I came from a couple of nice JBL speakers (that we think were MSRP at ~$200) that I got at OfficeMax Ten years ago, on clearance, for ~$30. These became the standard where I judged other sound systems, rightly or wrongly, because I was thinking they sounded better than another computer speakers I'd heard, along with most average home sound systems/speakers. (I've never gone beyond a $300 receiver or $300 7.1 system, so I can't say). I've also had past experiences along with other computer speakers that have been underwhelming, therefore i had been questioning whether I might sometimes be happy with these. But, I purchased Harman Kardon Soundsticks III since they were very well liked according to my research in this price range.
When I first got them create and volume-adjusted, I knew them to be a minimum of as effective as the speakers I originated in, that has been a relief. I thought that my JBL speakers were very crisp and clear in comparison to other speakers I've heard however these were definitely nicer, and in a position to capture elements of songs that got lost inside the noise of my old speakers. Overall I was pretty happy with my purchase. I tested the Amazon reviews and saw a review by an audiophile, who gave some recommendations to position the speakers several feet apart and aim them directly at your ears. These suggestions was very well-taken, and that i went from being happy with that they sound, to being almost *stunned* at how they sound now. Keep in mind that I'm completely not an audiophile, so perhaps my perspective about this is naive. I dunno. I'd imagine audiophiles will be relatively happy with these Harman Kardon Soundsticks III, along with your person with average skills with a capable ear would think they sound fantastic.
If you use something similar to Winamp, I would suggest Stereotool something like that to include some clarity for the sound to obtain stunning crispness. I'm running Linux and taking advantage of Audacious as my audio player, and I'm while using the Crystallizer plugin, and setting the preamp to 3.0 db. That's all I need to be really pleased with my sound with these speakers. ;)
So, if you're tossing round the idea of purchasing these Harman Kardon Soundsticks III, I will say that I have been impressed using them, after having purchased them within the same situation.