Harman Kardon has been a pioneer in the field of hi-fidelity audio for many decades. It came into greater prominence in the recent years after it partnered with Apple in 2000 to come out with its Soundsticks range of products. These were designed and engineered by the Apple team to sync with the Apple product line in terms of appearance. The subwoofer design by Jonathan Ives found itself a place in the New York Museum of Modern Art. The two upgrades over the years from Harman Kardon are largely cosmetic in nature, and unless you are particular about the intensity of the glow from behind the speaker, there is really no need to replace either the original Soundsticks or Soundsticks II.
Features
The main attraction of this 2.1 PC speaker system is the design. Encased in clear plastic, the subwoofer resembles a cross between a spaceship and a jellyfish. The satellite speakers are mounted vertically, again in a clear plastic casing with backlights. There is no volume knob. The Soundsticks III has the same capacitive button for volume control as the Soundsticks II. Along with a reduced intensity of the backlights, the Soundsticks III also comes at a reduced price.
Specifications
The two satellite speakers are made of four 1 in powered drivers stacked up one above the other and deliver 10 watts each. The 10 x 9 in subwoofer is a 20-watts floor unit that holds the power button and a 1/8 in audio input jack.
High Points
The Soundsticks III is not just a pretty design to sit on your computer desk. It packs in significant audio capabilities. Even after 10 years and no major change to the technical engineering aspect of the speakers, they deliver distortion free output. Most newer PC speakers come with a wider range of frequency response than the 44-20 Hz that the Soundsticks comes in, but you will not be able to make out any major difference in performance even with the volume at the higher end of the range.
The bells and whistles of the design, the backlights, the transparent plastic that lets you see right into the works, and the minimalistic appearance continue to be major attractions for this little giant. For fans of Apple products or Jonathan Ivesâ designs, this is a must-have. Soundsticks III ships at 170$, and this is a major high point, as there are almost no competitors at this price point that comes even close to delivering what this sci-fi looking 2.1 system does.
Low Points
There is no knob for volume control. Instead there is a button. The capacitive volume control button is extremely responsive, and for that very reason, difficult to use. Without a visual clue as to audio levels, you will inevitably end up pushing the volume higher or lower than you intended. Another lack that is felt is that of a headphone jack. For a lot of users, this may be a necessity that the Soundsticks fail provide.
The power button is the bass control dial on the subwoofer. This means that you have to reach down to the subwoofer every time you want to power down. The lights in the speakers may not be what you want on at all times. Soundsticks III does address this by reducing the intensity of the light. There is, however, no way to turn this off other than powering the unit down.
Price: $170
