ICYMI: All the best smart home accessories and speakers from IFA 2019

Notice that the smallest speakers being offered from Focal and Braun are both more expensive per unit than the HomePod's original price...once again proving that it wasn't priced "too high" for the compact speaker market.

foregoneconclusion said:

Notice that the smallest speakers being offered from Focal and Braun are both more expensive per unit than the HomePod's original price...once again proving that it wasn't priced "too high" for the compact speaker market.

Eeeeeeeh.... I don't think that proves anything.  The criticism of the HomePod's price was based on comparisons with other smart speakers.  The market spoke and said the HP's were priced to high for it's intended audience, hence the price drop.  Trying to justify the HP's price by stating something else is more expensive doesn't make sense.  It's like saying a Hyundai Equus was worth $60K because a Merc S350 cost $90K.@appleinsider The speakers are the Braun LE retro line of speakers, not EL.

CloudTalkin said:  The criticism of the HomePod's price was based on comparisons with other smart speakers.  The market spoke and said the HP's were priced to high for it's intended audience, hence the price drop.  Trying to justify the HP's price by stating something else is more expensive doesn't make sense.  It's like saying a Hyundai Equus was worth $60K because a Merc S350 cost $90K.

Nope. HomePod was not the highest priced compact smart speaker on release. Not even close. And obviously "dumb" speakers in the compact range were already at that price and higher, which is the same as today. Sure, the tech media obsessed about speakers that were 1/3 of the price of HomePod, but those speakers were clearly inferior for sound quality. Besides, if "dumb" speakers AND "dumb" headphones were already selling for the same or higher prices, does it really make any sense to use the "smart" part of it for price comparisons? No. Take away Siri and it's still a very good compact speaker at that original $349 price. I've noticed that the same sites that constantly rehashed the price issue with HomePod don't even blink an eye when traditional speaker companies release products in the same general category with higher prices. This article is just another example. Price is not even an issue. 

CloudTalkin said:

foregoneconclusion said:

Notice that the smallest speakers being offered from Focal and Braun are both more expensive per unit than the HomePod's original price...once again proving that it wasn't priced "too high" for the compact speaker market.

Eeeeeeeh.... I don't think that proves anything.  The criticism of the HomePod's price was based on comparisons with other smart speakers.  The market spoke and said the HP's were priced to high for it's intended audience, hence the price drop.  Trying to justify the HP's price by stating something else is more expensive doesn't make sense.  It's like saying a Hyundai Equus was worth $60K because a Merc S350 cost $90K.@appleinsider The speakers are the Braun LE retro line of speakers, not EL.

Kinda agree and disagree... The HomePod was considered way too expensive mostly by people who misunderstood who and what the device was designed for. Everyone was expecting Apple to release something that would compete with Amazon an Google, so in their eyes the HomePod was way outside of either of those products because of its price - completely ignoring the speaker technology and quality of sound (and the price of Google’s Home Max).  They also ignored the fact that the HomePod was an actual smart speaker - able to adjust itself (sound output) based on its location in a room. Those other products* could’ve just as easily been called “smart microphones” because the microphone technology was more advanced than the passive speakers they contained.

I’d agree, it is definitely over-priced as a smart microphone, but I think @foregoneconclusion is correct that the more small speakers released priced around or above the HomePod, the more it justifies the HomePod’s pricing. *The Home Max is able to adjust it’s output as well, just not as efficiently because it’s only a forward facing speaker.

foregoneconclusion said:

CloudTalkin said:  The criticism of the HomePod's price was based on comparisons with other smart speakers.  The market spoke and said the HP's were priced to high for it's intended audience, hence the price drop.  Trying to justify the HP's price by stating something else is more expensive doesn't make sense.  It's like saying a Hyundai Equus was worth $60K because a Merc S350 cost $90K.

Nope. HomePod was not the highest priced compact smart speaker on release. Not even close. And obviously "dumb" speakers in the compact range were already at that price and higher, which is the same as today. Sure, the tech media obsessed about speakers that were 1/3 of the price of HomePod, but those speakers were clearly inferior for sound quality. Besides, if "dumb" speakers AND "dumb" headphones were already selling for the same or higher prices, does it really make any sense to use the "smart" part of it for price comparisons? No. Take away Siri and it's still a very good compact speaker at that original $349 price. I've noticed that the same sites that constantly rehashed the price issue with HomePod don't even blink an eye when traditional speaker companies release products in the same general category with higher prices. This article is just another example. Price is not even an issue. 

Who claimed the HP was the highest priced?  Certainly not me.  The HP price was criticized in comparison to offerings from Google and Amazon.  That is a fact.  Was it fair?  No, but that's irrelevant.  The market decides if the price is right.  It decided the HP was too high vs it's perceived competition - Google and Amazon.  The HP is for better or worse, a smart speaker from Apple that will be forever linked to Amazon Echo's and Google Home speakers.   High priced standard speakers weren't the HP's competition, and still aren't.  Trying to make that comparison doesn't work.  

mjtomlin said:

I’d agree, it is definitely over-priced as a smart microphone, but I think @foregoneconclusion is correct that the more small speakers released priced around or above the HomePod, the more it justifies the HomePod’s pricing. *The Home Max is able to adjust it’s output as well, just not as efficiently because it’s only a forward facing speaker.

The HP isn't compared to standard speakers.  It's compared to primarily to smart speakers.  Fair or not, it is what it is.  Both the HP and the Home Max were considered overpriced.  It's why you can get a Home Max for ~$270 now.  Generally speaking, the cost of a Focal, Kef, or brands of speakers like that aren't used in comparisons against the HP.