- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Updates
- Comparison
- Best Speakers
- Conclusion
- Discussions
We've currently tested two Apple speakers. Apple is a brand known for making phones, laptops, and tablets, though they have some speakers on the market. Generally, their speakers have built-in Siri capabilities, making them suitable for home use.
Updates
- 01/19/2021 Apple HomePod mini reviewed
- 12/14/2020 Apple HomePod reviewed
Best Apple Speakers
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Best Apple Speaker
BluetoothNoWi-FiYesSpeakerphoneYesVoice AssistantYesBattery PoweredNoThe Apple HomePod is the best Apple speaker that we've tested. It has Siri voice assistant built-in, and it's a wired speaker designed for home use, so it needs to be connected to a power source to be used. Siri can understand you even if you're far away or in a noisy room. Although there's no mic mute button, you can turn Siri off with a voice command if you want it to stop listening to you. It has a well-balanced sound profile, so it's suitable for listening to a wide variety of audio content. It lacks some low-bass, though, so you may not feel the deep thump and rumble in bass-heavy music genres like EDM or hip-hop. Thanks to its 360-degree design, it has outstanding directivity, resulting in a wide and open soundstage from all angles. Although its app is only compatible with iOS devices, it has many features, such as Party Mode and Multi-Room, which let you pair multiple Apple HomePod speakers in a large space or across multiple rooms.
Unfortunately, you can't connect devices via Bluetooth to directly play audio content. However, you can use the audio handoff feature by tapping your iPhone against the speaker, which lets you stream audio content over Bluetooth if your device and the speaker are connected to the same Wi-Fi. Also, if you're using an iPhone, you can play audio wirelessly using Apple AirPlay. If you're looking for a speaker with a good voice assistant and a balanced sound profile out-of-the-box, it's a suitable choice.
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Best Budget Apple Speaker
BluetoothNoWi-FiYesSpeakerphoneYesVoice AssistantYesBattery PoweredNoThe Apple HomePod mini is the best budget Apple speaker that we've tested. It's a more affordable alternative to the Apple HomePod, and it has many of the same features. This small and lightweight speaker is designed for home use and is compatible with Apple AirPlay. It has a built-in Siri voice assistant, which can understand you easily even if you're far away, though it might have some trouble picking up your voice in a noisy room. It has a balanced mid-range, so it can accurately reproduce vocals and lead instruments, though some higher frequencies might sound a bit dull. Like many small speakers, it struggles to produce low-bass, which may be disappointing for fans of bass-heavy music genres like hip-hop. Thanks to its 360-degree design, it has incredible directivity, resulting in an open and spacious soundstage. While it doesn't get too loud, there isn't much compression at max volume, so the audio production remains clean and pure.
Unfortunately, it needs to be plugged into a power source to be used, and it isn't waterproof or rated for dust resistance. You also can't directly connect your device via Bluetooth to play audio, though you can use Bluetooth for audio handoff, which lets you transfer audio between your iPhone to the speaker or vice versa. If you're looking for a suitable home speaker at a more affordable price, this one is worth considering.
Compared to other brands
- Compatible with Apple AirPlay. Generally, Apple speakers support Apple AirPlay, so you can pair your iPhone to the speaker to wirelessly play audio content. Both the speaker and your iPhone need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network to use Apple AirPlay.
- Built-in voice assistant. Apple speakers typically come with a built-in Siri voice assistant. Siri can usually understand you, even if you're far away, though some Apple speakers perform better in noisier environments than others.
- Good soundstage. Generally, the Apple speakers we've tested have incredible directivity thanks to their 360-degree design, resulting in soundstages that are perceived as open and spacious. However, some Apple speakers have to downmix stereo content into mono.
- Can't easily stream audio content over Bluetooth. Apple speakers don't support Bluetooth pairing for playing audio content. However, you can use Bluetooth for audio handoff, which lets you transfer audio from your iPhone to the speaker. You can stream audio content using this configuration if the speaker and your iOS device are both connected to the same Wi-Fi.
- No EQs. The Apple speakers we've tested don't have an EQ to let you tweak their sound profile. That said, they have fairly balanced sound profiles out-of-the-box.
- Wired design. The Apple speakers we've tested need to be plugged into a power source to be used, so they're more suitable as home speakers than as portable speakers.
- Not impact or water-resistant. Since the Apple speakers we've tested are generally designed for home use, they aren't impact or water-resistant. They typically aren't rated for dust-resistance.
Overall, Apple has a few speakers generally designed for home use, with a wired design and built-in Siri voice assistant. However, they typically don't come with an EQ and are hard to pair with devices over Bluetooth.
Conclusion
Apple offers a limited range of speakers with similar features. They generally have a Siri voice assistant built-in and need to be plugged into a power source to be used. They're compatible with Apple AirPlay for streaming audio content from an iPhone, but they can't easily be paired with devices via Bluetooth. Typically, they're not water or impact-resistant, since they're designed for home use.
