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The second generation HomePod: Better not to put it on untreated wood or leather
Photo: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
Sometimes it's nice when you can say about someone or something: "just the same".
As for one special feature of the new edition of Apple's HomePod, everyone involved would probably be grateful if it weren't the case in this case.
But according to a report, the new HomePod also leaves hard-to-remove marks when placed on certain materials.
The loudspeaker, which many testers, including myself, described as having a very good sound, had to struggle with exactly this problem shortly after its market launch in the USA, Australia and Great Britain in 2018.
The barrel-shaped Smartspeaker had hardly been delivered to the first customers when the first users complained: Light rings formed on the wooden surfaces on which the loudspeaker had been placed.
I could understand the phenomenon at the time.
After my test HomePod had been there for two days, a ring was clearly visible on a wooden windowsill.
I made the mistake at the time and then left the device on a leather footstool overnight.
The next morning, a bright ring had also formed on it, which was very difficult to remove and took a lot of time.
He's doing it again
YouTuber Marques Brownlee reports similar experiences, showing in a video that the rubber foot of the new HomePod also leaves marks on a wooden table.
Not as fast and intense as its predecessor, but still clearly visible.
Apple is responding with a support page that explains HomePod owners how to clean the device, but more importantly how and where to place it.
It states: "Speakers with vibration-damping silicone bases can leave slight marks on certain wooden surfaces." These can therefore arise from "the diffusion of oils between the silicone base and the table surface", but should disappear after a few days if you remove the HomePod from the one in question spot removed.
If this doesn't happen by itself, Apple recommends cleaning the surface with a cloth first.
If that doesn't work either, you should "clean the surface according to the cleaning recommendations of the furniture manufacturer".
Finally, Apple says, "If you have concerns about this, we recommend placing HomePod on a different surface."
With our test HomePods we did the opposite: they will stand on an oiled wooden panel for the next few days.
Sonos knows the problem too
However, Apple is not alone with the problem described.
Devices from the US company Sonos also produce very similar stains on wood.
Startled by the reports about HomePods, a US journalist discovered spots that came from a Sonos One speaker.
I could understand that too at the time.
The subtle difference: The spots created by the Sonos speaker are smaller than those left by the HomePod on an identical wooden panel.
The reason lies in the different construction of the two loudspeaker boxes.
While the HomePod rests on a thick silicone ring, the Sonos One stands on four small silicone feet.
In both cases, the same types of wood were affected, i.e. primarily variants that were not treated or treated with oil.
Wood sealed with polyurethane varnish, as well as so-called MDF boards and laminated or foiled wood, do not seem to have any problems with the soft silicone feet of the speakers.
Apple has yet to comment on the matter.