As I have said elsewhere, A Strat sounds like a Strat because its a Strat - not just because it has Single Coils. Single Coils, whether that's a 'strat' style, P90, Lipstick, Split HB or whatever other Pups use a 'Single' Coil of wire as a 'pick-up' can and do sound 'different' depending on the Guitar and where it falls under the string. The same 'Single Coil' will sound different in a Neck, Middle or Bridge position, in a completely differently built guitar (All Mahogany, set neck, shorter scale and fixed bridge for example) to a Strat or Tele - yet it's still the 'same' Single Coil pickup.
Whilst a Strat may well have 'Single Coil' tones, not ALL single coil tones sound exactly like a Strat. Therefore, expecting 'every' Single Coil, regardless of whether its a 'true' split HB, a P90 or SC built like a P90 (I have seen SC's built using a 'bar' magnet like a P90 or HB instead of magnetic poles but look like a traditional fender Single coil from above), Lipsticks etc to sound like a strat seems ridiculous to me - especially when the guitars they are mounted in are very different. They are offering 'Single' Coil tones yet they are all 'different' flavours but ALL do the 'same' thing, enable you to get the music out to the Audience.
I am not going to say that ANY of my guitars that offer a 'Split' neck HB for example sounds as good to me as a Silver Sky neck Single Coil when compared 'clean/dry' but as I don't 'expect' it to because these are 'different' guitars, I know some 'compromise' is to be expected. That doesn't mean I can't use my Special, with its 58/15 MT's Split either with or without the NF to play the SAME notes, get my Music out and for the Audience to 'enjoy' the sound of my Guitar in a Mix with Drums, Bass, Rhythm and/or Vocals too.
Maybe if I was actually in a Studio recording a Song, it would be more 'beneficial' to swap to a Strat if that's the 'SC' sound I was desperately trying to recreate exactly, Although maybe the Special or 509 could be similar enough to not matter in the mix and/or different enough to have its own tone - maybe a bit thicker, warmer or less harsh for example. Subtle differences also don't really come through in a Mix when you have all the other 'frequencies' from the rest of the instruments playing too, less when you use Pedals, dial in your Amp specifically for your guitar, the Cab/Mic etc - then the differences are 'negligible'.
All I can say from my own experience and usage, I really do think that PRS has the 'best' Split/tapped HB's that are very usable in their own right. They may not sound like the 'best' Tele, the 'Best' Strat you could play, but they are not 'tele/strat' guitars, they are 'able' to offer something 'similar', albeit a 'different' flavour, to add more versatility to a 'Single' instrument. If you really think you can get a single guitar built to sound EXACTLY like a Les Paul (24.75", fixed bridge, thick Mahogany body and mahogany neck, double HB guitar) and a Strat (thinner Ash/Alder body with plastic pickguard mounted SC's, trem bridge, maple neck, 25.5" scale), I really think you are going to be out of luck. Something has to be 'compromised' - that Split HB may not sound exactly like the best Strat, but it still sounds 'great' in its 'own' way when 'used' in a mix - not compared 'dry/clean' to a Strat (if that is the 'tone' you expected) or compared to a richer, fuller HB 'dry' as that always makes SC's seem thin and lacking something too. Play it over some backing tracks and switch between HB and Split - sometimes that Split sounds 'very' Stratty and/or bigger and wider because its not competing with other frequencies of the band, not muddy.
To be Honest, I don't care if its not 'exactly' strat like, I care more about whether or not I can 'use' that tone to make music with and 'work' within the context of a Song which includes Bass, Rhythm, Drums and/or Vocalist). I know my Audience won't care whether I am playing a Special, a Strat or a Les Paul, won't care about my 'individual' tone - unless its too 'harsh' or distracting from the rest of the band etc. They just care that you are playing the right notes in tune, in time etc.
For some, having these 'extra' tones in their tool is more for 'creating' their OWN tone for their OWN sound and Music, not trying to be a copy of Jimi or Slash. For others, its a 'small' sacrifice to have more versatility from a single instrument - enabling them to take fewer guitars out reducing costs, reducing weight etc. Taking my Special and a Helix Floor for example is much easier than taking 3 or 4 different guitars (Strat, Tele, LP) and a couple of Tube Amps, Cabs, Mics, a Pedal board and whatever else you need to have the wide range of tones you need to perform your gig. A modeller doesn't sound exactly like the Tube Amp its modelling if compared side by side out of context, but at a live show or in a Mix, it can be much more difficult to tell these apart - I see Split HB's being 'similar' in that regard - in that you can quite easily hear a difference in Side by Sides, but when all dialled in and played in a 'mix', those differences tend to disappear.
I think anyone that 'expects' a completely different guitar in the way its built, the materials used etc to sound 'EXACTLY' like another instrument is almost certainly going to be disappointed. Does that make it worse, I don't think so - I think it may add a 'different' flavour to your Tonal palette that could also be 'close' enough to use if you wanted too.
Both my 594's sound 'different' - one being a 2016 Solid body, the other being a 2019 Hollowbody with Nitro finish and TCI'd Pups - but also close enough to be interchangeable, Both sound very different from my 2 Cu24's, one a regular with 85/15's, the other a Maple necked Floyd with \m/ pups - distinctly different but again could use either. All 4 are Double HB guitars and yet we don't expect all double HB guitars to sound exactly like a Les Paul. I also have a HBii, Special and 509 - all have HB's, all different flavours but also expands my tonal palette. I don't have 1 'double' Humbucker guitar to have the 'best' Les Paul, a SSS guitar to have the 'best' Strat tones, etc. I wouldn't want to paint with just Red, Yellow and Blue despite being able to mix/blend colours, but have a palette of different shades of Red, Yellow, Blue, orange, green, brown etc. If I don't have a Crimson Red for example, maybe I can use a different red and get a similar result.
All that matters to me is whether or not I can use a 'feature' and my 509, Special and 594's - the guitars I own where I can choose to use a split or Full HB sound - all have very usable SC tones that on their own do sound a bit weak compared to the HB or not quite as 'pleasing' as a Strat Single Coil, but still perfectly usable and offer a LOT of versatility in a single instrument. My 509 is perhaps the 'closest' to a Strat, but I do prefer the sound of the 58/15 MT's when Split over a 'single' 509 pickup and in a mix, the majority couldn't tell what guitar you were playing, wouldn't care either as long as the 'music' overall sounds great - which is more about the notes you play, the melody/chords, everyone being in time and in tune etc - not 'your' individual isolated guitar tone - which 'could' sound awful but together with the rest, be magical - Crazy Train...