Philips MMS 305 Flat Panel Speaker System
When I review products I like to keep in mind how intuitive the use of a product is. What I mean by this is how easy is it to install, setup, and use with minimal reference to manuals or other assistance. As expected from a speaker system, very little assistance was needed to unpack, configure, and begin using the speakers.
Setup
The speakers were well packaged, which is fortunate, because the UPS did their best to destroy them. One side of the box was crushed and the external wrapping around the retail box was entirely torn off. Expecting the worst, I opened the box...but found each speaker safe within its cardboard and styrofoam packaging. Each speaker was labeled with stickers (front or rear satellite) around the speaker wire for convenience. I plugged the satellites into the mini-plug "Input 1" connectors on the back of the subwoofer. A nice feature of the system is the remote Infrared-Eye. The IR-Eye is simply a small receiver that connects to the subwoofer which serves to pick up the IR signals from the remote control. The instruction manual indicated to place the IR-Eye on top of the subwoofer, but I chose to place it on the side of the monitor (attached with the included sticky-pad). Two Color-coded mini-plugs connected to the Acoustic Edge sound card and the subwoofer. Now that everything was hooked up and the speakers placed in the proper positions (front L/R next to the monitor and read L/R approx. 5 feet behind the listener), I plugged in the subwoofer and powered on the system via the remote control. Finally, the sound card drivers were set to "4 Speakers" output mode and I was ready to begin listening.
Test System:
The remote control:
The remote control is both a positive and negative for this system. The positives are simplicity of changing volume, sound settings ("Game", "Speech", and "Music" modes), mute, standby, master volume, bass/treble, fade, and Inputs 1-3. The negative is that the remote is the ONLY way to access these features, essentially leaving the system useless if the remote is damaged, lost, or the batteries die. There is also no way to judge the level of Fade from front to rear or Bass vs. Treble visually...the remote can adjust these parameters, but you have to go strictly by ear without visual aid.
Sound Modes:
Three different listening modes are available on the remote control: Game, Speech, and Music. I found that Game mode was the closest to my listening tastes regardless of what I was listening to (games, music, or DVD movies). I have not found many products (PC multimedia or home audio) that offer adequate presets without the necessary tweaking of equalizers and/or bass and treble.
MP3/CD Playback:
Using Winamp I played through various music styles (classical, rock, pop, techno, and metal). The flat panel satellites surprised me with the amount of sound they could produce. Going back to my preconceived notions of flat panel speakers, I (incorrectly) assumed that the quality would suffer because of the appearance and size (or lack of...). The feather light satellites (0.23Kg/0.507lb each) seem almost too light to be effective, but that is not the case. One recommendation I can make to Philips would be to increase the weight of the plastic bases that the satellites are attached to. The speakers are so light that bumping them with your hand (or mouse cord, etc) can push them around the desktop. Looking beyond the weight, the sound was very good. The strongest aspect of the satellites is the upper frequencies. It seemed that there was a lacking in the midrange compared to the highs, resulting in a slightly muffled sound. This was compensated for by adjusting the Treble/Bass on the remote control and also tweaking in the sound card driver settings.
Philips has teamed with NXT for improved flat panel sound. From a brief look at NXT's website, they provide the research and technology, and then license the technology to various companies to implement into their own products.
"NXT* has developed a unique loudspeaker technology that has redefined the shape of sound. Philips has taken a new step in optimizing the implementation of NXT*'s technology by adding a High Frequency Booster. The High Frequency Booster boosts sound pressure at the higher frequencies, thereby enabling the use of a soft panel material whose sound quality matches the performance of most home audio systems."
The subwoofer performed quite well with its "wOOx™" technology, producing realistic bass tones without much muffled booming. For most music I had to adjust the Bass control on the remote control a few levels lower than max to prevent it from overpowering the highs. As stated in the installation manual:
"Anchored by a 40 watt subwoofer, the A 3.500 Acoustic Surround Power / MMS 305 system employs Philips' patented wOOx™ Bass Driver technology to generate superior bass from a deceptively small enclosure. The wOOx™ bass drivers are composed of a unique dual suspension design mounted in front of the subwoofer resulting in a deeper, richer bass performance you would expect from a large subwoofer. With the symmetrical construction of the wOOx™ Bass Radiator, there is complete balance of the membrane movement producing no discernable distortion. As a result, gaming effects are more intense and music more enjoyable."
Surround Sound:
The surround sound created by the rear speakers was not as immersive as I had hoped, but this is only a matter of personal taste. The surround effect is more transparent than other systems I have heard. I adjusted the Fade control to maximum volume for the rear, but the sound remained fairly "front heavy". Again, this is only my personal preference. The surround sound is definitely noticeable, as proven by switching between 2 and 4 speaker output mode in the sound card driver settings. I can best describe the surround effect as "subtle" instead of overpowering or harsh.
Games:
Games sound quite good with the system. To do the testing I played the standard titles of Unreal Tournament and Quake 3 Arena. Bass was crisp and accurate, with the satellites giving adequate mid/high sound. Since the system is rated at 80W RMS, it will not (and does not) give the player earthshaking explosions and sound effects, but the quality is high. This doesn't mean the volume is not loud enough, but for power-hungry players that love extreme bass or ear-bleeding volume, this may not be the solution. For those "normal" players that need good sound without getting a ticket for disrupting the neighbors, these speakers are excellent.
DVD Movies:
The quality of sound for movies is almost identical to the statements above regarding games. The speakers are quite good for voice reproduction, music, and everything in between, but the lack of extreme bass can be a limitation for many action movies. While watching the movie Blade, the mid/high sound was excellent, while some of the scenes were too much for the system's subwoofer (the club scene in the beginning...you know the song I'm talking about!). As stated above, this is purely a matter of taste. If the listener is not looking for extreme bass, this system is just fine.
Pros:
Cons:
Summary:
My overall opinion of this flat panel system is very good. For the systems price range (~$149 retail) it is an excellent choice for good quality sound on a PC system. The aesthetics of the system should not be overlooked, which is almost as important these days as performance. I can imagine that for an office setting or demonstration system these speakers would quickly gain favor from appearance alone and "coolness" factor. For the average music listener on a budget this system is a good choice. I compliment Philips for the sound quality of such a small flat panel system.
OVERALL RATING: 7 out of 10
review by b-man1
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