Philips MX966 Home Theater System

by Philips

Product Details

Product Manual [1.56mb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 55 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005B4AR
• Item model number: MX966
• Batteries: 2 AA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #392,205 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Make your DVD player the center point of a complete home theater with the Philips MX966 audio surround-sound receiver package. Providing 100 watts' output across five channels (left, center, right, and left and right surround) as well as a 100-watt powered subwoofer, the MX966 receiver maximizes the performance of the six included home-theater speakers. Digital sound processing via Philips' Duet core assures the highest possible accuracy in audio reproduction and also translates Dolby Digital multichannel sound into a stereo signal suitable for digital recording onto CD-R discs.

In addition, the MX966's Virtual 3-D/Dolby Surround playback system delivers amazingly rich and convincing surround sound from only the two front speakers. The Philips "virtualizer" algorithm on the Duet DSP is the current state of the art reference for virtual surround sound processing.

No less than five compact, two-way satellite speakers let you build your personal cinema on a stand or wall-mounted with the included wall-brackets. Two front, one left, one right, and one center speaker are magnetically protected to prevent any interference with television picture-tube purity. The sixth speaker is a 50-watt powered subwoofer.

Connectivity features of the MX966 include a total of 10 audio inputs, three video inputs and two video outputs, five S-video connections and a six-channel input terminal. Convenience features include equalizer smart-sound modes (personal, speech, music, movie, and multimedia), a Night mode for softening of volume differences, 30 AM/FM tuner presets with station name and display, and an included 51-key multibrand universal remote control.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Phillps MX966 Home Theater System, July 18, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Philips MX966 Home Theater System (Electronics)

.... Overall, I'm very impressed by the quality and value of this product. The system provides plenty of power for anyone with a small to mid-size room, and the clarity is better than one might expect from small home theater in a box speakers.

The heart of the system is a 500 Watt receiver built by Marantz (although sold under the Philips brand name). The receiver has all the bells and whistles one would associate with any upper-end receiver. It has a wide array of inputs, and features interactive menus that allow you to enter distances between speakers to properly adjust the volume level between the speaker components. All buyers should be aware however that this system does not decode DTS. You can only get Dolby Digital out of this machine. In my humble opinion though, it is virtually impossible to tell the two formats apart unless you are using high-end equipment.

The only realy drawback I see is that the reciever only has one digital optical input. If you are like me and have a DVD player and digital cable, that creates a dilemna. It does have two coaxial digital inputs, but I personally do not like coax inputs as well as digital optical.

The speakers are far better than those included with similar systems by other manufacturers. The three array design of the center channel speaker is a nice touch and the front and surround channels are well complimented by the 100 watt subwoofer. When you turn it up, this system can really kick.

If you want solid quality at a low price, this system is for you. It provides plenty of power for the average user and will add a whole new world to your home theater experience.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good product, good deal, February 8, 2002

By 

Chris Stockard (Juneau, AK United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Philips MX966 Home Theater System (Electronics)

I spent a lot of time hunting all the on-line merchants for a good quality tuner speaker combination package to use with my DVD, VCR, phono, cassette tape, and laserdisc players. Since this was for use in a less-than-ideal home environment, I didn't want to spend top dollar, but I didn't want junk either.

The MX966 turned out to be a great find. I am very pleased by the quality of all the components, including the speakers. This was the only under $500 system that I located that had phono inputs. It also has a good selection of s-video ports.

The only thing that confused during initial operation was that video is only distributed in the same output format as its input. That is if you send coax video to the tuner, it is not sent to the s-video output. A small thing, but if you have an older VCR that mean you will have to select a different TV input for viewing VCR tapes than is used for all the devices that produce s-video. Not a big deal, but it could have been clearer in the instructions.

Also, why is it that device makers don't list the universal remote code for their OWN devices? I have 3 phillips devices (TV, TUNER, DVD) but the universal remote lists up to ten possible codes for each of those phillips devices. I still don't have the right combination since sometimes when I an controlling one device, others also respond.

Awesome sound (compared to my old 2 channel stereo) with movies and CDs, and good quality construction and materials. I'm a happy camper!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Philips MX966 Digital Audio Surround Sound Home Theater Pack, December 24, 2001

By 

Paul Meudt (Monroe, Wisconsin United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Philips MX966 Home Theater System (Electronics)

The MX 966 package has a lot of options. I loved the reality that it enabled me to eliminate my old large bulky speakers (enough space for two more chairs), along with my AM/FM Tuner and Equalizer.

With all the connectors in the back, it tied in my DVD changer, CD changer, Cassette Deck, Turn Table, satellite system, and VCR while allowing me switch to any component from one source.

While watching DVDs I was impressed with the sound from the "optical" audio hook-up. It rocks!

With 5 satelite speakers of 100 watt each, I never need to go above #25 on the volume knob, which goes to 50 (My kids tell me I am hard of hearing). The "Powered Sub-woofer" has 100 watts also and is impressive on the low bass noises. It will rattle your windows if so desired!

Over all, this is a great update to any sound system for this kind of cash!