Customer Reviews

Harman Kardon Champagne 3-Piece Computer Speakers (Black)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This speaker system is absolutely amazing. The sound clarity and quality are as good of those on a Bose Stereo system! Whether you are playing a computer game, or listening to music, the sound is superb.

The positive aspects of this speaker system are that Harman Karmen has an excellent reputation, the speakers are very modern, unique, and stylish, the speakers are extremely small, there are convenient controls on top of small speakers ( + and - symbols control the volume)and you can control the surround sound, the bass, etc on the subwoofer, and the sound is excellent. In the directions, it said that you should place the speakers a certain distance from the monitor because it interferes with it...I have not had trouble with that even though my speakers are very close to the monitor. In addition, it takes 3 minutes, literally, to set these speakers up.

This Harman Karden speaker system has an excellent value, and you should definitely consider it if you are looking for great surround sound at a decent price.

My goal in purchasing the Harmon Kardon Champagne speakers was to simply produce sound superior to that of the internal speakers in my Sony Vaio laptop. I wanted something compact and inexpensive, figuring the quality can't be a major differentiator at this price point. My expectations have been greatly exceeded.

Scanning Craigslist, I came across someone selling these speakers as an unneeded accessory to her Dell computer. The speakers appeared to be very well suited for my limited desk space. The champagne-flute design is both compact and very aesthetically pleasing. The subwoofer has a small form factor as well, which is appealing in a Manhattan apartment.

While I purchase the set secondhand, the sound quality is vastly superior to that produced by my $150 Sony compact stereo. Playing a wide variety of mp3's on my Vaio, the sound is crystal clear and well defined. Voice, guitar, piano, cymbals, and bass come through with remarkable clarity.

The small form factor of the two main speakers, each about the same size and shape as an actual champagne flute, allows placement directly on my desk besides my 16" laptop screen. With the speakers 20 inches from the listener, the timbre is excellent.

At 10" high and 8" wide, the elliptical-frustum-shaped (check a geometry text) subwoofer has great base and excellent aesthetics. However, it would be nice, if possible, to have the controls and power switch accessible from the speakers. Presumably, this would distract from their sleek shape. To be somewhat critical, the subwoofer seems to get a bit overwhelmed by songs with deep base such as Sade's "By Your Side" when the base control is at its maximum setting.

Having a couple of friends who are audiophiles, I have spent significant time listening to $30k systems. While this $20 setup can't compare, the value is unsurpassed. It is actually hard to believe this quality of sound comes from a hard drive and such diminutive speakers.

One feature that is rather interesting, but not appealing to some customers, is a "softswitch" on the top of the left speaker. It raises and lowers the volume with no indicator light. This is highly undesirable in many scenarios. When there is a problem with connectivity or the system itself, one doesn't know if the volume is elevated. Likewise, turning on the computer with the speakers connected and powered, the user will have no indication of how loud the first sounds will be at first.

Pros
* Great Sound Quality
* Compact Design
* Fabulous Aesthetics

Cons
* No volume indicator
* Could use additional inputs for right and left audio (cable box, TIVO, DVD player)

great sounding speakers,sleek design,small satelites.powerful sub woofer,great highs,crisp midtones,driving bass. only things i don't like is +- on speaker does not have have numerical settings for volume 1-10, ok thats picky, but the on off control is on the subwoofer in the back on the bottom.it says to place it 2 feet from the monitor.i don't have a big table so i place it on the floor.so its a pain to bend down to the floor avery time i want to turn the speskers on or off. overall this system features excellent quality at a reasonable price.best bang for the buck.

I received these speakers for my birthday last October, since my friends were tired of hearing my complaints about the awful speakers my computer came with. They truly are the best computer speakers I have heard priced at less than $$$. They have a very neutral sound, i.e. non-boomy bass, smooth mids, and crisp but not overly bright treble. The frequency response is also impressively flat overall, aside from a small dip in the lower midrange, which I have noticed with every computer speaker system. The gain limiting is very good, as the speakers can be at full volume with little to no distortion. They sound at least a million times better than a Bose Acoustimass system. I have noticed that they get grainy when the equalization isn't flat and the surround setting is turned up, so just keep those set to the middle, keep the EQ on your computer off and prepare to be blown away. My nit to pick...Satellites tip over somewhat easily, so place them carefully.

If you are in the market for computer speakers, these are for you. They have it all, loud sound, sleak looks, and kickin' bass. I was blown away the first time i plugged them into my computer. I would not hesitate to recommend these speakers to a friend.

These speakers came standard with my new dell computer. for the standard speaker package they are amazing. I'm a college student and these speakers are sufficient for my room. However I've gotten pretty into sound and gaming and now I am looking for a fuller system. These speakers are good for a basic user, but the bass isnt very high output and they lack true multi channel feel. All in all if your just looking for basic pretty loud speakers for your music and games these are the speakers to go with, but if you want very high quality accurate multi channel speakers go with a true 4.1 or 5.1 system.

I purchased these speakers and I am not disappointed. Magnificient sound using a Turtle Beach "Santa Cruz" Sound Card. Well worth the price!

I've had my HK Speakers for a couple of years now and shortly after the warranty expired (isn't it always the case) the sub developed a fault whereby the bass would erratically become extremely 'boomy' - I've since traced the fault to a dodgy bass control knob but unfortunately cannot seem to gain access to effect a repair.

Otherwise sound quality is superb and aesthetics beautiful although I take the point others have made about a poorly-located volume control.

I bought my Dell with this HK sorround system. After I read a lot of rewiewers here, I understand that many of them should change their souncards, as well as go to the controlpanel and set the major soundvolume. Use the programs wmp/realpl/-etc,
and use the local volume for the program you are using. It should be more than enough, unless you are using a hearing aid.
And the quality is not superb, but very good for the price.
thm4855
Molde, Norway.

Hooked up these great speakers to my DVD player. Incredible sound out of the little ones with nice bassy sound from the sub-woofer. Watch 'Saving Private Ryan' and it sounds like theres bullets flying around your head. Very very cool. You'll enjoy these on your PC or Home Theater system. You'll need the rc adapter to hook them up to your stereo though. Very happy.