Rating: 
Summary: Jam with the SoundSticks
Review: I've had my SoundSticks for a month now and am very happy with them. They haven't met all my expectations but they are still great. Setting up the SoundSticks is very easy (subwoofer to USB, satellites to subwoofer, AC adapter to wall socket and subwoofer) and there is no software to install. The only chore you'll have to do is click on the sound icon in System Preferences and select the SoundSticks as the audio output. The glowing blue light in the subwoofer is cool, but dim enough that it hasn't become annoying. And of course, this three-speaker set looks terrific next to my iMac. Sound wise I'm very impressed. Everything is louder and clearer than it was with the round speakers that came with my iMac. But there is a downside to this. Things are so much louder that even on the iMacs lowest volume setting, I can hear every sound the machine makes perfectly clear. Most users will probably have to adjust volume levels in such programs as iTunes and iMovie to much lower settings so as not to go deaf. I've kept my iMac volume at two or three bars since installing the SoundSticks. I'm less impressed with the subwoofer. Maybe I had too high of expectations, but the bass never seems to get very heavy. Could be that I'd have to get a more powerful subwoofer to achieve gut rumbling bass. I've tested the subwoofer with 'The Matrix' and was not as impressed as I'd hoped to be even on the subwoofers highest setting. Still the bass it produces is MUCH better than anything the standard iMac speakers produced. So overall, I'm very happy with my SoundSticks. They look great and are a big improvement over the standard speakers. I'm sure for a bit more money you get a system that sounds even better, but I want to keep my peripherals as in line with the iMac design scheme as possible.
Rating: 
Summary: Works for me in OSX
Review: In response to rarevideo's critique - I've had no problems in OS9 or OSX, now running OSX 10.1.5. The cable could be longer but they work well and sound great.
Rating: 
Summary: Well, good speakers but why those?
Review: It is good product, arguably the best speakers in the plastic inclosure. All around beautiful and well pumping, but for the price, why not take a look for the PRO sector for studio monitors?! There are plenty of $200 range HIGH quality products that will blow away any of those "computer dedicated". To name just a few, "Roland/Edirol", Fostex, Alesis and many other offer PERFECT quality small speakers that initially have been dedicated to pro audio studios. You can get the REAL thing for the money. Trust me, you will reinvent all of you music library with any of those and because the quality of dedicated drivers and exceptional engineering will contribute a lot to your pleasure. I do not trying to say that those are bad, they are not, but the price of this set is archaic. Price-wise it still in the 1999 when Apple introduced Cube for rich guys. Well, Apple since became much more affordable, but not the "Sticks". Of course it is entirely up to-you take my advice or not, but if you will I hope you should be grateful for it. Take look at bhphotovideo.com or jandr.com , they both are superb stores, the best of the best and sell through Amazon as well.
Rating: 
Summary: aint the best
Review: KLIPSCH RULEZ!!their 2.1 system is far superior to any other 2.1 speaker system on the planet for under $X! much more powerful & the clearest there is!
Rating:
Summary: Let Me Get Some Things Straight
Review: Let me get some things straight. First of all, this product does work with Mac OS X. How would I know? I myself run OS X, unlike some people I know, and my Sound Sticks work fine with it. I've been running OS X ever since it came out. My Sound Sticks have worked with every version of Mac OS X I've used! It is absurd to think that the new Apple operating system does not support popular Apple-related products! Yes there is an external power adapter, however, it is very small, light, and concealable. I presently live in London, and need to use a 240-120 volt converter. The power adapter hardly compares to the converter I have to use with every 120 volt appliance I own.
Some people have complained about the Sub volume control being on the back of it. Why does this matter? The Sub is meant to be on the floor. You couldn't access the control conveniently their anyway, even if it was on the front. In addition, the control does not even control the volume of the whole system. It is supposed to be used to adjust the amount of bass in relation to treble, since bass resonates very differently in different environments. I do not keep mine at full volume, unlike most people, because it drowns out the treble. (I do admit I used to.) The sub woofer was overpowered, for those who use their Sound Sticks in an environment in which bass does not resonate very well. Also, those who keep their woofer on their desk will be sorely disappointed with its output, because like any other woofer, this woofer was not designed to function anyplace other than floor! Why is there no volume control? Wake up! There is! It is on your Apple Pro Keyboard, where it is most easily accessible. Sound Sticks were designed to be used with Apple computers. That is why they are best supported by Apple Computers, and even resemble Apple computers. For those who don't own an Apple, tough luck! Go out and buy some of those cheap tacky pc computer speakers! Otherwise, don't complain! PC's and Macs are not compatible, so don't expect them to be. It seems that the people who happen to hate Sound Sticks are PC users who expect Sound Sticks to do impossible things. As far as I can tell, Sound Sticks are the perfect Mac companion. They look great, sound great, and are incredibly easy to install and maintain. Hey, you don't even have to turn them on and off! They are fully integrated into your Mac setup: part of Steve Jobs' dream of the digital hub. But I'm sorry to say, no they can't fly or swim, as they might appear to be able to do. No, they don't function properly when placed in a cardboard box and thrown out the window, or when hung upside-down from the ceiling, I tried placing them next to my PC, but did not plug them in, and they didn't work. So I'm returning them, and am going back to those cheep beige things that look and sound like poop...
Rating:
Summary: Rockin' the Dorm. Soon to Be Rockin' My House
Review: My son wrote from college complaining that his IMac built in speakers weren't delivering the bass he expected. I sent him these speakers and he was really quite pleased. He brought them home on Christmas break because I wanted to hear them . . . WoW. My computer music has NEVER sounded better. And the clear acrylic, organically shaped components look GOOD anywhere. I'm ordering a set for myself.
Rating:
Summary: TOO TOO COOL
Review: Not only are these the most beautiful speakers ever designed they sound good enough that I retired my venerable Speakerlab's and just listen to my Cube with iTunes as a jukebox. I think they sound great and recommend them.
Rating: 
Summary: Great form, poor function
Review: Poor midrange, poor lows and hard to reach volume control for the sub. At this price point there are far better choices. Klipsch Promedia 2.1, Logitech Z560, Monsoon MM-1000, Altec Lansing 641's to name a few. If you're shopping speakers, do yourself a favor and listen to brands I list above first. The soundsticks are ridiculously outclassed at this price point and catagory. The only thing that they have going for them is looks. Definitely not recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Cool looks, decent sound, not for everyone
Review: The industrial design is striking, and a perfect complement to the 17" Studio Display I have. The satellites, sub (with a blue glowing LED), and even the cabling shares the current Apple design cues. The sound is quite clean for computer speakers, and clearly superior to the old, cheap Labtecs I had before. These are not audiophile speakers, but very good for casual listening of MP3s, internet radio, etc. The subwoofer (like all subs) is sensitive to placement, moving it further or closer to the wall changes the way it melds together with the satellites. Regardless of the sub level setting, there is a bit of a hole in frequency response between it and satellites. The sub doesn't go very deep, so you'll miss the lowest registers of pipe organs or the deeper tremors of ambient techno; and the high bass / lower midrange is a bit boomy. The satellites are extremely directional by design. The high frequency sweet spot is very narrow both vertically and horizontally; sitting 2 feet away from them the highs dim out quite a bit just 5 inches off the direct line from the speakers. This is nice for quiet listening in cubes or with significant other watching TV in the next room; but the crisp sound is definitely aimed at the person at the screen, and won't fill the room for a party. The max sound level is plenty to cause floor-wide Nerf-missile wars in a cubicle environment or evil looks from downstairs neighbor of apartment dwellers; but not really enough for that stadium feel. If I sound negative after all this, don't get me wrong: these are great speakers for the purpose and money. Just make sure you're planning to use them for what they were designed for: getting clean sound directly in front of the screen!
Rating:
Summary: Cool looks, decent sound, not for everyone
Review: The industrial design is striking, and a perfect complement to the 17" Studio Display I have. The satellites, sub (with a blue glowing LED), and even the cabling shares the current Apple design cues. The sound is quite clean for computer speakers, and clearly superior to the old, cheap Labtecs I had before. These are not audiophile speakers, but very good for casual listening of MP3s, internet radio, etc. The subwoofer (like all subs) is sensitive to placement, moving it further or closer to the wall changes the way it melds together with the satellites. Regardless of the sub level setting, there is a bit of a hole in frequency response between it and satellites. The sub doesn't go very deep, so you'll miss the lowest registers of pipe organs or the deeper tremors of ambient techno; and the high bass / lower midrange is a bit boomy. The satellites are extremely directional by design. The high frequency sweet spot is very narrow both vertically and horizontally; sitting 2 feet away from them the highs dim out quite a bit just 5 inches off the direct line from the speakers. This is nice for quiet listening in cubes or with significant other watching TV in the next room; but the crisp sound is definitely aimed at the person at the screen, and won't fill the room for a party. The max sound level is plenty to cause floor-wide Nerf-missile wars in a cubicle environment or evil looks from downstairs neighbor of apartment dwellers; but not really enough for that stadium feel. If I sound negative after all this, don't get me wrong: these are great speakers for the purpose and money. Just make sure you're planning to use them for what they were designed for: getting clean sound directly in front of the screen!
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