Four HomePod mini 2 speakers put dialogue behind the couch. That's the feature AppleInsider keeps returning to in its comparison with a standalone Sonos Arc Ultra, and it's why the channel plans to move the soundbar downstairs after a week with the HomePods.
The room matters. AppleInsider's living room has no back wall, which limits the surfaces a soundbar can use for reflected surround effects. The four minis put actual speakers beside the seating instead. This comparison doesn't include Sonos rear speakers or a subwoofer; the channel says an expanded Sonos system would outperform the HomePods.
Setup uses Create Surround Group under the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K's audio settings. According to the walkthrough, it needs second-generation full-size HomePods or HomePod mini 2, arranged as matching front and rear pairs, with HomePod software 27.2 or later. Whole Room Audio sends the complete mix to every speaker, letting iPhoners hear speech close to their seat at a lower overall volume. Rear volume has its own adjustment. The nuisance is a roughly one-second pause when jumping back in a video, which AppleInsider attributes to the speakers resynchronizing.
The comparison leaves one upgrade path untested: adding dedicated rear speakers to the Arc Ultra in the same room.
