GADGET GIZMO REVIEW ................Philips's Fidelio HLT9100

 GADGET GIZMO REVIEW Philips's Fidelio HLT9100 

 

Rs.49,999/

It's a common problem. You want the proper 5.1 surround speaker setup but it always causes cable clutter. Plus speaker placement is tricky to get right. If you don't mind spending, Philips's Fidelio HLT9100 system offers a solution. It is a slim, wall-mountable soundbar that comes with a wireless subwoofer and dockable wireless satellite speakers.

It looks like any other soundbar when you first see it, but it is so much more. Philips has innovated by offering docking satellite speakers on both ends of the soundbar. The satellite speakers are wireless and have built-in batteries that charge when docked to the main bar. Both speakers can easily be removed from the main unit and placed towards the back of the room for a true surround experience. With a single charge, we got over 9 hours of usage with the speakers.

In the slim main unit you multiple ports dual HDMI inputs, HDMI out, optical audio, coaxial as well as a 3.5mm audio port. All ports are on the back of the dock with even spacing to connect multiple sources. It has white LEDs up front to indicate power, volume and connectivity . In addition, it also has Bluetooth for wireless connectivity with smartphones and tablets.

Setting up the unit is easy . Just plug the wireless subwoofer and soundbar into a wall outlet and they will automatically connect with each other. You can adjust the volume, bass, treble and initiate device search for Bluetooth using the supplied remote control. The lack of an onscreen adjustment menu felt limiting at times.

In terms of performance, the output is fantastic. The soundbar deliver rich audio with excellent bass and treble.
Even at high volumes, the bass/treble did not overpower each other and delivered a balanced output. We watched different genres of movies (with multi-channel audio and without) and loved the surround sound experience it delivered. Although it is priced on the higher side compared to other soundbars, the Fidelio HTL9100 is worth the price. We highly recommend it.

HITESH RAJ BHAGAT