| Sometimes the quest for home surround sound is as ignominious as seeking the holy grail. Where do you place all those speakers? Do you have to reshape the room? Philips engineers have tackled that problem. They've managed to take the output from 5 distinct channel amplifiers and placed them in a single speaker called a Soundbar. Within the soundbar, speakers are angled to provide a realistic audio environment that literally emulates sound as if it's coming from all sides. It's 5.1 surround without the mess! In addition to the latest audio technology, the Ambisound system is only five inches thick and can be easily mounted onto a wall underneath an existing Flat-TV. The simple, yet elegant design enhances the décor of any home theater space, regardless of the room layout or design. The center console is designed to be mounted on a wall or resting on a stand. For maximum audio quality and clarity, the Ambisound system features a 3-band equalizer and DoubleBASS deep bass performance, creating a smooth cross over between sounds. The speakers feature soft dome tweeters for increased clarity and clear voice performance and are designed for maximum efficiency for full midrange performance. Additionally, users will enjoy the Smart Surround feature, which automatically ensures correct surround sound settings whether a movie or music is playing. Though not exactly 5.1 channel sound, The HTS8100 uses a host of technologies including array processing, precise driver positioning and psycho-acoustic innovation to achieve the full surround sound performance that is 5.1 channel compatible. Auxiliary input ports Subwoofer Only five-inches thick, the Ambisound SoundBar provides a stylish system with amplifier and a DVD player all in a single sophisticated design Philips advanced Sonowave surround SonoWave surround sound technology is compatible with all 5.1 channel surround-sound sources, such as DVDs, SACDs |
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 30 Minutes from the Box to a Home Theater System |
| Review Date: December 27, 2007 |
| Reviewer: David McCune, Tacoma, WA |
And much of that 30 minutes was spent clearing out the old system.
I purchased this to replace our old home theater system. Our previous model, with its multiple speakers and tangle of wires, was a "true" 5.1 surround sound. I have never been crazy about stringing up speaker wire, and the setup of our living room meant that it was bound to look unsightly. I wanted this sound system to do 2 things: look nice and produce good sound, and it has delivered on both very well.
The look is sleek. The CD tray sits behind the front panel, which slides aside when opening (that got an "oohhh" from the kids). The connecting wires were minimal. The system draws its power from the sub-woofer, requiring a single outlet. The weight of the main bar is probably less than 20 pounds, with the majority of the weight of the whole system in the sub-woofer, which rests of the floor "at least 3 feet" from the bar. The bar rests easily on top of an entertainment center, but should not pose much problem to mount on a wall below a wall-mounted flat panel TV. It accommodates HDTV and non-HDTV, can synch with the TV cable sound, has an MP3 jack, and has AM/FM radio receivers.
As for the sound, I'd rate it quite good for the money. The set-up includes a brief series of questions regarding the room layout relative to the sound bar. I assume this calibrates it for a "sweet spot" where the sound most closely recreates a surround effect. I'm not an audiophile, but I'd call it a "surround lite". It gives the sound an impression of depth that is pleasing, and the bass is deep enough to make the THX test pattern enjoyable (my personal test of "good enough"). If you are an audio purist, this is probably not the system for you, but it was a real crowd-pleaser at our house for family movie night.
So, for an easy, eye pleasing setup and very good sound in an affordable package, I strongly recommend the Phillips AmbiSound system.
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Right product, right look, for the right room
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| Review Date: August 11, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Will H. from Atlanta, Atlanta |
| I read about this from CES. I'd say most of the comments are pretty accurate. I installed it in my family room, a pretty big open room, which backs up to the open kitchen- not the ideal room for surround sound. The unit sits on the mantel underneath the Sharp 42" Aquos. First impression was watching Gladiator. Bass was fine- not awesome, but not bad. This is the only minor drawback. But clarity from the main unit, and the simulated surround sound, is absolutely fantastic. The claim of 1080P upconverter does work- great picture from DVD. Sound from CD's/Ipod is great too. Hookup is very easy to TV and to Cable Box (I'd rec both via HDMI connection). The look is stunning- definitely for those who want a modern looking, but not over the top system in the family room. Truthfully, my wife actually likes the look too. Probably not optimal Home-Theater in the basement, but a great addition anywhere else. |
Philips Ambisound HTS8100
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| Review Date: January 23, 2008 |
| Reviewer: , |
This item was delivered in a very well packed box with a lot of protective foam. Very easy to set up and get going. Very sleek and good looks and all cables were included.
Not too fond on how the cables pug into the back, but with the cover on it does cover up the mess. The Subwoofer is also the units power and AM/FM radio and looks as good as the main speaker unit.
The sound is great, talk about loud. The ambisound is noticeable when pressing the button on the, also good looking, remote. I had aproblem with the video from the DVD player, but found out it was my fault as I had run the HDMI cable around my TV stand, thus pulling on the HDMI cable plug in on the TV and not making a god connection.
The Ipod connector works well, I don't have a video IPod, so I'm not sure if that works. The IPod menu is accessed on the TV and using the system remote is pretty simple to use.
Overall I am extremely pleased with this purchase. I was going to go with Bose system but did not want to put up the $1000 for it. I got everything I needed and more with this system.
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philips is one of the best
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| Review Date: December 2, 2007 |
| Reviewer: H. Ess, syracuZ nY |
| the philips ambisound is a great sound system, it gives u the great qualities of a surround sound system with out having rear speakers and a bunch of wires. the sound is crystal clear and the dvd player has the most modern and classy look to it. it would of been better with a bluray dvd player and another hdmi port but it is a great system. |
Satisfied Customer
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| Review Date: May 3, 2008 |
| Reviewer: R. F. Hornak, Mishicot, WI USA |
My goal was to purchase a good quailty sound system without having to wire up 5 to seven speakers. I looked at Denon systems and Bose systems and decided on the Philips for price and the fact that I purchased a Philips 42 inch LCD TV and the Philips Ambisound mates up nicely with the TV.
Easy to wire. Easy to set up.
I was not expecting theater like surround sound experience from the Ambisound but this product comes close. I can turn up the volume and bass thru the subwoofer and drive the rest of the family out of the house with it. The sound quality is very good on TV, CD and DVD. The disc player works well and I like the the way the player cover slides open for disc loading. You can't tell that there is a CD/DVD player in the speaker bar when the cover is closed.
The Ambisound looks good and the controls integrate nicely with the Philips TV it is hooked too. It comes with an iPod dock (this is an extra with the Denon system)so you can listen/watch to your iPod music/video library through it.
I am happy I purchased this product and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good quality two piece (speaker bar and subwoofer) system. |
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