Hello guys 
 
Iam anew guy here
 
I want to buy a new 2.1 set for my pc
after some search i ended up with either edifier 730s or harman kardon soundsticks iii
 
which one do you recomend?
 
I heard HK in a friends set up and it sounded a bit dull andrequired lot of setting to address various uses (music/games/movies)

So - you are comparing a $500 system to a $170 system??

http://www.amazon.com/Harman-Kardon-Soundsticks-III-Multimedia/dp/B0042F3K9W
http://www.amazon.com/Edifier-USA-S730-Multimedia-Speaker/dp/B004EOOAXQ

it is irrational to me also.... but there are mixed critics in forums ....
some say that 730S are the best 2.1 speakers while other stick with soundsticks


My previous set was an old edifier c30 that i was not very happy about but it was a very cheap one (around £40)
 
now that i saved some money and have a stable job i decided to satisfy the amateur audiophile inside me ... and the game inside me....
 
i read all the reviews of SS 3 and most of them are marvelous but i have seen only scattered reviews about the 730s probably because of the high cost.
 
i tried the SS and i was not happy .... some sounds were vivid while some background once were totally drowned and dull

but having read all these marvelous reviews of ss3 i was afraid to spend more for the expensive 730s  if iam not going to get much better sound

If you have $500 to spend, then I think you can do better than either of them by putting your own components together.

Amp:
http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-dta-120-class-t-mini-amplifier-60-wpc--300-3800

Speakers:
http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-b652-air-6-1-2-bookshelf-speaker-pair-with-amt-tweeter--300-651

Sub:
http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-sub-1000-10-100-watt-powered-subwoofer--300-628

Total Price: $268.60 w/ free shipping

If you need a soundcard, you can add the Fiio E10K DAC for $76.
http://www.parts-express.com/fiio-e10k-olympus-2-usb-dac-headphone-amplifier--230-148

Total Price: $344.59

Add cables from Monoprice.com

Have you considered getting a good set of studio monitors? Often the best way to get high quality sound in powered speakers.

And are you still in the UK?

yes iam still in UK

no i havent thought about studio monitors 

does it matter that they dont have subwoofer? (sorryy iam a noob in this field ...)

A studio monitor with a 5 or 6" driver might not extent quite as deep in bass extension as some computer multimedia 2.1 sets with subs, but probably would have better SQ. So depends on what you want. And you could always add a sub later if you need deeper bass.

A good 5 inch studio monitor can go quite low. For example, i have a pair of jbl hs305 (which are fantastic by the way), and i have no desire to add a subwoofer so far. The only thing they can't do are those really low basslines (the kind that can be felt) that's found in drum and bass, some hiphop, and organs.
 
Just remember that speaker placement is VERY important (especially rear ported designs) before you make any final conclusions when buying and testing speakers.