siri to play music via Spotify if you add the words “- from Spotify” to the end of your voice request. So technically, yes, it does work with Spotify, just not as well as you’d hope. The jury is still out on whether or not it will support other music streaming service like Tidal or Deezer . In the meantime, you can still AirPlay music from your iOS device to the speaker but it requires you doing everything from your phone or iPad. Asking Siri to do it with your voice will get you nowhere unless you set up a Siri shortcut for it. Additionally, there’s no 3.5mm input on the device, so you can’t sidestep this by connecting an audio cable. One way around this is to Airplay audio to the speaker, but again: that’s only if you have an iOS device, as Airplay isn’t available on Android devices. One cool feature of Airplay 2 is the ability to sync up two Homepods and turn them into left and right channels. Unfortunately, we only had one HomePod available so we weren’t able to test this feature out for ourselves. For playback controls you’ll get the plus or minus signs for volume, and the space between can be tapped for pausing. One good thing about the Apple HomePod is the microphones do a great job at picking up your voice, which is important as that’s the main way to control playback if you’re not within arms reach. Whether volume was on ten percent or on 100 percent, it usually picked up my voice on the first or second try of saying the hotword. This is great when you compare it to something like the Google Home Max which had trouble picking up my voice when music was playing loudly even if I was standing close to it. If you don’t feel like using your voice, there is a touch-sensitive pad on top of the speaker which lets you pause or play music by tapping the middle, adjust volume by pressing the minus or plus signs, and even access Siri by long-pressing the middle of the pad. Which brings us to the build and design of the Apple HomePod The only cable you have to worry about with the HomePod is the power supply cable on the back. For the most part, the build quality of this speaker is great. It’s covered entirely by a plush fabric that hides most, if not all, of the plastic that the speaker is surely made out of. I have basically nothing negative to say about the way this speaker is put together. And although I do find the minimal design to be absolutely gorgeous when it’s sitting on my counter-top or bedside table, I did find the placement of the touch-sensitive screen on top of the speaker to be more inconvenient than it was helpful. As Gary would say, let me explain. The fabric surrounding the speaker is padded and easy to move from one place to another, assuming you don’t mind unplugging it to do it. Every time you say “Hey Siri,” the Siri graphic appears on the touch-sensitive display letting you know that it heard you and is now listening for your next command. It’s useful when you’re standing next to it, but if you’re across the room it’s almost impossible to tell if the speaker heard you. More than once I ended up repeating the hotword at the same time that Siri was answering my question just because I didn’t realize it heard me. In contrast, the Google Home Max has four lights embedded in the fabric on the front of the speaker that light up to let you know it’s listening. The Amazon Echo does something similar with its ring of light. The Apple HomePod basically asks you to trust that it’s working (which is a good metaphor for Apple products in general actually). To be fair, more often than not the microphone picks up my voice perfectly fine—but a slight visual cue would be nice. But how does it sound? This is where things get interesting. Like the Google Home Max, the HomePod also has microphones inside that self-adjust the EQ depending on how close it is to a wall or other objects so that the sound stays relatively constant throughout using it. If you place a speaker near a corner, the low end gets a nice boost from bouncing around. The microphones can hear that this is the case, and then tone down the bass notes to maintain a reliable sound. As was the case with the Google Home Max, I can’t really prove that it’s doing this. But I can say that whether the speaker was in a corner on my counter or in the middle of a room, I couldn’t hear any meaningful differences between the two. The Apple HomePod isn’t a large speaker, so its low end isn’t going to be overwhelming like it is with the Google Home Max. It also doesn’t get as loud as the Google Home Max, but both of these traits work to its advantage. There’s still a strong enough bass where it’s easy enough to follow the bassline all throughout the song Let It Happen by Tame Impala, but it isn’t strong enough that it gets in the way of any of the vocals or other instruments in the lower mids. Bass kicks easily pulse along underneath the synths and keeps the rhythm easily felt, but it definitely isn’t as powerful as something like the Google Home Max. Not to make it seem like the Home Max is a bass-hungry monster, but the HomePod definitely seems like it’s holding back at times in order to put equal emphasis on other elements besides just bass. Vocals in the song Send Me a Peach by The Blasting Company has plenty of clarity and the backing bass vocals never mask what’s going on. When it comes to highs, the HomePod also shows a good amount of control. Highs definitely seem under-emphasized a bit in order to avoid harshness, but there’s also a slight push in a few narrow bands so that cymbals can still be made out even if they’re lacking in prominence. A good example of this are all of the cymbals crashes in the song Step Out by Jose Gonzalez which can be plainly heard all throughout the chorus, even if they sound almost muffled when compared to, say a good pair of open-back headphones. Should you get the HomePod? When it comes down to it, I have no problem saying that the Apple HomePod is the best sounding smart speaker I’ve heard. And yes, that includes the Google Home Max . The HomePod doesn’t have the same bass-heavy response that manufacturers tend to be leaning towards, but I personally like that. By keeping things tastefully focused on sound quality and not mass-appeal tuning, music is much clearer-sounding. The Home Max has a more “consumer friendly” sound with a bigger bass response that I think more people will enjoy, plus the Google Assistant is light years ahead of Siri. Unfortunately, the HomePod has far too many limitations to recommend to most people. It’s actually impossible to recommend to anyone who doesn’t have at least one device in the Apple ecosystem. And unless you’re a subscriber to Apple Music or like the thought of taking some time to build a Siri Shortcut or download a separate app, it won’t work as seamlessly as you’d want it to with other services. If you’re already neck-deep in the Apple ecosystem, I’m going to guess that you’ll love using this speaker. One thing I’d recommend doing is exercising a little patience as the speaker sometimes goes on sale and I’ve seen it as low as $199. So if you have your heart set on the HomePod that’s worth keeping in mind. What are some alternatives? The Sonos Move looks great and will blend into the design of any situation. If the HomePod doesn’t do it for you then it’s still worth looking into the Google Home Max or even something like the Sonos One before you make your final choice. The Sonos One still provides good sound, has a trustworthy ecosystem backing it up, and promises support for all the major voice assistants. Then there’s also the newer Sonos Move which also has built-in Bluetooth so you can pick up the speaker and take it with you outside if you want. Of course, it doesn’t have Siri but if you use Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant it’s definitely worth looking into. But heck, if you’re already in the Apple ecosystem: none of this matters anyway. You’re just going to buy the HomePod anyway, right? What about the HomePod 2? I hate to break it to you, but as of right now there isn’t such thing as a HomePod 2. That said, it’s safe to assume that there is one on the way considering that the original HomePod came out in 2018. Not that the original HomePod is outdated by any means, and all of the rumors point to the HomePod 2 being more of a compact alternative to the HomePod than an actual replacement. So if you’ve been thinking about pulling the trigger on the HomePod and are holding out for the second version, you don’t have to worry too much as the HomePod 2 is unlikely to replace this version. If you want something a little smaller and maybe less expensive, then you might be better off waiting as that’s what the rumors seem to be suggesting is coming. [Read the full review]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [1More Dual Driver ANC Pro review]( These might be the best wireless earbuds that aren't true wireless. While we’re currently living through some very weird times it’s easy to forget that most people normally don’t sit at home all day. Whether you’re headed to the office, going on vacation, or just doing some errands around town, people are always on the move. Over the last few years one of the companies that has been making headphones for people on-the-go is 1More. You’re probably most familiar with the Triple-Driver earbuds that made basically every best list on the internet for earbuds under $100 , but now there’s the 1More Dual Driver ANC Pro . So how are they? [Read the full review]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Only the best headphones: - [Best headphones of 2020]( - [Best Bluetooth headphones for working out]( - [Best Bluetooth headphones for conference calls]( - [Best aptX Bluetooth headphones]( - [Best XLR microphones]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Staff picks [Adam Molina]( - [Anker Soundcore Spirit X2 true wireless earbuds review]( - [1More Dual Driver ANC Pro review]( [Chris Thomas]( - [Mobvoi TicPods Free true wireless earbuds review]( - [Best Shure microphones]( [Lily Katz]( - [Tidal HiFi review]( - [Why I’m an avid Spotify user despite dubious audio quality]( [Sam Moore]( - [Spotify review]( - [The best wireless Xbox One headsets of 2020]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Free audio gear! We give away popular mobile audio gear every month, enter for your chance to win. 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