i really wish the subwoofer knob was still there cause i adjust mine all the time depending on what im listening to but im glad they finally updated the look thats been around for so long, even though the old ones are still so sexy
I still have Soundsticks III. I didn't know a 4 even existed. Why I keep them. I have them set up on a clear acrylic shelf behind my monitor. They're still beautiful, sound great, and unobtrusive to my LED lights. I wouldn't go w/ the 4 because they just don't look as good.
Thanks for a good review. I was scrolling through until I found this and unlike the others, i appreciate you did not record the audio like others did, A, on their crappy smartphones and then have me listen through my iMac speakers... thinking about htem in black.
This is the first new model of the Soundsticks to include Bluetooth, even though you don't count the Bluetooth capable Soundsticks III? Why not? The difference in the subwoofers between the III and the 4 is that they look different? Really? That is your only observation? The obvious move should have been a comparison where you could have highlighted the changes/improvements that Harman Kardon has made over the last 9ish years such as: *Has the bluetooth range increased?* _They both utilize Bluetooth 4.2 so there has probably been no change. Why wasn't it at least updated to Bluetooth 5 or 5.1?_ *Has the power output been increased?* _AFAIK they both have the same 140 watt output: 100 watt subs and 20 watts for each satellite on both the Soundsticks III as well as the Soundsticks 4_ *Is there an improved frequency response?* _Yes, from 44Hz - 20kHz to 40Hz - 20kHz despite going with a smaller driver_ *Are the drivers different?* _Yes, an increase from 1" to 1.4" in the satellites_ 😃 _but a decrease in subwoofer size from a 6" to 5.25"_ ☹️ *Are there any functional differences between the 2?* _Yes, volume control has been removed from the satellites (which normally sit close to you) to the sub (which normally sits on the floor except in magazine ads)_ _Harman Kardon has also eliminated the subwoofer volume control for some odd reason_ _While it is true that the rubberized 'donuts' on the iii tended to get dusty, they quite effectively minimized vibration. Do the new solid plastic bases work as well as the old?_ _Additionally the donuts allowed you to lean the satellites backwards or forwards in order to help create the listening sweet spot. It is my understanding that the satellites in the 4 are fixed in place_ 😬 _Why?_ *Has Harman Kardon finally added a headphone jack to the satellites?* _Nope_ *What about adding a DAC?* _Bwahahahahahaha_ It sounds as if there were very minimal improvements and a couple steps backwards in the name of cost cutting. So why the hell should anyone shell out top dollar for the Soundsticks 4 when there are plenty of NOS Soundsticks Wireless available for less than half the price? *THIS IS THE REASON WHY YOUR REVIEW SUCKED!!!*
If i'm not mistaken power output is 65W max. When the average volume is used, it's 20W for the Sub and 10W for each satellite (10% is usually idle which is 4w) and it goes up to 65W the more you increase your overall output (RMS).
@@w1zard. An honest critique of his review, the results of which he would hopefully take into account on his next review is suddenly "hate and negativity"? Oh.
I wanted to upgrade my soundsticks from 2012 to those, but I just learned that they don't have volume adjustment on the speaker(?!) Why the hell would they do that? I guess i'll wait another 10 years....
just ordered these TODAY!!! I got a Logitech Z625 and damn the resonance is terrible and the satellite speakers have vibration... an UTTER letdown... I have harman Kardon in my car and its AMAZING! I hope this will do the job!
Wow, that's a whole different price bracket. The KEF is way better in a larger space, but its also like 3 - 4 times the cost. The KEF has a very noticeable "bubble" of sound in which it sounds fantastic, but you can literally feel yourself leave the bubble and lose the quality of the sound if you move outside that specific range. If you're right at the desktop and these HK's are near you, this would do better, but they're also more or less what you would expect for 2.1 speakers at this price.
@@XStreet1985 Think of the positives, your neighbour cant hijack your speaker and play music on it at midnight and wake you up lol (Its happened to me on mine)
@@XStreet1985 I was lucky it was in the bedroom next door with the door closed so i just thought it was a neighbour playing loud music, then i find out its coming from my own speaker
best review so far! Do they light up only during the pairing mode since I would want to have them in my bedroom and if they light up during play that would be a deal breaker
Soundsticks Wireless 3 permanantly show a blue LED when bluetooth is connected and white when the speaker is powered on, so its going to illuminate your room.
@@dylanblahblahblah your point being? Some of the best sounding speakers in existence are old wooden ones from the 80s and 90s. Audio tech has not changed much as far as external stereo speakers go.
@@SonofKalas22 i would pass this 1 if i have sound stick 3 not much of diff some how i feel bass was better in ss3 i dont know why they still got old bt v4.2
@@SonofKalas22 if its just 100 go for sound stick 4 but i would have preferred if they had really upgrade bt and provided optical connection cause in india price diff is double s3 is 170 and s4 is 390 and for that double price difference i dont feel its worth upgrade
These seem like a downgrade on the SoundSticks Wireless 3 (2012 ver) as they have lost the satellite speaker located volume control and the bass control from the sub. The only benefit of these over the previously mentioned model is the introduction of the Bluetooth pairing button so your neighbours can no longer easily hijack your speaker and play music through it a stupid times of the night. How Harmon Kardon managed to screw up such basic things i dont know ... just give it on speaker controls or wired/wireless external remote and ability to turn off bluetooth when not in use and its perfect.
I just got new HK Soundsticks 4 on Amazon Prime Day for a decent price (regardless they're still a lot more than most speakers for computer setups). They have great potential, but HK really dropped the ball on one detail: NO WAY TO ADJUST THE SUBWOOFER OUTPUT relative to the stereo pair! When I plugged them into my Mac the bass from music was overpowering, and I had to keep volume way down to avoid noise complaints in my apartment building. I have the originals, bought back in 2000 or 2001 when they were designed by Apple's Jonny Ives as the first USB audio speakers ever to coincide with the release of the Mac G4, and they sounded great. After 23 years, one of the tweeters came loose and starting this annoying vibration inside the housing. Tweeter replacements of the same specs can easily be found online, but I was just not able to get the stick housing open to start work. One thing the original had that the new ones don't was a little dial control to set subwoofer volume independently. Soundsticks 4 has an elegant +/- pair of touch switches, one on either side of the logo at front, but maddeningly they control master volume and not just the bass! So, no way to jack up the volume without jacking up the bass as you can with most decent computer speakers that have a separate subwoofer. I DEVISED A SOLUTION, which was to add a little mini headphone amp with bass and treble controls between my Mac and the speakers (Fosi Audio K5 from Amazon). It draws USB-C sound with its power from the Mac and passes it to the Soundsticks from its audio out jack allowing me to set bass and treble the way I want them. Soundsticks 4 don't do the USB audio like my originals did - instead they can take Bluetooth or hardwired audio input. I could probably find a similar little amp that sends Bluetooth, but I prefer hardwired for home setups anyway. There are also software EQ solutions, but the one I tried was glitchy and I'd have to install on both Macbooks used at this desk (one's mine, one's my employer's). I just like having a simple piece of hardware wired into my dock with simple dial controls to adjust. The Bluetooth remains available on the sticks if I ever do want to connect to a Bluetooth device, but there would be no moderation on the bass for that setup.
Every speaker that looks like that the Harman kardon allura stereo one and three and the sound stick one has the speakers built-in in inside the chassis in the one has speakers outside the chassis there's no it's just a price Gamble and all you getting is the LED light show for the Harman kardon 1and 2 and 3
BLINK motherf*cker! Naah just kidding, great review thanks. A question, having used the soundsticks III for years before: do these turn off automatically to save power? And do they then need that extra kick of volume to turn back on, like the III?
i am EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED with the Soundsticks 4. There is absolutely NO way to increase the bass subwoofer. The HK 3 had a bass control knob. The HK 4 has NO such adjustment knob. In addition, the output from the subwoofer is almost nonexistent. I would urge potential buyers to avoid this HK 4 system like the plague. It really sucks!
No headphone jack for speakers? Absolutely terrible product. This thing costs like 300 dollars? Any sane person would just get studio monitors at thay price. Why review this product as if it's worth any ones time?
i really wish the subwoofer knob was still there cause i adjust mine all the time depending on what im listening to but im glad they finally updated the look thats been around for so long, even though the old ones are still so sexy
Does the bass setting from the device not work as good ?
This essentially makes this product obsolete... Why can you adjust base on the 10 plus year old version and this one you can't? Lame..
I'm not English speaker, I hardly understand native speakers but your diction is sublime
I'm going to stay here in the channel
Thanks for this vid! You're the only person I know on here with a legit review of this product in English.
No problem! Glad it was helpful!
I still have Soundsticks III. I didn't know a 4 even existed. Why I keep them. I have them set up on a clear acrylic shelf behind my monitor. They're still beautiful, sound great, and unobtrusive to my LED lights. I wouldn't go w/ the 4 because they just don't look as good.
I just bought 3s and found out 4 exitsTed just now. No regrets I paid $100 brand new and the 3s definitely look way better lol
Same)
Hearing this on Soundsticks III
Thanks for sharing the sizes which are hard to be searched for me.
No problem!
About to get the Supreme one today!
Thanks for a good review. I was scrolling through until I found this and unlike the others, i appreciate you did not record the audio like others did, A, on their crappy smartphones and then have me listen through my iMac speakers... thinking about htem in black.
Harman kardon product is too good that its harder to repair when broken.
The component is just a bit different than normal speaker
How does using 4 small drivers in a satellite differentiate sound quality than a transitional 2 driver satellite?( Tweeter and mid driver)
I am here cause just brought it today yeahhhh 🥰
Awesome!
Some alien-looking tech, I love it!
Definitely alien tech!
This is the first new model of the Soundsticks to include Bluetooth, even though you don't count the Bluetooth capable Soundsticks III? Why not?
The difference in the subwoofers between the III and the 4 is that they look different? Really? That is your only observation?
The obvious move should have been a comparison where you could have highlighted the changes/improvements that Harman Kardon has made over the last 9ish years such as:
*Has the bluetooth range increased?*
_They both utilize Bluetooth 4.2 so there has probably been no change. Why wasn't it at least updated to Bluetooth 5 or 5.1?_
*Has the power output been increased?*
_AFAIK they both have the same 140 watt output: 100 watt subs and 20 watts for each satellite on both the Soundsticks III as well as the Soundsticks 4_
*Is there an improved frequency response?*
_Yes, from 44Hz - 20kHz to 40Hz - 20kHz despite going with a smaller driver_
*Are the drivers different?*
_Yes, an increase from 1" to 1.4" in the satellites_ 😃 _but a decrease in subwoofer size from a 6" to 5.25"_ ☹️
*Are there any functional differences between the 2?*
_Yes, volume control has been removed from the satellites (which normally sit close to you) to the sub (which normally sits on the floor except in magazine ads)_
_Harman Kardon has also eliminated the subwoofer volume control for some odd reason_
_While it is true that the rubberized 'donuts' on the iii tended to get dusty, they quite effectively minimized vibration. Do the new solid plastic bases work as well as the old?_
_Additionally the donuts allowed you to lean the satellites backwards or forwards in order to help create the listening sweet spot. It is my understanding that the satellites in the 4 are fixed in place_ 😬 _Why?_
*Has Harman Kardon finally added a headphone jack to the satellites?*
_Nope_
*What about adding a DAC?*
_Bwahahahahahaha_
It sounds as if there were very minimal improvements and a couple steps backwards in the name of cost cutting. So why the hell should anyone shell out top dollar for the Soundsticks 4 when there are plenty of NOS Soundsticks Wireless available for less than half the price?
*THIS IS THE REASON WHY YOUR REVIEW SUCKED!!!*
Did anyone think it'd have a DAC? It's a plug-and-play system.
Other than that and the dripping sarcasm, good info.
@@laalki80 thanks lol
If i'm not mistaken power output is 65W max. When the average volume is used, it's 20W for the Sub and 10W for each satellite (10% is usually idle which is 4w) and it goes up to 65W the more you increase your overall output (RMS).
And that is also the reason there is HATE and NEGATIVITY spreading. Why not just say it is a point for improvement for his next reviews? 🔎🔎🔎
@@w1zard. An honest critique of his review, the results of which he would hopefully take into account on his next review is suddenly "hate and negativity"?
Oh.
no bass control is bummer, i really don't understand, with this cost they cannot have just one base control knob
Why don't you count the soundsticks 3 bluetooth?
Exactly ... so because the cosmetics werent changed it doesnt count as a model ... that makes no sense.
I wanted to upgrade my soundsticks from 2012 to those, but I just learned that they don't have volume adjustment on the speaker(?!)
Why the hell would they do that?
I guess i'll wait another 10 years....
Why upgrade? I just picked up the soundsticks 3 after using the 2 for years and they sound identical aside from added bluetooth
Still no optics connection ?
Most TV's don't have Jack anymore, how I suppose to connect with my TV that has only optical audio ?
just ordered these TODAY!!! I got a Logitech Z625 and damn the resonance is terrible and the satellite speakers have vibration... an UTTER letdown... I have harman Kardon in my car and its AMAZING! I hope this will do the job!
this guy never blinks
Your production value is 🔥🔥
Glad you think so!
Thanks for the review, How is this set compared to the KEF LSX stereo bluetooth pair?
Wow, that's a whole different price bracket. The KEF is way better in a larger space, but its also like 3 - 4 times the cost. The KEF has a very noticeable "bubble" of sound in which it sounds fantastic, but you can literally feel yourself leave the bubble and lose the quality of the sound if you move outside that specific range. If you're right at the desktop and these HK's are near you, this would do better, but they're also more or less what you would expect for 2.1 speakers at this price.
I am still rockin 3's🙌
with bluetooth or without model ... they did two versions
@@SecretOfMonkeyIsland784 Without
@@XStreet1985 Think of the positives, your neighbour cant hijack your speaker and play music on it at midnight and wake you up lol (Its happened to me on mine)
@@SecretOfMonkeyIsland784 If that happened to me in the middle of the night. I would start believing in evil spirits 😅
@@XStreet1985 I was lucky it was in the bedroom next door with the door closed so i just thought it was a neighbour playing loud music, then i find out its coming from my own speaker
I've still got my MK1 soundsticks, no cracks and subwoofer housed upside down sounds 🔥.. but wanna upgrade...
DO NOT DO IT!
@QueerAndUnplugged lol don't worry still have it.. 👌
Okay I just learned there is no adjustable bass. Nope, not for me. No way. And I've been using Soundsticks since 2004. I'll stick with III.
Still comes with Bluetooth 4.2
I don't think there's any difference at all with 5.0.. it's still using the same Bluetooth codec
best review so far! Do they light up only during the pairing mode since I would want to have them in my bedroom and if they light up during play that would be a deal breaker
Soundsticks Wireless 3 permanantly show a blue LED when bluetooth is connected and white when the speaker is powered on, so its going to illuminate your room.
Disappointed with sound sticks 4. Plastic!?
I also find that hiding the dome bass is a big turn off. We buy this system as it looks good!
They look pretty neat.
Thanks!
nice a sound speaker review without an actual test to the sound speaker..
I didn't play it in the video because you wouldn't hear the quality of the speakers but rather the quality of your own speakers or headphones.
You should play some music on that speaker...
I didn't play it in the video because you wouldn't hear the quality of the speakers but rather the quality of your own speakers or headphones.
@@DragonRiderNetwork Understood, Thanks for your reply👍
Can I pair with other jbl or harman/kardon speaker?
How much better do they sound in comparison to the soundsticks 3?
The soundsticks 3 came out 9 years ago so...
@@dylanblahblahblah your point being? Some of the best sounding speakers in existence are old wooden ones from the 80s and 90s. Audio tech has not changed much as far as external stereo speakers go.
@@SonofKalas22 i would pass this 1 if i have sound stick 3 not much of diff some how i feel bass was better in ss3
i dont know why they still got old bt v4.2
@@kunalarora6487 if I see soundsticks 3 for 300 and soundsticks 4 for 400 is it worth the extra hundred or should I get 3?
@@SonofKalas22 if its just 100 go for sound stick 4
but i would have preferred if they had really upgrade bt and provided optical connection
cause in india price diff is double
s3 is 170 and s4 is 390
and for that double price difference i dont feel its worth upgrade
Do these turn on automatically when it detects an audio signal, be it aux in/bt?
This was awesome, thanks
No problem! Glad you enjoyed it!
Can you connect a record player to this?
These seem like a downgrade on the SoundSticks Wireless 3 (2012 ver) as they have lost the satellite speaker located volume control and the bass control from the sub. The only benefit of these over the previously mentioned model is the introduction of the Bluetooth pairing button so your neighbours can no longer easily hijack your speaker and play music through it a stupid times of the night. How Harmon Kardon managed to screw up such basic things i dont know ... just give it on speaker controls or wired/wireless external remote and ability to turn off bluetooth when not in use and its perfect.
Do you have to have a pc to use the sticks?
Plz tell me what the other song after the intro
I just got new HK Soundsticks 4 on Amazon Prime Day for a decent price (regardless they're still a lot more than most speakers for computer setups). They have great potential, but HK really dropped the ball on one detail: NO WAY TO ADJUST THE SUBWOOFER OUTPUT relative to the stereo pair! When I plugged them into my Mac the bass from music was overpowering, and I had to keep volume way down to avoid noise complaints in my apartment building.
I have the originals, bought back in 2000 or 2001 when they were designed by Apple's Jonny Ives as the first USB audio speakers ever to coincide with the release of the Mac G4, and they sounded great. After 23 years, one of the tweeters came loose and starting this annoying vibration inside the housing. Tweeter replacements of the same specs can easily be found online, but I was just not able to get the stick housing open to start work. One thing the original had that the new ones don't was a little dial control to set subwoofer volume independently. Soundsticks 4 has an elegant +/- pair of touch switches, one on either side of the logo at front, but maddeningly they control master volume and not just the bass! So, no way to jack up the volume without jacking up the bass as you can with most decent computer speakers that have a separate subwoofer.
I DEVISED A SOLUTION, which was to add a little mini headphone amp with bass and treble controls between my Mac and the speakers (Fosi Audio K5 from Amazon). It draws USB-C sound with its power from the Mac and passes it to the Soundsticks from its audio out jack allowing me to set bass and treble the way I want them. Soundsticks 4 don't do the USB audio like my originals did - instead they can take Bluetooth or hardwired audio input. I could probably find a similar little amp that sends Bluetooth, but I prefer hardwired for home setups anyway. There are also software EQ solutions, but the one I tried was glitchy and I'd have to install on both Macbooks used at this desk (one's mine, one's my employer's). I just like having a simple piece of hardware wired into my dock with simple dial controls to adjust.
The Bluetooth remains available on the sticks if I ever do want to connect to a Bluetooth device, but there would be no moderation on the bass for that setup.
Great content keep it up
Thanks, will do!
Every speaker that looks like that the Harman kardon allura stereo one and three and the sound stick one has the speakers built-in in inside the chassis in the one has speakers outside the chassis there's no it's just a price Gamble and all you getting is the LED light show for the Harman kardon 1and 2 and 3
Better then Sonos 5?🤔
Anyone know the background song?
Amigo os graves são top ? A qualidade de som ?
This guy never blinks O_O
lizard detected
vs aura 3?
صديق هى اعلى بأس جودة الصوت❤❤❤ 0:50
By Asgard what aspect is this ratio?
21:9 aspect ratio.
what's the speaker a 5:44 ?
I don't like thesem the previous verions was more likeable imo since they were all clear which the soundsticks series is known for.
Samsung killed the soundsticks
watching this with my soundstick 4....awwooooo
is it good for gaming?
@@kayabayunreu6092 gaming movies electro music...theres a lot of bass so yes,..on acoustics i dont think it's the best
Not enough 2014 flashbacks
We need an entire flashback video to recap that review. Haha
Anyone experiencing multiple drops in Volume till it mute itself.?
yes! don't know what to do with it!
Does this speaker pop popcorn also? 😂🍿Just kidding. 😉
Maybe the next generation will get the built-in popcorn machine 😂
@@DragonRiderNetwork 😉
Yea, i thought it was a blender at 1st.
The bass speaker does kind of look like one.
youre intro sound like the pixies
Sound quality not talk
Sounds half-baked as far as control.
Get to the sound quality. Anything else I can see myself
me and buds hate this design, looks like cheap crappy plastic. i don’t want to see this on my table. sounds cheap too. look for previous versions
Das sind Designer Lautsprecher junge was für Kopfhörer Eingang 🤦🏻♂️
BLINK motherf*cker! Naah just kidding, great review thanks. A question, having used the soundsticks III for years before: do these turn off automatically to save power? And do they then need that extra kick of volume to turn back on, like the III?
I think you will need to manually turn them on and off. From what I experienced, they didn’t have an auto shut-off.
@@DragonRiderNetwork Thank for the info!
They are ugly and look cheap,Took features away.
i am EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED with the Soundsticks 4. There is absolutely NO way to increase the bass subwoofer. The HK 3 had a bass control knob. The HK 4 has NO such adjustment knob. In addition, the output from the subwoofer is almost nonexistent. I would urge potential buyers to avoid this HK 4 system like the plague. It really sucks!
Pura Hablar y nada de acción con la soundstick👎🏻
They new design sucks!. Who desisned this shit?. They look like a cheap copy of the previous.
No headphone jack for speakers? Absolutely terrible product. This thing costs like 300 dollars? Any sane person would just get studio monitors at thay price. Why review this product as if it's worth any ones time?
Stupid review. I can read that in manual. I want to hear the sound lol
I didn't play it in the video because you wouldn't hear the quality of the speakers but rather the quality of your own speakers or headphones.
😂😂😂