Within 20 minutes the HomePod had caused a white discoloured ring to appear on the wood that some days later has faded, although still hasn't completely disappeared.

Brownlee says there's a redesign on the HomePod 2 base to spread out the surface area, and although it takes longer to stain a wooden table, the YouTuber discovered that the new model still leaves ...

Apple’s HomePod has an unusual flaw — it’s causing white rings to stain wooden furniture, with the only solution to refinish the table or hope the marks fade on their own ...

If you’re concerned about this, we recommend placing your HomePod on a different surface. Apple has yet to update the support document to mention the second-generation HomePod.

Apple has support documentation on where to place the HomePod, and lays out the reasoning behind the white ring phenomenon. Basically, direct placement on finished wood surfaces isn't recommended.