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| Harman Kardon SoundSticks II 2.1 Plug and Play Multimedia Speaker System | 
 enlarge | Brand: JBL
Category: CE
List Price: $169.99
Buy New: $109.33
You Save: $60.66 (36%)
New (7) Used (3) Refurbished (1) from $80.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  313 reviews
Sales Rank: 264
Color: Clear
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Number Of Items: 1
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 16 x 20 x 12
MPN: SoundSticks II
Model: SoundSticks II
UPC: 028292501807
EAN: 0028292501807
ASIN: B0001DBEM4
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Amazing Sound. September 25, 2008
I purchased these speakers about a week ago and they are everything the specs and reviews say they are. The slimline top speakers fit nice and neat (and look incredibly good, look at that sweet design!) on top of my desk next to my iMac. The sound quality is exceptional, and being able to control the subwoofer's power is a great feature, so you can get it at just the right tone that fits your hearing the best. The set up was simple consisting of just plugging in a few cords and putting the speakers in place. I would recommend them to anybody, and you are getting quite the bang for your buck. A great set of speakers for anybody who wants to step up a little bit to the next level. Amazing sound!
 I regret buying this September 24, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I am not the most correct person when it comes to technology and I, like everyone else, tend to like what I purchase, so when I purchased this rather expensive device, I expected a punching bass rather than mediocre sound and not the highest volume. After reading all the reviews on amazon.com, I decided I could not find better speakers, this would have been my first instance of usage. What I didn't notice while reading the reviews were the dates on them, most of these reviews are more than 2 years old, had I known I'm buying something that has been in the market for this long, I would have re-considered but then so many people cannot be wrong so I decided to get this particular systtem.
I recently moved into a modest location somewhere in the newest of Yorks. I am setting things up and have ordered more than two dozen things from Amazon.com - this somehow being the most expensive. I keep these on the carpet and would love to turn them into the walls but I fear my neighbours won't like the new guy next door.
Features -
a) well packed, prompt delivery
b) comes with an unfamiliar looking bass guy and extra terrestrial looking speakers
c) Wires and a manual people like me never bother with
d) I assume the speakers with the volume buttons is the "RIGHT" channel - the buttons are the kinds you just hold for a second or two and only then realize whether it's actually working or not
THE GOOD
a) If you've used ordinary or wose speakers in the past, you will surely notice something in the vocals you didn't before, for example, the sampling in the song "DRIVE" by Incubus will appear more clear and distinct. I noticed this immediately upon purchase.
b) The wires are long, the two speakers have a great stand and you can keep them on any surface because the padding or material on the bass is circular and just fits very nicely, impressive build quality on the four smaller speakers located on them satellites
c) You can disconnect both speakers from the system. My previous system was an altec lansing 2.1 which cost me 1/4the price and there was no way to disconnect the spears individually upon transfer. The wires are long and as long as you'll want them to be.
The Bad
a) There is no power button, the blue light that comes out of the the main speakers looks ridiculous in a dark room.
b) Portability - I will think three times before taking these speakers from the living room into the bed room because they look like such a mess with all the wires and they're so difficult to shift from one room to another, I realize 71% of you won't be shifting them but in my situation this is quite an issue. There is little or no way of setting these up and making the wires stay sane. The looks become so boring so quick.
c) If I'm listening to Led Zeppelin's Kashmir, I just know that there appears to be an irritating lack of bass, thump and the treble is just such a downer. Imagine listening to something in volume but not quite getting enough bass and vocals on it. This system is really a no-no for someone who listens to Classic Rock/Hard Rock/Grunge etc. However, if you have this system and intend to get it, do note that if you put the system in a smaller room the sound effects are a bit mangified in comparison to a slightly more open space.
d) The volume button is so annoying and I never know when it's going to work, push it a little and the speakers will start to blast
e) There is a 2 second delay when you're fixing this to your computer or ipod or phone or whatever the source might be. It takes two seconds to start. A very annoying thing is how much noise the speakers make if you have not connected them to a source.
The ugly
I have to live with these speakers so I hope I find something to like about them. The system doesn't look good, sounds ordinary, does not have a power button to swith off, has an annoying blue light and so difficult to transfer. It is not even a lot of fun to watch films with this particular speaker. I understand I can reconfigure the EQ and make the voice come out in a better way but really the trouble I've had with this system is immense.
I now think I should have paid even more and gone for something that actually fits the bill. I can't call this a rip off because my dear Amazon friends seem to love it. I guess this is just not the right speaker if you wish to be the only living boy in new york listening to Pearl Jam. Don't even try to play Dream Theater on this thing. Regret persists.
 Very Nice Speakers September 21, 2008
I've had these speakers for a about a month and I love them. I'm a Jazz Bass Major in college, and I've found that the subwoofer sounds great for upright bass on old jazz recordings. It even pulls the bass out on those really bad recordings from the 40s and 50s. I've found their clearness to be really helpful for transcribing solos and basslines. They're pretty high quality for computer speakers; they're relatively inexpensive; they're sexy.
these speakers sound good for an affordable price. September 19, 2008
these speakers came highly recommended by a friend who lives in my dorm hall. they are nice and compact, yet surprisingly heavy (i think this prevents any unwanted rattles). the sound is great and it plugs right into the headphone socket in your computer(personally i would rather it plug into a usb, but i cant find that anywhere and the sound from this is supposed to be superior),or it can plug into a tv, ipod or any device with a headphone jack, OR the product comes with a tv adapter, so you can connect to tv's even without headphone jacks. i highly recommend these speakers to anyone who is looking for an affordable, quality set of speakers.
Incredible Quality for the Price September 15, 2008
I needed to buy a nice set of small speakers for my dorm. After looking around for quite some time, I still found myself coming back to look at the Soundsticks. When I finally decided on the purchase, I received it in a little under 3 days. (Perhaps Amazon wanted to get rid of it quick) I opened the box, giggled at the strange abstract shapes, then closed the box, threw it in my car, and drove to college.
Now when I got to the dorm, I was pretty antsy to set it up. Once I had everything plugged in, the blue light kicked on in the R2-D2 looking subwoofer, a previously unknown feature in the speakers. I consider myself a bit of an audiophile. Having been in the prosound business seasons you for crap components and for amazing components, but I must say, these things are pretty impressive. They have an incredibly pure sound to them and they can get pretty loud if you let them. The sub is what you would expect for a reflex enclosure. It is great for movies, video games, Youtube, etc. If you listen to music with a ridiculous amount of bass, (i.e. rap, hip-hop, reggaeton) do not expect to shake your g-money jewelry off your desk. It is great with all types of music as long as you keep the components within their limits. I believe the Soundsticks are worthy of the HK name.
The only thing that draws me away from a 5-star, and this is serious nit-picking, I know, is that the blue ominous glow from under my desk at night can be rather annoying when trying to sleep. I have found myself unplugging the whole system to shut it off, because there is no way to turn off and on the light individually. This should not matter to anyone living in a room bigger than a postage stamp but I do, so I included it in my review.
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