Harman Kardon Soundsticks 4

Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4 – Iconic Transparent 2.1 Bluetooth Speaker System

The SoundSticks design has been turning heads since the original appeared in 2000, and the fourth generation keeps the transparent, sculptural form while rebuilding the audio underneath it. Two satellite sticks, each carrying four full-range drivers, stand either side of the clear dome subwoofer. Together they deliver 140 watts RMS — serious output for a desktop or living-room system — with Bluetooth streaming and a wired input for computers, televisions and consoles. It is one of the few speaker systems people choose partly as an object, and then keep because it sounds as good as it looks.

Key features

• 2.1 system: two satellite speakers and a dome subwoofer in transparent housings
• 140 W RMS total output power
• Eight 1.4-inch full-range drivers, four in each satellite
• 5.25-inch subwoofer driver for deep, controlled bass
• Frequency response of 40 Hz – 20 kHz and 80 dB signal-to-noise ratio
• Bluetooth 4.2 wireless streaming with A2DP and AVRCP profiles
• Wired auxiliary input for computers, TVs and other sources
• Touch controls with the signature rippled inner-surface design

Why eight small drivers work

Each satellite is a slim column holding four 1.4-inch full-range transducers in a line. Spreading the output across four small drivers instead of one larger cone keeps the column narrow while moving enough air for clear, room-filling sound, and the vertical arrangement gives even coverage whether you are seated at a desk or across a room. The satellites handle everything above the bass region, which leaves them free of the strain that makes small speakers sound harsh when pushed.

The dome subwoofer

Low frequencies are the subwoofer’s whole job. Its 5.25-inch driver sits in the clear dome enclosure that gives the system its name, producing the bass weight behind film effects, electronic music and games, with the system’s response reaching down to 40 Hz. Because the subwoofer handles only the bottom end, it can be placed on the floor or a low shelf near the desk without pulling the stereo image off centre — bass at these frequencies is effectively non-directional.

Connections and everyday use

Bluetooth 4.2 pairs with phones, tablets and laptops for cable-free listening, while the auxiliary input gives a permanent wired connection to a desktop computer, monitor or television with zero pairing fuss. Touch-sensitive controls on the satellite handle volume, and the system runs from a 24 V power supply, so setup is a single mains connection plus the speaker cables between the three pieces.

On a desk, or as a small-room system

At a desk the SoundSticks 4 is a large step up from monitor speakers: proper stereo separation, real bass, and enough headroom that near-field listening never strains it. In a living room it works as a compact music and TV system for smaller spaces, where its design is as much a part of the appeal as its sound. Either way it occupies little surface area — the satellites stand just 84 mm square at the base.

If you want a speaker system that is openly designed to be looked at, and engineered well enough to justify the attention, the SoundSticks 4 is still in a class of its own.