Philips HSB2351 Soundbar
Product Description
The Philips HSB2381 SoundBar with 1080p HDMI brings audio and video to life with integrated speakers, amplifiers, built-in FM tuner and DVD player. This sound bar fits with any 32 inches and above Philips TV. It has HDMI 1080p for true high definition video upscaling and a Dolby virtual speaker for theater audio experience. The HSB2351 fits your space and your lifestlye with sophisticated design that matches your flat TV and flexible placemnet on the wll, tabletop or stand.
Features:
- Soundbar with integrated speakers, amplifiers and DVD player
- 1080p HDMI with true high definition video upscaling
- Built-in FM tuner
- Dolby virtual speaker for theater audio experienece
- MP3 Link for playback from portable media players
Price At Amazon.com: $179.99
Average User Rating: 3.0
No of Reviews: 2
Click Below To Buy at Amazon.com
Philips HSB2351 Soundbar
thevoiceofreason12345
22 Dec, 2009
1st thing I noticed is that the box was superlight. Felt like nothing was in it.
Opened the box, took out both speakers and noticed a problem with one of them. It had 2 things rattling inside. One sounded like a driver, and the other sounded like a screw. Not a good sign.
There is no way for the consumer to open the speaker to fix since the plastic is permanently closed.
No need to set up the entire system, with a bad speaker. Decided to send everything back. Tiger Direct has a great return policy and sent me a return authorization immediately by email. Hopefully everything else goes well with the return. I will send out tomorrow.
A few observations:
1. This is basically a jam box with detachable speakers. And it is SMALL! Much smaller than one would think.
2. It is superlight and feels really plastic and cheap.
3. It does not come with separate subwoofer and claims to have the subwoofer “integrated” into the cheap plastic casing somewhere or another (I assume in the middle unit that houses everything else? But with something this light, I can’t imagine where the driver would be or how pathetically small it would be.
After getting a look and feel for this unit, I’m just returning it instead of exchanging.
I have no idea about the sound quality, but it really can’t be that great in regard to bass and stereo spread. This seems more suited for a dorm room, kitchen, kids room, etc… The sound quality may be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I doubt it. There is a reason why a subwoofer is typically a bit heavy, and it’s the driver…….you just can’t get around that issue.
I bought this originally for my grandparents. I wanted something that would have everything in one unit and would be easy to operate, have HDMI out, etc… This fits the bill except for the cheap, plasticky feel/weight, mysterious “integrated” subwoofer, and of course the “broken on arrival” aspect. I would have researched this more, but at the time I purchased this (I must have been about the first one), there were ZERO reviews (net or Amazon) and hardly any information at the Philips site. I now see there is one review. Don’t know if it’s a sockpuppet review or not. I’ll check it out for curiousity.
Unfortunately there are only about 2-3 other all-in-1 integrated soundbars out there (with external subwoofers) under $500 at the moment. All of them have major problem areas in the reviews I’ve read. One would think that a manufacturer would be all over something as in-demand as this.
User Rating: 1 / 5
DMac
22 Dec, 2009
I was looking for something that would fit in my entertainment center and this is perfect. The sound is great to enhance the TV sound and play my ipod.
Pros:
>Easy to set up and connect everything.
>Sound is perfect for my small living room. The FM radio picks up stations great…better then anything I have in the house?
>I ordered it on Monday and received it on Wednesday afternoon. I paid regular shipping…little over $10
>USB port access it great…pops down on a hinge in the front of the unit for easy access.
Cons:
>One of the speaker components had a loose screw rolling around inside???? Doesn’t seem to be affecting it.
>The MP3 port is on the very top of the unit…I can’t plug into it because it’s in a shelf in my entertainment center. It would be great if it was on the face of the unit like the USB port.
The MP3 thing is a real bummer…that was a important part for me…I will have to try and find a low profile connector or a dock that will work.
User Rating: 5 / 5