I returned to the new version of the speakers I fell in love with in high school

You can’t talk about the home audio world without mentioning one of Harman Kardon’s most iconic products – the Soundsticks series. When I think of speakers that evoke emotion and not just play sound, it’s always those transparent ones. Even in high school, I would stare at their pictures in catalogs and stores, insisting and pleading with my parents to agree to buy them. They seemed like an object from the future – not just another boring black box, but a transparent work of art with presence on the desk. In the end, I didn’t get them back then, and they remained a small dream that stayed with me for years.

A few years later, already a discharged soldier with some money, I decided to treat myself. I found a pair of these speakers for NIS 999, bought them without thinking twice, and from that moment they accompanied me for a long time. They were there when I came home from work, hosted friends, moved out on my own, and listened to favorite albums from start to finish. They became part of my home landscape and, for me, much more than a gadget – they became a living memory, part of my personal soundtrack.

So when I saw that Harman Kardon chose to bring back the series with an updated design under the name Soundstick 5, it was almost emotional. This is not just a new product but a connection between nostalgia and relevance. The look stays true to the original spirit – transparent, bold, different – but with a modern twist, technological updates, and a design touch that feels fitting for 2025.

The new model was sent to us for review by the Bug chain, the official importer in Israel, and from the first moment I opened the box, it was hard to remain indifferent. My personal connection to them made the experience even more moving, but even objectively, it’s clear why this is an exceptional product. After weeks of listening, testing, and comparisons, we came to one clear conclusion: These are speakers that not only play music but create an experience. And most importantly? We fell in love all over again.

As expected from a premium product, the Soundsticks 5 packaging is meticulous and organized. Each component sits in a dedicated cavity, well-wrapped for protection, so that from the moment you open it, you get a sense of a quality product. Inside, you’ll find everything needed to start playing immediately: The subwoofer unit, two speakers, the appropriate cables, and a short, clear instruction booklet.

The connection is simple and quick – less than two minutes of work. Connect the speakers to the subwoofer, plug in the power, and the system is ready to go. In addition to the classic wired connection, the system also supports Bluetooth, so you can play music directly from your phone, computer, or tablet without dealing with cables.

Those who grew up with the third generation of Soundsticks, like me, remember that transparent design, almost naive by today’s standards. Back in the early 2000s, it looked futuristic: Seeing all the cables, drivers, and connections exposed behind transparent plastic – it was bold and different from anything we knew. But in 2025, that complete transparency has somewhat lost its charm and became a bit clunky, even slightly “toy-like.”

Over the years, Harman Kardon tried to refine this language. The fourth generation already included cleaner white elements, an attempt to give the product a conservative Scandinavian touch with more rounded, designed lines. Still – it remained in the space of “beautiful, but not really a modern icon.”

Then came the fifth generation. Here, it’s a significant leap. The new design preserves the legendary concept of a transparent structure with a dome-shaped subwoofer and two standing speakers, but wraps it in a mature, luxurious, and almost “audiophile” look. The transparent plastic has a dark smoky tint that conceals the innards just enough so the magic of transparency remains – but without looking cheap. The speakers are slimmer and more elegant, with subtle RGB lighting adding a premium feel, and the bases look much more refined.

In other words – anyone who remembers the Soundsticks 3 as I do will immediately feel that the product has truly evolved. It’s no longer a “cool transparent speaker” but a design piece that can fit into a luxurious living room, a tech office, or a styled bedroom. The futuristic look remains, but it’s undergone a facelift that makes it sophisticated and up-to-date, looking natural on a 2025 shelf.

One of the most pleasant surprises of the Soundsticks 5 is not just how they look, but how they sound. The built-in lighting – both on the speakers and inside the subwoofer – adds a layer of ambiance, especially when working at a desk in the office. These are not flashy lights trying to steal the show, but subtle color touches that change gently, creating an environment pleasant to spend time in.

When I turned the volume slightly above my usual level, I immediately remembered why I fell in love with this series years ago. The sound they produce remains exactly what I expected – clean, sharp, precise, and most importantly, balanced. The bass is deep and full but not overpowering; midrange sounds are clear and well-positioned in the mix; and the highs are simply crisp. This makes them not just music speakers but also an excellent choice for gaming – where it’s very important to feel every note, step, and sound effect.

I took, for example, a song I love – “Tattoo” by Loreen. Her vocals sounded dramatic and precise, with depth and a sense of a wide stage. The instruments didn’t blend into each other but had real space in the musical picture, and every note was felt. It reminded me of a live performance, even when I was sitting alone in the room.

The great advantage of this system is the stereo separation. While in recent years we’ve become accustomed to a wave of wireless mono speakers, here you get a full stereo experience thanks to the long cables that allow real spacing between the speakers. And it might sound obvious – music is recorded and mixed in stereo – but experiencing it again makes it hard to go back. Drums sound powerful, gaining an extra dimension from the subwoofer; deep male voices don’t get lost in the bass but stand separately and clearly; and acoustic guitars shimmer with every strum.

One of the things that surprised me about the Soundsticks 5 is how simple it is to connect to a TV or computer. A single HDMI ARC connection solves many headaches: Connect once, and the system is automatically recognized without complicated menus or unnecessary cables. For me, this was a big change – instead of dealing with adapters or strange audio outputs, there’s one connection that works. I watched a series in the evening, and the quality was immediately noticeable – dialogues were clear, effects were deep, and everything worked effortlessly.

There’s also an app called Harman Kardon One, which allows controlling the settings from your phone. It’s not mandatory but useful: You can adjust the equalizer, change the lighting style, and update the software. For example, I adjusted the brightness of the lights because they were a bit too dominant in my office, and it was fixed within seconds.

Another interesting feature is AuraCast support, which allows connecting multiple compatible speakers together. It’s less useful for me since I work in one room, but for someone with a large living room or who wants sound spread at a party – it could be a very good option.

In terms of technical specifications – 190W RMS power and a frequency response of 40Hz–20kHz. On paper, it sounds impressive, but in practice, it’s mostly felt in the bass depth and the ability to maintain clean sound even at high volume. A signal-to-noise ratio of 80dB might not interest most people, but it explains why even in complete silence, you don’t hear hums or unnecessary noise from the speakers themselves.

In the end, the Soundsticks 5 manage to preserve everything that made this series iconic – a unique design that catches the eye, simple usability, and sound that delivers far beyond what you’d expect from a home speaker system. After a few weeks with them, it’s hard to imagine going back to the simple speakers I was used to.

What makes this package even more attractive is the price: NIS 1,299 at Bug. It’s not a trivial amount, but relative to what you get – it’s excellent value. The design alone could justify a higher price tag, and the sound that comes with it simply completes the package. This is a speaker system that sits perfectly on the line between accessible premium and a product that can accompany you for years without feeling the need to upgrade.