It depends how they're set up. Lots of people try and have a flat top - hood section but bars like the Ergonova just don't work like that. If you have the ends of the bars pointing at the rear brake bridge then setting the levers right means they're slightly on top of the curve.
Guys at Cyclefit in Covent Garden told me lots of compact bars are actually useless, the biggest example are Ergonovas.