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- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Design
- Sound
- Active Features
- Connectivity
- Comments
Google Home Max vs Apple HomePod (1st generation)
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
Google Home Max
Apple HomePod (1st generation)
Tested using Methodology v0.8
Updated Aug 14, 2024 02:01 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comTested using Methodology v0.8
Updated Sep 04, 2024 07:33 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
BluetoothYes
Wi-FiYes
SpeakerphoneYes
Voice AssistantYes
Battery PoweredNo
BluetoothNo
Wi-FiYes
SpeakerphoneYes
Voice AssistantYes
Battery PoweredNo
Variants
- Home Max (Chalk)
- Home Max (Charcoal)
- HomePod (1st generation) (Space Gray)
- HomePod (1st generation) (White)
Our Verdict
Google Home Max
Apple HomePod (1st generation)
The Google Home Max and the Apple HomePod (1st generation) are two speakers with a voice assistant built-in, and you may prefer one over the other. While both speakers have a similarly balanced sound profile, the Google speaker has a companion app that lets you EQ its bass and treble and comes with Google Assistant built-in. It also supports Chromecast. However, the Apple speaker uses Siri and supports Apple AirPlay. Since it's a 360-degree speaker, it also has an outstanding soundstage. Both speakers have been discontinued and may be difficult to find in new condition.
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Chalk
Home Max
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HomePod (1st generation)
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Home Max
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HomePod (1st generation)
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Threshold
Music
6.9
7.0
Soundstage
6.3
7.5
EQ
Bass/Treble
No
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Style Photo
RGB Lights
No
No
Portability
3.7
4.2
Dimensions Photo
Volume
606 in³ (9,924 cm³)
203 in³ (3,332 cm³)
Weight
11.7 lbs (5.3 kg)
5.5 lbs (2.5 kg)
Power Source
AC Only
AC Only
One-Hand Carry
No
No
Build Quality
6.0
6.4
Build Quality Photo
Material Quality
Decent
Good
Water Resistance
No
No
Dust Resistance
Unspecified
Unspecified
Impact Resistance
No
No
Floats In Water
No
No
Controls
8.0
8.0
Controls Photo
Controls Photo 2
Ease Of Use
Great
Great
Feedback
Great
Great
Music Play/Pause
Yes (Tactile)
Yes (Tactile)
Call Answer/End
Yes (Tactile)
Yes (Tactile)
Volume Up/Down
Yes (Tactile)
Yes (Tactile)
Track Next/Previous
No
Yes (Tactile)
Microphone On/Off
Yes (Physical)
No
Additional Controls
No
Yes
In The Box
In The Box Photo
Sound
Frequency Response Accuracy
7.2
7.3
Frequency Response Graph
Slope
-0.28
0.19
Std. Err.
3.00 dB
2.35 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
50.4 Hz
53.4 Hz
High-Frequency Extension
17.2 kHz
19.1 kHz
Raw Frequency Response
Raw Frequency Response Graph
Binaural Recording @ 1m
Binaural Recording @ 2m
Soundstage
6.3
7.5
Directivity Graph
Directivity Index
6.44 dB
0.97 dB
Stereo
Yes (when horizontal)
No (mono)
Dynamics
6.9
6.8
Dynamic Range Compression
SPL @ Max Volume
95.6 dB SPL
88.5 dB SPL
DRC @ Max Volume
3.88 dB
2.41 dB
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
Voice Assistant
8.9
10
Alexa
No
No
Google Assistant
Built-in
No
Speakerphone
Yes
Yes
Siri
No
Built-in
Voice Assistant
Yes
Yes
Voice Activation
Yes
Yes
Microphone Mute
Yes
Yes
Far-Field Performance
Excellent
Excellent
Ambient Noise Performance
Mediocre
Excellent
App
9.3
6.6
App Picture
App Name
Google Home
Apple Home
iOS
Yes
Yes
Android
Yes
No
EQ
Bass/Treble
No
Stereo Pair Mode
Yes
Yes
Party Mode
Yes
Yes
Multi-Room
Yes
Yes
Connectivity
Wired
Aux Input
Yes
No
USB Audio
No
No
Other Ports
Yes
No
Bluetooth
7.2
0.0
Bluetooth
Yes
No
Bluetooth Version
4.2
No Bluetooth
Bluetooth iOS Latency
246 ms
N/A
Bluetooth Android Latency
197 ms
N/A
Bluetooth Range
170.6 ft (52.0 m)
N/A
Multi-Device Pairing
2 Devices
No
Wi-Fi
8.1
8.1
Wi-Fi Version
Wi-Fi 5
Wi-Fi 5
Wi-Fi Frequency Band
2.4GHz & 5GHz
2.4GHz & 5GHz
Wi-Fi
Yes
Yes
Apple AirPlay
No
Yes
AirPlay Latency
N/A
37 ms
Google Chromecast
Yes
No
Chromecast Latency
46 ms
N/A
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Chalk
Home Max
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HomePod (1st generation)
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Home Max
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HomePod (1st generation)
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Google Home Max
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Comments
Google Home Max vs Apple HomePod (1st generation) : Main Discussion
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