Nov 04, 2005 04:07 PM
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(Updated Feb 21, 2006 03:42 PM)
Initially I went to buy a Philips HTR2000 home theatre for my home. During the demonstration, I also had a chance to check out the sleek and stylish LX600. I compared both the systems only to find the later producing absolutely great sound, leaving the HTR2000 in dust. I decided to go for the big one.
The LX600 Home cinema package comes with five satellite speakers, a passive subwoofer, AV receiver/amplifier, AV cables, a coaxial cable, a remote and user manuals.
I have connected it with my Onida DFX 7100 DVD player. It is very simple to connect the speakers/ TV/ DVD player to the receiver, thanks to the colour coded wires.
The receiver is a Class D digital amplifier, which means more power from a compact box. The amp delivers a thrashing output of 100 x 6 = 600W RMS (approx 7500W PMPO). If you plan to purchase a Sony or Onkyo AV system of this power, then you will have to shell out more than Rs.16,000 for the receiver alone. Also, you cannot expect a similar quality in systems with amp built inside the woofer.
The A/V receiver has the following connections
The receiver has a Dolby 5.1 / DTS decoder, so in case your DVD player does not have the decoding option, this will be a godsend for you. It can also convert stereo sound (for eg an MP3 song) into multi-channel audio, and they call it as Dolby Prologic or 3D Virtual Surround System, VSS. You can enjoy surround sound, even if your source audio is a stereophonic. It has an FM/MW receiver, with external antennas, giving a fantastic reception. The amp is SACD prepared; a technology for multi-channel audio CD which is yet to attract the market.
The receiver has a 24 bit, 192kHz D/A converter with a frequency response of 30 – 20,000 Hz which means you will never miss a buzz or boom. Signal-to-noise ratio is around >60 dB and the distortion is nil even at high output. You will not hear any ripping noise from the speakers even at max volume as you would usually hear in a poor audio system. The Class D amplifier generates far less heat than an analog system, and it also has an exhaust fan to cool the components inside. (please note that traditional analog amplifiers are still preferred by many audiophiles). The close loop processors deliver superior and powerful sound without any loss of audio quality.
It has a separate treble and bass control, and equalizer settings like Sci-Fi, Concert, Drama, Action, Digital, Classic, Jazz, Rock. Night mode suppresses sudden peaks in the input sound. It also has a headphone out for personal listening. You can use the sleep timer which puts the system in standby mode after the preset time elapses.
Each satellite surround speaker has an 3 ohm, 3” mid-range woofer. All speakers have an 1” conical dome tweeter for excellent high frequency sounds without any distortion. The clarity is just great and is soft on the ears as well. The front and centre speakers are magnetically shielded so that you can keep it close to your TV.
The Subwoofer is my favourite part of the system. It delivers a thumping bass output which can shake the fluids in your stomach.. I have kept it above the listening position in a hollow cavity in the wall and I can feel the vibrations of the 6.5” driver filling the room. The high efficiency sub does not produce any distortion even at max volume which means that once you close your eyes, you will never be able to locate the sub in your room.
The remote enables you to adjust the volume of the sub woofer, the rear speakers and the centre speaker which is an important feature, audiophiles like me usually expect. You can adjust the delay of the rear speakers, in case your room is very large.
Speaking about the cons of the system, the audio output slightly (0.1 - 0.5 seconds) lags behind the input. This delay causes an echo between the Philips speakers and the TV speakers. To avoid this, the audio input of TV can be connected to the output of the receiver, instead of the DVD player. That should solve the delay problem. The woofer is closed on both sides with a light coloured cloth, which I think will get dirty after prolonged handling. I don’t find any other problems with the system.
It has an year warranty and he service will be very good, as I have heard so far. So if you plan to buy a home theatre in the budget range of Rs10K to 15K, you will not have any reasons not to go for this. If you have a tough time making a choice between a home theatre and a DVD hi-fi, you can better go for this. A DVD hifi is a serious waste of money, when compared to such home Entertainment systems be it performance or cost.
Whether you listen to music or watch DVD movies, the LX600 will be an ideal pick.
I often close my eyes to experience a truly stunning sound that makes me feel like being in the best theatre in the city. So what are you waiting for? Close your eyes, swipe your card and take home the Philips LX600.
