HomePod 2 Still Stains Wooden Tables, Says Reviewer [VIDEO]

Today the first press reviews of Apple’s HomePod 2 hit the web, along with unboxing videos. The second-generation HomePod sports a similar design as its predecessor, has a 4-inch woofer and five tweeters (down 2 from before), plus gains a built-in temperature and humidity sensor, along with automatic room sensing for adjusting audio to your environment.

One issue that plagued the original HomePod was the white base would leave a ring on wooden tables. Apple previously acknowledged this problem citing it’s “not unusual for any speaker with a vibration-damping silicone base to leave mild marks when placed on some wooden surfaces.”

In MKBHD’s review of a white HomePod 2, he tells viewers a PSA that the speaker still does leave marks on a wooden surface, but as we can see in the image below it’s not as evident compared to the original HomePod. This is despite a redesigned base to spread out the surface area on the HomePod 2.

The stains happen just by resting the HomePods on a wooden surface, without any audio playing. It took longer to leave a stain, but HomePod 2 does still leave a mark on wooden tables:

Check out the video below from the 3-minute mark below (later in the video it’s hilarious how Siri doesn’t know which temperature to provide when asked):

Apple’s support document on HomePod explains, “the marks can be caused by oils diffusing between the silicone base and the table surface, and will often go away after several days when the speaker is removed from the wooden surface.”

If the marks don’t go away, “wiping the surface gently with a soft damp or dry cloth may remove the marks,” says Apple. “If marks persist, clean the surface with the furniture manufacturer’s recommended cleaning process. If you’re concerned about this, we recommend placing your HomePod on a different surface,” says the iPhone maker.

Now, Apple’s HomePod isn’t the only speaker that can leave a mark on wooden tables. The Sonos One can also do the same, as noted back in 2018. If you’re really worried about your wooden table, it may be worth resting HomePod on a piece of paper or plastic to save your table.

Apple’s HomePod 2 launches this Friday, February 3, 2023. We’ll have more on HomePod 2 later, so stay tuned.