Sonos One Vs Apple HomePod – Which One Good?
Smart speakers are replacing the big stereos because of their amazing features. It can be confusing on the best smart portable speaker to purchase because of their diversity. Sonos One and Apple Homepod are among the top smart speakers. They have their individual strengths and unique features. It is important to go through each attribute of Sonos One and Apple Homepod speakers.
This helps pick out the features of a speaker. Then, compare them with your lifestyle and make a choice. Both Sonos one and Apple homepod speakers have excellent performance. You will definitely enjoy music on both speakers.
 |  |
|---|---|
| Sonos One | Apple HomePod |
| BUY NOW | BUY NOW |
| PROS | PROS |
| It has both Alexa and Google voice assistant. It has a stylish look. It has Airplay. | It is easy to set up. It has a very powerful sound. It has an attractive design. It has Siri. |
| CONS | CONS |
| It is costly. Full volume distorts sound quality. | Siri usage is limited when compared to other voice assistants. |
Sonos One
Sonos one is among the pioneer smart speakers. The manufacturer ensured it has a quality sound, which make users enjoy listening to music. This smart speaker can be connected to internet. You can use either wireless or Ethernet connection to stream music online. There are plenty of online platforms you can play music from. Spotify, Pandora, Amazon music, TuneIn and Apple music are some you can access.
Sonos one also has both Amazon Alexa voice assistant and Google voice assistant. You can use either when want to control the smart speaker with your voice. It has one of the powerful microphones that always hear your voice commands. Sonos one smart speaker is also light in weight. Users will also have an easy time handling or carrying it around.
You can also connect Sonos one smart speaker with other speakers for multi-room stereo sound projection. The speaker sound can be configured to blend with the environment background. Sonos one smart speaker can also be paired with apple devices through air play. The devices can be iPhone, iPad and iPod. After pairing, you can play music from your apple device. This speaker should be connected to power every time you want to use. Sonos one speaker also comes in different colors.
Apple HomePod
The Apple Homepod is one of the smart speakers from Apple Company. It is well known for its voice assistant called “Siri”. You don’t have to physically touch your smart speaker to operate it. Siri can play any audio music through your voice command. Apple Homepod should be connected to the internet to access Siri services. Wireless connection is the only internet you connect with this smart speaker. Once connected to the internet, you will be in a position to play music from different online platforms.
Apple Homepod smart speaker can be connected to other devices through Bluetooth. However, you won’t be able to play music through Bluetooth connection. Apple devices can be paired through Airplay to this speaker. You will be able to play music from your connected apple device. Apple Homepod doesn’t have a rechargeable battery. It should be connected to the socket anytime you want to use.
Audio
Sonos One smart speaker takes entertainment to another level because it can play different audio formats. WMA, AAC, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, MP3, FLAC, Apple Lossless and AIFF are popular audio formats you can play on Sonos one speaker. This speaker has an in-built audio amplifier. It is one reasons why Sonos one has a quality sound when playing music.
This smart speaker has a two way crossover channel quality. You can also pair Sonos one speaker with other compatible speakers for multi-room purpose if you want stereo like sound. This speaker also has Bi-Amping that power up the speaker. Sonos one speaker also has a mid-range driver whose frequency ranges between 250- 2000 Hz. The mid-range driver has a woofer and two amplifiers, which belong to class-D.
There is also a tweeter that improves the sound quality. Sonos one speaker also has 6 microphones that make it easy for either Amazon Alexa or Google voice assistant to hear voice commands.
Apple Homepod smart speaker also supports various audio formats. These formats are Apple lossless. AIFF, AAC, MP3, FLAC, VBR, HE-AAC V1, WAV, MP3 VBR and protected AAC are some supports formats. The maximum bit per rate supported by Apple Homepod speaker is 320 kbps. This speaker also has an integrated audio amplifier that is always active.
There is also a two way crossover channel quality. Apple Homepod smart speaker has multi-room connection feature if you want stereo sound projection. You will love the automatic room-sensing technology that helps Apple Homepod detect the location it has been set. Afterward, it will adjust itself to deliver quality sound without being touched.
This smart speaker also has beamforming technology that automatically adjusts the in-built microphone settings for Siri to clearly get the voice command. Apple Homepod has a driver that comprises both woofer driver and tweeter driver. The tweeter drive can transmit a frequency between 2,000 Hz and 20, 000 Hz. Horn loaded is the driver technology used in Apple Homepod smart speaker. The driver’s diameter is 4m, which is the secret behind the quality sound with a bass.
Battery
Sonos one doesn’t have an in-built battery. This means it should be connected to power anytime you want to play your music. The power cable of Sonos One is 2 meters long. You can place your smart speaker on the floor a few meters away from the socket. Sonos one smart speaker can also rest on surfaces that are a few meters from the socket. Its lightweight gives users an easy time lifting it.
Sonos one smart speaker uses integrated power supply to function. The nominal voltage required by this smart speaker is Ac 120/230 V, whereas the frequency required is 50/60 Hz.
Apple Homepod also doesn’t have a rechargeable battery. It uses a fabric power cable as the main power source. The power cable is made from fabric, which is difficult to spoil, giving you usage for long time. Apple Homepod smart speaker requires nominal voltage of Ac 100-240 V. This smart speaker also requires a frequency of between 50-60 Hz. Apple Homepod smart speaker favors usage inside the house or anywhere you can easily access a socket.
Design
The general design of Sonos one smart speaker looks like square cylinder. It can stand alone horizontal. Sonos one smart speaker comes in either white or black color. You can choose a color that impresses you. This smart speaker has a grille that covers most part of its side. The grill is strong that it protects your Sonos one speaker from damage in case it accidentally falls down.
There is a smooth cap at the top of the smart speaker. At the top of Sonos one speaker, there are buttons which are touch- sensitive. The sides of the smooth cap are volume buttons. One is on the right and the other one on the left. You can use the volume buttons to either add or reduce the volume of your smart speaker.
At the center, Sonos One speaker has a pause/play button. You can also swipe on the left side of the top part of the speaker to play previous song. Swiping your finger on the right is a command to play the next song on the play list. There is a LED indictor to show when Sonos one speaker is on. You will see another LED indictor that lets you know if Amazon Alexa is on or not.
Sonos one smart speaker also has a microphone button that can be muted anytime. There is an Ethernet port on the side of the speaker. You will also see a set up button on the side. The power plug in is at the bottom of the smart speaker.
The overall design of Apple Homepod looks like round cylinder. Users will have an easy time carrying this smart speaker around the house. You can choose either white or gray colors when purchasing Apple Homepod smart speaker. Most part of this speaker is covered by a cloth like material. This smart speaker is stable when placed on surface horizontal.
The top of the Apple Homepod smart speaker has a black circle which is touch-sensitive and lights up. You have to touch the top if you want to activate Siri voice assistant, add or reduce volume. The black circle can also be used to replay a song or move on to the next one on your play list.
You will see the circle lighting up when Siri voice assistant is listening to your voice command. Hold the top part of the smart speaker if you want to turn off Siri. It will ask for confirmation before going off. The power cord of Apple Homepod smart speaker is covered by a cloth-like material and is attached to it. This smart speaker also has in-built microphones to hear commands.
Connectivity
The Sonos one smart speaker gives its users connectivity options. This makes entertainment interesting. Sonos one smart speaker can be paired to apple devices through Airplay. The apple devices are iPod, ipad and iPhone. Once connected, you will be in a position to play music directly from you apple device.
You can also connect Sonos one smart speaker with internet. It can be wireless or through an Ethernet cable. IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.3 and IEEE 802.11b/g are Ethernet connections you can connect with. Once accessed to the internet, you will be in a position to play music from different online platforms. Amazon Music, Deezer, TuneIn, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, YouTube Music and Google play music are some platforms you can access with when connected to the internet. You can use either Amazon Alexa or Google voice to control the music you are playing.
Apple Homepod smart speaker can be connected to other devices through its Bluetooth version 5.0. However, you will not be in a position to play music from the paired device. It is best for pairing with other compatible speakers. Apple Homepod smart speaker also can be connected to apple products through Airplay. IPhone, iPad and iPod are some apple devices that can be paired. Afterward, you can pair your phone and play music directly from the pair apple device.
The Apple Homepod can also be connected to the internet. It can only be connected to a wireless connection. You will be in a position to play songs from different platforms like Spotify, YouTube Music and Pandora are some platforms you can play music from. Siri makes it easy to stream music without physically touching your smart speaker.
Weight
The weight of Sonos one smart speaker is 1.78 kilograms. It is portable around the house. You will also have an easy time handling it around the house. Sonos one smart speaker also has impressive dimensions. Its height is 6.4 inches, depth 4.7 and its width 4.7. Users will have an easy time packing and moving with their Sonos one smart speaker.
On the other hand, Apple Homepod weighs 2.5 kilograms. The weight is the secret behind the stability when placed horizontal. Apple Homepod smart speaker has a height of 6.8 inches and a diameter of 5.6 inches. You will have an easy time carrying around the house and also outside.
Control
Sonos one smart speaker can be controlled in various ways. You can directly use the touch buttons at the top of the speaker. The buttons usage guide is easy to understand. You can control the volume, song you are playing and the microphone.
The Sonos one smart speaker can also be controlled through the voice. It can be either through Google voice assistant or Amazon Alexa voice assistant. Sonos one smart speaker has in-built microphones to hear voice commands. There should be internet connection to enjoy full services of either Amazon Alexa or Google voice assistant.
Sonos one smart speaker can also be controlled through the Sonos application. This application can be downloaded on phones with either iOS or android application. You will be in a position to control everything when you download Sonos application on your phone.
Apple Homepod smart speaker has touch buttons at the top. These buttons should be physically operated. Apple Homepod smart speaker has a simple and well elaborated interface that gives users an easy time.
This smart speaker can also be operated through Apple Homepod application. The application is only supported by phones with iOS operating system. Apple Homepod application interface is easy to use.
You can also control Apple Homepod smart speaker through Siri voice assistant. Microphones are well placed to ensure Siri always hears voice commands.
Mobile Usage
Sonos one smart speaker can’t be used to either send texts or make calls when any device is connected to it. The device should be unpaired in order to make calls or even send calls.
Apple Homepod smart speaker can send text messages to contacts saved on the paired device.
Verdict
Apple Homepod smart speaker is the better one when compared to Sonos one smart speaker. You will enjoy the quality sound coming from this smart speaker. You should go ahead and purchase it.
