Harman Kardon Soundsticks II or JBL Creature II

[MST]

I'm looking for a half-decent set of multimedia speakers to go with my new iMac and having done a bit of research have settled on either Harman Kardon's Soundsticks II or JBL's Creature II [and before you say it yes I know they're all part of the same company], but which ones should I go for?

At the moment I'd say I'm leaning towards the Soundsticks; my only concern is the size of the subwoofer which I'm going to be positioning behind the machine itself, is the Soundsticks subwoofer noticeably larger than Creature subwoofer?

I'd also be interested to hear what people think of the sound quality of each?

Another factor is cost; I'm not too worried about how much I have to pay, but the Soundsticks are nearly twice the price of the Creature, is it a case of you get what you pay for?

 

[DarkFlash]

I have both, and I personally think the Soundsticks sound a LOT better. The Subwoofer is a bit bigger on the Soundsticks, but not really a huge difference between them in the size. My only complaint on the Soundsticks is that there is no power switch. Very minor complaint, but it would be nice to be able to switch them off sometimes.

 

[mr_matalino]

Soundsticks. Hands down.

 

[MST]

Thanks for the replies, I think I was already pretty much set on the Soundsticks but was just a little concerned that the subwoofer would be too big to place behind the iMac. I realize that positioning the subwoofer behind the iMac is not ideal as it may cause it to vibrate but fortunately it won't need to be placed that near it and so hopefully shouldn't affect it.

I to read that Soundsticks have no power switch, but as you say DarkFlash it's a very minor complaint.

 

[ascender]

You could just put the subwoofer on the floor under the desk? All the cables are more than long enough to space the speakers out however you like tbh.

 

[MST]

You could just put the subwoofer on the floor under the desk? All the cables are more than long enough to space the speakers out however you like tbh.

That's another option, but I don't want long cables everywhere if I can possibly help it.

 

[chickenninja]

yeah dude soundsticks II and keep in mind the electromagnetic field of the subwoofer and that you dont want it around your electronis, especially above your electronics, because of the way speaker magnets direct magnetic fields in the direction they face which in the subwoofer is down. id say keep at least 2 feet from comp

 

[MST]

Well I opted for the Soundsticks in the end, I actually got them free as a gesture of goodwill from Apple due to a few problems I'd been having with my refurbished iMac. I ended up with a brand new iMac for the price of a reburbished one and a set of speakers worth £130.

The sound is fantastic, especially when you consider the connection is analogue and not digital, the fact that they were free makes them sound even sweeter

 

[tuxtpenguin]

Congrats on the Soundsticks. I have them too and love them.

 

[tidytrev]

acoustic energy aego m's

 

[mmccaskill]

My Soundsticks come on the 11th.

 

[killiefan]

Thanks for the replies, I think I was already pretty much set on the Soundsticks but was just a little concerned that the subwoofer would be too big to place behind the iMac. I realize that positioning the subwoofer behind the iMac is not ideal as it may cause it to vibrate but fortunately it won't need to be placed that near it and so hopefully shouldn't affect it.

I to read that Soundsticks have no power switch, but as you say DarkFlash it's a very minor complaint.

There is in fact a power switch to turn the light off, it is the toggle on the back that alters the bass of the subwoofer. All you need to do is push it once and this turns it off!