Harman Kardon SoundSticks II Plug and Play Multimedia Speaker System
by JBL
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List Price: Our Price: $118.88 You Save: $51.11 (30%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $99.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Harman Kardon SoundSticks II Plug and Play Multimedia Speaker System
Customer Review: Excellent computer speakers and aesthetically pleasing to boot!
Summary: 5 Stars
I guess the aesthetics is in the eye of the owner but they look great on my cherry desk next to my 24inch iMac. I put the sub underneath and I couldn't be happier with the sound. I am very pleased overall with this purchase.
Out of the box it took around 3 minutes to fully install and that is with me clean tying the cables in with my setup. I popped on youtube watched some high def videos and music, visited hulu and NBC. Played a little bit of WOW and Quakelive and couldn't be happier. I have been fiddling with the bass and its appropriate, it does not blast me out of the room and that is what i wanted. I wanted a well balance speaker setup and I feel this is it.
I was looking at this vs the logitech z2300 and the 5500 but decided against for looks and desk space. I also read the countless reviews on amazon and buy but this particular review sold me on the sound sticks.
[...] its a tongue in cheek review but I trusted the authors ears and ended up buying that night after reading that article.
I am listening to Frank Sinatra, Antonio Carlos Jobim (Baubles,Bangles and Beads) and very impressed at what i am hearing and very happy. I am in the process of posting up a pic of my HK SS2 integrated into my desk flow setup.
Overall I like the sound, the glow from the sub and the ease of use thus far. I like the touch pads as they feel nice.
I am by no means an audiophile or a critic but I hope my review will shed some light on researchers who are looking to spend a good bit on computer speakers.
Customer Review: Exactly what I was hoping for -- well-constructed and sound great
Summary: 5 Stars
About four years ago I bought a Nakimichi SoundSpace 5 stereo system for my 820 square foot condo. Not being much of an audiophile, I bought it as much for the way it looked as for the way it sounded. I liked the styling and the fact that it glowed with a cool blue light when it was turned on. Unfortunately, it turned out to be all looks and no stamina, and only four years later, it needs to be replaced. Buying a new stereo system doesn't make a lot of sense for me right now, so I decided to get some decent speakers for my computer, rip copies of my music onto a portable hard drive, and stop hassling with CDs.
When the soundsticks arrived arrived they impressed me even as I was unpacking them. As other reviewers have pointed out, they're solidly made with a quality feel and a style that's several steps above the other speakers I was considering.
I wondered if the fact that they plug into a headphone jack would be a disadvantage, but it doesn't affect the sound, and it's turned out to be one of the things I like best about the system. They aren't limited to computer use only. When I watch a movie, I plug them into my DVD player using the included adapter. When I want to hear music in my bedroom, I plug them into my MP3 player.
So, I'm adding my five star review to the others: I'm very pleased with this purchase.
****
Update: November 2008
These speakers still sound great. I've currently moved them to my office at work, and have been enjoying them more than ever.
Customer Review: Very good speakers for the money
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me preface this by saying I am extremely picky about music, and have about 20k of very carefully selected audio gear :)
These speakers will not satisfy the audiophile, but they are without a doubt the best multimedia speakers I've ever heard. Crisp highs, thick and tight lows, however the mids are slightly under-represented, but thats to be expected due to the small size of the diaphrams. The stereo image is a bit strange as well, its not bad, but does take some getting used to.
Also, these speakers are *extremely* directional, when setup correctly they basically sound good in one spot. Even tilting the speakers slightly makes a huge difference in the sound. The problem with the mids can be minimized to a very acceptable level by placing the speakers correctly. This is an advantadge to me personally as I use them in my office and the sound doesn't carry as much as a set of bookshelf speakers. These speakers also sound better at mid to high volumes then lower ones.
Overall -- I'm of the opinion that if speakers sound bad, it doesn't matter how cool they look. However, when somethign looks good and functions well, its just that much better.
One last note == these speakers are good enough to make low bitrate MP3s sound like the four letter word they are. If you're investing in a decent pair of speakers, you should consdier encoding your music to a high bitrate MP3 or medium to high bitrate Ogg (of course you paid for your music, so you can do that...right? hah)
Customer Review: Most awesome and LEGEN.... wait for it ... DARY speakers
Summary: 5 Stars
The Harman/Kardon SountSticks It is great in every way - from physical appearance to to clear, crispy sound. They provide a full sound range - from the lows to the mids and the highs. Every song I tested it with contains the majority of the details I would hear when listening through in-ear earphones. The sound of instrumental music sounds fantastic with these speakers. The sound of acoustic guitar is very clear - as clear as the speakers itself.
Its appearance is very attractive. I even wanted to attach it to the ceiling as my room light bulb. The blue light in the speakers looks holographic and gives the speakers its uniqueness. I wish that Harman Kardon could attach those blue LED light bulbs on those satellites. It would look really awesome with them.
As a precaution to future buyers: If you live in a multi-floor apartment or have neighbors, I would recommend doing some homework on sound-absorption materials. The subwoofer produces very strong bass that I could even hear it from inside my bathroom about 40 feet away! My neighbor has complained to me very often that she could not sleep because of them. I had to find ways to absorb some of the bass before they reached the first level. Aside from that, this speaker is the one I would recommend to people who love to listen to music, play games, or watch movies from their computer or their home theater system.
There's no consumer speakers that would sound as great as this at this price. It's worth each and every single penny you pay.
Customer Review: Clear sound, great for music!
Summary: 5 Stars
My son is a guitar player and guitar enthusiast. He enjoys listening to various guitar music and then playing by ear, so high quality clear sound was very important in my selection of speakers for him. Since I've been a fan of Harman Kardon for the past two decades so HK was one of the first brands I looked at. I was very impressed with this modern design, and was intrigued by the four one inch full range speakers per channel (plus subwoofer) rather than a traditional tweeter/midrange arrangement.
These four full range speakers really deliver clear, loud sound, and it's great for various types of music including rock and any other acoustical genre where a discerning listener looks for more than just vocals. The subwoofer glows blue, but the speakers do not. These speakers do not have an on/off switch, which I found odd, but if you connect them to a power strip first you can turn them on and off that way, especially if you do not want the blue light on all the time. To mute the speakers you can touch the volume + and - button at the same time, buy why would they leave out an off button? That's my biggest complaint about these speakers.
Something to note is that you don't have to use these with your computer. Since it's a standard mini jack connection, you can also just plug in your MP3 player, CD player, or other device directly to these speakers.
I highly recommend these speakers for music fans or anyone who is looking for modern design speakers for their computer or MP3 player.