Short answer: the Apple HomePod 2nd Gen. It ranks #5 of 29 powered desktop speakers by sound quality, rated 4.0/5, at $349; the Denon Home 350 ranks #9, rated 3.6/5, and costs $749, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
The case for the Apple HomePod 2nd Gen: A compact smart speaker with natural, spacious sound that tunes itself to the room, ideal for Apple Music and AirPlay users. Watch for: What Hi-Fi’s own comparison found the pricier Sonos Era 300 has more power, punch and detail, and Siri cannot launch Spotify, Tidal or other non-Apple services directly, only Apple Music by voice; everything else has to be sent over AirPlay from a phone.
The case for the Denon Home 350: A large Wi-Fi smart speaker that plays loud, with lossless streaming, built in Alexa that hears you well, and app tone controls. It keeps a wired aux input, which the Apple HomePod 2nd Gen lacks. It plays in stereo from a single unit, unlike the Apple HomePod 2nd Gen. The tradeoff: RTINGS measured a slightly boomy sound profile out of the box and disappointing directivity, so the sound changes noticeably off to the side of the cabinet, plus compression artifacts as it nears max volume.
Buy the Apple HomePod 2nd Gen. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Denon Home 350 and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Want more options? Browse the full Powered Home rankings.
A compact smart speaker with natural, spacious sound that tunes itself to the room, ideal for Apple Music and AirPlay users.
A large Wi-Fi smart speaker that plays loud, with lossless streaming, built in Alexa that hears you well, and app tone controls.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Apple HomePod 2nd Gen | Denon Home 350 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $349.00 each | $749.00 each |
| Ranked | #5 of 29 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #9 of 10 in Large Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (AirPlay 2 multi-room) | Yes (HEOS multi-room, stereo pair with a second Home 350) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter (detachable cable) | External AC adapter |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Weight | 5.1 lbs (2.3 kg) | 14.8 lbs (6.7 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes (2.4/5GHz) |
| App | Yes (Apple Home) | Yes (HEOS) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field array, no physical mute switch) | Yes (far-field) |
| EQ | Yes (Reduce Bass toggle + automatic room correction) | Yes (Bass/Treble sliders) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Home app) | No |
| Drivers | 4in high-excursion woofer, 5x horn-loaded tweeters | 2x 0.75-inch tweeters, 2x 2-inch midrange drivers, 2x 6.5-inch woofers |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB, 3.5mm aux |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| TRS Input | No | No |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | Yes |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | No | Yes |
| Dimensions | 6.7” x 5.6” x 5.6” (170 x 142 x 142 mm) | 15” x 9.1” x 7.1” (380 x 230 x 180 mm) |
| Voice Assistants | Apple Siri | Amazon Alexa |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Apple Music (direct voice control); other services via AirPlay only | HEOS app streaming (Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music, Deezer, SoundCloud, TuneIn), AirPlay 2, Roon |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.4 |
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