harman/kardon SoundSticks II Speaker System

Look at the picture of these speakers. Just look at them. For me, it was love at first sight. The simplicity of the design, the perfectly clear acrylic, the glowing subwoofer. A friend used them with his old iMac, and the sound, to my novice ear, was full, clear, and beautiful. When I took the $200 plunge, I told myself I wasn't just buying computer speakers so my Sims would sound better: I was buying them to save money. That's right. With my entire CD library ripped on to my PowerBook and a decent pair of speakers, I wouldn't need a stereo in my livingroom.

That was just over a year ago, and my Harman Kardon Sound Sticks are now occupying valuable space in the garage. I hope to unload them on some electronics geek at our next yard sale.

So what happened?

Let's start at the beginning. I ordered my speakers from Amazon.com, took them out of the box, set them up in my livingroom, plugged in my old Titanium G4 PowerBook, and filled the room with Mrs. Potter's Lullaby. It was beautiful.

Sound
I had read a few reviews suggesting that the mid and high range frequencies sounded flat, but I completely disagreed. These speakers might not be appropriate for those who use high-end stereo speakers, but for the average Mac user who wants good sound and exciting design, they more than fit the bill. Briefly, anyway.

How To
Harman Kardon SoundSticks are a three piece speaker system. There are two satellite speakers, and a subwoofer. The subwoofer was originally marketed by itself as the iSub-- a product that would improve the sound of the iMac's integrated speakers.

The subwoofer connects to your computer via its USB port, and then the satellites connect to the subwoofer via old fashioned (analog) connectors.

Bummer #1 - you can't use these speakers with any device that doesn't have a USB port. No iPod. No iPod Mini. No other MP3 players, either.

Positioning the speakers is simple: the subwoofer goes on the floor below your computer, and the satellites occupy the traditional speaker positions at the computer's sides.

Your Mac should recognize the SoundSticks as soon as you plug them in, but you may need to go to the sound control panel is system preferences to tell your computer to use the SoundSticks instead of your internal speakers. From the same control panel, you can adjust balance and output volume. There are no controls on the speakers themselves. You can only adjust the volume through your computer. I don't love this feature. Let's call it Bummer #2.

The Problems Begin
Last June, I replaced my aging 15" Titanium PowerBook with a lithe new 12" Aluminum one. After transferring thousands of songs to the new laptop, I plugged in my speakers and played Angel from Montgomery. I can't remember whether or not John Prine died after that cancer battle of his, but if he did, he rolled over in his grave. The sound was startling. It was like listening to a crackling old record... over a walkie talkie. I tried more songs, and had the same problem. The speakers still worked fine with the old laptop, so I assumed the problem was with my computer. I rebooted, which did nothing. I reinstalled the system software-- nothing. I tested both USB ports with other peripherals, and they all worked fine.

Since the speakers still worked with the old computer, I saw this is a tech support issue involving Apple and my new laptop, not Harman Kardon. After a little research, though, I found the source of the problem.

Apple has upgraded their newer computers from USB 1.1 to USB 2.0. USB 2.0 is supposed to be backward compatible, and sure enough, it works with every other old USB peripheral I own. Apple's tech support guy suggested two solutions: plug the speakers into a USB 1.1 port, such as the one on a keyboard or USB hub, instead of directly into the newer 2.0 ports. This might work for someone on a desktop system, but I use a laptop. I have no external keyboard or USB hub. Bummer #3.

Apple's second suggestion was to contact Harman Kardon; surely they must be aware of the problem.

Harman Kardon has a SoundSticks FAQ on their site, and they address the compatibility problem between SoundSticks and USB 2.0. Here's their suggestion:

The USB 2.0 ports on the G5's and new PowerBooks have different specifications from the USB 1.1 ports on all previous models. If you experience distortion, try plugging the SoundSticks into your keyboard, Apple Display or any other USB 1.1 device.

I suppose I could buy an external keyboard or monitor for the express purpose of using my speakers. HELLO, Harman Kardon. Are you serious? It's an easy enough solution for the G5 because that's a desktop system... but a PowerBook?

Here's the real problem: Harman Kardon recognized the limitations to its SoundSticks design. They introduced SoundSticks II, an improved design that bypasses USB entirely, and can plug into any device's audio out port. This means you can use it with your laptop, desktop, iPod, or any other device with which you can use headphones.

Great. If you happen to own the original SoundSticks, though, you're screwed. Harman Kardon no longer provides any sort of support for their original speakers. Apple tech support suggested that Harman Kardon could probably correct the problem with an updated driver, but they haven't, and they've basically stopped supporting this product. Even though my speakers were still under warranty, they weren't "broken."

I kept the speakers for months in hopes that HK would come through for me, but they didn't.

I gave up on using my SoundSticks with my laptop, but I found consolation in the family room: our iMac. The little Apple Pro speakers it came with are fine, but why not give the kids my SoundSticks? I plugged them in, and for a few days, they sounded fine. After a week or so, I noticed a crackling sound from the subwoofer. It got progressively worse, and then the left satellite speaker stopped working. I had a friend check them out, and he thinks the problem is with the circuit board. Just as you'd expect, this happened shortly after the warranty period ended. To be fair, that same friend has had a set of SoundSticks connected to an old iMac for three years, and his still work.

So, here I am, thirteen months after spending $200 on computer speakers. I suppose I could salvage the satellite speakers since they use standard RCA connectors, but the subwoofer is useless.

I'm in the market for new speakers now. I still love the way SoundSticks look, and SoundSticks II seem like a vastly improved design, but I just can't imagine buying another Harman Kardon product after this experience. My SoundSticks were obsolete after six months, and broken after thirteen.

SoundSticks are no longer sold in stores because they've been replaced by SoundSticks II, but I imagine there will be plenty of the originals on eBay as their owners upgrade to iPod-compatible SoundSticks II. Unless you're sure you'll never want to connect them to anything but your USB 1.1 enabled computer, and you're willing to risk questionable quality for a very cool design, avoid these speakers.