Philips AmbiSound Home Theater Sound Bar with Integrated 1080p-Upscaling DVD/MP3 Player, HTS8100/37

by Philips

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 22 x 41 x 14.5 inches ; 59.1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 60 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000N7VPZO
• Item model number: HTS8100/37
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,996 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)

Product Description

Ambisound for full no-fuss multichannel surround sound . Ambisound technology produces truly embracing multi-channel surround sound from fewer speakers. It delivers an immersive 5.1 sound experience without the constraints of sitting position, room shape or size, and without the clutter of multiple speakers and cables. Through the combined effect of psychoacoustic phenomena, array processing and precisely angled driver positioning, Ambisound delivers more sound from fewer speakers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

103 of 105 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Deep Sound, but where's the surround?, December 6, 2007

By 

Ian M. Readman "Bunker Mentality" (Orlando, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Philips AmbiSound Home Theater Sound Bar with Integrated 1080p-Upscaling DVD/MP3 Player, HTS8100/37 (Electronics)

Always a tricky one when reviewing something which sounds great, but doesnt really do what it says on the tin.

I read a few reviews on the Phillips sound bar and decide to go for it rather than the Yahama, due to its inclusion of an upscaling DVD player being built in.

My house just doesnt lend itself well to placing 5 speakers, particularly rears, so I thought what the heck I'll try this.

The audio quality is excellent, deep bass (not quite sharp enough with movies on normal settings but that can be fixed by tweaking the audion settings and cranking the treble)and a huge array of different pre set movie and audio settings to suit your ear.

But as far as virtual Surround Sound capability goes...there isnt any as far as I can tell. I've tried various DVD's with scenes I know bring in the rear speakers on full systems and there is no distinguishable surround effect.

Disappointing really, although I have to say I still love the overall sound when its cranked up, it really booms out.

So if you want a boost to your TV sound and have a beautiful looking sound bar with built in DVD (and it does look awesome), you cant go far wrong. But if you are thinking you can change the laws of physics and have surround sound without rear speakers, think again, cause this just doesnt work!

73 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good looking home theater system, July 3, 2007

By 

Pharmer (kalifornia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Philips AmbiSound Home Theater Sound Bar with Integrated 1080p-Upscaling DVD/MP3 Player, HTS8100/37 (Electronics)

Best part about this system is the simplicity in term of look and set up. Black finish matches with my black Phillips LCD TV. It comes with a main unit and a loud speaker. So not many things to hook up. It is pretty simple to set up if you plan to just have it sitting on the top of the cabinet. I decided to hang it on the wall, right below my flat LCD TV. It looks just gorgeous.

You can play CD, DVD, and AM/FM radio. It has MP3 line-in, iPOD connector and a beautiful black docking unit, USB connector to play MP3 and photos. Sound quality is pretty good. I mainly use it when I watch TV/DVD or listen to my iPOD. Nothing serious.

I didn't give the five star because it didn't have the high def or blueray. I wish it comes with the HD radio and multi-disk. iPod dock works well. However, dock is a separate unit so it has to be hooked up to the main unit. As a result, it ruins the clean look. IPod docking unit's plug is located on the side so it is difficult to hide wires and connectors. They should have integrated the iPOD docking unit to the main unit or the loud speaker box to maintain the clean look.

All in all, I think price is good and unit works well. If you want the clean look, this is the system.

Update Aug 5, 07: System works great. I am glad I bought it. By the way, don't buy the wall mount kit because it already comes with it. Don't understand, why Amazon wants you to purchase a separate kit????

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 30 Minutes from the Box to a Home Theater System, December 27, 2007

By 

David McCune "self-deprecating and proud of it" (Tacoma, WA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Philips AmbiSound Home Theater Sound Bar with Integrated 1080p-Upscaling DVD/MP3 Player, HTS8100/37 (Electronics)

And much of that 30 minutes was spent clearing out the old system.

I purchased this to replace our old home theater system. Our previous model, with its multiple speakers and tangle of wires, was a "true" 5.1 surround sound. I have never been crazy about stringing up speaker wire, and the setup of our living room meant that it was bound to look unsightly. I wanted this sound system to do 2 things: look nice and produce good sound, and it has delivered on both very well.

The look is sleek. The CD tray sits behind the front panel, which slides aside when opening (that got an "oohhh" from the kids). The connecting wires were minimal. The system draws its power from the sub-woofer, requiring a single outlet. The weight of the main bar is probably less than 20 pounds, with the majority of the weight of the whole system in the sub-woofer, which rests of the floor "at least 3 feet" from the bar. The bar rests easily on top of an entertainment center, but should not pose much problem to mount on a wall below a wall-mounted flat panel TV. It accommodates HDTV and non-HDTV, can synch with the TV cable sound, has an MP3 jack, and has AM/FM radio receivers.

As for the sound, I'd rate it quite good for the money. The set-up includes a brief series of questions regarding the room layout relative to the sound bar. I assume this calibrates it for a "sweet spot" where the sound most closely recreates a surround effect. I'm not an audiophile, but I'd call it a "surround lite". It gives the sound an impression of depth that is pleasing, and the bass is deep enough to make the THX test pattern enjoyable (my personal test of "good enough"). If you are an audio purist, this is probably not the system for you, but it was a real crowd-pleaser at our house for family movie night.

So, for an easy, eye pleasing setup and very good sound in an affordable package, I strongly recommend the Phillips AmbiSound system.