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Philips' Fidelio E6 system has surround sound when you need it
When it comes to home theater speakers, they're mostly meant for one purpose: audio from your television. Sure, you can connect a mobile device and listen to music, but you're pretty much stuck with the same speaker layout. Philips is looking to offer a solution that's more modular while still keeping the 5.1 surround sound abilities. With the €899 Fidelio E6 (no US pricing yet), the company's solution is detachable speakers. Yes, really. The concept isn't new to Philips, as it already launched a soundbar with removable speakers on the ends. The Fidelio E6 goes a bit further than that.
Philips' living room audio gear includes 'detachable' speakers
Living room audio gear doesn't usually sport dual uses, but Philips' new Fidelio E6 speakers do just that. The units have detachable speakers that can be used as either a stereo setup or separately for 5.1 surround sound "on demand." The top section of the E6's two front speakers can be removed and placed elsewhere, should the need arise. In addition to those, there's a wireless subwoofer to handle the low-end tones. To further improve sound quality, the Fidelio E6 offers spatial calibration tech for a more immersive audio experience and balanced sound. The system features HDMI and Blueooth connectivity as well support for Google Cast and Spotify Connect. Perhaps best of all, it's available now.
Philips launches two new sets of Fidelio headphones
Philips and audio gear go together like peanut butter and soya and linseed bread (trust us), so it's with little surprise to see the company unveiling two new sets of headphones for IFA 2013. The Fidelio M1BT is a pair of Bluetooth noisyboxes that shroud 40mm Neodymium speakers inside a leather and aluminum body, with wireless controls on either can to change track and volume. If, however, you prefer something a little less fancy, then the company has launched the Fidelio L2. A subtle update on 2011's Fidelio L1, Philips promises that the tweaks offer a better audio experience for audiophiles. The M1BTs are available from today at a price of €250, while the Fidelio L2 will set you back €279 when it arrives later in the month. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
Philips showcases its 2013 Fidelio audio lineup at CES, we go eyes-on
Philips isn't showing off anything too groundbreaking at CES in the audio department, but it looks to be a solid offering all-around nonetheless. Whether you're eyeing the likes of a new soundbar for your home theater system or portable wireless speakers, the company should have you covered with latest Fidelio offerings -- and, of course, that's not all. We've got a quick breakdown of all the goods being shown off after the break, along with eyes-on galleries so you can get up-close looks for yourself. As always, you'll find the full press releases below it all for more info. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Philips Fidelio DS3801W, another ring-shaped AirPlay speaker, does the FCC tango
Those of you who kinda dug JBL's On Air, but wished it was just a tad more wheel-like, will probably love this AirPlay-enabled speaker from Philips that just passed through the FCC. Burdened with the name DS3801W, this ring-shaped Fidelio unit not only packs WiFi, but a USB port for charging and playing back music from your iDevices, as well as an "MP3-Link" jack (which appears to be just a 3.5mm audio plug) for all your non-Apple players. We got a brief hands-on with its battery-packing sibling, the DS3881w, at IFA and we expect this unit to ship for a little less than that model's $330 price point. Check out the source link for a bunch more images, as well as the user manual and all the RF exposure reports you can handle.
Philips introduces AirPlay speakers, Engadget goes hands-on
No, those units you see above aren't cannons -- they're speakers, released by Philips and branded as the Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800Ws, according to our buddies at Engadget who got to see a version of the speakers wirelessly playing through the AirPlay hookup. Like most great speakers with lots of bells and whistles, however, these aren't cheap. The full size models will run US$800 for the pair, with the smaller models running $400. Want something a little more affordable? The AD7000W models run (only?) $230. All of the speakers will be out in time for the holiday later on this year, and for more on how well they work, you can check out the video on Engadget. For my money, a nice headset will probably be cheaper than these speakers and provide sound that's just as solid. If you want some sweet AirPlay functionality to show off to house guests, that's one thing, but if you just want to listen to 16-bit music files, why spend all that money?
Philips Fidelio Speakers with AirPlay hands-on (video)
Traditional speaker docks are so 2010. This year, AirPlay is in, and Philips was on hand to demo five new wireless speaker models at the CEA LineShows in NYC, set to roll out beginning later this month through the holiday season. Its flagship Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800W will ship in June with a price tag of about $800, but didn't appear willing to pair with the iPhone Philips had on hand at the show. We did go ears-on with the more affordable DS8800W, however, which filled the small demo room with deep, rich Fire and Rain, sans-wires -- and can do the same in your own home when it ships for $400 beginning next month. That model isn't nearly as sleek as the non-functional SoundSphere, or its smaller DS6800W counterpart, which will hit stores in time for the holidays with a $500 MSRP. Philips also showed off its 360-degree DS3881W and compact AD7000W -- both of which also include AirPlay support, and will ship for $330 and $230, respectively, by the holiday season. Jump past the break for a look at all five models.%Gallery-126903%
Philips Fidelio SoundSphere WiFi speakers get AirPlayed
Add one more to the list of manufacturers supporting Apple's AirPlay. Philips just announced its Fidelio SoundSphere speakers that support WiFi music streaming over Apple's new media sharing "standard" from your PC or Mac iTunes library or from any iOS device. Unfortunately, Philips isn't providing any useful detail about these speakers with free-floating tweeters and 360-degree sound. But hey, if you're the kind who buys speakers based on appearance alone, then the €799 (about $1,100 -- nearly twice as much as the Zeppelin Air) price tag for the speaker pair + dock should be no problem when they hit Europe sometime in May. Press release and bonus pic after the break.
Philips crams ATSC M/H tuner into PD725 portable DVD player, intros PB9013 mobile Blu-ray player
In recent years, Philips has strayed somewhat from introducing products catering to the North American marketplace. We're thrilled to say that this year's spate of CES announcements signifies a stark turn from that approach. The most interesting release from the company during this year's blowout is probably the PS725 (shown above), a 7-inch portable DVD player that doubles as a mobile TV viewer. Before you bust out the yawn collector, you should know that Philips managed to stuff both an ATSC and an ATSC M/H tuner within, the latter of which just announced a major push into 20 major metropolitan markets back in November. The unit has an 800 x 480 resolution display, three hours of nonstop playback via a rechargeable Li-Polymer battery pack, a screen that swivels 180 degrees and a $299 price point. It'll ship in March, just as your FLO TV service keels over. In related news, the outfit is also outing a PB9013 portable Blu-ray player, which touts a 9-inch display, a battery good for three hours of enjoyment, a bundled mounting kit and an HDMI output. You'll also see this one ship in March, but with a $399 retail sticker. Outside of those two, we're told that the GeGear Muse MP4 player is now on track to ship in March, with the 8GB model going for $149, the 16GB edition for $179 and the high-end 32GB model for $229. For those out of the loop, it'll deliver a 3.2-inch HVGA touchpanel, an FM radio tuner, 720p movie support and compatibility with FLAC and APE lossless files. Closing things up, we've got the Fidelio DS8550 and DS9010 speaker docks. The former handles your iPod, iPhone and / or iPad, streams tunes over Bluetooth and touts a built-in, rechargeable battery; this guy's on sale now for $299. As for the latter? That one's expected to ship at the tail-end of March for $599, with the price premium netting you an aircraft quality aluminum enclosure, improved audio drivers and a proximity sensor to activate a backlit control panel. Bullet points after the break, per usual. %Gallery-112183%
Philips Fidelio DS8550 iPad speaker dock hands-on
As absurd as it might seem to dock a 9.7-inch tablet atop what amounts to a glorified boom box, let's be real: the iPad's meek speakers are easily outclassed by its ability to swallow gigabytes worth of music and high-quality video content. Sure enough, iPad-compatible docks are quickly becoming a thing now, and Philips is jumping head-first into the market with its Fidelio DS8550. Oh, but there's more than meets the eye here -- it's not just a speaker with a giant slot in front for a 30-pin connection, you see. You can either connect the iPad to let it charge and get a direct audio connection or roam with it and let it talk back to the dock over stereo Bluetooth, which was demoed to us as an awesome option for gaming -- as long as the Fidelio is within a few yards of you, games really become a more immersive experience when you've got thick, booming bass and virtually limitless volume nearby, and we found that you really don't notice that the sound is coming from "somewhere else." The DS8550 also packs a handle on back and an internal battery, allegedly good for up to five hours of use off the grid so you'll be able to kick it old-school with the Fidelio slung over your shoulder in the subway station. The unit makes use of a unique spring-loaded pivot on its 30-pin connector, which Philips says allows you to connect any iPod, iPhone, or iPad without needing the typical adapters -- the device just sort of rests on the connector and the surrounding concave section of the speaker mesh. Check out a few more shots in the gallery!
