Sonos or Apple Homepod: which speakers are better?

I’ve been looking for the perfect multi-room system for my home for more than ten years.

The requirement: I want to listen to music at different volumes in several rooms. Usually even the same music.

So much in advance: I have now found my favorite system, but it was a long journey to get there.

Of course, a test of Sonos vs Apple multi-room solutions is not entirely fair: Sonos specializes in this and has been on the market with its products for years. With the HomePod Mini, Apple has only launched its second multiroom speaker and will hopefully be adding more products soon.

Nevertheless, I was faced with the decision of which horse to back in the future and would like to share my thoughts with you.

This article reflects my personal opinion and experience and is written from the perspective of an Apple user. For Android or Windows users, there may be other advantages and disadvantages.

My experience with Homepod and Sonos

When I bought my first white MacBook from Apple in 2007, I was thrilled and never wanted to have anything to do with Windows again. Then the first iPhone came onto the market and quickly became my most important music player.

Even back then, Apple already had a kind of multi-room function, at least it was possible to transmit a music source to several rooms. Namely via the so-called AirPort Express base station. This has a jack connection, which can be used to connect speakers, for example.

With several of these devices, an acceptable multi-room system could be set up at the time. However, it was not more than acceptable, as there were always dropouts during music playback.

I spent many weeks and months troubleshooting and still haven’t found it. According to support, it was sometimes due to the wrong router and sometimes to sources of interference such as cell phones or microwaves.

Presumably the AirPlay protocol, i.e. Apple’s transmission technology, was and is simply not fully developed. Because even today, more than ten years later, AirPlay technology still doesn’t run smoothly for me.

Switch to Sonos

I had been flirting with Sonos for a while, but I never liked the detour via the Sonos app on my cell phone or smartwatch. I wanted everything from a single source, native integration with all Apple devices. Nevertheless, I decided to give Sonos a try. After all, the Sonos speakers should also work via AirPlay.

I started with a second-hand Sonos One, followed shortly afterwards by the Symfonisk speakers from IKEA, which contained Sonos technology but were cheaper.

Unfortunately, my plan to control the Sonos speakers via AirPlay didn’t work. As long as I only selected one speaker, everything was fine. However, if I wanted to send the music to two or more speakers at the same time, the dropouts started again.

So I tried out the Sonos app and for the first time in years I had a really stable multi-room system. At last! I have summarized a few more tips against dropouts later.

Over the next few months, I invested heavily and equipped the whole apartment with Sonos: a large Sonos Five for the kitchen, a Beam soundbar for the projector, the subwoofer, a Sonos One for the bathroom, two Symfonisk lamps for the bedroom and the Sonos Move for the terrace.

My collection of Sonos devices wasn’t exactly cheap, but with a few tricks it was still cheaper than normal.

The sound was great and the system was stable. However, only when I connected one of the Sonos speakers directly to the router using a LAN cable. This creates a so-called Sonos Net, which ensures greater stability.

Back to the Apple universe

My multi-room system from Sonos worked perfectly. What still bothered me, however, was the detour via the Sonos app. You couldn’t control the music directly from the iPhone’s home screen or start it directly from Apple Music, but always had to open the Sonos app first. In addition, Alexa and Google Assistant were integrated into Sonos, but not Apple’s Siri.

Apple then launched the HomePod Mini on the market in 2020. Will Apple now get into the speaker and multiroom business in a big way? My dream has finally come true, a native solution for the Apple universe. And unlike the Sonos speakers, it even works with Siri.

So when the HomePod Mini came out, I sold everything from Sonos and set up a complete multiroom system from Apple: A HomePod in the kitchen, two more as stereo speakers for the AppleTV, which hangs on the TV along with a Nintendo Switch. Two HomePod Mini for the bedside tables in the bedroom and another in the bathroom.

My inner Monk is satisfied, but will Apple really be the better multiroom system compared to Sonos in the future? In this article I try to show the advantages and disadvantages of the systems.

Sonos vs Homepod: The sound

Sonos

In contrast to Apple, Sonos offers the so-called Trueplay setting for most speakers: while a test signal sounds from the speakers, you walk around the room with your iPhone and the microphone in your phone measures the volume and pitch. As a result, the speakers are optimally adjusted to the respective room and the result is clearly audible.

Sonos’ wide range of products also means that there is something for every taste, from speakers for discreet background music to hi-fi solutions with large speakers and subwoofers.

Almost all speakers can be combined and thus configured to suit every taste. The various Sonos models can be compared using a table.

Homepod

The large HomePod does a solid job: the volume is easily sufficient for a small party in the living room, especially when two HomePods work in stereo mode.

However, the music playback is quite bass-heavy. I personally like this, but the reproduction is not balanced or neutral.

The small HomePods are only slightly larger than a tennis ball and therefore offer a much thinner sound. In my opinion, it’s enough for background music in the kitchen, but not much more.

Conclusion

The sound of loudspeakers is often very subjective and also depends heavily on the room and where the loudspeaker is installed.

Both manufacturers offer great sound, depending on the size of the respective speaker. However, Sonos delivers with better setting options, TruePlay calibration and many combination options. A clear point for Sonos.

Prices and product range

Sonos

The selection of devices and speakers is huge: there are various soundbars for televisions or projectors, large and small speakers for the home, portable speakers with rechargeable batteries, a subwoofer, amplifiers for passive speakers and much more. Wow! What fun to equip the whole house with.

If only it weren’t for the high price. A subwoofer for around 700 euros is an announcement. Fortunately, there are still the inexpensive refurbished devices that are almost indistinguishable from new.

Homepod

Apple currently only has two different speakers in its Multiroom range. Of course, I hope that there will be many more devices in the future, just like Amazon or Google. But my feeling is that it will be a while yet.

Update: Temperature and humidity with HomePod

After all, Apple has activated an exciting new function in the HomePod Mini with the software update to HomePod software 16.3: The update activates the already integrated temperature and humidity sensor and displays this data in Apple’s Home app.

If you use several devices, you can conveniently monitor the air quality in different rooms or even control automations with them.

Conclusion

Sonos is clearly ahead in terms of its product range. No wonder, after all Sonos has been all about multi-room speakers for many years.

However, the high quality comes at a price. Since the cooperation between Sonos and the furniture store IKEA, the so-called Symfonisk speaker is already available for a solid 99 euros, perfect for an introduction to the Sonos world.

Apple is also known for its high prices. With the HomePod Mini, however, Apple has launched an attack on the competition – also in terms of price. The 99 euros is a fair offer for the small speaker with Siri. Overall, this point is a draw.

Operation and apps

Homepod

There is no app for Apple’s HomePods; every Apple device integrates the speakers seamlessly, which is also the biggest advantage of Apple’s multiroom solution. Whether from an iPhone, iMac, MacBook or iPad: the speakers can be activated from any device, individual speakers can be switched on and off and the volume can be controlled individually.

Since an update in 2021, different sources can also be used. While a podcast is playing on the HomePod Mini in the bedroom, you can listen to music in the kitchen.

Sonos

There is no question that the Sonos app is clear, sophisticated and offers many setting options. However, as an Apple user, it is a detour to control the music via this app.

In the Sonos app, for example, your own Spotify or Deezer account is connected, and you can also optionally use Soundcloud or TuneIn for radio stations.

Several family members can use the Sonos app on their devices and thus control the speakers together. There is also a good Mac app from Sonos.

Conclusion

From my point of view as an Apple user, the native integration of Apple speakers on the iPhone or Mac is simply unbeatable and elegant. The Sonos app is great, but it’s a bit of a detour. Score one for Apple!

Stability with Apple and Sonos

Sonos

My first Sonos speakers were an IKEA Symfonisk bookshelf speaker and a Sonos One. At first, I couldn’t use either of them without dropouts and connection problems, even though my apartment is neither particularly large nor has unusually thick walls.

The dropouts were difficult to reproduce and even weeks of tinkering, configuring the router, changing positions and watching YouTube tutorials didn’t help.

In the end, the solution was to connect one of the speakers to the router via LAN cable. This speaker then creates the so-called Sonos-NET, its own WiFi network, which is used exclusively by the Sonos speakers.

Since then, other speakers such as Sonos Beam or Sonos Five have also run smoothly without a single dropout. If you have the option of connecting one of the speakers directly to the router, the system works perfectly.

Homepod

I have already mentioned above that I have been working with AirPlay – Apple’s multiroom protocol – for over ten years.

Since the first attempts in 2008, I have still not managed to operate the speakers without dropouts. Mind you, in different locations, different apartments with different routers.

In the meantime, the AirPlay 2 protocol works quite well with HomePod and HomePod Mini, but often it still hangs. Then a speaker cannot be selected or deselected, or the volume can no longer be adjusted.

When using Spotify on the iPhone, playback often stops abruptly. This is extremely annoying and was one of the main reasons why I switched back to Sonos.

Conclusion

Both systems still have weaknesses in terms of stability. Sonos is only really stable for me when one of the speakers is connected to the router by cable.

This shouldn’t really be a requirement for a wireless multiroom system. Nevertheless, the point goes to Sonos by a narrow margin.

Conclusion: Homepod or Sonos?

So which horse should you bet on in the future if you want to have a good and uniform multi-room system at home?

Apple’s HomePods with the hope that other devices such as soundbars, subwoofers and portable speakers will come onto the market in the future?

Or Sonos, with its huge product range but very high prices and the detour via the app?

As always, it depends on your own needs. If you often talk to Siri, want to listen to some background music or the news in the bathroom while an audio book is playing in the children’s room, Apple’s HomePods are a good choice.

But if you want a bit more of everything – more sound, more choice and generally more speakers, you should go to Sonos.

Personally, after my brief, hopeful foray into Apple’s HomePod world, I’ll be going back to Sonos. I simply don’t believe that Apple will be able to launch as many different and great products as Sonos in the next few years.

I wouldn’t want to miss the option of having a Sonos Move or Sonos Roam for the balcony or a trip to the beach, a home cinema system for my projector with soundbar and subwoofer, and the choice of several large and small speakers on top.

For me, the wide range of products for all situations is the decisive point in favor of Sonos.