The look of the Harman Kardon Soundsticks II is most likely what got you interested in them in the first place— it is certainly what hooked me. These are very futuristic looking speakers and that soft blue LED glow that the subwoofer lets off is priceless. I also like the fact that they can be used with just about anything that has a 3.5 mm headphone output. They are compatible with Mac computers, PCs, iPods, MP3 players and many other devices.

While I was waiting for my Harman Kardon Soundsticks, I was a little concerned about their durability. They are made of clear plastic and the subwoofer didn’t look all that tough in the picture as it resembled a thin glass bubble. I was very happy to learn that my first impression was wrong. The nice and solid feel makes it unnecessary to worry about its toughness.

My favorite part of this three piece system is the two satellite speakers— they are awesome! I love the capacitance touch volume control because it is so easy to use. When I am on the computer I hate having to go into iTunes to adjust the volume, and with these I don’t have to. I just touch the silver volume controls right there on the right satellite and they adjust it from there. It is faster, oh so very convenient, and looks fabulous.

I also thought it was a nice touch that you can adjust the subwoofer and the two other speakers independently from one another. This can really affect the way your music and/or games sound.

There is one thing I would change about the subwoofer, however, and that is the placing of the bass adjust knob. This should be in the front so that way you can hear the changes as you fiddle with it, rather than having to reach back and turn it, sit it down, lean it over and repeat the process. All of the ups and downs make it more difficult than it needs to be.

While we are talking about the cons of the Harman Kardon Soundsticks II, I may as well mention the fact that they do not turn off. There is no on and off switch and while I have no stats to back up my concerns, I am pretty sure that this is not an eco-friendly attributre as it sucks up energy.

The actual sound quality of these soundsticks is really good. The bass is rich and low and the highs are clear and not tinny at all. Unlike other computer speakers, these have quality sound even at a low volume and you can still hear things nice and coherently.

I like the Harman Kardon Soundsticks II plug and play system a lot. It is simple to use, the sound quality is great and I think the price is very affordable, especially for the quality that you get. If you just cannot afford these, you may want to consider the JBL Creature II speaker set. These are a little cheaper and have a cool, futuristic style along the same lines as Harman Kardon’s, but do not have the same sound quality as the soundsticks.

Technical Info:

Plug and play: Yes

Finish: Translucent Plastic

Powered: Yes

Power: subwoofer: 20 watts RMS, satellites: 10 Watts RMS per channel

Wall-mountable: No

Weather-resistant: No

THX-certified: No

Crossover points: None

Remote included: No

Audio tone controls: No

Frequency range: 44Hz – 20kHz

Woofers (diameter): subwoofer: 6 inches; 9.15 inches diam. x 10.16 inches

Satellites (diameter each): 2 inches diameter x 10 inches

Equalization: computer-optimized multi-band parametric equalization

MSRP: $169.99