Apple has cut retail price of the HomePod by $50 to $299 in the US. Other international markets are also seeing price cuts, though some aren’t as substantial as this.
The HomePod is just under seven inches tall and looks like a piece of furniture. It’s available in both space gray and white, and also acts as a hub for HomeKit devices to provide remote access to home automation.
The wireless speaker packs an array of speakers to server up a well-rounded balance of treble and bass regardless of where you place it in a room (mine’s in the home office). The speaker’s woofer — which has a custom amplifier — is suspended in the HomePod so it doesn’t vibrate or distort the sound even when you crank up the volume.
The HomePod creates a virtual array of soundbeams using its seven-tweeter array. Placed near a wall (the best location), the HomePod creates three beams: one pointed out the front for “direct” sounds like vocals and guitars, and two pointed at the wall to reflect “ambient” sounds like applause.
