Short answer: the Denon Home 250 if sound quality matters most, the Apple HomePod Mini if price matters most. The Denon Home 250 ranks #13 of 28 powered desktop speakers, rated 3.7/5, at $549. The Apple HomePod Mini ranks #10, rated 3.3/5, at $149.36, $399.64 cheaper.
The case for the Apple HomePod Mini: SoundGuys called it good sound for its size, with a full-range driver and dual passive bass radiators giving the bassline in Anderson .Paak’s “Come Down” a decent thump most speakers this small can’t manage. The tradeoff: SoundGuys’ listed cons include no mute button at all, an occasionally annoying Handoff prompt, and no direct Spotify integration since Siri only launches Apple Music by voice.
What the Denon Home 250 does well: Two outward-angled tweeters plus two mid-bass drivers and a rear passive radiator give it true stereo separation from a single cabinet, each driven by its own Class D amp for a claimed combined 80 watts. It keeps a wired aux input, which the Apple HomePod Mini lacks. It plays in stereo from a single unit, unlike the Apple HomePod Mini. The tradeoff: Trusted Reviews’ own complaints are a slightly disjointed hand-over between the bass and midrange, and a safety-first treble response that avoids sounding harsh at the cost of outright detail.
Buy the Apple HomePod Mini if the price is the priority over sound quality, or the Denon Home 250 if sound quality is the priority over the price.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Powered Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Apple HomePod Mini | Denon Home 250 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $149.36 each | $549.00 each |
| Ranked | #10 of 14 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #13 of 28 in Medium 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 250) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter (USB-C) | External AC adapter |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Weight | 0.8 lbs (345 g) | 8.2 lbs (3.7 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes (2.4/5GHz) |
| App | Yes (Apple Home) | Yes (HEOS) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (4 far-field mics, no mute button) | Yes |
| EQ | No | No |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Home app) | No |
| Drivers | Full-range driver + dual passive bass radiators | 2x 19mm tweeters, 2x 102mm mid-bass drivers, 133mm passive radiator |
| 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 | 3.3” x 3.9” (84.3 x 97.9 mm) (H x diameter) | 11.8” x 8.7” x 4.7” (300 x 220 x 120 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, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, SoundCloud, TuneIn), AirPlay 2 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC |
| Amplifier Power | - | 80W (Class D, combined) |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.4 |
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Prices on this page were last checked October 12, 2026 at 4:13 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Apple HomePod Mini: $149.36 each Amazon $149.36 eBay
Pros: SoundGuys called it good sound for its size, with a full-range driver and dual passive bass radiators giving the bassline in Anderson .Paak’s “Come Down” a decent thump most speakers this small can’t manage. “Hey Siri” reliably hears the wake phrase even at full volume, it can distinguish different people’s voices for personalized requests, and setup with an iPhone nearby takes moments.
Cons: SoundGuys’ listed cons include no mute button at all, an occasionally annoying Handoff prompt, and no direct Spotify integration since Siri only launches Apple Music by voice. There is no way to stream to it over Bluetooth, only Apple’s AirPlay/Handoff, no battery, and no IP rating (Apple only claims humidity resistance, not a certified rating). It requires an iPhone or iPad to set up and get the most out of.
Full Apple HomePod Mini review and specifications →
| Released | Nov 2020 (5 years ago) |
|---|---|
| AES Input | No |
| App | Yes (Apple Home) |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (4 far-field mics, no mute button) |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 3.3” x 3.9” (84.3 x 97.9 mm) (H x diameter) |
| Drivers | Full-range driver + dual passive bass radiators |
| EQ | No |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (AirPlay 2 multi-room) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter (USB-C) |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Apple Music (direct voice control); other services via AirPlay only |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Home app) |
| USB Input | No |
| Voice Assistants | Apple Siri |
| Weight | 0.8 lbs (345 g) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
| XLR Input | No |
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Denon Home 250: $549.00 each Amazon $549.00 eBay
Newer model: the Denon Home 400, ranked higher, estimated 3.8/5, released Mar 2026. See every Denon Home generation.
Same family: the Denon Home 150 (smaller model, rated 3.5/5) and the Denon Home 350 (larger model, rated 3.6/5).
Pros: Two outward-angled tweeters plus two mid-bass drivers and a rear passive radiator give it true stereo separation from a single cabinet, each driven by its own Class D amp for a claimed combined 80 watts. Trusted Reviews called the sound confident and wide-ranging, with expansive, well-resolved detail and adequate low-end punch and substance. Amazon Alexa is built directly into the speaker via its own microphones, on top of AirPlay 2, Bluetooth and the HEOS multi-room app.
Cons: Trusted Reviews’ own complaints are a slightly disjointed hand-over between the bass and midrange, and a safety-first treble response that avoids sounding harsh at the cost of outright detail. Only network or USB-sourced audio gets full hi-res quality; MQA-powered Tidal Masters streamed through the HEOS app gets stepped down to 16-bit/44.1kHz.
Full Denon Home 250 review and specifications →
| Released | Apr 2020 (6 years ago) |
|---|---|
| AES Input | No |
| Amplifier Power | 80W (Class D, combined) |
| App | Yes (HEOS) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 11.8” x 8.7” x 4.7” (300 x 220 x 120 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 19mm tweeters, 2x 102mm mid-bass drivers, 133mm passive radiator |
| EQ | No |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB, 3.5mm aux |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (HEOS multi-room, stereo pair with a second Home 250) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Streaming Services | HEOS app streaming (Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, SoundCloud, TuneIn), AirPlay 2 |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | No |
| USB Input | Yes |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa |
| Weight | 8.2 lbs (3.7 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (2.4/5GHz) |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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