Harman Kardon Soundsticks III - Sound Test - Enya, Exile

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A recording of "Exile" by Enya [all rights to the respective owners,] recorded by a Tascam DR07 MkII in with an A/B mic arrangement. This gives an accurate representation of the sound output of the Harman Kardon Soundsticks 3 at moderate volume with the woofer volume on the highest setting.
The satellite speaker arrays are highly directional, and care was taken to properly align the microphone. After listening to the recording over the same set of speakers, it sounded quite close; enough to give anyone with a decent sound setup a good idea of what the Soundsticks III sound like.
The woofer was placed on the floor, and is only a few feet from the corner of the room, possibly contributing to some bass loading. The adjustable bass know was turned completely up. (Thus the somewhat chesty vocals and muddy reverberation.)

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25 фев 2013

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Комментарии : 91

@danial_s 8 лет назад

Music through my soundsticks : Awesome Music through your soundsticks, through my soundsticks : MOTHER OF GOD

@MandeepGadgetBoy 3 года назад

Music through the soundsticks, through my apple AirPods: GG

@Shah20XX 10 лет назад

it sounded so good that it sounds like you just put the audio track on the top of the video...

@movitz1579 9 лет назад

I think he did....😬

@stevenswall 9 лет назад

You got me... Totally fake... The Tascam is just an expensive prop. I had stacks lying around my dorm room like most students and needed to blow some money. On a serious note: Listen to an MP3 dowloanded from Amazon or Google Play. The coloration from the speakers in this video is obvious of you A/B it with the original as a reference on somewhat accurate speakers or headphones. (I'd recommend that either way to get a clear picture of how the speakers change the sound.)

@aKaRushx 10 лет назад

The first review of a speaker set-up that is using a high quality mic i've seen. Very nice!

@Brownboy42069 11 лет назад

Dear god finally somebody does a sound test with a decent mic. I don't get people who are like "I'm going to sound test my speakers!" and then "I'm going to record audio with my camcorder!" -.- Thanks so much

@heresmypersonalopinion 5 лет назад

thanks for a good review with the right mic. sounded so great i bought them

@Tranair 9 лет назад

This video was what made my decision to get the Soundsticks 3. I've had them for a couple weeks now and I can definitely say they sound as good as they do in this video. It's like I played a audio file over my room itself.

@TheFoolishagony 10 лет назад

this is the best sound test video that i ever watched on youtube! Geezus! Please make more videos!

@stevenswall 10 лет назад

I sold them to a roommate, but have another pair now... What kind of music would you like to hear tested on them? (Concerning more videos, I have some footage for an Audio Technica AD900 review, and I could also potentially review my new laptop, a 3TB Thinkpad T430.)

@TheFoolishagony 10 лет назад

quite adequate bass, like Haim, Lana del Rey, well the point is you recorded the video with a decent mic and it catches the whole nuances the speaker made. I was in the middle of these little harman kardon badasses and an audioengine a2+ but then i went with audioengine. I'm listening to it right now. The sound is extremely depends on how you put it because i've got 2 different SQ on 2 different places. I'll wait for your videos! cheers

@stevenswall 10 лет назад

Marco Adriaansz Thanks for the suggestions. I too like Lana Del Ray. I'll be back in college on the 8th of September or so and will have to make another test video. I'm thinking something like the orchestral version of "Young & Beautiful."

@AlexWittmannTheNerdGuy 10 лет назад

This is by far the best Speakers test i heard,..

@byDamo 11 лет назад

Sounds amazing , glad i just bought them thanks for the sound test.

@Slightly-Simpler-Ginger 9 лет назад

Great choice in music. Loved it :P

@Shaheerquercuz 11 лет назад

Finally, I sound test ! Thanks a million times bro! Now gotta go buy em :D

@sergiorivera9650 6 лет назад

This is music for a good test, thanks you for that :D

@vannarameas1719 9 лет назад

The beauty of speakers

@stevenswall 9 лет назад

They are rather nice looking... And for $100, nice sounding too!

@sandeepmgr14 8 лет назад

Nice clear sound :)

@thegameotaku556 6 лет назад

good video and music!!

@stevenswall 11 лет назад

You're welcome, I'm glad you liked it. I hope you like the speakers! (If the treble is too dull or bright, try positioning the satellites to point directly at your ears, or tilt them to point away, respectively.)

@user-zb5eu5bk8b 2 года назад

Great effective.

@jasontodd03 9 лет назад

The sound was amazing. This has been the best review. Plus, you played one of my favorite artist. Have to ask. Can this be use in place of a soundbar. I have a Samsung Smart TV. I really like to purchase a Bowers & Wilkins speaker system as I am a music lover but budget-wise, I need to be realistic with cost.

@ProfounDisputes 10 лет назад

What headphones are those? By the way, best mic test of speakers I have ever heard on youtube.

@stevenswall 10 лет назад

Headphones: Audio Technica AD900 Air Series... And boy do they stomp the SoundSticks!

@ProfounDisputes 10 лет назад

I heard they are great but completely lack significant bass. I ended up getting the Hifiman HE-400's, after breaking my Beyerdynamics DT-990's 250ohms. Don't regret my decision. There is really nothing like nice sounding headphones. Though sometimes I need to physically feel my music haha You have an external DAC or AMP for them?

@stevenswall 10 лет назад

ProfounDisputes They have more bass than the AD700, which is all I need. They have enough overhead that I can EQ them when needed. I run them from a 32GB Cowon S9, which drives them quite well. (Most Cowon players sound far better than their US company competitors, and the S9 is no exception.) To me, 20/40 or 50% volume on my S9 is moderately loud with the AD900.

@ProfounDisputes 10 лет назад

stevenswall I have been using the Fiio E10 for my amp and dac. I don't have to EQ all my music sounds good to me. EQ is a sacrificing action to me; I gain something but lose another. So I am content with stock HE-400's. I am saving up for the Mayflower Objective O2+ODAC COMBO, which from some price research, looks to be within the same range of price of the Cowon S9. I was thinking about getting a high quality portable player mostly for my car. I don't have much use for one otherwise so I never made the jump.

@stevenswall 10 лет назад

ProfounDisputes Every headphone has a frequency response curve, and a good hardware, rather than software, EQ doesn't sacrifice anything when you modify the curve. Unlike presets backed by terrible DAC hardware on iPods and such, Cowon players do not cut frequencies to boost the bass, and almost never clip or distort when a large amount of EQ is added. Additionally, things like BBE along with the MP DSP in the S9 don't change the frequency response so much as they correct the harmonics and time-align the treble and bass.

@nanochaos8215 10 лет назад

the nicest sound I've ever heard in a low quality camera others are like static

@stevenswall 5 лет назад

Thanks. It sounds that way because I'm not using the camera microphone.

@slasheerr946 10 лет назад

guys,calm down the sound is good because he recorded it with tascam (obviously speakers are good itself i just meant even after recorded,it sounds good)

@stevenswall 10 лет назад

You are right. I strongly believe that most speakers, even budget ones, can't be represented fairly with a camera or cellphone mic.

@flowerpower117 9 лет назад

hi guys, what do you think of the bose companion 20? actually i was pretty close to buy them, but then i saw this vid and now everything seems to be undecided again^^

@stevenswall 11 лет назад

You're welcome. Your thoughts reflect mine. There is no point to a sound test without a good mic. A few semesters ago, I asked a trumpet player to play the loudest note he could into this mic, with the horn of the trumpet engulfing the mic capsules... The distortion light never came on, and the recording sounded fine.

@harshalbhot 8 лет назад

hi steven... i am thinking of buying these speakers amongst all the reviews that i saw (and believe me i almost saw every review available) yours is the best... it was of great help.. i am getting these for Rs 17,000.. roughly 255$... is it worth the money?? also since these are quite old do u suggest any newer speakers in the same budget??? Thanks a lot...

@stevenswall 8 лет назад

+Harsh Bhot They aren't worth $255, though I'd say $150 is a fair price, and $100 they are almost a no brainer.

@gina2190 10 лет назад

yessss !!!! :)

@iaeinferno2911 7 лет назад

Hi Steven, can you recommend a good 2.1 speaker under the budget of %100?

@stevenswall 11 лет назад

Simply turning it down to about 1/3 is enough bass for me, and avoids the overwhelming mushy sound that comes with inflated bass... I don't think it sounds particularly boomy when it's adjusted to balance with the rest of the sound, and I also stuff a microfiber cloth in the port when I'm using it. (I just leave it in there actually, so that dust doesn't get it, and to dampen the woofer a bit.)

@nazdaq07 10 лет назад

you must be kidding me....what a sound

@stevenswall 10 лет назад

Thanks. I think they are quite good for $100.

@nazdaq07 10 лет назад

I just bought them...

@stevenswall 10 лет назад

Nice. Hopefully you like them! (The headphones on the right hand side are far better I think, but then again, I think most headphones at the same price of speakers are better.)

@nazdaq07 10 лет назад

stevenswall ok, got them pluged in... and really... still amazing sound !! Thanks for uploading the video. thanks to you i made my decison and i dont regret it. All the best to you!

@stevenswall 11 лет назад

I think the Soundsticks sound quite nice, especially for $100. Compared to the Go Play 2, it looks like that system has fewer tweeters, but two smaller, higher quality Atlas woofers. At ~$200, and with Harman Kardon's proprietary woofers, rather than the paper cone with what looks like a foam surround in the Soundsticks, I would expect the Go Play II to sound better. As far as the Soundsticks starting to sound worse/boomy, I haven't experienced this, and my first pair I owned for ~2 months.

@MikeleKonstantyFiedorowiczIV 3 года назад

great speakers to this kind of music, to bad it has not middle, btw like on 2013 great microphone.

@stevenswall 11 лет назад

I simply adjust the knob on the back, and mostly play music (rock, things that focus on female vocals, and audio with longer bass notes, rather than a 'beat,') that doesn't sound boomy. I could certainly see them being boomy with other genres though.

@Videouploader248 11 лет назад

I hope soundsticks 4 would sound more deep bass and more mids. The highs on soundsticks 3 is great.

@Nugromant 5 лет назад

What a gorgeous song you picked, tired of all this electro music tests

@stevenswall 5 лет назад

Thanks! I'm finally getting some active, nearfield speakers tomorrow and I hope to do a sound test with them too. (Elac Argo Navis... At $2000)

@nihao1998320 5 лет назад

Are you still using these? I think the black bases are bent 180 degrees backwards to form an L shape with the speakers! Check their officials photos :) Super awesome demo video though!

@TaylorWall 5 лет назад

I am no longer using these, and normally I would set them up that way if I am listening to them, but to Center them on the microphone, I arranged them like this.

@Videouploader248 11 лет назад

The subwoofer sounds very boomy most of times. This because made of plastic no damping material inside. It's very difficult to place the sub where it sounds less boomy.

@ItsExetic 9 лет назад

are these worth the downgrade for me? i'm comming from the audioengine a5+ with a subwoofer connected, and i need a cheaper set of speakers in the garage, will these do? or will i have to spend more money again

@stevenswall 9 лет назад

I'd get a semi rugged portable speaker if in were you... Like a UE boom. I'm not sure how these would stand up in a garage, though the touch volume would be better than buttons to get gunned up.

@ItsExetic 9 лет назад

stevenswall yea i thought of it too, just not sure if powerful enough

@stevenswall 9 лет назад

The UE boom is one of the best and loudest portable speakers I've had the pleasure of using.

@yourfriendcurtis 9 лет назад

Exetic UE boom is very good however I think you should take a look at the BOOMBOX, packs a LOT of punch for a portable speaker.

@sandeepmgr14 8 лет назад

+Curtis S. bose are the best ;)

@paulbrogden2642 11 лет назад

hello I have a video of these speakers could you please watch it and tell me if the speakers are faulty thanks for any advise.

@SeonTheNeon 7 лет назад

Are these speakers worth the $170, or could I find a much better sounding one for that price? If so, what would you recommend?

@stevenswall 7 лет назад

I paid $110 for mine. Find the best deal you can, and if it's much over that, you might consider something else. Harman Kardon has a THX certified 2.1 system that is pretty good as well, or you might want to google getting cheap but good bookshelf speakers (Dayton Audio comes to mind if I recall correctly,) and a class T amplifier.

@SeonTheNeon 7 лет назад

What about AudioEngine A2+? I've heard that those are pretty good.

@stevenswall 7 лет назад

I've not listened to those.

@ryansimpson7140 9 лет назад

What do you guys think? These or Klipsch Pro Media 2.1?

@stevenswall 9 лет назад

If you can get the Klipsch set for a decent price, ($130 would be a good deal I think,) I'd go with them: THX is one of the only sound certifications that means anything, and the ProMedia system has it.

@revadan 10 лет назад

Wow. So wheres the play here.. Harman or that powerful mic?

@stevenswall 10 лет назад

The microphone is more or less providing a clear window to see what the speakers are capable of. There is no EQ or other DSP effect beyond regular decoding from a standard MP3, so consider this a fair representation of what these speakers sound like. (Any good mic would sound similar.)

@stevenswall 11 лет назад

You have a comment by yours truly on your video. Let me know with a response to my comment (on your video) if it doesn't work. Sorry it seems like your comment got marked as spam!

@memorexize 9 лет назад

I couldn't barely hear what he was saying...but the music is crystal clear during playback strange isn't it.

@stevenswall 9 лет назад

Not strange in the least... Listen up and I enunciate clearly, even if my voice isn't as high, clear, and loud as the speakers. Additionally, consider the fact that a camera and my hands are between my mouth and the microphone... The speakers don't have this problem. Stating your thoughts as you did insinuates that there is some amount of deception in the video. I can assure you, there is none.

@robotcrazy97 10 лет назад

What song were you playing ?

@stevenswall 10 лет назад

"Exile," by Enya, from the album "Watermark."

@Pugpono 9 лет назад

Play darude - sandstorm next. ;)

@Satyajit_Dey 9 лет назад

Add an ASUS USB soundcard to these :)

@Videouploader248 11 лет назад

It sounded very good right out of the box after 2 months it really sounds very boomy ! not happy at all. My friend had the same problem with his soundsticks. I now bought Go Play 2 and it really sounds amazingggg deep bass and very crisp. Soundsticks is shit in compare to Go Play 2. Soundsticks is more made for museum not for sound quality.

@dirosales 9 лет назад

is it just me when setting up the satellite speakers like that they look like condoms TBH hehehe peace!

@vicnexxprod 10 лет назад

i prefer lp's

@stevenswall 10 лет назад

As in records? After comparing them with CD's, I've only ever heard them sound as good, not better than, CD's, and that was on a $50,000 system. If you're on a budget, listen to older CD's that don't have dynamic range compression, edit in some small pops and a tiny bit of static to whatever song you like, in addition to some even-order harmonics. Then, play it back through an older, warm sounding vacuum tube amp.

@vicnexxprod 10 лет назад

yup 57 k use the lp laser disc avoid the static

@MC-qj8yg 10 лет назад

stevenswall I can vouch for that, older CD's from the early 80's to the early 90's almost always sound excellent. Very dynamic and clear, with no clipping. But I can also say that some CD's are definitely blown away by their vinyl counterparts. Of course this is only apparent if you have a good table and cartridge. That paired with quality speakers and amplification can really show the benefits of Vinyl. Compare "Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits on CD vs Vinyl for example, the LP completely obliterates it in my opinion.

@stevenswall 10 лет назад

michael carrigan I've heard several multi ten thousand dollar vinyl setups, with the best of them sounding as good as CDs or digital FLAC files as the source. That being said, I've never done a head to head comparison between the same songs or albums.

@agostonberko 10 лет назад

Go Play 2 sucks compared to B&W MM1. Soundsticks are entry level.

@oliverdenny1869 10 лет назад

Think of it this way, its a quarter of the price of the B&W MM1 (from what i've seen anyway) Yes, they're probably better, but at four times the price, are they four times better?

@agostonberko 10 лет назад

Is a ferrari 4 times faster and 4 times better car compared to a porsche which cost 4times less? no, but it's a ferrari.

@oliverdenny1869 10 лет назад

Not quite the same, but I see what you're trying to get at