Philips Fidelio AS351/37 Bluetooth Speaker Dock

• Docks & Charges Android Smartphones
• Compatible With Android V2.1 & Newer Or Bluetooth V2.1 Or Newer
• Bluetooth Wireless Music Streaming From Android Device
• Precisely tuned bass pipes for deep, tight bass reproduction
• Shielding technology to block mobile phone interference
• Battery or AC power option for music enjoyment anywhere
• AUX-in for easy connection to almost any electronic device

If this sold for $50, I'd give it 5 stars. $80, 4 stars. At $130 though, I was expecting better sound quality. It sounds great at low indoor levels, but once you start cranking it up a bit the lows and highs are lacking.

I do like that I can take this with me anywhere (beach, camping, etc.), and that it uses AA batteries instead of a built-in or proprietary rechargeable battery. On a multi-night camping trip, as long as I bring enough AA batteries with me I can keep the tunes going. Note that it only charges the phone when plugged in, not when using batteries.

I use this with my Motorola Droid X running Android v2.3.3. The docking port is just the Micro USB connector for keeping the phone charged. Audio connection is made via bluetooth. I didn't need to download and install any app to be able to connect. iPhones and other bluetooth-compatible devices will work also (personally tested with an iPhone 4), and with the included cable you can connect just about any audio device. AC adapter is included. 4 AA batteries not included.

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I got this not knowing what to think, thinking mostly that I wouldn't like it. I never thought that I had a need for something like this, but now that I have used it for a week, it's something I can't seem to live without. It fills a need that I honestly didn't know I had.

A bit of background: I listen to a lot of podcasts and music. I listen to podcasts on a portable media player, and listen to music via my Android phone using Amazon's own Cloud Player. Before getting this dock, I would use headphones with both of those devices, even when at home, because it was just convenient, and I really didn't have a convenient method of connecting them to a sound system. Doing so requires changing cables and swapping devices, and I just can't be bothered.

All of that said, this speaker dock is incredibly easy to use. The back of the device has an audio-in jack, and an included cable, that allows you to connect any device that has a standard headphone jack to it. Plug the cable into the back of the speaker dock, and connect the other end of cable to your device, turn-up the volume to "max" on the connected device, and turn on the speaker dock. Couldn't be easier. I leave the connecting cable connected to the back of the dock for instant access. I use this method for listening to all the podcasts I have on my mp3 player.

When it comes to my Android phone, the speaker dock has a bluetooth receiver. Pairing the device to my phone was easy and flawless. My phone recognized the speaker dock as a "stereo" headset/device. Once paired, I opened my Amazon Cloud Player, pressed play, and the music was transmitted to the speaker dock. It's very convenient, considering that you can sit anywhere in the room with the phone, and transmit music to this speaker dock sitting elsewhere.

In other words, you don't have to "dock" the phone. This allows you to continue using your phone for other needs while it transmits music to the dock. If you choose to dock your phone, that too works great.

Docking your phone is a bit tricky because it's a bit hard to guide the phone's jack onto the connector. The connector rotates on the base of the dock depending on the orientation needed for your phone. The dock has a rubber "rest" that the phone will lean against once docked, so the phone isn't supported by the jack. Also, there are two adjustable "feet" that you can raise to add support to the bottom edge of the phone, which keeps it from leaning "back" on the jack. The dock is ingenious that it slides back and forth, so you can center the phone, in the event the USB port is off-center. This allows for a "perfect" presentation when the phone is docked.

When docked, the phone will charge via USB. I recommend changing your phone's settings so that, when docked, the display stays on, and that the screen auto-rotates. Some devices have "docking" cradle apps that assist with this. Your mileage may vary.

Also, note, I did not have to download the recommended Fidelio software.

So...what about sound quality? I really like it, and I should point out that I'm really picky. The sound is naturally-tuned. It is perfect for voices, and therefore for podcasts. The sound has a good low-end, not boomy, but good for music. The midrange, especially voices, is fairly flat, and the treble is good for general music listening. In general, I'd describe the overall sound-quality as "natural and flat" -which is a good thing. Volume-wise, it puts out enough volume to listen to podcasts while wandering around the house to adjacent rooms. As expected, though, maximum volume is not recommended when listening to music (depending on the type). I am quite pleased with the sound.

I also love that it runs on four AA batteries, in addition to the included AC adapter.

So what keeps this device from being perfect?

First, there's no "mute" button for the volume. If you need to quickly mute the device, to take a phone call, you can't -you either have to power it off or hold the volume-down button to slowly lower the volume. A "mute" button, or a way to quickly mute (perhaps by pressing both volume buttons at the same time), would have been great.

Second, I'm not a fan of the fabric covering. The top of the speaker dock is mostly fabric, which means it's going to collect dust and slowly get that "grey" look over time. It will be very hard to clean. I would have preferred a glossy surface for easy cleaning.

Third, docking your phone covers the "Android" logo. It would be great if this logo were elsewhere, less prominently, on the speaker dock.

Finally, I wish it had a "release" button or lever to eject the phone. Pulling-up on the phone always worries me since I seem to be putting undue stress on the jack. I would much prefer for the dock's connector to "retract" or that the base would push the phone "up" away from the connector.

In general, though, I can't be happier with this dock, and I know it's something I will continue to use in my home several times a week.

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Listening to either XM (usually political talk) radio or an Amazon Cloud album on the way home from work often results in an interruption right when things are getting interesting. Typically its to walk in the house. Poor me, you'd often find me sitting in the driveway for 20 minutes to hear things out. So I got the idea to get one of these units for my Samsung Android OS phone. They've been around for the iPhone I guess, but I won't own one of them for reasons I'll not expound upon here. Well, us Droid users now have a good selection of docks from Philips, assuming the others are as good as this one.

It fills the bill perfectly without paying for another XM subscription, assuming you already have an XM internet subscription that is. Now I just walk in and pop the phone on the dock and I hardly miss a thing. Sounds a whole bit bigger than it is too, not 5.1 sound mind you but great for camping, outdoor sports, the beach or as outlined. Decent bass, midrange and high end.

Although the directions tell you to install the Philips as well as Songbird software, I did initially but uninstalled them quickly as the OEM player on my phone works great and has a better user interface. Sirius works just fine too, all via bluetooth, as with any ear bud or headphone set up you might have. I'd guess that one could connect any Bluetooth device (like a laptop or tablet) but haven't tried it. I also added an equalizer app to the set up via Android Market that helps the sound a lot. Try it.

By the way, when it's on battery power it does not charge your phone, presumably to save the batteries. I doubt 4 AA's would do aa good job charging you phone anyway. Your phone runs on its battery, the dock on your 4 AA's to clarify. Since I'm using rechargeables now it's no biggie.

Just remember to plug it in using the included AC adapter if you can, to charge your phone.

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The sound on this is very nice; you can play it quite loud (louder than is required to fill a large room) without distortion. And the bluetooth connection is a great plus--can easily hook it into just about any Bluetooth enabled device (including Apple products). My only gripes are 1) it's not rechargeable, so plan on running it primarily off the mains, and 2) it doesn't pack up as well as some other portable devices due to the piece of plastic that supports your device. Another plus is that the power supply is good from 100-240 v. meaning you can operate it worldwide. If you can always count on a place to plug it in, or only use it rarely with batteries, then it could be for you.

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This is my first docking speaker, and I'm quite impressed with its ease of use, construction, and portability. Sound quality is average to slightly above average, thus the deduction of a star.

CONSTRUCTION: The AS351 comprises a glossy-plastic black base, which is fortunately quite fingerprint resistant. It has a solid weighted feel to it, and is unlikely to tip over. A panel on the floor opens to reveal provisions for 4 x AA batteries, which provides the ultimate in portability, and is a thoughtful touch. The back panel houses a power input, USB jack, and AUX input. With the AUX input, you can connect virtually any audio device. The "for Android" tag is a bit of a misnomer because the AS351 has such wide compatibility; as long as your device has Bluetooth 2.1 or greater OR an Aux output, you can use it with the AS351.

OPERATION: I've had poor experiences with Phillips software in the past, so I skipped the Songbird software. Fortunately, you don't really need it. I just turned on Bluetooth connectivity on my phone, had it search for Bluetooth devices, and it automatically detected and added the AS351. It took all of one minute to start streaming music from my phone (Samsung Infuse) to the Phillips. The physical controls on the dock are fairly basic; power on/off, bluetooth signal indicator, and volume up/down. That's all you need, because the volume and other song operations can be controlled from the streaming phone.

Unfortunately, the dock doesn't connect with phones that are paired with cases, and I found this aspect to be terribly inconvenient, as 100% of the time, my phone rests in a Casemate. Fortunately, this is offset by the Bluetooth streaming, but Phillips could have easily rectified this with a cheap solution, a longer and taller connector that compensates for the case thickness.

SOUND: I'd say the speaker dock sounds average, basically sounds like a computer speaker. Well, that's a little harsh, but it sounds like an above average computer speaker. Distortion is minimal at higher volumes though, so that's a plus. The cloth speaker cover is unfortunately a dust magnet as others have noticed, and it's not possible to remove for cleaning. For such a small package, the sound quality is decent.

CONCLUSION: For extreme portability and convenience, look no further than the AS351. The price is a bit hefty, but for such a convenient package, it's worthwhile.