Harman Kardon SoundSticks III user reviews

Pros Beautiful looks, fantastic sound, well-built, price

Cons nothing major

Summary I got rid of my Bose computer speakers after the cat ate through the wires and after reading some reviews I decided to go with the Soundstick III. First, the only difference between these and the last version (II) is the color of the base of the satellite speakers and there is a white light in the subwoofer. For the price of these speakers, the sound can't be beat- they sound better than computer speakers that cost almost twice as much. I was pleasantly surprised at the build quality- they are very, very solid. The down-firing subwoofer provides deep, rich bass but note- it's a pretty good sized sub so if space is an issue- either on top of or below your desk, keep that in mind. It works best on the floor but right now I have it on top.

My only complaint and it is so minor it's hardly worth mentioning, but I will- the volume controls on the right satellite are a bit annoying. It's not a huge issue because I mainly use my computer volume control and itunes volume control but I am used to 2.1 systems having a little volume pod as opposed to having to reach over and adjust the volume on a satellite. But really, it's not a huge issue at all.

Uses- all types of music, movies. I am not a gamer so I can't speak to how they sound with games.

I really would recommend these speakers without any hesitation.

Pros Non-fatiguing sound.

Cons My only complaint is no remote control I guess. But what the hey, I need the exercise anyway. ^_^

Summary I first tested this with my xfi2. Fell with it. First song I did not even need to use the EQ (its a pop song), I only needed to tweak it on low quality MP3s that are metal songs.

I definitely recommend it.

Pros Magnificent sound, Gut busting clarity. truly a design marval.

Cons i didn't design them.

Summary Magnificent sound, im serious, I've had many different speakers in my life from Bose to Technic sound systems. None match to the clarity and bass accuracy of these speakers, some people say that these miss strong bass cues in some songs, but the reason some people think this is because they are brain washed with those hard hitting sound systems and expect huge bass drops, but they're not hearing the actuality and accuracy of the real low notes, these truly capture the true colors of all music genres. Trust me, im an industrial designer, these speakers are worth ever penny. All in all these are fantastic speakers, if you want room filling clarity and accurate bass lines, these speakers are worth the money!

Pros Beautiful design

Cons Flabby bass... shrill highs...

Summary CNet... you've got to be kidding. I just got a set of these speakers (refurbed from H-K) because I thought they would look great and sound great with my vintage Apple Cube system. Well, at least they look great. The woofer is woefully underpowered and the satellites are way too bright in the upper midrange... shrill, especially at higher volume settings. My reference speaker system on my main Mac is a Monsoon Planar Media 14 subwoofer (also a 6-1/2" woofer) along with a pair of Monsoon MM1000 flat panel satellites. This setup sounds incredible with anything coming out of the Mac... movies or iTunes... and doesn't give up at all at high volume levels. I was hoping for the Soundsticks to at least come close to the Monsoons, but no. I am very disappointed. Not sure yet if I'm going to go DYI and replace all the electronics to do a tri-amp setup with Tripath amps or just resell them to get some of my money back.