Harman Kardon SoundSticks Wireless Bluetooth Speaker System

After owning quite a few PC speaker setups, there is no denying the initial "Wow" reaction to this stunning design during the unboxing even before even turning the unit on. Very neat packaging, accessories and manual. The speakers themselves have a nice "heft" to them without feeling fragile despite the glass surface. The rubber stands attached to the satellite speakers also work remarkably well preventing slippage of the speakers by accidental knocks or inattentive gesture of the hand over the desktop. The setup just...works.The subwoofer houses most electronics including the amplifier as well as almost all buttons. There is a small metallic sensor located at the bottom front base of the right satellite unit to control the volume setting of the set. Works very well, however, there is no tactile or visual feedback of the current volume level. There is a white LED inside the sub indicating powered state.The overall sound quality is quite satisfying; well above average in its class, but not on par with the best studio monitors especially at the sub-bass levels. There is plenty of kick, midrange and treble extensions are right where they need to be in this price range. Distortion is minimal for both plain stereo 2.1 or various simulated Surround modes. Both Bluetooth and wired modes provide equally impressive sound quality.Overall, the setup proved to be very flexible and capable sound setup for my gaming PC making it both a good value for price paid as well as a statement piece and conversation starter due to it's unique industrial design, quality and performance. I'm very pleased with this purchase. To date I have not find anything to complain about.My only enhancement suggestion would be some kind of visual indicator like a discreet LED strip or similar indicator to validate the volume levels without looking at the Windows UI to prevent startling someone in the room by switching sources at different dB levels at times, since at the highest levels these speakers can be really loud. No biggie, but a useful add-on feature to an already sophisticated setup.

I had purchased the original Harmon Kardon soundsticks that are wired 6-7 years ago when they came out and I loved them. Unfortunately my dog had chewed through the audio cables that connect the satellite speakers so I had to go shopping for new ones. I was pleased to find out they came out with newer version of them with wireless bluetooth!The sound quality is clear and crisp while the deep bass accentuates the background. The speakers do need to be facing your direction in order to get the 2.1 surround sound feeling with great mid-range.The build quality feels solid with a rubber outlining metal for the base and a clear plastic material housing the speakers. The subwoofer itself is a giant clear jellyfish shape with an aesthetic design. There's also a black power button that you push which doubles as a bass control knob if you want to adjust it.You should note that the speakers are not directly fed to the woofer, but they have wires (about 3 ft in length) that you must connect to the sub. The cables are also constructed of a shiny thick lining as opposed to the previous model that has regular skinny audio lines.My only gripe was setting up the bluetooth as I had trouble with my windows 10 upgraded laptop. My galaxy phone paired just fine but for some reason my laptop would not connect for the life of me. After a bit of researching I found out that when you upgrade to Windows 10, somewhere along the installation the driver files get corrupted. So I found out my bluetooth model and manually went to the factory website to upgrade the drivers. I hope that helps you if you're having trouble connecting wirelessly.All in all a great purchase and would recommend to a friend.

I was seduced by the sound of the Apple HomePod, so I bought one. After a couple days I realized, yes, the sound quality was great, but I was missing great stereo separation. There were a couple other problems, not the least of all was the price. I shopped around and ordered this and decided to keep the one that sounded better.Winner: Harmon Kardon. The bass is more powerful, but that's not all. The highs are crisp. I just love stereo sound! Why go back to mono sound? It's silly. The Bluetooth link is great and easy to set up. I usually listen in my office at low volume. With most systems music at low volume has no bass. The HomePod fixed that problem with some clever DSP. This also fixes the problem with a discrete subwoofer volume control. You can crank the volume of the sub, so when listening at low volume, you can still hear the bass. The only weakness is slightly inferior mid range sound, but it's not that big a difference.At the same price this one is the winner, but for $150ish less, it's a no brainer!