Philips Fidelio AS851/37 Android Speaker Dock with Bluetooth

• Bluetooth wireless music streaming from Android device
• Smartly designed FlexiDock to fit and charge Android phone
• Optimal acoustic volume to match speakers' requirements
• Charge your second mobile device via USB
• Songbird to discover, play, sync music between PC & Android

First of all, ignore any comments you may read about dependence on the Songbird app. Philips partnered with Songbird to encourage users to use their service, but you absolutely don't have to. I, like many Android fanboys, use Google Music and nothing else. You can even pair your phone with this dock and use GMusic without the Philips Fidelio app, but I prefer to use the Fidelio app for easier pairing, and it's actually a pretty nice app when you've got your phone physically docked. The station's remote has some nice features for example, you can make your phone show the time with a nice analog clock and weather at the push of a button, and still have full music control.

Most of the time, though, I just keep my phone in my pocket and play music through the dock over bluetooth, when I'm washing dishes, housecleaning, playing board games at the table, etc.

As far as sound quality goes, you get what you pay for, and $160 for a docking station is a pretty good price range for a good balance between sound quality and value. The AS851 has round, booming sound with enough bass that nothing ever sounds tinny, like you would expect from cheaper docks. Volume goes way up, and could easily fill a large room or even blast music on the patio or out to the pool.

Philips has done an excellent job of crafting a product line of great devices aimed straight at Android users. I hope these devices pay off for them, since we really needed devices like this, but I wonder if there's enough interest. Most Android users are casual or first-time smartphone owners, and probably don't even realize that their phone has the same functionality as any iOS device. Docking stations aren't just for iPhones anymore.

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I ordered the AS851 and the AS111 docking system on November 19th and received them both on November 22, 2011. The hook up was so easy out the box. The sound of the AS851 is amazing, whether at low or high volume. The AS111 sound is also amazing to be four watts. I have a Nexus One phone and the fidelio app worked smoothly without any issues. Once I dock the phone, every feature automatically connects, bluetooth, the app and so forth. I am extremely pleased with this purchase with no issues or regrets. I would really recommend this system to anyone with an android phone. FYI, I did have to install a firmware update after the fidelio app was installed. After installation of the fidelio app, go to settings and config whether you want an auto or manuel updates for the firmware updates. In my opinion, Philips did an excellent job with their android Fidelio docking series...no complaints.

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I was super excited to get this as I have a Samsung Captivate Android phone and a Kindle Fire. Out of the box setup was painless. Then I tried to attach my phone to the dock. Well, my phone's connectivity port is on the top of my phone, not the side. So there goes watching any video play horizontally (though yes, I could then simply hook the phone to play audio through the aux cord on the speaker, it would not rest cleanly on it's side on the dock thus defeating the purpose) I wish there was a way you could somehow rotate the little docking port so the that the connectivity point could turn up and to the side thus allowing phones like mine to sit horizontally, but that would probably mess with the nice, clean design this speaker has.

Connecting my phone vertically was a pain. The Samsung Captivate (to no fault of the Philips Dock) has a ever so slightly rounded top which means it does not sit flush with the docking connectivity port at all. It kept sliding off. No matter how much I messed with the little tightening knob on the port, it didn't help at all.

Is this detrimental? Not really, because you can of course still play audio through bluetooth without it having to be physically docked, or you can hook up the aux cord straight to the phone, but in the end, a big purpose of this dock is to, well, dock the phone. I downloaded the app, (which I really wish wasn't a requirement but I understand why since the devices need to be paired) The sound came through via Bluetooth just fine, and the speaker did give off a great sound. I tested the Kindle Fire with it (port is on top as well) and that played fine with the aux cable attached (you cannot download the app through the Amazon App store on the Kindle, just an FYI)

Only point of contention I have (and I'm not sure if this was just my unit): but when the aux cable is plugged in to a device, sound does not automatically come through the speaker. At first, I thought "Okay, there's a button I have to switch on the speaker somewhere to flip it into auxiliary mode. No biggie" I searched and searched. No aux mode button on the speaker. I consulted the manual (!) and it simply said to connect the device to the aux cable and sound should be pouring through the speaker. Not the case. So then I thought "Oh great, that aux port is broken somehow" Nope, none of the above. There is a small, non-descript button on the tiny remote control that you must press to activate aux mode. As far as I can tell, that is the only way to enter aux mode, (unless, again this is just a problem with my specific unit) so if you lose that cute tiny remote, you are S.O.L in the aux listening department.

The look of the dock is great, the sound is great, the execution is just a little too clunky for the phone that I own to make this dock as regularly used as I thought it would be. Other reviewers have seemed to get a lot of use out of this dock, so give it a shot, maybe it will be better for you than it was for me.

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If you're looking for a rich-sounding speaker system for your Android phone, the Fidelio certainly delivers. The sound quality over Bluetooth was very life-like and crisp. Right out of the box, I had absolutely no problems getting this system to work.

The remote control is a convenient addition, though I couldn't figure out exactly what some buttons do. The volume control and power buttons are the only ones I need. There's an option on the remote which interfaces with the Songbird app, however I did not download that, so I can't say how well that works.

My biggest complaint is the docking mechanism itself. While it is adjustable and has a swivel base, I had some difficulty getting my phone (a Motorola Triumph) to stay plugged into charging mode.

Overall, I am impressed with the sound quality. The Bluetooth functionality is great because you can get any BT-enabled phone, including an Iphone, to interface with the speakers. It will also accept a standard 3.5mm cable input for additional functionality.

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This is what I have been waiting for. I was getting jealous of all the Apple Docks out there and kept saying to myself. Where is all the Android Docks. This one enters this space with a Earth Shattering Kaboom! Great sound from highs to lows. Lows sound Really good even at low volume. This is a keeper! Keep it up Philips.