SoundGuys Weekly: Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy Buds

Our weekly dive into the best mobile audio gear - 09/26/2020 [SoundGuys]( SoundGuys Weekly - published Saturday, September 26, 2020 [Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy Buds]( Which buds are the best in the galaxy? The phrase “sophomore slump” exists for good reason, but Samsung’s second-generation Galaxy Buds bring a novel feature set to the table, making them a compelling buy for any Spotify user. That said, just because the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus are newer doesn’t make them a better choice for everyone. Let’s see how the original Galaxy Buds compare to the new kid on the block, and why last year’s Buds may be the better option for some... [Read all about it]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Expand your audio knowledge: - [How to choose a digital audio workstation (DAW)]( - [Sony WH-CH710N vs Sennheiser PXC 550-II]( - [What is Bluetooth multipoint, and why isn’t it more popular?]( - [Don’t pre-order headphones]( - [Apple AirPods Pro vs. Google Pixel Buds (2020)]( --------------------------------------------------------------- New and updated reviews: [Beats Solo3 Wireless review]( The Beats Solo3 Wireless has held up well over the years, but is beginning to show its age. Beats , an Apple subsidiary, has historically determined what’s fashionable among consumer audio products. Its Beats Solo3 Wireless may be a few years old, but the aesthetic could easily fit into the company’s 2020 lineup. If you don’t need the latest and greatest features, these on-ear headphones will serve you well with its W1 chip integration, fast charging, and exceptionally long battery life. [Read the full review]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Teenage Engineering x IKEA Frekvens Speaker review]( A modular speaker by the people who make modular synths. Frekvens is Swedish for “frequency”, which makes it a great name for the new speakers that Teenage Engineering announced in collaboration with IKEA. When it was first announced I was immediately drawn to the smaller and cheaper Portable speaker , but on my mission through my local IKEA my razor’s edge focus became hazy, and I walked out with two speakers. The second Bluetooth speaker being what we’re going to check out in this review: the modular Frekvens yellow speaker. The speaker has a fairly minimal look but Teenage Engineering is known for making products that can do more than meet the eye, and this is one of them. [Read the full review]( --------------------------------------------------------------- From around our network: - [Android Authority:]([Samsung Galaxy S20 FE hands-on: S20 for the masses?]( - [Drone Rush:]([You need to register your drone with the FAA before you fly!]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 review]( The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 was a great wireless gaming headset. Is the second generation version a worthy successor? The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 was a wildly successful gaming headset, delivering decent audio and battery life on a budget. Now, the company is releasing a second generation version of the headset, no doubt hoping to nail it in the same way. This gaming headset comes built with the next generation of consoles in mind, meant to capitalize eventually on the spatial sound capabilities of the Sony PlayStation 5. [Read the full review]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [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 in your house). 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 September 25th, 2020 to answer new questions concerning the speaker and provide updated pricing information. 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. 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 in you’re good to go—just ask it to play a song and it’ll oblige. Does the Apple HomePod work with Spotify? Previously, the HomePod only pulled music from Apple Music service natively but now you can select your default music streaming service by going into the Home app on iOS. 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 and now that iOS 14 is out many were hoping that the ability to select a default music player would come to iPhones. Unfortunately, that still hasn’t happened but at least you can choose the service on your HomePod. Unfortunately, if you want to use other music streaming service like Tidal or Deezer you’ll need to use AirPlay from your device. It’s a little clunky and not as seamless, but at least it’s possible. 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. Where are the HomePod settings? If you’re looking to adjust the settings of your HomePod then you’ll need to go into the Home app on your iPhone or iPad. Once there you’ll need to locate the HomePod icon and click on it. In the lower right hand corner you’ll see a button that says “Details” that you need to press. From there you’ll be able to access all the settings for the HomePod. You can do things like change the name of the speaker, select a default account, and even allow or disable explicit content to play. How’s 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. Related Articles   Best Google Assistant smart speakers 1 day ago   Google Home Max review: Sound for the masses July 23, 2020 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. How does the Apple HomePod sound? When you’re talking about how the HomePod actually sounds 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. The addition of Spotify working natively is nice, but it took forever to get that feature and for everything else you’ll have to use AirPlay which isn’t as seamless. 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 USD at certain retailers. It’s currently priced at around $299 USD but if you have your heart set on the HomePod that’s worth keeping in mind if you want to save a few dollars. 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 is no 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. Rumors are swirling around that there may be one at the next Apple event where they will also announce the new iPhone but nothing is confirmed just yet. [Read the full review]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Only the best headphones: - [Best headphone cases]( - [Best Nintendo Switch gaming headsets 2020]( - [Best headphones under $100]( - [Best over-ear headphones of 2020]( - [Best Google Assistant smart speakers]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Staff picks [Adam Molina]( - [Beats Solo3 Wireless review]( - [Teenage Engineering x IKEA Frekvens Speaker review]( [Chris Thomas]( - [Best noise cancelling headphones]( - [Sony WH-1000XM3 review]( [Lily Katz]( - [Sennheiser HD 450BT review]( - [Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy Buds]( [Sam Moore]( - [Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 review]( - [Best Nintendo Switch gaming headsets 2020]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Free audio gear! We give away popular mobile audio gear every month, enter for your chance to win. 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