- Bluetooth wireless music streaming from Android device
- Bass Reflex Speaker System delivers a powerful, deeper bass
- FM digital tuning with presets
- MP3 Link for portable music playback
- Free Fidelio app on Android Market for more functions
The Unboxing...
On the outside of the box there is a code that you can scan with your smartphone to get you to the Android Market to download 'Fidelio' the Android app that works with the Fidelio Docking System. I found that when I did this my phone took me to the right place, but the site asked for my account to allow me to download it. I became frustrated and ended up going to the Android Market directly on my phone and searching for Fidelio then the download and install on my phone moved swiftly.
In the box is a Quick Start Guide. Steps 1-5 are easy to follow and you don't have to read much, just follow the pictures. The last step has you installing Songbird Android App on you PC. Note that this isn't really necessary if you have a PC that doesn't have a bluetooth connection. Step 4 is to put the Songbird App on your Android device, which presumably does have a bluetooth connection and will sync with the Philips docking device via bluetooth directly. Because my PC doesn't have a bluetooth connection, I added my music to my microSD card via my PC and then put the card back into my Android phone. The phone and the Philips dock synced via bluetooth and the Songbird App on my phone.
On the back of the Quick Start Guide are other directions about specific functions of the docking system like how to listen to the radio, how to store FM stations on the system, how to set the alarm, how to set the sleep timer, how to adjust display brightness, how to select a source and others. General product information is found here as well also in Spanish and French. The directions were helpful, but could have been better. 'How to charge your device' is omitted, which seemed odd to me. The implication is to just leave it on the dock, but since I didn't see the usual 'charging' symbol on my phone, I got worried about it. Never did find 'how to', but it seemed to have charged it when I left my phone on the dock overnight.
The Android Docking System Sound...
This is not a Bose System, so don't expect that and you'll love it. I have an iHome iP9 Speaker Dock with Clock Radio for iPod and iPhone (Black) which has comparable sound, but actually the Philips Android Docking System sounds better than the iHome due to it's warm, well tuned bass output.
The volume on the Philips system goes up to level 32, which is very loud if your device's volume is up too. You have to adjust the volume to your liking by balancing out the two.
Several types of music are listed in the Fidelio App, and when you change them, so too changes the quality of the audio output on the device. The Bass boost can be turned off in this App.
Quality of the Build and Ports...
The Philips Android Docking System is well built. Feels solid and the sound is good. At first I thought I had a defective unit because the docking port for Android devices wiggled back and forth, side to side and swiveled. Then I read the guide and realized by looking at the diagrams that it was supposed to do that! This allows for all kinds of Android devices to be docked with or without cases on them. Actually, a very good design.
There is padding to support the device seated on the port. Even with a case on the device, the connection seems stable and the device protected.
On the back of the unit is a MP3 input port. The unit ships with a short cord that allows you to plug in your iPod, iPod Touch or other similar device and use the speakers on the Philips Docking System.
Two alarm switches are on the top of the unit, with adjustments for radio, buzz or alarm on the back, corresponding with the buttons on the top of the unit. The radio antenna is at the base of the unit in the back.
TIP: When you put your Android device on the port, make sure it's bluetooth is 'on', as this is how the device will communicate with the Philips Docking System. You will have needed to download both Fidelio and Songbird Android Apps prior to docking your device. Pairing your device first, via Fidelio, will need to occur for your device to work with the docking station.
The sound reproduction through this connection is good once it's made, but don't expect to simply connect your device and have things work out of the box. You need to download and install the apps first!
What I like about the Philips Fidelio Android Docking System...
1. I like that I can use TuneIn free Android Radio App with over 7000 stations and listen to all my favorite world-wide stations.
2. I like that a clock radio and alarm are integrated into the docking system.
3. I like the quality of sound that comes from the system. Not Bose quality, but better than iHome in my opinion.
4. I like that there's a way to hook up my iTouch via an MP3 3.5mm headphone port, and listen via the (2) 5W speakers.
5. I like the versatility of the dock itself. It should accommodate lots of Android devices without a problem.
6. I like that the bluetooth connection works very well up to 30' of clear line of sight.
7. I like that it's about the size of a shoebox, and should fit well into any decor.
8. I like that it has multiple alarms.
9. I like that I didn't have to set the clock on the docking system, as once my phone was docked, it synced with the time on the phone!
10. I like that it has a sleep timer, so if I want to fall asleep to music, I don't have to worry about turning off the device.
11. I like that it works with Android devices with OS 2.1 or above, and Bluetooth devices 2.1 or above.
What I didn't like..."Actually, not too much".
1.The instructions come on a big sheet of paper. A booklet would have been much easier, and because they were incomplete, I found myself looking at the Philips website for clarification on a few things.
2. Another Philips version designed for the iTouch, iPad and iPhone Philips Fidelio DS7550 Rechargeable Portable Docking Speaker for iPod/iPhone (Aluminum/Black) has the option to make it battery powered instead of exclusively AC powered. It would have been good of Philips to keep that feature for this model as well. This model DOES NOT have the ability to be 'battery powered'.
3. Philips 'Fidelio' Android App needs work to be 100% with this device.
Overall, this is a good buy. Solid construction, lots of features, syncs easily via bluetooth and the sound quality is good. The price is a tad high, but if you get it for 35-40% off retail, you'll be getting a great deal.
If you need a feature rich alarm clock by your bedside or a way to charge your Android device that can also provide entertainment in a small space, consider the Philips Android Docking System.
TIP: If you are having trouble charging your phone and it has a thick case like an Otterbox one, take the case off the device and try it again. I had trouble getting the connection 'just right' for a charge even though the connection was good enough to play music until I took off the case.
UPDATE: 11/29/11 I tried to stream music via the Songbird app to the Philips dock making sure it was paired and connected to the dock prior to doing so. The dock was recognized as 'connected' by my phone, but despite the Songbird app indicating the music was playing and bluetooth being active on both the phone and the dock, no music played through the docking system.
Deciding it must be an 'app' issue, I uninstalled the Fidelio app off my phone and reinstalled it. The connection then worked making sure the volume on the Philips dock is up fairly high and the phone is nearby (I was in a 15' radius and it worked great) is also helpful.
Once connected though, the bluetooth connection worked great and the sound out of the dock was perfect.
I think Fidelio not highly rated by users of this Android app is a slight negative to this device, but certainly one that can be remedied in time by Philips.
Buy Philips AS140/37 Fidelio Docking System for Android Now
This dock is really cool.. IT has all the features that I had been looking.First of all the speakers are superb for a device thats not so huge.
Great as an alarm clock with settings to adjust the clock brightness.
It has a FM radio that has good reception
-Can play the music from my android phone even without turning on the bluetooth.
The base where you dock the phone is rather small particularly if your charging port is on the side of the phone towards the corner.Otherwise its a great product. I enjoy watching videos on my phone while its docked and the sound is superb.
Update:
I was experiencing that the sound quality while playing through bluetooth was not as good as when connecting through the headphone jack (mp3 link).
There is infact a firmware update available through Philips Fidelio app which will increase the quality of sound while connecting through bluetooth.Loving it.
Read Best Reviews of Philips AS140/37 Fidelio Docking System for Android Here
To begin-I almost passed on this dock because of the reviews--but there seem to be some misconceptionsfirst-right out of the box with no downloads of any kind-this dock paired with my samsung galazy 5.0 via bluetooth. The sound was fine and seemed as good as one can expect reasonably with 5 watts per channel. I then paired this with two different sony walkmans--one with an external blue tooth adapter and the other with blue tooth integrated. Both paired easily and produced good sound.
Now I may add the apps to my samsung--but it certainly isn't necessary as some reviews make it seem. I haven't tried the wired connection as there seems to be no reason to at this time--though it's nice to know I'll be able to if I want to.
I will say-as connected-I do not get the automatic time sync between the samsung and the dock--but the time is quite easy to set. Radio quality is ok--nothing fantastic but adequate-better than my Yamaha tsx 140 which cost considerably more.
So I'm quite pleased with this dock-though it would have been nice to have had a remote control. Volume is not overwhelming-but it reaches quite loud levels. Sound is clean and clear-though I would say the bass is quite weak-as expected.
Charging seems very good and my samsung docked quite easily--it helps to lean the docking mechanism slightly forward.
All in all a nice little dock with good sound for the cost and quite easy to pair with blue tooth devices, with a decent FM radio as well. Certainly there are systems and speakers which provide a fuller sound-but they will cost a bit more than this-and generally take up a bit more space-so for the price I recommend it quite highly. More detailed instructions may have helped others with the blue tooth pairing-the instructions provided are minimal
Want Philips AS140/37 Fidelio Docking System for Android Discount?
When I received the unit, I found it fairly easy to set up, and all functions worked fine. The Fidelio app (now issued as DockStudio) perfectly paired my Droid Razr Maxx with the docking station. The display inverted 180 degrees as expected, and the system performed great. Then Google/Android issued an upgrade to the operating system to version 4. After the upgrade, the phone had trouble pairing, and the screen would no longer invert. I contacted Philips, and they felt that the docking station was defective. They sent me a new one, with pre-paid return shipping for the old unit, which I appreciated. However, the new unit performed exactly the same as the old one. I uninstalled the Fidelio app and installed the DockStudio app. No change. I again contacted Philips, and they said it was a problem with the phone, and they could do nothing. I called Verizon (my phone and service provider), and they said that their only responsibility was to fix the phone if I couldn't make calls or exchange data; apps were third party items and not supported by them. I contacted Google/Android, and they said it was Philips' problem, not theirs. Posting for help on the Philips Support Forum has produced no results. All players in this game are blaming each other, pointing fingers like they were politicians. By the way, the Android OS update is considered "mandatory" and cannot be downgraded to the previous version. The bottom line, I do not recommend this device until Philips and Google/Android get together and issue compatible software. Otherwise, you're paying over $100 for an FM-only clock radio.Save 3% Off
OK, it's not that bad. But let's start at the beginning. I unpacked the unit, and it looks pretty good, although the base portion of the unit doesn't try to be anything other than a lump of black plastic. I plugged it in and tried the FM radio. It worked, and sounded pretty good. Nothing exceptional, but not bad for the size and price point.Now the Android phone part. It's designed for a phone with the USB port on the bottom (or maybe the top). Mine is on the side; it will sort of balance on the connector, but the configuration is not ideal. Although the unit uses the USB port to charge the phone, it doesn't use it to communicate with the phone. When it detects that it is charging a phone it switches to Bluetooth mode and tries to communicate with the phone using Bluetooth. For this to work the phone has to have the Fidelio app loaded. Fidelio tries to take over the Bluetooth and look for a Philips unit whenever the phone is plugged in.
I had not yet tried using the phone with the unit when I attached it to its charger while a call was dialing; Fidelio killed the call and tried to find its master. I was able to redial and even use my Bluetooth headset for the call, but Fidelio continued on its quest, and managed to switch the unit, which was upstairs, to Bluetooth mode. Aside from the fact that I consider making calls with my phone more important than using it as a music player, it occurred to me that Fidelio would gladly hook up with any Philips unit it could find. While not too concerned with forcing my music on an unwitting neighbor, it would be possible for someone to create a fake Philips base and seize control of a phone for nefarious purposes. So I deleted Fidelio without trying it with the base.
All, however, is not lost. Even without Fidelio the unit will charge the phone. And, because it has a line in port, you can use an old fashioned cord to send music to the unit. So it's not really a total bust. But the intended concept of operations has issues, so I can't really recommend this product.
0 comments:
Post a Comment