You can probably save yourself a lot of headache by just getting a wired PA system, but if you really need it to connect wirelessly, I would suggest looking at these beefier mesh speakers:
Pretty much any modern bookshelf speaker combination and a small Class D amp.
The JBL LSR-305 MKII are amazing powered speakers for $240.00 a pair. Stick an Amazon Echo Dot or a Nest mini on them for $50.00 and you have a $290 setup with smarts, and the Echo dot will do Apple Music.
Do they look at pretty as the HomePod? No, they don't. And they're not as compact. But that's because they're real speakers. You're not dropping them on your kitchen counter.
There are plenty of other bookshelf speakers that sell for less than $600 a pair.
On the "Smart" speaker side, the Amazon Echo Studio sounds pretty amazing and it's only $200.
Supposedly, the HomePod was something Apple was working on before the Amazon Echo came out. They designed an amazing speaker, but released it in an era where people were more interested in the "smart," instead of the speaker.
If they come down in price to $200 on clearance, I might consider getting one. But I am also worried that at some point it will just stop working. If Apple changes the Apple Music or Siri API, there may be an issue with these speakers.