Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Personally I would go with the Harmon Karden set because of the dedicated woofer. I like sets with a separate woofer because I can put it under my desk and have a richer bass than just satellites. It really depends on where you're going to put them and what your preferences/uses are though.
 
Listen, I had the Soundsticks III for quite some time. They are brilliant. After some break-in, a week or two, they really started to shine. I highly recommend them.
 
I would go for the sound sticks because I'm completely against bose (they are the monster cable of the speaker industry). If you want a little more power, check out the klipsch promedia 2.1, I chose these over the sound sticks and don't regret it all. They sound amazing, great response in all spectrums, and an amazing subwoofer (130w). They also are pretty close in price to the soundsticks but you do give up a lot of aesthetics, I don't blame you I had the same reservations, I really like everything to match my iMac. Just a thought if you want more power, otherwise go for the sound sticks.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.