Harman Kardon Soundsticks III

I am a musician.

These speakers look fantastic; that is the main wits I bought them. I do wish the sound quality was better. The sound quality is above average, but not fantastic. But, I was able to use software graphic equilizer to adjust the sound to a better balance.

The frequency response is uneven. The tweeters are all very small speakers, 1.25 inch wide, with one woofer unit. Since there are no mid-range speakers, the mid range is compromised. It is not all terrible though.

The best feature is fantastic top end response from these small tweeters. Above 8K hz and 16K hz, the sound is very crisp and clear. As I commonly like excellent meaty bass, with high crispness, this is not terrible.

The clear plastic bass unit is fantastic to look at, but cannot match the sound of a square stilted box – as is right for concert halls. Sorry to say the bass has an unatural high spike about 120 hz. Also the output below 60 hz is virtually non-existant. Putting the woofer on the floor below a desk might magnify the 30- hz but again it is fantastic to look at, so I keep it on top of the desk. I find the woofer volume best around 60 to 70%.

Here is how I have adjusted iTunes graphic equalizer to over come the speakers’ native tendancies (1 = a line):

32 hz +2
64 hz 0
125 hz -0.9
250 hz +0.9
500 hz +0.9
1K hz -0.9
2K hz 0
4K hz -0.3
8K hz -0.6
16K hz -1.2

You will want to increase the mid 250 and 500 hz range to increase warmness. There is another unnatural spike at 1 K hz, where the wavelength matches the dimensions of the stick tubes. It sounds like talking thru one of those gift wrapping paper tubes. Reduce 1K Hz to dodge that. The top can be tempered down to taste; the top is the best frequency range these speakers produce.

The left and right need to be placed far apart. I am not sure if the speakers are doing this on purpose, but I get an uneasy mono feeling if they are too close. Too much focus. I also turned on my notebook hardware virtual surround sound which seemed to round out and increase the stereo spread. If you have it, try a notebook setting bass boost on as that will increase warmth.

The left and right should be pointed directly at you, not angled away, to get the benefits of those high frequencies.

I got these new for $140, and I reckon they are value it. As always, it is best to try before you buy in a store front, if you are that picky. Hope this helps!

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J. Welch (San Angelo, TX) –

  

I’ve owned the Soundsticks III for close to a month now and have been thoroughly impressed. Harman claims the new model provides the same audio quality as the before edition. The new version III audio cables are silver braided and clear. Other changes include black bases on the satellites, the black sub volume dial is also the power on/off switch, and there is a white led light in the sub. Input voltage on the power transformer is 100v-240v, so it will work outside the US without the use of a converter. One thing value noting, since it is not in the blue-collar, is that the satellite with the volume controls is the right speaker.

I find the sound stage to be vivid and non-fatiguing. The instruments and voices are crisp and detailed. I primarily take note to 80′s, classic rock, and metal, and all appear to be clear and balanced. I can easily take note for extended periods without being fatigued. IMO this is one of the best 2.1 notebook speaker systems available. You will not be disappointed.

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L. Hartwell (Bay Area, California) –

  

My husband just gave me a pair of these for an early xmas bestow. I like the way they look, but was a small freaked out when they came out of the box due to the size of the subwoofer…these are for my desk. But we hooked them up and surrounded by minutes I was a super pleased camper. The sound is clear and crisp and the bass is adjustable. For the person who said that you can’t turn these off, you can if you press down the bass control knob. The sticks are attached to a heavy black donut shaped base and you can adjust how they sit on the base so you can point them at your head rather than your chest. One of the sticks has touch volume controls and if you touch both at the same time the sound is muted.

So far I like them. Going to really delight in listening to music again. I would really recommend them to a friend.

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