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Philips Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800

Philips Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800

307 reviews

Jan, 2025

Positive
design (85)
usability (72)
size (21)
price (17)
sound (11)

Negative
reliability (32)

General overview
Price comparison

alaTest has collected and analyzed 307 reviews of Philips Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800. The average rating for this product is 3.6/5, compared to an average rating of 4.3/5 for other products in the same category for all reviews. People are impressed by the sound and size. The design and usability are also mentioned favorably, but the bass quality and price get mixed comments. Some have doubts about the reliability.

usability, design, size, sound

reliability

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other products in the same category the Philips Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 91/100 = Excellent quality.

Review analysis

(Based on 307 reviews)

Expert Reviews

User Reviews

Review Ratings

(36% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews (22% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews (13% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews (7% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews (22% of reviews)
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Features

usability
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design
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reliability
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price
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size
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Showing 103 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

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Showing 1 - 96 of 103 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (170)

Consumer review (amazon.co.uk)

Amazon.co.uk review summary for Philips Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800

alaTest has collected and analyzed 41 user reviews of Philips Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800 from Amazon.co.uk. The average user rating for this product is 3.1/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.4/5 for other products in the same category on Amazon.co.uk. Reviewers are impressed by the usability and design, but the size and price get mixed reviews. Some have doubts about the reliability.

design, usability

reliability

63% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

Jan, 2025

Consumer review (amazon.com)

Amazon.com review summary for Philips Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800

alaTest has collected and analyzed 45 user reviews of Philips Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800 from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 2.7/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.2/5 for other products in the same category on Amazon.com. Reviewers are impressed by the size. The usability also gets good comments. Some have doubts about the price and reliability.

design, usability, size

reliability, price

44% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Jan, 2025

Expert review by : Chris Davies (slashgear.com)

Philips Fidelio SoundSphere hands-on

As oddly-shaped speaker systems go, the Philips Fidelio SoundSphere pair should still stand out even in the most avant garde living room. In fact, unless your lounge looks like the egg room from the first Alien film, expect plenty of questions about...

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

Aug, 2012

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Expert review by : Andy Sim (hardwarezone.com)

Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on email Philips Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800W Docking Speakers - High Fidelity At A High Price

When I first laid eyes on Philips\' Streamium Hi-Fi Micro System two years ago, I was instantly reminded of a literature classic I used to study in school. The book in question was \"The Day of the Triffids\", penned by John Wyndham in 1951. What\'s...

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...

Aug, 2012

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Expert review by : Chip Chick (chipchick.com)

Philips Fidelio SoundSphere AirPlay Speakers Review

The Philips Fidelio SoundSphere AirPlay Speakers is an exquisite piece of audio equipment. Its floating tweeter design may resemble a one-eyed cyclops, but the sound that flows out of this system is far from monstrous and instead, more angel-like. Warm...

Great design, balanced sound that fills the room, and easy to setup.

AirPlay is temperamental, have to stand close to the speakers to adjust the volume with remote control, takes time to burn in, could be a bit pricey for some.

Jun, 2012

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Expert review by : Andy Sim (hardwarezone.com)

Philips Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800W Docking Speakers - High Fidelity At A High Price

Philips' DS9800W docking speakers were designed to impress with its touted SoundSphere technology and lavish profile. Read on to find out what we think about this living room centerpiece, whose hefty price tag puts it in the same class as the Zeppelin...

Attractive design ; Detailed and punchy sound ; Balanced delivery

Finicky AirPlay setup ; Dock is only for charging purposes

Compatibility-wise, Philips has obviously tailored the Fidelio SoundSphere for newer Apple devices with Wi-Fi capabilities. Older gizmos, such as the iPod classic for example, will have to rely on the more traditional 3.5mm audio jack. On that note, a...

Apr, 2012

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Expert review by : Jeremy Horwitz (ilounge.com)

Reviews: Philips Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800W Wireless Speaker with AirPlay

SoundSphere consists of two cannon-shaped wood-cabineted speakers, finished in glossy black lacquer with matching swirled black and silver metal top housings, plus chrome accent pieces. Each speaker stands roughly 15” tall with around 9” of...

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...

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Expert review by : Trusted Reviews (trustedreviews.com)

Philips Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800W

Philips' Fidelio SoundSphere docking system delivers sound to die for.

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

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

Feb, 2012

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Expert review by : Andrew Williams (trustedreviews.com)

Philips Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800

First Look: The Fidelio range gets a new ruler. Long live the king.

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 that...

Jun, 2011

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Expert review by : What Hi-Fi? (whathifi.com)