Philips DS3881W/37 Fidelio SoundRing Wireless Speaker with AirPlay

by Philips

Product Features

• Compact design for any space, any lifestyle
• 360-degree design for gorgeous look from any angle
• Stream music with AirPlay wireless technology
• Battery or AC power option for music enjoyment anywhere

› See more product details

Product Description

Amazon.com

Enjoy an immersive sound experience with the Philips Fidelio SoundRing AirPlay speaker. This speaker lets you wirelessly stream music from your iPod touch, iPhone, iPad, or your computer's iTunes library, and uses SoundRing design for crystal-clear, detailed audio. The Fidelio SoundRing is 100% portable and will conveniently play and charge your device simultaneously. It features an aux-in jack for easy hookup to virtually any electronic device. To expand your entertainment options, it works with the free Fidelio app for access to a range of music and other features. The speaker has a built-in lithium-ion battery so you can bring it with you or try out different locations in your home.

Philips Fidelio SoundRing AirPlay Speaker DS3881W/37

At a Glance:

• Plays your favorite iTunes songs from your iPod touch, iPhone, iPad, or computer wirelessly
• Portable, rechargeable unit with built-in lithium-ion battery
• SoundRing for crystal-clear, immersive audio
• Compact, 360-degree design
• Free Fidelio app for access to over 7,000 free Internet radio stations
• One-year warranty

2012 CES Innovation Award Winner.

SoundRing technology delivers full audio impact in all directions for an immersive audio experience. View larger.

Convenient portable and wireless design lets you enjoy high-quality sound in any room. View larger.

About AirPlay:

• Stream your entire iTunes library via your existing wi-fi network
• Fill any room with rich, balanced sound
• Compatible with your iPod touch, iPhone, iPad or wi-fi enabled PC or Mac
• Connect multiple speakers and enjoy music anywhere in your home

Use Apple's free Remote app to access your iTunes library and play your favorite music from your iPod touch, iPhone or iPad.

Stream Music with AirPlay Wireless Technology

AirPlay technology lets you stream your entire iTunes music collection from the iTunes program on your computer, or your iPod touch, iPhone, or iPad, to the Fidelio SoundRing AirPlay speaker using your existing Wi-Fi connection. AirPlay also lets you enjoy enhanced sound from games, music-making apps, YouTube videos, Internet TV, and iTunes movies.

Whether you're hosting a party or simply want to enjoy a full-on sound experience, this technology will play sound simultaneously on every AirPlay-enabled speaker in every room so rich, full sound can fill your home.

SoundRing for Crystal-Clear, Immersive Sound

Experience your favorite songs like you never have before with the Fidelio SoundRing. This speaker features SoundRing technology, which is engineered to completely fill your room with superb sound. A central bass sound pipe and four high-definition drivers--two front-firing and two side-firing--work together to provide an immersive sound experience with full audio impact in all directions.

Simultaneous Playing and Charging

The Fidelio SoundRing offers the convenience of both corded and cordless operation so you can enjoy your music anytime, anywhere. When you connect your iPod touch, iPhone, or iPad via the USB port, you can play music while also charging your device. An aux-in jack makes for easy connection to virtually any electronic device, including MP3 players and stereo components.

Compact, Space-Saving Design

Take your music wherever you want thanks to the compact, 360-degree design and built-in rechargeable battery. Charge the speaker on its sleek charging base to enjoy up to three hours of music in AirPlay mode, or up to six hours via the aux-in or USB port. Unlike bulky speakers that can take over your space, the Fidelio SoundRing is compact and easy to move around, and looks stylish from any angle on a bookshelf, nightstand, or side table.

Free Fidelio App for Music, Alarm and Other Fun Features

If you own an iPod touch, iPhone, or iPad, you can unlock even more features for this wireless speaker using the complementary Fidelio app. The Philips Fidelio app gives you access to over 7,000 free Internet radio stations. It also lets you share your favorite music with friends via Facebook and Twitter, set customized alarms to wake up to your favorite music, and enjoy detailed weather reports.

Compatibility Information

The Fidelio SoundRing is compatible with iPod touch; iPod touch 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation; iPhone; iPhone 3G, 3GS, and 4; iPad, and iPad 2nd generation. The Fidelio app requires a Fidelio speaker and iPod touch, iPhone, or iPad iOS 4.3 or later.

Dimensions and Warranty

The Fidelio SoundRing measures 8.3 by 7.75 by 4.5 inches (H x W x D) and is backed by a one-year warranty.

What's in the Box

Philips Fidelio SoundRing AirPlay speaker DS3881W/37, 3.5-millimeter aux-in cable, AC adapter, charging base, CD-ROM user manual, warranty information, and quick start guide.

Fidelio AirPlay Speakers: Obsessed with Sound	SoundSphere AirPlay Speakers DS9800W/37	SoundCurve AirPlay Speaker DS8800W/37	SoundRing AirPlay Speaker DS3881W/37	SoundAvia AirPlay Speaker AD7000W/37
Sound Technology
SoundSphere	•
SoundAvia				•
SoundRing			•
SoundCurve	•	•
FullSound	•			•
Compatibility
Free Philips Fidelio App	•	•	•	•
AirPlay	•	•	•	•
iPod/iPhone/iPad Compatible	•	•	•	•
Built-in Rechargeable Battery			•
USB Charging	•	•	•	•
Aux-In Jack	•	•	•	•
Accessories
iPod/iPhone/iPad Charging Stand	•
Remote Control	•	•
3.5 mm Aux-In Cable	•	•	•	•

Product Description

Natural and immerse sound equally radiates from the center to all directions of your living room. Equipped with AirPlay, these elegant speakers let you stream songs directly from iPod touch, iPhone, iPad and also iTunes. AirPlay lets you stream your entire iTunes music collection to your Fidelio docking stations. It plays wirelessly from the iTunes program on your computer, iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch - to any AirPlay-enabled speaker in your home. All you have to do is ensure your speakers are connected to your Wi-Fi network. AirPlay also lets you play simultaneously on every speaker in every room. Get your favorite tunes to follow you whichever room you go.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars I HATE LISTENING TO MUSIC THAT REPEATEDLY DROPS OUT December 20, 2011

By W. B. Halper TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I am listening to this thing and it is driving me up a bloody tree (putting it politely). When it's playing, it sounds great, but it only goes for 5-15 seconds before the sound drops out. The gaps range from a few tenths of a second, up to a couple of seconds...but...but..ARGH!

I've pretty much traced the problem to the Philips Fidelio app on my iPhone 4. With the plain Music app, it works much better, (so I've switched as I'm typing this review) but it completely dropped off my network three times in the last 90 minutes. In case you think that it may be a signal strength problem, it isn't. My wireless router is about 7 feet from the speaker. My iPhone is sitting between them.

According to the Philips support website, this is a recognized problem for the iPhone 4s. Hate to tell you this guys, but it's also a problem with the plain old iPhone 4.

With an app update and some firmware tweaking, this is clearly a four star product. It's a great idea, sounds good and has a nice physical design. As is, though, it gets a royal raspberry. I'll rewrite this review as soon as the bugs are worked out.

Update - 1/7/2011 - I took this home and put it onto a completely different network. Using the iPhone native music app, I had the same problems that I experienced earlier. A wired connection worked fine (I would hope so!), although that reduces this to an extremely expensive mono speaker. I'm leaving the rating at two stars, but it probably only deserves one...the problems should be fixable with a firmware update.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Drops the signal after 5-10 seconds of playing January 7, 2012

By brucedickinson

My speaker worked great for about 3 weeks. Since then, it has developed an annoying habit (to say the least) of dropping the sound after only 5-10 seconds of playing. Philips web site and Apple web site have been absolutely no help. At this point, it's an expensive paper weight. Do not buy.

Aug. 2012 Update:
Several people had suggested upgrading my iOS devices to 5.1.x, to solve the dropout problem. I just wanted to clarify that I have tried this, and it made a slight difference, but not enough to make this device a reliable way to enjoy Airplay music. The final strike came today, as the device completely dropped off of Airplay as an available device. After much troubleshooting, I reset to factory defaults, only to have the device disappear entirely from WiFi. It's supposed to broadcast a generic Philips SSID, but the device now appears to be completely dead from a WiFi standpoint. I can still play music by plugging in via USB, but that is not what I was paying for when I bought it less than one year ago. I'll just reiterate my advice to steer well clear of this one.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars When it's working, the sound is great January 26, 2012

By B. Edwards VINE™ VOICE

Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I had pretty high expectations for this sexy sound wheel, considering I love my relatively old gen, cheap (in comparison), Logitech unit (Pure Fi Anywhere 2) with no Airplay/BT capability. And in sound quality, the two units are surprisingly close. They are both also relatively portable, and both units have built in batteries, that recharge when the main unit is plugged in.

The problem is that I don't even think I can give this 3 stars (It's OK), because the Achilles heel of this thing is such that I would almost rather not listen to music, than to have it drop out constantly, which is what happens on a regular basis (and yes, I have a good wifi connection). Even when I have things running relatively smoothly, and I have found that seemingly perfect spot for both the unit and my iPhone or iPad, it will still wonk out enough that it's maddening. Sometimes if I wait long enough, it will "come back" on...or sometimes not at all.

The ability to simply press a button on the back of the unit to connect to your home wi fi is brilliant, and worked perfectly, the first time for me (you have to have a router that supports that one button push though). Kudos there, for implementing that.

But ye Gods, everything else good I have to say about this Donut O' Sound is meaningless (it looks great, feels great, has great build quality, sounds great...etc.) IF YOU CAN'T LISTEN TO YER FREEKIN MUSIC WITHOUT IT CUTTING OUT CONSTANTLY. Sorry for yelling, but products like this frustrate me more than normal, because they are so close to perfect other than one fatal flaw....

And to be fair, this is my first AirPlay experience, so for all I know it could be that technology is not mature enough, but what I DO know is that I would recommend getting a different speaker if you want to wirelessly stream music (in fact I was considering buying the updated Logitech one that uses Bluetooth).

Try again, Philips, because this could be a sweet, sweet speaker if you get the wifi kinks worked out. Read more ›

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Very cool, but flaky network connection January 25, 2012

By David Edmiston TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

EDIT (Nov. 2012): In case you don't read all the way through this review, please scroll to the end to see a product that I recommend instead of this one...

************************************************

This speaker is amazing. The iPhone/iPad/iPod touch integration is very cool.

Here's what it is supposed to do:

* Wirelessly stream music over your WiFi network via AirPlay.
* Play music from your phone (or any MP3 player or audio device) through the included patch cable.
* Playback audio and/or charge your iPhone/iPad/iPod through the USB port (cable not included)
* Function as an alarm clock and provide enhanced playback capabilities through their iPhone app.

First a description of the speaker: It's a round speaker about 8" tall plus a small charging base. The speaker itself is really good. The sound quality is good. The size and shape of the speaker creates a very full sound source with a great range of highs and lows.

Here's a breakdown of the different playback modes and features:

______________________
Wireless Streaming:

The wireless streaming is really amazing. After you complete the setup (which is pretty simple if you're familiar with your home network), the playback is really fantastic. You stream your audio from your iPhone (I'll just say iPhone from now on, instead of iPhone/iPad/iPod touch) to the Fidelio speaker. Since the Fidelio functions like any other device on your network, your iPhone doesn't necessarily need to be near the Fidelio--your iPhone and the Fidelio just need to be within range of your wireless router. However, there's no way to connect the two wirelessly without the router; they can't connect peer-to-peer....

Just like anything else you stream over the Internet, there's a bit of a lag between when you start the playback on your iPhone and when the audio actually plays. The lag isn't bad though.

With the AirPlay functionality, you can control the playback (start, stop, pause, volume, etc.) from your phone. With your phone in your pocket, you have a great remote control.

HOWEVER, (and this is my biggest gripe about this device), the network connection seems to be a little finicky, and if the connection is lost, it's not that simple to pair them together again. This is actually pretty frustrating for me. As much as I love the wireless AirPlay playback, it's not something that I'd want to rely on for anything more than casual listening. It could be embarrassing at a party and it wouldn't be reliable enough for something like a public presentation.

______________________
Wired Playback:

Connecting your iPhone to the Fidelio with the included patch cable is simple and the playback is first rate. It's really really great. Since the speaker's battery charges while it sits on its stand, it's simple to pick up the speaker, the patch cable, and your phone and take it wherever you want to be: the garage, the yard, the pool, etc. Since the connection is a wire, there's no finicky connection to sweat over. It just plays, and it plays well.

______________________
USB Connection:

Connecting with an iPhone cable (USB to iPhone) is a good solid connection too. This introduces some issues to consider though.

Connecting with an iPhone cable is essentially the same as docking your iPhone. This means that the playback is controlled by the device instead of by your phone's iTunes/Music app. In this case you need to use the Fidelio app to control the playback. The app is good, but it's not perfect. Hopefully they'll provide updates to the app in the future.

The other consideration is power. Since your phone will charge from the speaker over the cable, it's best if you leave the speaker connected to the power dock. Otherwise, your phone will draw power from the speaker while it's playing from its battery power, which shortens your playback time.

______________________
Conclusion:

This is an incredibly cool device, but it's not bullet-proof. The app isn't totally polished and the wireless connection isn't reliable. I really love this device, but at this point it's still pretty pricey ($299.95 at this time).

_____________________
UPDATE:

If you're looking for an audio device to stream content from your digital player, skip the IP connection and go with Bluetooth instead. I've been using the Grace Digital ECOXGEAR ECOXBT Waterproof Wireless Bluetooth Speaker for a few months now and LOVE it. It's way more reliable, more functional, and more durable (even waterproof!). And it costs less than a third of that this Philips speaker costs. Check it out before you make your choice. Read more ›