The cube look lives on: Harman/Kardon launches soundsticks in version 5
Harman/Kardon has repeatedly reissued the speakers that once went well with the Power Mac G4 Cube. Now comes a new round for the soundsticks.
The fifth edition of Soundsticks is due to be launched in November.
(Image: Harman/Kardon)
Everything is so colorful here – and not just transparent: The electronics manufacturer Harman/Kardon, now part of Samsung, has announced the fifth generation of its well-known Soundsticks speakers. The combination of subwoofer and two stock-shaped tweeter and midrange arrays is thus entering the next round: the audio device has been launched in ever new versions since 2000. It was initially released in conjunction with the iMac G3 and the Power Mac G4 Cube. The subwoofer, once called iSub, is said to have been developed by Apple's former head of design Jony Ive.
Desktop, standalone, on the TV
The Soundsticks 5, which are already listed in the Otto Group store, are still primarily intended for desktop use on a computer, but can also be used as a Bluetooth standalone device or for a stereo-based home entertainment system. The main innovations are two color variants: The standard version in transparent white and a black with a smoked glass look.
LEDs that can be used to generate lighting effects are also integrated for the first time. They are located in the tweeters and mid-range speakers as well as in the subwoofer. The manufacturer refers to this as an "integrated light show".
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Classic 2.1 sound, control via app
The speakers, which will go on sale for 330 euros by the beginning of December at the latest, come with Bluetooth 5.4, but are also compatible with HDMI audio with ARC to connect them to a TV. The 2.1 sound remains, Dolby Atmos is not available here. A subwoofer, six mid-range speakers and two tweeters are installed. AirPlay does not appear to be planned initially, but Auracast can be used to combine several speakers. An app is used to control the equalizer and the light setting used.
However, the speakers can also be adjusted via a "touch control panel". It remains to be seen what has happened to the sound. Harman/Kardon speaks of 190 watts of power with a frequency response of 40 hertz to 20 kilohertz. The last time the soundsticks were on offer was as a special edition from the hipster brand Supreme. They are now only available second-hand for almost 2000 euros.
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