Buy Harman Kardon SoundSticks Computer SpeakersHarman Kardon SoundSticks Computer Speakers Product Description:
- 3-piece speaker system for Macintosh computers
- 2 tall 10-watt satellite speakers
- Powered 20-watt subwoofer
- Power-on LED and bass control knob
- Uses USB port (with Mac OS 9.0.4)
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
39 of 40 people found the following review helpful.
Cool looks, decent sound, not for everyone
By A Customer
(Update: I've now had these speakers for 3 years, have had no issues and I'm still very happy with the system.)The industrial design is striking, and a perfect complement to the 17" Studio Display I have. The satellites, sub (with a blue glowing LED), and even the cabling shares the current Apple design cues.The sound is quite clean for computer speakers, and clearly superior to the old, cheap Labtecs I had before. These are not audiophile speakers, but very good for casual listening of MP3s, internet radio, etc.The subwoofer (like all subs) is sensitive to placement, moving it further or closer to the wall changes the way it melds together with the satellites. Regardless of the sub level setting, there is a bit of a hole in frequency response between it and satellites. The sub doesn't go very deep, so you'll miss the lowest registers of pipe organs or the deeper tremors of ambient techno; and the high bass / lower midrange is a bit boomy.The satellites are extremely directional by design. The high frequency sweet spot is very narrow both vertically and horizontally; sitting 2 feet away from them the highs dim out quite a bit just 5 inches off the direct line from the speakers. This is nice for quiet listening in cubes or with significant other watching TV in the next room; but the crisp sound is definitely aimed at the person at the screen, and won't fill the room for a party.The max sound level is plenty to cause floor-wide Nerf-missile wars in a cubicle environment or evil looks from downstairs neighbor of apartment dwellers; but not really enough for that stadium feel.If I sound negative after all this, don't get me wrong: these are great speakers for the purpose and money. Just make sure you're planning to use them for what they were designed for: getting clean sound directly in front of the screen!
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful.
The ultimate complement to a Cube or Quicksilver!
By PT
All I can really say is"Wow!" What nice speakers. They look absolutely stunning next to my Apple display (cinema) and the color scheme and clear plastic match the G4 enclosure perfectly. Nice execution. The sound is fantastic for an average size room and will rival most upper end bookshelf sized systems. Setup is extremely simple (plug em in) and the speakers show up in the Sound control panel with no software to install. Amazon also has a very good price on these, especially when combined with one of the online coupons. I am very satisfied.
Any drawbacks? Well, the satellite speakers are somewhat directional, so they don't really "fill" the room (they could have staggered the speakers on the stick, but still make no mistake- these are loud!). There is no volume control on the unit so you have to use the Sound control panel or iTunes or similar to change the volume (not a big deal unless you want a remote or instant volume gratification). The iSub (woofer) has an adjustment, but it only sets the relative bass level, and not the satellite's volume. There is no headphone miniplug so you still have to use the one on the back of the CPU. You trade a little function for a lot of form.
If you are a hard-core audiophile, you may miss a few features like high, mid, and bass control and should maybe look elsewhere. If, however, you love your Mac and want the best for it, look no further. The sound is clear, penetrating, and powerful for such a small package. You will not be disappointed. These are performance art.
5 stars for the average user (me), 4 stars for the true audiophile.
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful.PERFECT for Windows XP
By A Customer
I'm sure these speakers work great on OS X, but I couldn't resist getting my hands on these puppies after hearing about them working in Win XP. And let me tell you, I don't regret it for a second.
The design is sweet to look at, but completely unobtrusive when compared to blocky Windows speakers. The installation is as easy as they come (plug it in - sheesh, my mom could do this).
The sound was great out of the box, but the real trick for XP users is to maximize their sound output through a combo of the Windows Audio settings in the Control Panel, and through your MP3 software (I find WinAmp3 works best.) Once you've got the finer settings down, the fidelity is UNREAL.
I'm hearing things in some songs that I only hear on my expensive home audio system. Instrumental tracks especially are something to marvel at. And these speakers do it without flinching, even at fairly high volumes.
Can't recommend these bad boys enough. =)
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