Alright - I wouldn't typically consider posting a review of a PC speaker setup here unless something came along that really caught my attention.
I guess you've figured then that something has
Recently, I received as a gift a Harman/Kardon SoundSticks II 2.1 speaker setup. I typically shy away from 2.1 setups . . . not saying that 2.1 aren’t good, TBH. Actually, 2.1 is great for the average user, whether for watching movies, playing games, or just listening to your favorite tracks; even better for users who are tight on space, and just don't have enough room for multi channels setups . . .
But, anyhow, they were a gift, and they looked intriguing, so I figured I could at least give them a go 'round. Harman/Kardon is quite well known for exceptional quality equipment, and two of their sub-divisions (JBL and Infinity) are heavy players in the car audio market (as well as home entertainment, also). Seeing as how they were a gift, also, I couldn’t help but look up the typical price of this set . . . about $200 USD.
The SoundSticks II is basically your typical 2.1 setup. You have a subwoofer which plugs directly into the audio_out port on your rig by means of the typical mini-jack, and two satellites that plug into the back of the sub. The speakers are self powered, so you’ll also need a spare wall outlet available. Both satellites are rated at 10W per channel, and the subwoofer is rated at 20W, with a total frequency range of 44Hz-20kHz.
The design is very modern . . . both satellites are tubular shaped clear plastic, with 4 1” mini speakers per satellite. Attached to the base of the satellites are circular stands, which appear to be some form of metal (appears to be aluminum) cased in a clear-bluish silicone based rubber, giving them exceptional grip and stability. The speaker enclosure itself can rotate a full 180* around the base, allowing for optimal speaker setup, making it possible to hang these speakers from a wall or from the ceiling. Although, the hook up lead from the base of the speakers is not exceptionally long, and would probably limit you to a desk setup. Each satellite, though, has independent leads – the speakers are not connected together with a cable at all. Volume control for the speakers can be found on the right side satellite, and is very easy to miss thanks to how well blended into the design they are. The volume up and down buttons are touch sensitive, which I found to be a rather unique feature I haven’t seen too often; adjustment only requires one to touch your finger to the button, and volume will go up or down – you don’t actually have to “press” on them.
The subwoofer enclosure follows similar styling cues as the speakers, being made of clear plastic – one can easily see the backside of the 6” woofer. Power to the speakers is indicated on by a blue LED that somewhat illuminates the subwoofer enclosure in a rather unique way. The satellite speakers attach to the back of the subwoofer, along with the power cable. Gain control is located at the back of the enclosure too, directly beside the output lines. The enclosure itself is of the vented variety, with one main vent positioned directly behind the subwoofer, channeling air straight up and out. This is probably one of my biggest issues I’ve had with this setup, as dust and debris can easily collect inside the enclosure, or act as a funnel for a catastrophic drink spill. Otherwise, though, I found the placement of the woofer (pointing directly down) to be quite different also, allowing your floor or stand to help normalize the bass sound itself – and when coupled with the vent on the backside of the woofer, it allows for this little 6” cone to produce quite a range one wouldn’t normally find with an equal offering this small.
Well, how do they sound? After spending a good 15min setting the speakers up just so, resetting all sound controls within Windows, and then tweaking outputs based on the angle and distance that the speakers were from me – I wasn’t really expecting much out of them. Once everything was setup nice and to my liking, I loaded up some of my favorite audio tracks from my hard drive which feature a broad dynamic range and that I know all too well. At first, playback was kind of flat, and just didn’t sound right – and after fiddling with various mixer settings, equalizer settings, bass, tone, etc; I finally realized it’s the speakers themselves – their design is very, very linear. I then proceeded to reposition the speakers closer to my level instead of more overhead, reset everything and started again.
Wow! Response from the speakers was absolutely phenomenal – much better than I would’ve expected for 2.1. The satellites produced very crisp highs, and a dynamic full mid range, even starting to cross into lower frequencies. The subwoofer produced very rich and deep bass for such a small 6” cone, easily keeping pace with some of the quick low frequency changes in some of the tracks I listened too. Taking the volume even higher, I heard no distortion, crackling or noise. The subwoofer enclosure was even dead quiet, not a single rattle from it at all – even with the gain set on maximum.
So, I decided to test them in-game, using Crysis, FEAR, Doom 3 and Black & White 2 for comparisons (all games I’ve been playing the most recently). The setup proved quite well within Crysis, FEAR and Doom 3. Gun shots were very crisp, while larger weapons still had their deeper tones. Ambient sounds were never over shadowed by the ‘closer’ sounds of your weapons or an Imp breathing down your neck, and left to right positional was dead on the money. I think, though, that I preferred these speakers to use with Black & White 2 than I did with the first person shooters – B&W2 is a very rich and ambient game as far as sound is concerned, and with my avid gaming, I tend to prefer the intimacy of a headset while engaged in a FPS. Which brings me to a drawback that really bugs me . . . there’s no headphone jack on either of the satellites or the subwoofer. You’ll be stuck with using your front panel port.
Overall, I’m very much impressed by the SoundSticks II, they’ve far surpassed my expectations of what they’re capable of, and I’m quite happy about letting them take over stereo duties in wake of my 5.1 setup kicking the bucket.
Pros:
*unique styling
*impressive frequency response
*easy setup
*powerful and clear
Cons:
*high price
*subwoofer design could potentially shorten the woofer’s lifespan if one’s not careful
*no headset jack
. Possibly, two of the connectors need to be swapped, I dick with it some more tomorrow - it's quite possible, too, that the 'enable headphone settings' only works in conjunction with the X-Fi 5.25" front panel. As it is now, I can live with it, though.
- it's a decent soldering job for what it is, and it works, it just looks a little . . . spartan, lol!