Released in 2023, the Apple HomePod 2nd Generation is a premium, high-fidelity speaker with two color options (midnight and white). Like the best speakers, it offers temperature and humidity sensors, a room correction tool, and enables smart home integration. It boasts built-in voice assistant support with Siri and Bluetooth 5.0 and houses four mics and five tweeters inside its 5.1 lb body. It lacks graphic EQ or an in-built battery commonly found in the best Bluetooth speakers. The Apple Home app lets you control the speaker, but it’s only available with iOS devices. It supports Wi-Fi 4, and you can stream audio over Apple Airplay.
33
out of
109
Speakers
Apple Homepod 2nd Generation Review
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Updated Feb 13, 2024 8:01 AM
Published
True Score
True Score is an AI-powered algorithm of product tests and customer reviews.
82
Absolutely Fresh
83
25
Experts
91
1,163
Consumers
Expert Rankings
(
25
)
Geared towards iOS users, the premium Apple HomePod 2nd Generation delivers well-rounded audio and a moderately loud volume. However, it’s not rugged enough for travel, and you’ll find feature-rich options with built-in batteries at lower costs.
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Product Snapshot
Overview
Released in 2023, the Apple HomePod 2nd Generation is a premium, high-fidelity speaker with two color options (midnight and white). Like the best speakers, it offers temperature and humidity sensors, a room correction tool, and enables smart home integration. It boasts built-in voice assistant support with Siri and Bluetooth 5.0 and houses four mics and five tweeters inside its 5.1 lb body. It lacks graphic EQ or an in-built battery commonly found in the best Bluetooth speakers. The Apple Home app lets you control the speaker, but it’s only available with iOS devices. It supports Wi-Fi 4, and you can stream audio over Apple Airplay.
Rankings (recommended in)
Best For
Airplay
Consensus
our Verdict
Specifically designed for playing diverse music genres and dialogue-centric content, the Apple HomePod 2nd Generation is well-suited for moderately sized rooms at home. The speaker produces clear vocals and mids, satisfies bass enthusiasts with extended low bass, and provides bright and pronounced treble. Moreover, the room correction tool ensures tailored sound adjustments.
Its frequency response ranks near the top of our verified, tested list, with a wide 32.7Hz to 19300Hz frequency range. However, its sophisticated build (plastic base, glass plate, and mesh fabric) isn’t ideal for travel, and its wired design further limits portability. You can’t place it in the bathroom as it lacks dust or water resistance ratings, but the 85.2 dB volume output fills average-sized rooms.
ReasonS to Buy
- Well-balanced audio
The Apple HomePod 2nd Generation is designed for listening to varied music genres and dialogue-heavy content in medium-sized rooms at home. You get crisp vocals and mids, an adequately extended low bass, and a bright and lively treble.
With a wide frequency response, it stands out among the top ten products in our tested and verified list, boasting impressive low (32.7Hz) and high (19300 Hz) frequency extensions.
- Fairly loud volume output
Its 85.2 dB volume output suffices for filling a medium-sized room with ample sound, but it’s inadequate for larger and more spacious environments. It ranks in the bottom half of our certified, tested products.
Reason to Avoid
- Average build quality
The plastic base, glass plate, and mesh fabric give it a sophisticated look and feel, but its durability doesn’t meet the demands of rough travel.
Moreover, placing it in the bathroom or kitchen without dust or water resistance ratings is not advisable.
- Subpar portability
Although lightweight (5.1 lbs) to move between rooms, it requires a power outlet to work due to its wired design, reducing portability. And since this device is Bluetooth-enabled, you’ll want to read this guide on how to lock Bluetooth speakers to prevent unauthorized access. Or, for a more protected wired-only model, consider reading this Sonos Era 100 review.
Apple Homepod 2nd Generation Specs
 | Battery Charge Time | n/a |
 | Battery Life | Wired |
 | Built In Microphone | Yes |
 | Depth | 5.59" |
 | Height | 6.6" |
 | IPX Rating | n/a |
 | Size | – |
 | Smart App | Apple HomeKit, Apple Music, iTunes, Siri |
 | Speaker Pairing | Yes |
 | Water Resistant | No |
 | Wattage | 1680 W |
 | Width | 5.6" |
 | Wireless Range | 300 ft |
All Specs
Test Results
These are the most important criteria to test for Speakers based on our comprehensive Testing Methodology.
| Battery Life (Hours) | 0 |
| Volume Output (dB) | 85.2 |
| Low End Roll Off (Hz) | 54.958 |
| High End Roll Off (Hz) | 17,472.053 |
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Product Comparison
 Apple Homepod 2nd Generation Review | Apple HomePod 1st Generation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
True Score | 82 | 82 | 77 | 83 | NR |
Ranking | # 33 / 109 | # 37 / 109 | # 84 / 109 | # 25 / 109 | # / |
Market Context |
Released in 2023, the Apple HomePod 2nd Generation is a premium, high-fidelity speaker with two color options (midnight and white). Like the best speakers, it… |
The premium Apple HomePod 2nd Generation offers better value over the mid-range Apple HomePod Mini with its larger build that pushes out bigger sounds and… The premium Apple HomePod 2nd Generation offers better value over the mid-range Apple HomePod Mini with its larger build that pushes out bigger sounds and deeper rumbles. Moreover, it features a room-sensing tool that customizes audio based on the room’s acoustic characteristics, a feature lacking in the HomePod Mini. |
The Apple HomePod 2nd Generation and Bose Home Speaker 500 are both designed for home use since they’re not battery-powered. But the Home Speaker 500… The Apple HomePod 2nd Generation and Bose Home Speaker 500 are both designed for home use since they’re not battery-powered. But the Home Speaker 500 gets louder and has a wider soundstage, making it suitable for more open spaces than the HomePod 2nd Generation. In contrast, the HomePod 2nd Generation has a wider frequency response to accommodate more diverse sounds. For more information, read this Bose Home Speaker 500 review. And for a speaker that doubles as a lamp, read this IKEA SYMFONISK Speaker Lamp review. |
Depending on your use case, you could either pick the premium Apple HomePod 2nd Generation with advanced features or the midrange Anker Soundcore Motion X600… Depending on your use case, you could either pick the premium Apple HomePod 2nd Generation with advanced features or the midrange Anker Soundcore Motion X600 that’s sturdier and louder. The HomePod features a room correction tool that adjusts sounds based on your room’s acoustics and boasts an in-built voice assistant (Siri), a wider soundstage, and Apple AirPlay compatibility. However, the Motion X600 has more customization options with its nine-band graphic EQ. To learn more, read this Anker Soundcore Motion X600 review. |
The newer Apple HomePod 2nd Generation shares features similar to its predecessor, the Apple HomePod 1st Generation. The major difference lies in their low-extended bass,… The newer Apple HomePod 2nd Generation shares features similar to its predecessor, the Apple HomePod 1st Generation. The major difference lies in their low-extended bass, with the newer model delivering more thump and rumble. |
Battery Charge Time | n/a | – | Wired | 6 hrs | – |
Battery Life | Wired | – | Wired | 12 hrs | – |
Built In Microphone | Yes | – | Yes | Yes | – |
Depth | 5.59" | – | 4.3" | 12.2" | – |
Height | 6.6" | – | 8" | 6.73" | – |
IPX Rating | n/a | – | n/a | IPX7 | – |
Size | – | – | – | – | – |
Smart App | Apple HomeKit, Apple Music, iTunes, Siri | – | Amazon Alexa app, Apple AirPlay 2, Bose Music, Google Assistant | Soundcore | – |
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Score Card
E
Expert Score
83
*.75
We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores
C
Customer Score
91
*.25
We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores
True Score
82
Expert Scores
Publications with higher Trust Ratings are given more weight.
100.6Category Trust Rating
72The Apple HomePod (2nd generation) is a stylish home speaker with built-in Siri for hands-free… Read MoreBy:
John Panoryios
81.17Category Trust Rating
NRIt’s too expensive to be anyone’s first foray into Apple’s smart home ecosystem, but if… Read MoreBy:
Sam Moore
43.6Category Trust Rating
80Apple’s second-generation HomePod carries over the elegant design from the original, but improves the audio… Read MoreBy:
Tim Gideon
65.58Category Trust Rating
80The Apple HomePod 2 delivers amazing sound quality, and works incredibly well within Apple’s ecosystem… Read MoreBy:
Mike Prospero
36.25Category Trust Rating
80In our hands-on testing, the new HomePod sounded great, but the $299 price tag limits… Read MoreBy:
Ty Pendlebury
43Category Trust Rating
80The HomePod 2 offers clear, detailed and well-balanced sound from an impressively compact package –… Read MoreBy:
Matt Bolton
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