Apple HomePod review: a Siri speaker with a bass problem

The new HomePod has the same design as the old version: a marshmallow-like shape with a light-up disc at the top, fabric-covered body and a small silicone foot. The detachable power cable slots in the back but otherwise there are no ports or recesses.

As with other HomePods, this speaker is for Apple users only. Those without an iPhone running iOS 16 or an iPad running iPadOS 16 cannot set it up, while Android and PC users cannot connect to it at all.

It is designed for Apple Music, though it can play tracks bought from Apple or streamed from the iTunes Match cloud storage service, podcasts, TuneIn and some radio stations from Global in the UK. In the US and Australia it can play iHeartRadio and Audacy, too.

Other services, including Spotify and BBC Sounds, can be manually sent to the speaker via AirPlay 2 over wifi using their respective apps on your iPhone or iPad, but not played natively through voice requests of Siri such as Apple Music. The HomePod does not support streaming to it via Bluetooth nor does it have any analogue line-in.

Siri has more limited access to general information than competitors, but performs most tasks, such as timers, calculations and conversions easily. It has access to your personal information, such as calendar, when it recognises your particular voice and your iPhone is on the same wifi network as the speaker.

How good the HomePod sounds is more dependent on your room shape and your listening position than any other speaker I have tested. When placed in a large open-plan area, such as on a kitchen island, it sounds great.

It has plenty of well-controlled bass, detailed highs and good mids, with excellent separation of tones. It sounds great with normal and spatial audio tracks, though it can sound a little clean and clinical.