Reviews for JBL SoundSticks II 2.1 Speaker System

40 Watts, PC - MPN: SOUNDSTICKSII

  • 5
  By member: dquant - Jan 9, 2006

Great Sound

Strengths: awesome sound...eye-catching design...

Weakness: cumbersome subwoofer

these are great speakers for the price. I have the original SoundSticks at work and decided I wanted the same for home. The new SoundSticks II work on any Mac or PC. Just plug into the speaker jack. Old SS only worked on Mac with USB connection. New version also have a volume control.

Sound is very crisp for such small units. A winner here!

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  • 5
  By member: lillisa326 - Jan 4, 2006

Harman Kardon Soundsticks Review

Strengths: Sound is crystal clear.

Weakness: There is no power button, in order to turn off, you have to unplug everything

When we first received the speakers, the packaging seemed a bit light. However, upon opening the speakers, you first notice the style and sleekness. Setup of the speakers is super easy; basically just plug and play. When we finally hooked them up, the sound was incredibly clear.

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Reply by member: krystalbird
Jan 5, 2010

Why do you need to turn it off? Just turn down the sound on your keyboard, or on the SoundStick itself. That little bit of power that lights the blue light is insignificant.

  • 4
  By member: Sweetest Deals - Sep 18, 2005

Clear, Crisp Sound

These speakers give much better sound than my old pair of 2.1 speakers. They don't look as good as most other multimedia speakers out there, but I don't really care. If you're looking for a great-sounding, sharp-designed set of speakers, get these. A few things you cannot tell from the product description:

> These speakers (SoundSticks II) are compatible with PCs. The original SoundSticks were only for Apple computers.
> The casing, though plastic, is very solid, although I can't tell how scratch-resistant it is. I haven't tried to scratch them yet...
> The subwoofer has a bass adjust knob on the back side.
> One of the satellite speakers has a touch volume control.
> The system does not have an on/off button. It's designed to stay on all the time.

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  • 4
  By member: freeunities - Apr 7, 2005

JBL SoundSticks II 2.1 Speaker System

Strengths: design and sound

Weakness: no power switch

I purchased this 2.1 system to replace a SoundSticks USB set...same great looks with advanced connections and function. Great sound and a super fit with my Powerbook. A bit pricey, but what do you expect when buying an accessory for a Mac system? I'm very satisfied.

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  • 5
  By member: ejch85 - Sep 30, 2004

JBL SoundSticks II 2.1 Speaker System

Strengths: great sound good looks

Weakness: high price blue light stays on

this speaker got everything from good loud and clear sound quality to good design.
Im satisfy with what i bought.
one of the best 2.1 speaker out there in my opinion
Highly recommended to people who can afford.

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  • 5
  By member: steve19970 - May 20, 2005

JBL SoundSticks II 2.1 Speaker System

Strengths: Great sound...even better styling

Weakness: No off button

I really like these speakers. I saw them in a display a couple of years ago and loved the clear design. They most clearly match the clear look of a lot of Apple Products, but I like the way they look with my PC too. The sound is very clear. I've had some speakers that seemed to have more punch, but the sound on these is very good. The only down point for me is no off switch...since you can't see what the volume setting is, you have to be careful to remember what your last setting was if you're trying not to wake others up (my computer is in the bedroom).

Great buy...I'm definitely happy with them.

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  • 5
  By member: Sweetest Deals - Sep 18, 2005

Greatest Speakers Ever!

I bought these for my Sony Vaio at Costco for $120. They were hooked up and the sound was pretty good--even in the cavernous concrete of Costco. But let's face it, I was sold as much by the sound quality as the obvious physical charms.

Stroking the base of one of these very responsive adjustable angle sticks makes the volume go up or down--similar to the iPod's volume control. They take up very little room on my cluttered desk.

Want a sweet-sounding companion for your laptop? Look no further!

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  • 5
  By member: maritane - Apr 25, 2005

JBL SoundSticks II 2.1 Speaker System

Strengths: Beautiful design.

Weakness: Can't think of one.

This has got to be one of the best speaker systems I have ever used. The range is phenomenal; the sound rich and full. A must for any serious music lover. The design is quite beautiful as well.

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  • 4
  By member: viruletdew - May 4, 2004

JBL SoundSticks II 2.1 Speaker System

Strengths: Great design; good sound quality; easy setup

Weakness: Costly; only plugs in through computer's standard speaker connection

I struggled for weeks deciding between this and the Creature II speakers (as they are less costly). I finally went with the SoundSticks II package, because they are more aesthetically pleasing. I am glad to find that I did not waste my money. Form and function come together in this product. I only wish there was something better than a standard speak connection.

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  • 5
  By member: tungluh - Jan 15, 2005

JBL SoundSticks II 2.1 Speaker System

Strengths: Cool looking and great sound

Weakness: No on/off switch

This is a very cool 2.1 speaker set. I thought it was made by glass and I was wrong, it's plastic. A blue LED light inside the subwoofer even cooler in the dark. It is pity that the manual suggests to put the subwoofer under the desk. I want to put it somewhere to display to everybody. There is no on/off switch, so it's always on (but can be mute). The touch sensitive volume controller is great and you can turn it to mute by touch + and - at the same time. No complaint for the sound quality. It is as good as my logitech Z2300.

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  • 5
  By member: gregtew - Oct 28, 2004

JBL SoundSticks II 2.1 Speaker System

Strengths: Great sound, easy to use

Weakness: Volume control takes some getting used to

I love these speakers. The sound is awesome. The look of the speakers is great. Some people think that you need 5 speakers for a computer, but these 2.1's are more than enough. The only odd thing is that the volume control is not tactile, so you have to get used to changing it. Changing the volume becomes really easy once you get used to it. Overall, these are great speakers.

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  • 4
  By member: jayger - Jun 9, 2005

JBL SoundSticks II 2.1 Speaker System

Strengths: Able to play with ANY audio device that has a standard stereo jack. Previous version was USB only.

Weakness: Subwoofer is large, which makes it difficult to place if you're tight on desk space or cramped floor space.

I have the Soundsticks I that only works with USB. I had been using it with OS X and it seems that with each release, the support gets worse. Now with my Soundsticks II, I can use it on any computer as well as my iPod!

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  • 5
  By member: linbl - Jun 5, 2005

JBL SoundSticks II 2.1 Speaker System

Strengths: Beautiful Speaker ever

Weakness: No power button

Excellent speaker for a nice looking decoration. Just replace it with my Logitech Z-5300. The sound quality is good. I love it so much to match with the Apple LCD.

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  • 4
  By member: danger02 - Feb 27, 2005

JBL SoundSticks II 2.1 Speaker System

Strengths: Extremely clear and vibrant sound. Bass response is tight yet aggressive.

Weakness: No power switch, but goes into standby mode when PC is shut off. No bass or treble adjustment on unit.

Extremely clear and vibrant sound. Bass response is tight yet aggressive. The level of sound produced by this unit is rather surprising.
No power switch, but goes into standby mose when PC is shut off. No bass or treble adjustment on unit.

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  • 5
  By member: tom3510 - Sep 15, 2005

HARMAN KARDEN SOUNDSTICKS II

Strengths: Unbelievable appearance & sound. Have them on a Power Mac running Tiger. I can crank up Phantom of The Opera till my hair blows!

Weakness: Nary a one.

Just bought a 32" and plan to use a new set as speakers for this. What a combo!! This company should get a national award for doing something right. Yeah, they're somewhat pricey, but compared to what they do and how they look they're a bargain. Spoil yourself.

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  • 5
  By member: ooproject - Dec 15, 2005

cool....cool....cool

Strengths: 5 star for design.......,4.5 star for sound........, 5 star for material

Weakness: No power on/off......

I just got this speaker last 2 days.....
Nice and compatible with my eMac and my iPod.......
sound quality is greater than my JBL creature 2.1 .........
but the last one that i dont like .......no power on/off...........

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  • 5
  By member: adgatez - Oct 28, 2005

Just look at them!

Strengths: Design, Design, Design and design. They don’t sound too bad either!

Weakness: The bass speaker can be too loud!

I like these. Simple as that. Initially it was the design that won me over, like a few other people I was torn between these and the JBL creatures. Although the soundsticks were more expsensive, it really was the way these looked and a few reconmendations from friends that steered me towards these.

Just look at the things! The satellite speakers look like sex toys, the bass just looks cool! and they look very good next to my Powerbook.

Ok speakers should be more about sound than looks, in my opinion these are just fine, at the end of the day they are just multimedia speakers, they’re not trying to be anything else, and they do that job just fine. Only problem is I live in a first floor flat, so I can only have the bass turned up around a quarter of what its capable of, as it leads to complaints!

I would reconmend these to anyone who wants to boost the standard sound of any computer or even connect up to an ipod, they sound great, look great and I have them!!

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  • 5
  By member: pizzed25 - Aug 3, 2005

SoundSticks II: These speakers rock!

Strengths: Cool design, great quality sound, at an affordable price.

Weakness: None so far.

I'm very happy with the quality of these speakers. Not only are they affordable and practical - they look cool too. Their upright position is a space saver. Just neat.

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  • 4
  By member: hantiful - May 18, 2004

JBL SoundSticks II 2.1 Speaker System

Strengths: good design, so cool

Weakness: price is too high and the blue light never turn off

The quality of the sound is good but I think in the price range you might find a better sperker. However, the appearance is unique.

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  • 5
  By anonymous - Feb 11, 2007

Super Sound Sticks

Strengths: Best sounding speakers for their size bar none.

Weakness: Haven't found a weakness, they are GREAT!

No one can believe the sound that comes out of these little speakers, will fill a room with clean sound. I've bought these as gifts for family members, they are that good......

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  • 2
  By member: rrgarza - Feb 25, 2005

JBL SoundSticks II 2.1 Speaker System

Strengths: cool appearance

Weakness: sound quality

While these speakers look VERY cool, the sound is tinny and compressed sounding. They don't play half as loud as the speakers that came with my computer, which were also HK's by the way. They were nothing at all like I had hoped. I would avoid these.

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Reply by member: krystalbird
Jan 5, 2010

Remember that people's hearing reception varies, that sound is received differently from person to person. Therefore, from time to time it's wise to have one's hearing checked, just as we have our vision checked.

This isn't intended as a criticism, but as a caution.

  • 5
  By member: krystalbird - Jan 5, 2010

Harman Kardon SoundSticks

Strengths: Excellent sound, beautiful design, responsive to iTunes equalizer settings.

Weakness: None that I can see or hear.

As stated above, this is a beautifully designed, excellent product.
The price is right.
It takes up little space.

The sound is so good that my musician son, on the phone with me when I was in another room away from the SoundSticks, heard it & commented on it.

Great product. Harman Kardon delivers.

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  • 4
  By member: Charilaos - May 5, 2007

Nice Sound

Strengths: Overall sound quality is great. Low distortion and high SNR. Good-looking. Price.

Weakness: Nothing unless you set the bass level to max.

The sound quality is very clear if compared to other speakers of the same price. The heights are crystal clear. The mids are warm but a bit weak. The bass sounds nice and the bottom frequency is low. I can hear slight distortions when you I set the bass level as high as it will go. Also the frequenties around 125 hz are not that good.
BUT the overall distortion is very low, even at high volume levels. SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) is also extremely high (101db). So the overall sound quality is great, I haven't heard better multimedia speakers. Recommended for: Rock, Jazz, Metal, Blues, Movies, Games.

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  • 4.5
  bestcovery.com - Dec 3, 2008

Best 2.1 PC Speakers

Bestcovery experts have rated the Harman Kardon Soundsticks II 2.1 Speaker System as a best pick for the Best 2.1 PC Speakers. Bestcovery's experts recommend the best products and services for a particular need based on extensive research and evaluations. Click below to see Bestcovery's full review of this product.

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  • 4.0
  testseek.com - Nov 4, 2008

Harman Kardon SoundSticks 2

Testseek.com has collected 22 expert reviews for Harman Kardon SoundSticks 2 and the average expert rating is 81 of 100. The average score reflects the expert community’s view on this product. Click below and use Testseek.com to see all ratings, product awards and conclusions.

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