Philips soundbars include a couple of inexpensive 2.1CH soundbars. These soundbars are geared towards premium design and, above all, the budget segment. And even if this acoustics is not 2021, nevertheless, we will consider the Philips TAB5305 review as one of the contenders for the acquisition.
Philips TAB5305 review
It is worth clarifying right away that the Philips TAB5305 soundbar does not come with any cable (HDMI, Aux or optical) that could be used to connect the bar to the TV. Everything in the Philips TAB5305 soundbar packaging is the TAB5305 soundbar and subwoofer, a remote control with batteries, a power adapter, a 220 volt subwoofer cord and brackets for wall mounting.
Design
The Philips TAB5305 Soundbar is a slim and stylish soundbar suitable for TVs up to 55 “. Its length is 900 mm and its height is 65 mm, which means that it should not obstruct the view for most TVs installed on a horizontal surface.
The TAB5305 soundbar itself looks premium and the build quality is perfect for the price point. The body is made in a clear cubic shape. There is a metal grill at the front. The top surface of the TAB5305 has a Philips logo in the center and rubberized hard buttons in the right corner.
The TAB5305 soundbar has only one LED that lights up in different colors to indicate different controls, inputs and presets. A bit awkward for easy understanding. All ports are located in a recess in the rear of the case.
Unlike the Philips TAB5305 soundbar itself, the wireless subwoofer is pretty simple. Its dimensions are approximately 150 x 225 x 267 mm. In four corners there are inch stand-legs. The wireless technology of connecting the sub allows you to place it anywhere within the Bluetooth range of the bar itself. In general, it is recommended to place the subwoofer on the floor rather than on a cabinet shelf. There is an LED on the back that indicates when the sub is paired with a bar and plugged in.
Management and connections
The Philips TAB 5305 soundbar offers a fairly simple plastic IR remote control. It is comfortable to hold in your hand and does its job beautifully. Stylish rectangular buttons on the remote control will draw attention to themselves. There are buttons to switch inputs, an EQ button to switch sound presets, playback controls, and volume controls.
There is also a mute button. The connection options for the TAB 5305 soundbar are pretty straightforward. The user has access to the HDMI ARC port , optical input and an additional port. There is Bluetooth 4.2. Since cables are not included, you will need to purchase them separately.
The best connection is HDMI ARC. Who carries audio on flash drives now? There are practically no such users anymore, so the lack of a USB port is not a huge disadvantage in this model.
Performance and sound quality
The Philips TAB 5305 soundbar performed surprisingly well when tested, especially when watching movies and videos. There is correct stereo separation, the dialogs are clean and clear. The down-firing subwoofer also performed better than expected. The bass is not strong, but it does a good job with low frequencies and adds the right amount of bass needed when watching movies.
When it comes to music playback, you can’t expect much from a 2.1 CH 70W system. But the acoustic panel TAB 5305 was good enough to satisfy the needs of ordinary listeners. Of course, Dolby Digital support would be better at this price, but this is not.
There are three sound presets: Movie, Music and News. You can switch between them using the EQ button. The LED color is the only indication for the various source and sound presets. There is also no dedicated smartphone app to simplify the task of operating the TAB 5305 soundbar.
The LED blinks white for three seconds in Music mode, green for 3 seconds for Movie mode, and red for News mode. Otherwise, Philips TAB5305 works very reliably. No performance issues or unexpected crashes when switching between different sources and modes.
Conclusion
In today’s market for such products, many relatively affordable soundbars can match or exceed the Philips TAB5305 for the price. However, what sets it apart from the others is that it is durable and in a good, austere design.
Sounds better than most convenience foods offered in this price segment. While the Philips TAB5305 / 12 lacks smartphone support, no return HDMI, and no Dolby Atmos compatibility , the soundbar just sounds good and works reliably. It looks original and, at the same time, strict. Such a model will not spoil the interior. This acoustic panel will appeal to casual customers who value the Philips brand.
[ratemypost]