The SoundSticks II improves on the original model to reduce the near-field bias so the sound is clear even whether you're close or far, standing or sitting. The four independent speakers in each satellite still do a great job separating the instruments -- better than most 5.1-channel surround-sound systems. (While great for watching DVDs, "surround sound" doesn't do justice to music. When has a band or orchestra ever surrounded an audience?)
Another great thing about the SoundSticks' new design is that it has drastically reduced the price of the original model -- if you can find a set; they've been discontinued. I bought a set to replace the Nuke that bombed and am damn pleased. Ask me again in a year.
Haraman/Kardon HKTS121
NT$17,000
Here's the H/K system for home-theater enthusiasts, especially those with a big home. The 150-watt subwoofer can be overpowering for smaller-sized spaces. The advantage to this model though, is that it employs the same four-independent-speaker satellites found in the SoundSticks model and adds another three satellites -- two more for the back and one for the center channel. As with the Aperion, you can't adjust things independently. Though half the price of the Aperion, the HKTS12 is arguably a better system for having kept one eye (or is it ear?) on economy. Should you buy the Aperion system, it will come in a crate with each component individually wrapped in a velvet bag. Luxurious, yes, but it does nothing toward making the system sound better, except when reading about it.
For it's part, the HKTS12 -- TS for theater system -- comes in a simple cardboard box with ugly Styrofoam packing and it's connectors are brass instead of gold but it is comparable in sound to the Aperion, and for half the price. It's possible to be an audiophile without being a zealot -- which leads us to perhaps the best deal on the market.
Altec Lansing AVS300
NT$1,200
Here is a system that will fill your living room with sound without emptying your pocket of money. The two satellites each have a 10cm footprint, but hold 7cm drivers inside that produce strong midrange and ample treble to keep cymbal crashes crisp and capture the nuances of a human voice. It doesn't disperse instruments quite as well as the Harman/Kardon system, but Altec Lansing costs a fraction of any H/K system.
The subwoofer is the star of the show. At just over 11cm in diameter, it produces enough sound to match or top systems that are priced much higher.
Of course, the price is a reflection of the trade-offs that you don't see because they're not there: independent volume and bass/treble controls. Lastly, there is a common glitch with all these systems and most of the multimedia systems available on the market: There is no headphone jack.
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