Philips DS9800W

Still, the AirPlay system works as expected. The final remaining question, naturally, is whether the Fidelio SoundSphere system will be worth its €799 ($1,154) price tag when it hits retail in May 2011. Considering that would get you a Sonos...

Attractive design Detailed and punchy sound Balanced delivery

Finicky AirPlay setup Dock is only for charging purposes

It all sounds sweet on paper, but to fork out more than a grand for a pair of stereo speakers is quite a tall order for most of us. Those who are interested in the inner workings of the Fidelio SoundSphere might want to know that the DS9800W carries a...

In summary, we really liked almost everything about the Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800W: Philips deserves praise for its daring cannon-styled speaker design, its sharp-looking illuminated charging dock, and the raw power of the audio hardware it includes...

So should you buy the Fidelio SoundSphere? If you love music, the answer is definitely

Ultimately, none of this really matters. The SoundSphere looks sexy, sounds exciting and you can just imagine it having some serious retro chic once design has moved on in 20 years time - provided it still works by the, of course. We\'re very much...

Philips Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800W review – intro Business not your thing? Then these speakers, which look like the 'Yip Yip' aliens from Sesame Street, might be more to your taste. A

There’s also an auxiliary 3.5mm input on the back of the main left speaker, which houses the SoundSphere’s electronic gubbins – the amplifier et al. This is very much a secondary input though, looking rather pauper-like against the proper ports...

Luxurious sound quality ; Gorgeous design ; Built-in Wi-Fi and AirPlay

Tricky network setup with PC ; No direct iPod connection ; Easy to knock over