Harman Kardon Soundsticks II

The sub has its own volume control (a turn dial) and the speakers have fancy touch sensitive buttons. There is no on/off switch; they stay on the whole time with the sub giving off a lovely pale blue glow at night.

Playing MP3's over the speakers they sound very punchy and lively, much better than anything else I have had. I bought these speakers after becoming tired of replacing burnt out cheap and even not-so-cheap ones from other well known brands and I am very glad I did. They look as good as they sound!

There is no headphone socket but this is not an issue for me. the touch buttons, although very cool can catch you out as there is no visual reference of where the sound is as you power up so remember to have your finger on the 'volume down' button late at night just in case.

Don't buy ugly black or beige speakers, buy these or the surround sound equivalent from Harman / Kardon...............they are in a different league to anything else I have heard.


The best computer speakers I've every had!   September 10, 2004
14 out of 14 found this review helpful

I must say I've had a lot of computer speakers over the year, and I never been that happy with them. The design would be poor, and the sound just as bad. Then I found these speakers the Harman Multimedia Soundsticks II and what a find. The design is beautiful and the sound beats my stereo speakers into the ground. The base is excellent on the sub woofer and is a great design. I can't say how good this product is, you just have to hear it for your self, plus at Amazon it's the best price around, I dare you to find it cheaper.


Superb sound quality and styling   September 3, 2007
J. Cooper
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

For a pair of PC/Mp3 speakers, these are an absolute dream. They are simple to set up, and the universal 3.5mm jack connector means you can plug it into almost any audio device (I use it on a daily basis with both my samsung mp3 player and my laptop). Also fantastic are the touch-sensitive buttons for volume control. The sound quality is incredible, and placing the sub on the floor really emphasizes the bass. Both listening to music and watching films has never been so enjoyable!

The only cons that I can possibly come up with for these speakers are the price and their relatively low total power output (40 watts). However, the crisp treble (perhaps due to the fact that there are four tweeters in each satellite), the thumping bass (possibly aided by the rounded shape of the sub) and the sheer style that these speakers offer more than justify the price tag. Plus the "mere" 40 watts provides enough volume to fill most rooms generously. You may well be considering purchasing the JBL "Creature II" speakers instead as a budget option - DON'T, spend the extra bit of cash on the "Soundsticks II" for total satisfaction in your purchase. I have personally compared the sound quality of my soundsticks with my flatmates's creature speakers, and the soundsticks completely outstrip the creature speakers in terms of treble quality!

All in all, one of the best birthday presents I have ever been given (my brother bought it for me off amazon a over a year ago - i doubt you will find a much better price), and i would highly recommend it to anyone!


Super sexy Looking And sound just as good !!!   December 30, 2004
38 out of 42 found this review helpful

Ok firstly I'm writing this from an angle of somebody who has used very expensive home cinemna equipment in the past...

looks & build quality

Going by out of the package looks, totally sexy weighty speakers with the most delicate touches with the best ever volume control buttons very sensitive but compliment the speakers & small enbough no to be noticed but practical in the same breath, lean them back & toe them in slightly & they do look very good indeed, the sub is the most awe inspiring item I've ever seen with a subtle blue glow coming from the back portion of it all the cables & connections tidy around the back. Overall attention to detail is what I would expect from a top AV manufacturersuch as HK...overall build & design quality 5 out of 5

Sound quality

In this section, I'll be covering sound imaging & reproduction, with 4 tweeters in each speakers you get great imaging & depth of soundfield something lacking in the vast majority of pc related speakers remember you can altering imagining & depth of field by toe'ing in the speakers so they angle in slightly, by placing the sub by a solid wall you will re'inforce the bass making it slight more solid sound & not so booming... With pop & rock they are nice & bouncy with plenty of speed & great imaging with games the added sense of depth & level of detail picks up the most intricate sounds you can imagine... With movies the soundstage is alive with effect bouncing left to right & the sub growling away when it needs to ...

Remember though these speakjers will be only as good as the source that they are getting the sound from, I'm running these with a onboard soundcard on my media centre pc, I'll be getting a THX based sound shortly & will write a addtional review when thats arrived ....

Dont worry about spending your money these are worth every penny ...My only gripe is I wish they would make them bigger as it could rival the Blueroom hi fi speakers with a little tweaking here & there ...overall SPANKING !!!


Best speakers ever!   September 3, 2004
joel (London)
16 out of 18 found this review helpful

Music never sounded so good! these speakers not only look great but also sound great the subwoofer is designed in such a way that you can really feel the bas through the floor, the two main speakers are compact enough to fit on a desk and one of them even has touch sensetive volume control.
for anyone who needs speakers for a computer to watch movies listen to music or whatever else you think you might need them for have a good think about these speakers.