Customer Reviews

Philips DC910/37 Shelf Bar 30-Watt Audio System with iPod Dock (Black)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The quality of the audio is considerably below higher end iPod Docks, but it's passable for a dorm room kind of setting. The sound is very compressed and does a decent job in the vocal frequencies and not a heck of a whole lot else. That said, the sound is better than you get with your typical Sony/iHome alarm clock iPod docks and it isn't a whole lot bigger. It also can be louder than those docks.

The ability to load in a SD card or Flash card for music is a nice feature that makes this audio system quite versatile. The remote is easy to use and fairly intuitive. Yes, you can rotate your iPod and watch TV shows and movies, but honestly, who wants to watch TV on such a tiny screen unless you're on a plane (in which case, you'd be using earphones).

The build on this unit is not particularly impressive and I'm guessing that it won't last more than three years. Then again, I won't have my iPod touch at that time either and will have moved onto something new.

If you can get this thing for less than 100 bucks, it's worth it. More than that, and you probably can do better with another dock.

I am so happy with this system. It is the perfect size, easy to transport, sleek, and has an incredible sound. The small stature is deceiving; it's hard to believe it's capable of producing such a rich sound. The rotating dock and compatability with other media are added bonuses. Well worth the money spent.

This is on the expensive side of the likes but it has the features that I wanted. Wife's music can be played from the USB thumb while baby's music can be played from the SD card. There are other inputs, Radio and ... iPod as well. The design is slick for wall mount and I think it is overall a fine product from Phillips. I, however, give 4 stars because of these:
1. The wake-up volume can not be lower (always at 12). You have to de-gain your mp3 music instead thanks to the mp3gain software
2. I will be very happy if I have a choice on the color (white instead)

I got this primarily as a alarm clock. Mounted to the wall beside my bed it frees up space on my nightstand. The unit has functioned flawlessly in it's intended purpose. I do find the clock display a little too bright at night but it doesn't keep me awake.

I seldom watch video on my touch, but the rotating dock is a great feature for touch/iPhone users that do.

Sound quality is quite good at normal volume levels, but as you start to crank it up some the bass gets thin and starts to sound mono-tone.

I gave it 4 stars because it does exactly what I want it to do. I'd recomend it to anyone as a alarm clock, kitchen system, or desk system. I'd not recomend it as a "main" living room audio source. It might be ok in a dorm room. Some YouTube on the tiny screen with decent sound might be appriciated while the roomie has the PS3 going on the big screen.

Nothing is perfect but I think the Philips Shelf Bar is pretty close.
It takes a lot to impress me and the DC910/37 did just that. My intent was to use it in my bedroom but the sound was so robust and room-filling that I moved the unit to living room and kitchen area where it provides a marvelous reproduction of music from my classic Ipod all day long. I don't begin to comprehend how the Philips engineers were able to design such a small unit that provides so much bass, without distortion,..... this unit puts out BASS.
The unit is very impressive visually, it has a relative small footprint, easy to setup and comes with multiple attachments for securing many types of m3 players.
I give this sound bar a 4 1/2 only because a 5 is perfect and perfection doesn't exist in my world.

sound quality very good, better than some of the more expensive units like $300 units

I lucked out finding one of these on special at Wal-Mart when I was looking for something better than those bulky and dull sounding boom boxes for classroom use. There are 2 aux ins, which gives you amazing compatibility. iPod dock, card ram, usb-- just incredible what you can connect to this! First I tested by connecting to my Macbook Pro. I am completely impressed by the sound. If you want hyped, unnatural sound, like a lot of people are accustomed to today (the subwoofer crowd, for example), you will be disappointed. However, if you like a rich natural sound, this thing has it in spades! By rich, natural sound I mean that the lows, mids and highs are balanced. The separation of the sounds is the best I ever heard in a portable unit. When your audio source is in stereo, it's obviously not mono. BTW, I have had various incarnations of progressively higher tech recording studios in my house, so when I say this, you can take it to the bank. Because the sound isn't hyped, I am going to mix with this as a monitor (along with my near fields, etc.) Play "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor (the original studio version) through it. The tom tom fills smack and ring as if they are in front of your face! It's lightweight, which helps getting it to the classroom. And the students like the sound-- it's very clear. If it weren't, I would have returned it the same day. Can not be beaten for NATURAL sound quality, massive compatibility with various input abilities, and I like the portability. The bottom stand part wouldn't stay on very well for me (it slides in). I epoxied it on permanently with a couple cents of epoxy I had around the house. Super stable base now, but I wouldn't go so far as to deduct any points off for that because of all the positives.

Keep in mind that I'm no audiophile when reading this review, though I generally know good sound when I hear it.

The DC910 is a great-looking, impressive system with very good audio capabilities. Buy one of these refurbished for $80-$90 and you'll have a great mid-range model at an economy price. This snazzy device has various connectors to make sure you fit your iPod snugly into the cradle (to avoid any damage to the connectors), programmable albums and stations, and a great remote which allows you to navigate through the iPod's menus. This thing would look great mounted onto a wall (instructions for which are in the manual).

One word: the manufacturers apparently decided that by default the system should vibrate like crazy with high levels of bass at high volumes. This is more of a consequence of the fairly small w00x bass speakers - just turn off the Dynamic Bass boost and the thing will sound great (and you won't hear any vibration). Also keep in mind that you won't get a full "surround" effect from a device like this - though the board has multiple speakers you'll want to locate it in a corner for maximum effect.

In short - those looking for a great home or dorm setup need look no further (particularly if you buy it refurbished). Other iPod speaker systems often sound thin or tinny, particularly at higher volumes. This one does not.

Great sound and pretty big for the size. However, sent it back because the remote control did not act right. Volume worked sporadically but other controls were way too balky.

This was advertised as a new unit but when I received it found out it was a refurbished unit. Works exactly as advertised with IPOD and I love that function. I tried to use as an alarm clock but the clock settings kept disappearing. Gave up and now use it at the office to listen to and charge my IPOD. Gave 3 stars due to false advertisement.