Get insider access
Preferred store
Notice: Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available.
Notice: Big Spring Sale Deal: The Amazon Echo Pop has dropped by 25% on Amazon.com. See all Speaker Big Spring Sale deals.
  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Pictures
    2. Style
    3. Portability
    4. Build Quality
    5. Controls
    6. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Frequency Response Accuracy
    2. Raw Frequency Response
    3. Soundstage
    4. Dynamics
  6. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. Voice Assistant
    3. App
  7. Connectivity
    1. Wired
    2. Bluetooth
    3. Wi-Fi
  8. Comments

Apple HomePod (1st generation) vs Sony SRS-RA5000

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Apple HomePod (1st generation)
Sony SRS-RA5000

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Sep 04, 2024 07:33 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Apr 12, 2024 03:13 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Apple HomePod (1st generation)  Picture
Sony SRS-RA5000 Picture

Variants

  • HomePod (1st generation) (Space Gray)
  • HomePod (1st generation) (White)
  • SRS-RA5000 (Black)

Our Verdict

Apple HomePod (1st generation)

Sony SRS-RA5000

Full comparison details regarding individual product score sets can be found in the section below

Check Price

Space Gray
HomePod (1st generation)
Searching
Finding store
Black
SRS-RA5000
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White
HomePod (1st generation)
Searching
Finding store
Black
SRS-RA5000
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Black
SRS-RA5000
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
 
Black
SRS-RA5000
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
 
Black
SRS-RA5000
B&H
 
Black
SRS-RA5000
B&H
 
Black
SRS-RA5000
BestBuy.com
 
Black
SRS-RA5000
BestBuy.com

Main Differences for
Music

Threshold 

0.10

Music 

7.0
6.8

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

7.3
6.8

EQ 
 

No
Graphic + Presets

Soundstage 
 

7.5
6.5

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Style Photo  

Apple HomePod (1st generation)  Style Photo
Sony SRS-RA5000 Style Photo

RGB Lights  

No
No
Show text

Portability 
 

4.2
3.5

Dimensions Photo  

Apple HomePod (1st generation)  Dimensions Photo
Sony SRS-RA5000 Dimensions Photo

Volume 
 

203 in³ (3,332 cm³)
1,112 in³ (18,216 cm³)

Weight 
 

5.5 lbs (2.5 kg)
11.6 lbs (5.3 kg)

Power Source 
 

AC Only
AC Only

One-Hand Carry 
 

No
No
Show text

Build Quality 
 

6.4
6.4

Build Quality Photo  

Apple HomePod (1st generation)  Build Quality Photo
Sony SRS-RA5000 Build Quality Photo

Material Quality 
 

Good
Good

Water Resistance 
 

No
No

Dust Resistance 
 

Unspecified
Unspecified

Impact Resistance 
 

No
Unspecified

Floats In Water 
 

No
No
Show text

Controls 
 

8.0
6.9

Controls Photo  

Apple HomePod (1st generation)  Controls Photo
Sony SRS-RA5000 Controls Photo

Controls Photo 2  

Apple HomePod (1st generation)  Controls Photo 2
Sony SRS-RA5000 Controls Photo 2

Ease Of Use 
 

Great
Great

Feedback 
 

Great
Good

Music Play/Pause 
 

Yes (Tactile)
Yes (Tactile)

Call Answer/End 
 

Yes (Tactile)
No

Volume Up/Down 
 

Yes (Tactile)
Yes (Tactile)

Track Next/Previous 
 

Yes (Tactile)
Yes (Tactile)

Microphone On/Off 
 

No
No

Additional Controls 
 

Yes
Yes
Show text

In The Box 
 

In The Box Photo  

Apple HomePod (1st generation)  In The Box Photo
Sony SRS-RA5000 In The Box Photo
Show text
Sound

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

7.3
6.8

Frequency Response Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Slope 
 

0.19
-0.89

Std. Err. 
 

2.35 dB
3.71 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

53.4 Hz
55.0 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

19.1 kHz
17.2 kHz
Show text

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw Frequency Response Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Binaural Recording @ 1m 
 

Binaural Recording @ 2m 
 

Soundstage 
 

7.5
6.5

Directivity Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Directivity Index 
 

0.97 dB
2.78 dB

Stereo 
 

No (mono)
No (mono)
Show text

Dynamics 
 

6.8
6.9

Dynamic Range Compression  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

88.5 dB SPL
92.0 dB SPL

DRC @ Max Volume 
 

2.41 dB
3.06 dB
Show text
Active Features

Battery 
 

0.0
0.0

Battery Life 
 

N/A
N/A

Charge Time 
 

N/A
N/A

Power Saving 
 

No
No

Charging Port 
 

No Battery
No Battery

Battery Powered 
 

No
No
Show text

Voice Assistant 
 

10
0.0

Alexa 
 

No
No

Google Assistant 
 

No
No

Speakerphone 
 

Yes
No

Siri 
 

Built-in
No

Voice Assistant 
 

Yes
No

Voice Activation 
 

Yes
No

Microphone Mute 
 

Yes
No

Far-Field Performance 
 

Excellent
No Assistant

Ambient Noise Performance 
 

Excellent
No Assistant
Show text

App 
 

6.6
4.7

App Picture  

Apple HomePod (1st generation)  App Picture
Sony SRS-RA5000 App Picture

App Name 
 

Apple Home
Sony Music Center

iOS 
 

Yes
Yes

Android 
 

No
Yes

EQ 
 

No
Graphic + Presets

Stereo Pair Mode 
 

Yes
No

Party Mode 
 

Yes
No

Multi-Room 
 

Yes
No
Show text
Connectivity

Wired 
 

Aux Input 
 

No
Yes

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Other Ports 
 

No
No
Show text

Bluetooth 
 

0.0
8.1

Bluetooth 
 

No
Yes

Bluetooth Version 
 

No Bluetooth
4.2

Bluetooth iOS Latency 
 

N/A
63 ms

Bluetooth Android Latency 
 

N/A
85 ms

Bluetooth Range 
 

N/A
334.6 ft (102.0 m)

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

No
No
Show text

Wi-Fi 
 

8.1
6.5

Wi-Fi Version 
 

Wi-Fi 5
Wi-Fi 4

Wi-Fi Frequency Band 
 

2.4GHz & 5GHz
2.4GHz & 5GHz

Wi-Fi 
 

Yes
Yes

Apple AirPlay 
 

Yes
No

AirPlay Latency 
 

37 ms
N/A

Google Chromecast 
 

No
Yes

Chromecast Latency 
 

N/A
955 ms
Show text

Check Price

Space Gray
HomePod (1st generation)
Searching
Finding store
Black
SRS-RA5000
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White
HomePod (1st generation)
Searching
Finding store
Black
SRS-RA5000
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Black
SRS-RA5000
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
 
Black
SRS-RA5000
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
 
Black
SRS-RA5000
B&H
 
Black
SRS-RA5000
B&H
 
Black
SRS-RA5000
BestBuy.com
 
Black
SRS-RA5000
BestBuy.com

Apple HomePod (1st generation)

Sony SRS-RA5000

Comments

  1. Comparison

Apple HomePod (1st generation) vs Sony SRS-RA5000: Main Discussion

What do you think of our picks? Let us know below by starting a discussion.


Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.

PreviewBack to editorFormat guide