Supreme x Harman Kardon SoundSticks
The original behind the Supreme x Harman Kardon SoundSticks is the Harman Kardon Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4 — $350 retail vs Supreme's $398.
Supreme vs. Original
About the original
Harman Kardon was founded in 1953 in Westbury, New York. The original SoundSticks, designed by Jonathan Ive's firm Lunar Design (later commercialized by Apple's design team) and released in 2000, used four-by-one transducer satellites and a transparent dome subwoofer; the design has been in MoMA's permanent collection since 2002. The SoundSticks 4 (2020) updated the bowl with Bluetooth 4.2, a 140-watt amp, and capacitive touch controls. The FW2023 Supreme version is a standard SoundSticks 4 with a printed Supreme logo on the subwoofer dome; released October 12, 2023 at $398.
About Harman Kardon
Harman Kardon is an American audio manufacturer founded in 1953 by Sidney Harman and Bernard Kardon in Westbury, New York. Each partner invested $5,000 after leaving the David Bogen Company, and in 1954 they released the A-100 AM/FM tuner and the Festival D-1000, the world's first integrated hi-fi receiver. The company's Citation series amplifiers became reference equipment for high-fidelity listening through the 1960s. Harman Kardon now operates as part of Harman International, owned by Samsung since 2017, and supplies audio systems to BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and other automakers. Supreme collaborated with Harman Kardon on the Onyx Studio 7 portable Bluetooth speaker for Fall/Winter 2022.
Price comparison
| Supreme retail | $398 |
|---|---|
| Harman Kardon retail | $350 |
| Hype tax | +14% |
Questions
Is the Supreme x Harman Kardon SoundSticks just the regular Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4?
The Supreme x Harman Kardon SoundSticks, released in Fall/Winter 2023, is based on the Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4. Supreme collabs sometimes change the colorway or materials; the description on this page covers the original's specs and any notable differences in the Supreme version. If you want the product without the box logo, the Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4 is the one to buy.
How much cheaper is the Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4 than the Supreme version?
Supreme charged $398 for the Supreme x Harman Kardon SoundSticks; the Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4 retails for $350. That's a 14% markup — buying the original saves you $48, or 12% off the Supreme price. Buy the original at retail and you skip the hype tax entirely.
Where can I buy the Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4?
You can buy the Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4 from Amazon or from World Wide Stereo. Retail price is $350. The buy links on this page go straight to the product listing at each retailer.
Related items
All Harman Kardon items · All Accessories · Fall/Winter 2023