Introduction
With a futuristic and breath-taking design coupled with phenomenal sound performance, Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4 is a real treat for the ears and eyes. Irrespective of being a true audiophile or a design addict, no one can afford to ignore this 2.1 channel bewitching magic that was increasingly making it into many fancy homes. Because to unleash the true powers of such a speaker system, it is very necessary to learn how to optimize its sound through equalizer settings. This review will cover the several equalizer settings you can use to listen to your songs in different genres, movies, or gaming, in the best conditions possible on your SoundSticks 4.
Reading Equalization Settings
An equalizer allows you to balance the contributions of individual frequency components in an audio signal. It can also give power to frequencies by boosting or cutting them off from the general loudness with respect to each other. It is just personal taste, for what you think sounds better with types of audio content.
Basic frequencies between equalizers ranges from:
Bass Low-End Frequencies (20 Hz – 250 Hz): This range gives depth and punch to sound, accounting for kick drums, bass guitars, and deep synths. While changing this range, some of the things you are going to get or lack in performance include depth, body, and punch.
Midrange (250Hz – 4kHz): Most of the audio content including vocals, guitars, pianos, and all other musical instruments lies in this range. This frequency range is what most determines the clarity and presence of the sound. Treble controls 4 kHz to 20 kHz. Treble manipulates those higher frequencies concerning the sharpness, brightness, and detail of the sound. It controls the clarity of vocals, cymbals, and other high-frequency sounds.
Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4: Default Audio Signature
First on the agenda before the application of any use-defined equalizer settings is the signature sound of the Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4. Pretty much straight out of the box, the SoundSticks 4 has quite a balanced sound profile, slightly biased towards low-end. The bass speaker generates the deepest and most resonant sounds, while satellite speakers deliver clear mids and relatively crisp highs. Therefore, the sound signature is fairly universal in that it will cover all audio types without needing adjustment.
Then again, as with all things in life, it may be worth changing the settings to get different aspects more or less pronounced, depending on individual taste or even the particular audio one is listening to.
Optimizing EQ Settings for Different Music Genres
1. Classical Music
Classical music is known to have a broad dynamic range with very soft sounds and extremely dynamic crescendos, not to mention a whole lot of different instruments used in different sections of the orchestra. Here are some ideas for EQ settings that will probably help the SoundSticks 4 capture the nuances of this beautiful aspect of music:
Bass: Reduce the bass a little (-2 to -3 dB) so lower frequencies don’t overshadow the delicate strings, woodwinds, and vocal sounds.
Midrange: Slightly boost the midrange (+1 to +2 dB) in order to further clarify and bring out the presence of instruments such as the violin, cello, and piano.
Treble: Raise the treble (+2 to +3 dB) in order to bring out the detail in higher-pitched instruments like flutes and piccolos and to add some sparkle to the overall sound.
The cumulative effect would thus enable a balance in the detailing of the sound to the listener. It would enable him to listen to the orchestra as a complete unit without any of its sections overpowering the others in the mix.
2. Rock Music
The music is characterized by powerful guitars accompanied with driving bass lines along with energetic drum beats making popularly indeed seem to be the rock music of the SoundSticks 4, where emphasis generally is placed midrange bases because it is a treble with very good clarity.
Bass: Increase bass (+3 to +5 dB) in order to give kick drums and guitars more depth.
Midrange: Increase midrange (+2 to +4 dB) for bringing up guitars and vocals above the rest of the band such that they really cut through it.
Treble: Leave treble flat or slightly boosted (+1 to +2 dB) in order to maximize clarity and to prevent the ‘ear-tiring’ and muddy-or-bass-heavy sound.
This will give you the most powerful, punchy sound in rock: an accurate definition of those elements which made that particular genre stand out.
3. Jazz
Like every other music, jazz is not oblivious to clarity as well as details. Jazz, on the contrary, brings attention through interplays of various instruments merging into each other. In this way, if the SoundSticks 4 is going to be tuned to jazz, it should be about a balanced EQ with a little bit of emphasis toward the midrange.
Bass: Keep bass actually flat or slightly down (-1 to -2 dB), so that upright bass and kick drums do not completely drown out other instruments in the ensemble.
Midrange: Boost midrange just a little (+2 to +3 dB) to tone the horns, to make it clearer for saxophones and vocals.
Treble: Up treble just a bit (+2 to +3 dB) to brighten and detail some cymbals, high hats, and the rest of the percussion instruments in the mix.
That equals the necessary setup for the music-it will show all very fine textures and subtle details in jazz contributing to the richest experience for the listener.
4. Electronic Dance Music (EDM).
There is an element of energy, bass and high crispness by which it becomes so important to boost the EQ:
Bass – Substantially boosting bass (+5 to +7 dB) gives more presence to the sub and makes the low-end frequencies hit hard.
Midrange – After all, cutting back the meddling midrange (-1 to -2 dB) will give room to the bass and treble.
Treble – Boosting treble preference (+3 to +5 dB) brings out those high-end heavenly details including synths, hi-hats, and other electronic effects.
These specific settings will bring forth a dynamic and powerful sound that is apt for EDM, with bass lines and drops hitting hard while keeping the highs sharp and clear.
5. Pop music
Most times, pop music will have electronic and acoustic sounds in a track with more emphasis placed on the vocals. The perfect sound tuning for pop music using SoundSticks 4 must be something between the balanced sound and a little lifting up with the midrange and treble sounds.
Bass: Bass flat or slightly boosted (+1 to +2 dB)- for warmth and depth but not dominate the vocals.
Midrange: Midrange booster (+2 to +4 dB)- brings forth the lead vocals and instruments, making them clear and present.
Treble: Treble just slightly boosted (+2 to +3) makes for shine high frequencies.
This EQ setting will create a balanced and engaging sound with the main vocal-instrumental mix in pop music.
Optimising the EQ settings for Movies and Games
1. Movies
For sound to result during watching movies, it must, as much as is possible, sound immersive and cinematic, recorded dialogue being clear with sound effects that impact and within a quite broad dynamic range, all this being achievable with the SoundSticks 4 for the following arrangements concerning EQ:
Bass: Increase the bass (+3 to +5 dB) to create impact with the subwoofer in explosions, crashes, and other low-frequency effects, making it more pronounced and resounding.
Midrange: Moderate the midrange slightly (-1 to -2 dB) because it becomes too forward, giving the overall experience a little less punchiness.
Treble: Do not boost the treble overly to enhance dialogue clarity and high-frequency sound effects.
The above mentioned will be a rich and vibrant audio signal that should create an almost cinema-like experience with rich bass playback and clear dialogue, recreating on-screen action swimmingly.
2. Gaming
In this case, sound would be relatively high in immersion and detail such that one could hear important audio cues like footsteps, gunfire, and environmental sounds. To make any possible difference to the entire SoundSticks 4 for gaming, the following EQ settings may help:
Bass: Slightly boost bass (+2 to +3 dB) to give depth in sound effects such as forming crash and explosion sounds and gunfire would now feel heavier.
Midrange: Add on (+2 to +4 dB) midrange for clearer hearing of dialogue, footsteps, and other mid-frequency sounds necessary while playing.
Treble: High-frequency sounds would now be more detectable by boosting high (+3 to +5 dB) for sounds such as footsteps, reloads, and sounds from environments.
Setting these will result in an immersive environment for your gameplay, such that in most of the details, you will know what is going on quickly within your game.
Tips on Fine-Tuning Your EQ Settings
The above EQ settings provide a good general introduction to SoundSticks 4’s optimal use. Yet, an ear and a heart differ from person to person, so one will have to tweak these EQ settings a little for better matching to individual tastes.
Diverse Content Testing: Ensure you’re testing EQ settings with several different music genres, movies, and games to make sure your equalizers can cover the whole spectrum of audio content. Those areas will be highlighted for you if there’s any need to be adjusted.
Tweaking Little Bits: Tweak a little bit at a time at each frequency band instead of making it drastic. This will give a more balanced sound, minus the unintended imbalances that may result in a more drastic bottom or top approach.
Reference Track: If you don’t know how to adjust the EQ settings on your own, try having a reference track. It is a track you are quite familiar with. Listen to how it sounds on the SoundSticks 4 and try adjusting it based on what you hear. A reference can be used for its event making as a benchmark to achieve the sound quality you’re trying to reach.
Consider the Acoustics of the Room: The room acoustics where the SoundSticks 4 are situated will have a major impact on how the sound is perceived. Harsh surfaces such as walls and floors tend to reflect sound, exacerbating some frequencies, while soft furnishing tends to absorb sound, muffling some frequencies. For instance, if you find that the EQ doesn’t sound much different in various parts of the room, perhaps you can make modifications to account for the room’s acoustics.
No Extreme Settings: It is tempting to crank bass and treble settings all the way up, but the results are generally distorted and the output sounds synthetic. Balance the extremes. Town and improve it without sacrificing audio fidelity.
Re-evaluate Settings: Listening inclinations and the types of content that people consume can change with time. One should thus regularly go back through settings and see if they still mean the same for him, or if they require tweaking.
Advanced EQ Techniques
For the seasoned audio gear user who is interested in diving even deeper into the personalization of sound, advanced EQ techniques stand in the way of further enhancing the sound performance of the Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4.
1. Parametric Equalization
Use a parametric EQ if your audio source or software allows it, and you will be able to make precise adjustments for the frequency response of your SoundSticks 4. A parametric EQ gives you not only the frequency and gain controls for each band but also the control over the width of the band (Q factor). With this kind of precision, you could effectively define a precise area of the frequency spectrum where problems are occurring and apply changes while keeping interference with neighboring frequencies at a minimum.
For example, you can now be able to narrow a bandwidth whereby the particular instrument or sound has been too pronounced or muddy in the mix, and only reduce that frequency without affecting the overall balance with respect to the sound.
2. Dynamic EQ
A dynamic Equalizer modifies the frequency response depending on the level of the input signal. This is very useful when dealing with very dynamic content such as classical music or movies. The dynamic EQ can be used to set up the specific frequencies that will be boosted or otherwise cut depending on the signal reaching it above or below a certain level. This would keep a more uniform sound through different loud audio peaks and valleys.
For example, if loud bass notes overwhelm the mix, a dynamic EQ will simply dip the bass frequencies during those peaks instead of having to apply a high-pass filter that distorts the sound during normal playing sessions.
3. Room Correction EQ
Advanced room correction equalization employs a microphone and software to measure how SoundSticks 4 respond at specific frequencies in your listening environment. From this very data, the software will create an EQ curve designed to correct any acoustical anomalies in the specific environment. The result can improve sound quality dramatically by counteracting problems that usually color sound, such as standing waves, resonances, and reflections.
This technique indeed requires a certain amount of extra hardware and software, but it is one of the most efficient ways to ensure perfect sound quality for any listening space.
Final thoughts
One of the most lavishly designed, convincingly sounding systems available today are the Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4, bringing the best sound quality for any purpose of audio, be it classical music, boisterous rock, good movie time, or gaming, per ambience, and use of equalizers.
Equalizing things around is only half the work; to fine-tune the SoundSticks 4 to your unique preferences personally and conditionally will require a basic understanding of what equalization means and a willingness to try out different settings with advanced techniques where applicable.
It just goes to show that the difference between large, medium, and small SoundSticks 4 lies in tweaking the EQ settings according to your audio content and environment. With a little patience and experimentation, one can receive the audio output that really justifies the design-moniker of these canonical speakers. Whether you appreciate booming bass or prefer treble sounds with clarity, you are free to customize SoundSticks 4 and enjoy all the rich sounds in one room.