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 29 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: A tiny Siri smart speaker that hears you even at full volume and gives decent bass for its size. 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: A Wi-Fi smart speaker with stereo sound from one cabinet, built in Alexa, AirPlay 2 and HEOS multiroom. 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.
A tiny Siri smart speaker that hears you even at full volume and gives decent bass for its size.
A Wi-Fi smart speaker with stereo sound from one cabinet, built in Alexa, AirPlay 2 and HEOS multiroom.
Prices on this page were last checked November 5, 2026 at 10:30 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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Specifications Side By Side
| Apple HomePod Mini | Denon Home 250 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $149.36 each | $549.00 each |
| Ranked | #10 of 15 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #13 of 29 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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