Homepod (not coffee related)

The Homepod works very well.

Installation was simpler than I could imagine: connect power plug, keep iPhone near the Homepod and let the machines sort it out themselves, just "okay" what they propose to do.

Some early owners remark that the bass tones seem dominant but after moving the Homepod around a bit to test this, I noticed that a table or wooden box that the Homepod is placed on, is incorporated as part of the 'speaker system' thus amplifying the low frequency tones.

Solution: place the Homepod on the stand that's designed and built to have a speaker on top of it. Simple and perfect!

The reason why I decided to get a Homepod is the ability that Apple built in to play FLAC and other lossless files directly without need for a DAC device in between.

Of course iTunes can't yet handle FLAC and one needs another player, but it turns out that JRiver Media Player is perfectly able to send music from FLAC and other hi-res audio format collection to the Homepod (named 'woonkamer' -- living room in Dutch -- here).

If one wants, theJRiver 'special effects' like living room / concert hall acoustics, music style and equalizer can be used but that is not needed since it all works smooth 'out of the box".
Even when controlled / fed by JRiver, a spoken command to increase or decrease volume is understood and implemented.

Will be interesting to find out if I will keep my spiffy stereo set or simplify life more and make space.
One advantage of the Homepod is that in the (late) evening, I can play music on low volume so as not to disturb neighbours, but still distinctly hear all details of the music (separate instruments, voice, percussion etcetera). The Dynaudio speakers need more volume to 'display' details.

Later this year it will be possible to have two Homepods in one room for stereophonic enhancement, so while the little wonder device may be inexpensive, there will be an opportunity to go Oprah on them in the house: "the bedroom gets a Homepod! The guest bedroom gets a Homepod! The kitchen gets a Homepod... all rooms get a Homepod!!!"