First Impressions From HomePod Mini Customers: 'The Sound Quality is Great'

Today is HomePod mini launch day in the United States and nine other countries, and as orders begin arriving to customers, first impressions of the speaker are beginning to surface on the web. While we've already seen HomePod mini reviews from media outlets and YouTubers, customer opinions provide additional perspective.

homepod mini customer

HomePod mini photo shot by Oliur

MacRumors forum member "boultonn" said the HomePod mini "really is mini," yet delivers "great" sound for a study room. They also complimented the HomePod mini's simple setup process, which involves plugging in the speaker, holding an iPhone or iPad near the speaker, and following the onscreen instructions on the iPhone or iPad.

UK-based developer Matt Cheetham said "the sound quality is great," a sentiment shared by Tokyo-based developer Enrico Pangan.

Of course, not everyone has been as impressed. UK-based writer and PR director Max Tatton-Brown said that he was "deeply underwhelmed" by his HomePod mini.


UK-based designer and photographer Oliur had a mixed opinion. He said that the HomePod mini has "amazing" sound quality that "can get loud," but he added that it "lacks bass," which he said "makes sense" since it's a small speaker.


Last week, KTLA tech reporter Rich DeMuro tested the sound quality of the HomePod mini and Google's Nest Audio speakers, both priced at $99. While the video is a rather trivial way of comparing audio, many users who commented on the video believed the HomePod mini was the better sounding of the two.


HomePod mini offers many features of the full-size HomePod, including Siri, HomeKit, Apple Music, Intercom voice messaging, and stereo pairing, but a few customers have been surprised to learn that HomePod minis cannot be set as the Apple TV's default audio output, something that is only possible with the full-size HomePod.

HomePod mini pre-orders began November 6 in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The speaker will also be available in China, Mexico, and Taiwan later this year.

Related Roundup: HomePod mini
Buyer's Guide: HomePod Mini (Neutral)

Top Rated Comments

julesme Avatar
39 months ago
I'm calling BS on the guy who put it "back in the box after 5 minutes."

That's barely enough time to listen to one song, and he's already on Twitter complaining!
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macboy2000 Avatar
39 months ago

It’s literally called the HomePod, this is like complaining that you can‘t take an iMac to a Starbucks becsuse it’s not portable. Thats not it’s designed purpose. Maybe one day they’ll consider making something like that.
Nonsense.

Attachment Image
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Attirex Avatar
39 months ago
Anyone who can actually gauge the sound quality of two speakers via a YouTube video has amazing powers of....something.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
480951 Avatar
39 months ago

The main disappointment for me is that it's not portable (no battery) and it's not water resistant.

The HomePod mini should have been the answer to WonderBoom Ultimate Ears.

I would have loved to take my HomePod mini outside in the Summer in the garden or to a barbecue/garden party.
It’s literally called the HomePod, this is like complaining that you can‘t take an iMac to a Starbucks because it’s not portable like a laptop. Thats not its designed purpose. Maybe one day they’ll consider making something like that but this definitely isn’t it, as the name implies.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sub150 Avatar
39 months ago

It might be a little bit odd that you can't set them as audio output for the TV, but it does lead to the question quite why you'd want to?
If you live in an apartment and want to upgrade from built-in TV speakers? This is basically a $200 "smart" 2.0 system. Apple is saying you need to spend $400 for that I guess.

I don't get the arbitrary software crap on these. Can't use the mini as TV speakers but the full size on you can. Neither one can be paired via Bluetooth even though they have the radio. This is all software gimping and there is no reason for it to exist.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
39 months ago

Anyone who can actually gauge the sound quality of two speakers via a YouTube video has amazing powers of....something.
Plus, they'd need speakers as good as the better of the two speakers.

Otherwise it's like comparing a black and white TV to a color TV in a black and white video.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

M3 Chip Apple Event Slide

First Benchmark Results Surface for M3 Chip in New Macs

Wednesday November 1, 2023 7:53 am PDT by
The first benchmark results for the standard M3 chip surfaced in the Geekbench 6 database today, providing a closer look at the chip's CPU performance improvements. Based on the results so far, the M3 chip has single-core and multi-core scores of around 3,000 and 11,700, respectively. The standard M2 chip has single-core and multi-core scores of around 2,600 and 9,700, respectively, so the...
iOS 17

Apple Preparing to Release iOS 17.1.1 Update for iPhone

Thursday November 2, 2023 1:22 pm PDT by
Apple appears to be internally testing an iOS 17.1.1 update for the iPhone, based on evidence of the software in our website's analytics logs this week. iOS 17.1.1 will almost certainly be focused on bug fixes, but it's unclear exactly which issues the update will address. The update could include the same fix for Wi-Fi connectivity issues that Apple rolled out in the first iOS 17.2 beta,...
m3 pro chip

Apple M3 Pro Chip Has 25% Less Memory Bandwidth Than M1/M2 Pro

Tuesday October 31, 2023 3:11 am PDT by
Apple's latest M3 Pro chip in the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro has 25% less memory bandwidth than the M1 Pro and M2 Pro chips used in equivalent models from the two previous generations. Based on the latest 3-nanometer technology and featuring all-new GPU architecture, the M3 series of chips is said to represent the fastest and most power-efficient evolution of Apple silicon thus far. ...
AitTag New Firmware

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirTags

Tuesday October 31, 2023 11:26 am PDT by
Apple today released a new firmware update designed for the AirTag item trackers. The firmware features a build number of 2A61, up from the 2A36 firmware that came out last December. It has been nearly a year since Apple updated the firmware on the AirTags, and there is no word yet on what might be included in the update. Today's firmware release will be rolling out on a staggered basis....
M3 Max Chip

M3 Max Chip Around as Fast as M2 Ultra in Early Benchmark Results

Wednesday November 1, 2023 7:27 pm PDT by
The first benchmark results for Apple's M3 Max chip surfaced in the Geekbench 6 database today, providing a look at CPU performance. Based on the "Mac15,9" model identifier shown, the results appear to be for the new 16-inch MacBook Pro. The highest multi-core score for the M3 Max with a 16-core CPU is currently 21,084 as of writing. If this early result is accurate, this means the M3 Max is ...
10 New Features With iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Coming Later This Year With These 10 New Features for iPhone

Friday November 3, 2023 1:23 pm PDT by
Apple made the first beta of iOS 17.2 available to developers and public beta testers last week, and the software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones. Below, we have highlighted 10 of these new features and changes. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in December. Once available, the update can be installed in the Settings app under General → Software...
Pro Display XDR Red

Macs With M3 Chip Still Officially Support Only a Single External Display

Thursday November 2, 2023 7:41 am PDT by
Macs equipped with the standard M3 chip still support only one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz, according to Apple's tech specs. So far, the chip is available in the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro and the 24-inch iMac. This limitation has existed since the first Apple silicon Macs with the M1 chip were released in 2020, but users can connect multiple external displays to...
apple music voice plan feature blue green

Apple Music's Lower-Priced Voice Plan Being Discontinued

Wednesday November 1, 2023 11:51 am PDT by
The lower-cost Apple Music Voice Plan is being discontinued this month in the U.S. and all other countries where it was available, according to an Apple support document. Brazilian website MacMagazine was first to alert us to this news. "Beginning in November, Apple will discontinue the Apple Music Voice plan," said Apple. "We are focused on delivering the best, most robust music experience...