Philips Fidelio SoundRing Portable Speaker with AirPlay

Reviews for Philips Fidelio SoundRing Portable Speaker with AirPlay

Customer Reviews and Ratings

3.5 out of 5 stars

Based on 18 reviews

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Fantastic for use as AirPlay jambox

    • Written by from Arlington

    I have been waiting for this product for months as I saw it at CES and thought it would be a good fit for my needs. The setup using an iPhone/iPod was super easy and the QuickStart guide does an adequate job of guiding the user through it. The only potential issue for a lot of people will be the IP address that Philips instructs the user to use as it's commonly used by a number of devices and if they are not turned off (modems, etc.), the setup link will not come up.

    The sound is as to be expected for such a small unit. Not bad at all and light years beyond what was possible a decade ago but still, "there's no replacement for displacement" we always used to say.

    I'm just thrilled to have a rechargeable, portable, Airplayable solution that doesn't look like a dogs breakfast. Bravo Philips for the whole Fidelio line.

    139 of 155 people found this useful

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  • 3.0 out of 5 stars

    Great when they work.

    • Written by from CHICAGO

    Looks great. Sounds great.
    Airplay constantly drops out when playing from iPad 1, iPad 2, and all iPhone's. It will drop several times during one song, extremely frustrating to the point it is unusable for iPad & iPhones which is why this was purchased.
    Very odd behavior considering Airplay works flawlessly from MacPro, iMac and MacBook Pro on same Wifi network as the iPads & iPhones.

    100 of 121 people found this useful

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  • 2.0 out of 5 stars

    Doesn't work well with iPhones/iPads

    • Written by from Cupertino

    If you stick this really close to the wireless router, it works. Else it will drop constantly and not work for the most part. Needs a firmware update from Philips. I ended up using this with an AirPort Express.

    83 of 93 people found this useful

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  • 2.0 out of 5 stars

    Airplay constantly disconnects

    • Written by from Roxton Pond

    The reviewer that says it constantly drops connections is correct. It is a beautiful speaker that sounds very good for the size BUT it drops the Airplay connection every time you put it on its base station or, even worse, every time you pause the music (which is infuriating). I would not be lazy, I would definitely return this product.

    48 of 53 people found this useful

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  • 4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great sound

    • Written by from Cold Lake

    Great sound and relatively simple to set up, but had issues linking up via wifi. Modem was located in basement approx 40' away and on occasion it would lose the signal. At 50-60', had difficulty connecting and staying connected. Within 30', no issues

    Sound quality in large room (15x30') with vaulted ceiling is great and perfect for entertaining; wouldn't count on it to blow the windows out of the house, but at recent house parties, I never turned up to full volume.

    50 of 60 people found this useful

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  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    NOT iphone 4S compatible

    • Written by from Acworth

    Contradictory to the description on the Apple store website, these speakers do not work with the iphone 4S. In fact, after going through all the steps to hook them up & having the music repeatedly drop out, I checked the Philips support page which answers my question:
    (Copied directly from their frequently asked questions) We are aware of a playback issue with the iPhone 4S and AirPlay enabled speakers. We are currently looking into resolving this issue together with Apple. We will communicate immediately when a solution is available. Alternatively please use other products to enjoy AirPlay streaming.

    37 of 43 people found this useful

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  • 4.0 out of 5 stars

    Pretty good.

    • Written by from Ann Arbor

    I've had this for a little over a month and had very few issues with airplay.

    I use it regularly with my iPhone 4S and an old 3GS and have few issues with connectivity. I also use Airfoil to stream spotify from my Macbook Pro. I use a regular modem, but my family has used Airplay (and its predecessor) since 2006.

    It sound pretty good but is not for dance parties. The bass is pretty weak but the rest of the sound is pretty good. I also really like that the unit is portable.

    23 of 24 people found this useful

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  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    In serious need of a firmware update.

    • Written by from Vancouver

    First off, do not use this product if you rely on your Wifi network for fast transfers. It is a Wifi G device, and it will slow down your wireless N network. If you have an old router around, set it up as a separate network and put the sound ring on that. This way you will protect your N network from the slow down.

    Beyond this, playback drops when connected to iphones, ipads, ipods regularly, in all network configurations that I have tried including the latest airport extreme. Also, the product stops responding to the network after sitting idle for a while, and must be rebooted, rendering it a serious pain to use.

    If I don't see a firmware update soon, I think it might be time to write an article about the absurdity of Philips polished support videos being contrasted against the lack of the very features and support that they present. I bet Gizmodo would like to have something like that to run.

    17 of 19 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great at all

    • Written by from SÃO PAULO

    It works very well and very good to transport inside the house. I haven't been facing problems with iPad and iPod touch. I recommend because the sound is excellent, furthermore the design is amazing.

    14 of 14 people found this useful

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  • 4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great but ...

    • Written by from Montreal

    ... not immune to sudden loss of signal.
    Sound quality is great, but the power is a little underwhelming.

    15 of 16 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Awesome

    • Written by from Jackson Heights

    Have had it for over a year. Awesome design, sound, portability, accessibility.

    13 of 13 people found this useful

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  • 4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great after difficult setup, MUST have wireless N

    • Written by from Royal Oak

    It was difficult setting up the speaker on my older wireless G network, but eventually got it working after a couple hours of trying. The sound would skip frequently on my cable company's router with built-in wireless G.

    After adding on a good wireless N router to the cable company's router, the sound does not skip anymore and has minimal lag.

    After the speaker is charged, you can take it anywhere in the house and it'll sound great.

    This would've been 5 stars if setup was not a pain.

    13 of 14 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    All I can say is WOW!

    • Written by from Rockledge

    Just bought from the Apple Store an hour ago. This is also my first review. I haven't been so impressed with a device in long time. This speaker only took me 2 min to setup. I use Verizon Fios for my home internet with the router they provided. I can surf the internet and listen to this speaker and the music streams great. It hasn't skipped a beat. I would recommend this speaker for people that want a lot of clarity. Such as Jazz, R&B, Rock, Pop. If you're a bass person then this isn't for you. However, it does have punch. Another bonus is the portability of this speaker. And my favorite thing: the DESIGN. This thing is very nice. It has a expensive Danish feel like Bang & Olufsen. I do think it's expensive, but when you factor everything in it's completely justifiable. Happy listening!

    16 of 20 people found this useful

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  • 4.0 out of 5 stars

    Decent Sound + Portability

    • Written by from Burlington

    Overall I've been happy with this speaker. The setup was relatively easy and it hasn't lost connection with my network yet. I'll say that the sound is OK - don't expect anything amazing - however for my small room (approx. 20' x 15') it does a fine job. The real benefit is the portability. I love being able to pick this up from its charging station and bring it into another room. I've moved it all over my house and it hasn't lost the connection to my network yet. Well worth the money if you need a small wireless portable speaker solution.

    11 of 11 people found this useful

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  • 2.0 out of 5 stars

    Philips Fidelio Sound Ring

    • Written by from North Vancouver

    Have had one for about a year now and would like to share the following:

    Good sound in mid and highs - could be a bit better in the bass;
    Nice look and feel;
    Good quality mechanical build.

    Would give it four out of five stars if not for the following:

    Complicated wireless setup and lousy connection stability in general, in particular does not work on my 802.11n router when in N-only mode;
    Confusing statements by Philips support about capabilities of the device in general and availability of firmware upgrades.

    Philips needs to deliver more considering the [$$$] price point.

    4 of 5 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Sound Quality is amazing for Bachata & Salsa

    • Written by from Las Piedras

    if you put a song like reggeae, bachata, contry, Rock, Techno, Jazz, ect. Sound amazing but not recomended to listen a heavy bass music like hip hop bcuz of lacks of bass on this speker

    its has a Mini subwoofer from the hole of the soundring

    1 of 1 people found this useful

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  • 2.0 out of 5 stars

    Really disappointed

    • Written by

    It has one really good feature. The sound is dispersed through the room evenly and fully. It really fills the room because of the multi-directional setup of the drivers.

    However, it took about 20 minutes to setup through my phone. It required me to turn off my 3G. It seemed very messy.

    For $299, I expected a decent bass response - there is literally nothing. The mids and highs are clear, but it has a very flat sound.

    For $300, pick yourself up a Big Jambox - you'll be much happier.

    2 of 3 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great portable soundbox!

    • Written by from Son en Breugel

    Bought this sound box with my wife 2 weeks ago. And it has been in use ever since by everyone in the house, streaming their audio from iPods, iPad, PC, etc.

    Great sound, very nice design, and box - or better mention ring - can be easily picked up and put everywhere for convenience of listening. Everyone who sees it, loves it.

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