It was two weeks ago when I posted a review of the Philips GoGear SA5245BT digital MP3 video player. Today, I'm reviewing the Philips BTM630 Micro Hi-Fi System.
The Philips BTM630 is a small and elegant Hi-Fi system measuring 390 x 140.5 x 200.5 mm (W x H x D). It plays WMA-CD, MP3-CD, CD, CD-R, CD-RW and also music from any USB device and SD/MMC cards. On top of the BTM630, you'll find the iPod dock, SD/MMC slot and its controls.
The iPod dock is used to dock your iPod player for playback or for recharging. Most iPod models with 30 pin dock connectors are compatible with the dock. Playing a music from your iPod on the BTM630 is easy. Once docked, press Source to select iPod and the music starts to play automatically. While docking, your iPod also charges itself.
One of the main featues of the BTM630 is the ability to enjoy wireless music via Bluetooth technology. I recorded a video below to demonstrate this feature.
The Bluetooth capabilities of the BTM630 allow it to receive audio from Bluetooth enabled devices wirelessly like mobile phones, PDAs, MP3 players. It has an operational range of approximately 10m. Pairing your device with the BTM630 is easy and within minutes, you can start playing music from your device on the BTM630. The BTM630 also allows you to make or end calls of a connected Bluetooth enabled mobile phone. But I don't understand why would anyone want to use a Hi-Fi to answer phone calls.
You can rip music on the BTM630 to a connected USB device or SD/MMC memory card. I really love the speed of the rip. At 2X, it's very fast. But what I don't like is that the mp3 file doesn't have the music details like track name, etc. Instead the BTM630 renames it using numbers. There's no way to edit this using the BTM630. You'll need to use your PC.
Music quality of the BTM630 is surprisingly good. Well, above average to be exact but this isn't a system for audiophiles. Midrange is very good. Voices are correct and defined and all the high frequencies are there. Bass range however is not very deep. The BTM630 struggles when playing a music that has low bass. You can barely hear it especially when the other instruments are loud. The BTM630 has Dynamic Bass Boost which maximizes your music enjoyment by emphasizing the bass content of the music throughout the range of volume settings - from low to high – at the touch of a button. You would want to set this on everytime when you play your music.
The Digital Sound Control of the BTM630 offers you a choice of pre-set Jazz, Rock, Pop and Classic controls. I don't hear much of a difference between the Jazz, Classic and Pop controls - only on Rock. And worse, the BTM630 doesn't have a Graphic Equalizer which in my opinion, is a must in all audio systems.
Overall, the BTM630 is still a good enough system that will provide you with an acceptable sound for your home. Audiophiles may want to look for something better. Photos of the BTM630 here. It is retailing at S$329.
Previously:
Philips GoGear SA5245BT: A Review
Just in: Philips Micro Hi-Fi System and GoGear audio video player
Philips “Indulge Your Senses” Blogger Event
1 comment:
Can I use this unit to connect to my PC and play songs from my iTunes library?
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