Home Speakers / Sonos Five vs Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)
Sonos Five vs Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)
Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)
Superb sound and a Thread hub — held back by Wi-Fi 4 and no Bluetooth audio.
Wins overall by 1.0 points
Quick Verdict
A 1.0-point gap makes the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) the straightforward choice here. Superb sound and a Thread hub — held back by Wi-Fi 4 and no Bluetooth audio.
The Sonos Five and Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) are both closely matched home Speaker models, and the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) is $250 cheaper than the Sonos Five ($349 vs $599). On Voice Assistant, the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) leads (7.5 vs 1.0/10) — which assistants are built in and how well they work. On Smart Home, the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) leads (8.0 vs 5.0/10) — matter, Thread, Zigbee and hub capability. On Multiroom, the Sonos Five leads (9.5 vs 7.5/10) — how well it groups with other speakers around the house. Overall, the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) scores 7.6/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 6.6/10 for the Sonos Five. Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | Sonos Five | Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $599.00 | $349.00 |
| Release Year | 2020 | 2023 |
| Voice Assistant | None — the Five has no microphone | Siri |
| Drivers | Six drivers — three tweeters (one centre, two angled) plus three midwoofers | 1x 4-inch high-excursion woofer plus an array of 5 horn-loaded tweeters, each with its own neodymium magnet, and a 4-microphone array |
| Power Output (W) | Sonos publishes six class-D digital amplifiers but no wattage | Not published by the manufacturer |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11a/b/g/n (Wi-Fi 4), plus Ethernet | 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4) |
| Bluetooth | None — deliberately omitted | 5.0 — for setup and proximity only, NOT a Bluetooth audio input |
| Streaming Protocols | Sonos app, AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect | AirPlay 2, native Apple Music and direct Spotify playback |
| Multiroom System | Sonos | AirPlay 2 and Apple Home |
| Stereo Pairing | Yes; two can also serve as home-theatre rears | Yes, with a second HomePod 2nd Gen only — it cannot pair with a 1st Gen or a mini |
| Smart Home Hub | No | Yes — Apple Home hub, Matter controller and Thread border router |
| Spatial Audio | No | Yes |
| Line In | Yes | No |
| Warranty | 12 months | 12 months |
| Colors | Black, White | Midnight, White |
Category Scores
Sound Quality
The Sonos Five and Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) are level here, at 9.0/10 each. tonal balance, clarity and detail for the size is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Bass
The Sonos Five leads clearly here, 9.0 against 8.5 — a 0.5-point margin on low-end weight and extension. If that is what you are buying for, the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Smart Home
The Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) leads clearly here, 8.0 against 5.0 — a 3.0-point margin on matter, Thread, Zigbee and hub capability. If that is what you are buying for, the Sonos Five does not close the gap elsewhere.
Multiroom
The Sonos Five leads clearly here, 9.5 against 7.5 — a 2.0-point margin on how well it groups with other speakers around the house. If that is what you are buying for, the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Connectivity
The Sonos Five and Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) are level here, at 5.5/10 each. Wi-Fi standard, Bluetooth, streaming protocols and physical inputs is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Design & Build
The Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) leads clearly here, 9.0 against 7.5 — a 1.5-point margin on materials, finish and how it looks in a room. If that is what you are buying for, the Sonos Five does not close the gap elsewhere.
Voice Assistant
The Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) leads clearly here, 7.5 against 1.0 — a 6.5-point margin on which assistants are built in and how well they work. If that is what you are buying for, the Sonos Five does not close the gap elsewhere.
Value
The Sonos Five and Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) are level here, at 6.0/10 each. performance and features relative to price is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Best For
Choose the Sonos Five if…
- • Multiroom matters most to you — the Sonos Five scores 9.5/10 here (how well it groups with other speakers around the house).
- • Bass matters most to you — the Sonos Five scores 9.0/10 here (low-end weight and extension).
- • Your main use case is multiroom or home.
Choose the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) if…
- • Voice Assistant matters most to you — the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) scores 7.5/10 here (which assistants are built in and how well they work).
- • Smart Home matters most to you — the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) scores 8.0/10 here (matter, Thread, Zigbee and hub capability).
- • Design & Build matters most to you — the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) scores 9.0/10 here (materials, finish and how it looks in a room).
- • You want to spend less — it's $250 cheaper.
- • Your main use case is smart-home or home-theater.
Pros & Cons
Sonos Five
Pros
- +The best pure sound and deepest bass of any single-box Sonos
- +The only Sonos here with a native 3.5mm line-in, no adapter required
- +Smart orientation sensing switches between stereo and mono automatically
- +No microphone, which some buyers actively want
Cons
- −Six-year-old hardware at a price that has gone up rather than down
- −Wi-Fi 4 and no Bluetooth at all
- −No voice control and no Atmos
- −Trueplay tuning is still iOS-only on this model
- −Widely expected to be the next Sonos product replaced
Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)
Pros
- +Outstanding sound for the size — the five horn-loaded tweeters do real work
- +Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, and it doubles as an Apple TV 4K sound system
- +Full Apple Home hub with Thread border router
- +Room sensing genuinely adapts to placement
Cons
- −Wi-Fi 4 in a $349 product released in 2023
- −Cannot be used as a Bluetooth speaker — there is no Bluetooth audio input
- −Price rose from $299 to $349 in June 2026
- −No aux input
- −Requires an Apple device to set up, and Siri only fully controls Apple Music
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Sonos Five or Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for Voice Assistant, the Sonos Five or the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)?+
The Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) scores higher on Voice Assistant (7.5/10 vs 1.0/10) — which assistants are built in and how well they work.
Which is better for Smart Home, the Sonos Five or the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)?+
The Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) scores higher on Smart Home (8.0/10 vs 5.0/10) — matter, Thread, Zigbee and hub capability.
Which is better for Multiroom, the Sonos Five or the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)?+
The Sonos Five scores higher on Multiroom (9.5/10 vs 7.5/10) — how well it groups with other speakers around the house.
Which is better for Design & Build, the Sonos Five or the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)?+
The Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) scores higher on Design & Build (9.0/10 vs 7.5/10) — materials, finish and how it looks in a room.
Is the Sonos Five worth the price difference over the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)?+
The Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) is the cheaper option at $349 versus $599. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Voice Assistant.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The Sonos Five is the better fit if you mainly care about multiroom or home. The Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) is the better fit for smart-home or home-theater.
What's the warranty on the Sonos Five vs the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)?+
The Sonos Five ships with a 12-month warranty; the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) ships with a 12-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Cheaper Option
Sonos Era 300 — $479.00
Premium Option
Sonos Era 300 — $479.00
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.