The real value of the original HomePods IMHO was the quasi-omnidirectional radiation pattern. If you have an unusual room configuration, such as an open concept

The real value of the original HomePods IMHO was the quasi-omnidirectional radiation pattern. If you have an unusual room configuration, such as an open concept dining area and kitchen and need to locate the speakers medially, they outperform anything you can buy at a reasonable price, especially with the reduce bass setting turned on. It's really quite surprising to hear. But in a typical listening room configuration I wouldn't agree that they sound better than a pair of good studio monitors.