Philips Streamium WACS700/05 wireless music system reviewed

It's been a long time since we've taken a look at any of Philips Streamium wireless products, and in that time, companies like Roku, Sonos and Slim Devices (not to mention Microsoft and its various hardware partners)  have taken a big chunk of the home streaming market. But that doesn't mean Philips is sitting still. TrustedReviews took a look at Philips' latest music streamer, the WACS700, which is available in Europe now for about $938, and can be purchased in the US through the usual sources. The base unit includes a CD player and 40GB hard drive, along with embedded Gracenote software, so that CDs can be ripped PC-free with song data included. The system can connect to a home network via WiFi or Ethernet, and music from your PC can be transferred to the WACS700's hard drive over the network (unfortunately, it doesn't support streaming files from your PC; you first need to transfer the music to the unit itself). While TrustedReviews found the sound quality decent and some other features, including wireless reception, to be good, the reviewer also found the WACS700 to be lacking in a number of key features, including support for DRM'd files, slow ripping (as long as 20 minutes per CD), and the size of the hard drive (40GB is kind of skimpy). Conclusion: while it's not cheap, it is cheaper than Sonos' offerings, and could be an ok solution for the less technically inclined. The rest of us are likely to find more flexible PC-centric solutions.

[BLACKOUT @ Mar 24th 2006 1:08PM]

ipod hifi ripoff?

anyone think this has been done before?

[zverg @ Mar 24th 2006 1:43PM]

How the HELL does that rip off the iPod hifi, are you on crack? The ipod Hifi doesn't do wifi, cd ripping, etc... you know, all the selling points of this unit.

[Ian @ Mar 24th 2006 2:12PM]

I was at a store here in Helsinki today, and pressed a couple of buttons... It's kind of slow to react. When i wanted to listen to a song it took forever for it to play+ there are too few buttons.

[Alan Graham @ Mar 24th 2006 3:14PM]

Wait a sec...how is this cheaper than a Sonos solution? In dollars...a little...in features...more for less. The base Sonos is about $800...add a NAS drive for $200 and you've already got a better solution. In my book spending almost $1k on a system that is already crippled out of the box...makes no sense to me. Wow...40GB? I have 70GB of music. You can connect 5 satellite units to the Philips...I can hook up 32 to the Sonos.

I mean please...this thing isn't even in the iPods league...so don't bother compapring it to the Sonos.

[Joey @ Mar 24th 2006 3:58PM]

"Streamium" but it cant stream music?

[JCG @ Mar 24th 2006 5:22PM]

Why can't Philips just do it right? I know they have the technologie. But somehow they always find a way to make a product that not quite good.

[Frank @ Mar 24th 2006 5:58PM]

Joey: What Engadget (rather surprisingly) forget to mention, is that the system includes an additional, smaller unit, that can receive music wirelessly from the base unit (pictured above)...

If you follow the link to the review itself, you will get the "streamium" point.

[cuby @ Mar 24th 2006 6:12PM]

am i the only one who gets a creepy feeling whenever i see the word "streamium"? it sounds somehow icky and erotic or ... something.

[mark kemp @ Jul 18th 2007 5:31PM]

I just bought one of these units and it had to go back as it stopped playing cds after two weeks?
I am now on my second unit and the truth is i am pleased with it for the price.
The down side is it does take quite a bit of getting use to and if the second unit losses the wi fi connection its a nuisance to set it up again.
It is one big unit so if you are going to put it on a shelf you had better make sure it is well supported?
All in all a lovely unit and 40 gigs does me!
Mark